9 - Energy

Question 1

State factors affecting oil prices

Answer 1

Supply, demand, diplomacy, social, technology, regulation

Question 2

What are examples of events that affect supply and demand, and therefore oil prices?

Answer 2

Supply - new discoveries, oil spills, supply controlled by OPEC (regulates supply based on trend)
Demand - world economic growth, globalisation, recession (lower demand due to lower output), population growth

Question 3

What are examples of events that affect diplomacy and social factors, and therefore oil prices?

Answer 3

Diplomacy - countries may prioritise energy security over exports leading to conflict
Social - security problems, changing attitudes

Question 4

What are examples of events that affect technology and regulation, and therefore oil prices?

Answer 4

Technology - development of new technology (eg electric cars)
Regulations - renewable energy agreements

Question 5

How does development affect energy usage?

Answer 5

Lower in developing countries, limited energy access due to lack of energy infrastructure
Also lower incomes means less people having energy consuming products

Question 6

How does economic activity affect energy usage?

Answer 6

Primary industry - mostly agriculture so little energy as work done by people
Secondary industry - industrialisation requires lots of energy due to factories etc
Tertiary/quaternary/quinary industry (services) - less usage than secondary but lots of electricity required

Question 7

How does climate affect energy usage?

Answer 7

Locations with extreme climates require more energy for artificial heating/cooling, but influenced by development

Question 8

Define renewable and recyclable energy sources, and give examples

Answer 8

Renewable energy sources are replenished in a human timescale eg solar, biomass
Recyclable energy sources are waste products that can be reprocessed and reused eg nuclear energy, biofuels

Question 9

Why are lots of countries changing their energy mix?

Answer 9

Increasing demand and price of energy causing them to diversify energy mix

Question 10

What are causes of variation for renewable energy supply?

Answer 10

Geology, climate, accessibility, landscape

Question 11

Explain how landscape & geology could cause variation in renewable energy supply

Answer 11

Geology - contains deep geothermal aquifers for geothermal energy, land covered by warm sea previously creating sedimentary basins
Landscape - tectonic uplift resulting in steep relief causing HEP, need large amounts of water (HEP)

Question 12

Explain how climate & accessibility could cause variation in renewable energy supply

Answer 12

Climate - solar insolation for solar energy, high wind speeds for wind energy
Accessibility - areas for potential renewables in remote regions, landlocked resulting in poor infrastructure for imports/exports

Question 13

State the pros and cons of developing oil/gas in remote/ecologically sensitive areas

Answer 13

+ growing demand so economically viable
+ most accessible oil/gas fields exploited so supply required
- wildlife migration routes/habitats disrupted by noise/pollution from drillings or vehicles
- deforestation makes way for oil extraction causing soil erosion and more likelihood of flooding
- remote & expensive

Question 14

Define unconventional sources of energy, with examples

Answer 14

Unconventional sources of energy (eg tar sands, oil shales) are an alternate way of removing fossil fuels from rocks, obtained through fracking (hydraulic fracturing) or tar sands extraction other than conventional oil/gas drillings

Question 15

How does fracking work?

Answer 15

Water is blasted into rock fractures under pressure into the shale bed layer
Methane & other gases released and collected

Question 16

What are the impacts of fracking?

Answer 16

• chemicals pumped into the shale bed layer are run off into aquifers & disturbed rock creates subsidence (sinking)
• causes small scale earthquakes
• increased supply, reduced price, encourages consumption
• lots of water required

Question 17

Describe how tar sands extraction works?

Answer 17

Bitumen is a thick, viscose material that needs to be mixed with material before it flows
Bitumen is mixed with sands, but steam is injected to heat the sand and make it less sticky

Question 18

What are the impacts of tar sands extraction?

Answer 18

• landscape scars from open pit mining
• polluted warer
• more lorries needed to deliver resources (air pollution)
• biomagnification - contamination of water/air affects fish, birds
• habitat loss

Question 19

How does nuclear energy work?

Answer 19

Uranium enrichment occurs where gas uranium goes into a centrifuge, the isotopes are separated and U235 is collected and withdrawn near the centre

Question 20

What are the pros and cons of nuclear energy?

Answer 20

+ no CO2/emissions produced to contribute to global warming
+ power plants don’t require lots of space
+ lot of energy produced from small amounts of
- open cast mines are ugly
- groundwater contaminated with run off from mines
- radioactive radon gas enters ecosystem

Question 21

Define energy conservation and efficiency, giving examples

Answer 21

Energy conservation is trying not to use energy for a certain task eg lights off, cycling
Energy efficiency is reducing the amount of energy used for a certain task eg lower energy lightbulbs, public transport

Question 22

State the pros and cons of solar energy

Answer 22

+ no noise pollution when operating
+ little maintenance required
+ diverse application (electricity, heating etc)
- manufacturing of photovoltaic panels use harmful silicon & toxic metals
- transport & installation involves GHG emissions
- unpredictable climate

Question 23

State the pros and cons of wind energy

Answer 23

+ very cheap
+ no GHG emissions
- kills many birds
- visually unappealing
- requires transmission lines adding to GHG
- large numbers needed to produce significant amounts of energy so take up lots of space
- unpredictable climate

Question 24

State the pros and cons of hydro-electric power (HEP)

Answer 24

+ production can be altered to match demand
+ reservoirs can promote tourism
- unappealing
- flooding may occur
- lots of maintenance required, expensive
- reduction in river downstream leading to concentration of pollutants/issues for aquatic

Question 25

State the pros and cons of biofuels

Answer 25

+ makes use of crop waste & by products
+ relatively fewer emissions
+ cheap, reliable
- lots of water needed to grow
- removal of vegitation
- monoculture reduces soil nutrients
- increased fertiliser leads to eutrophication

Question 26

What is the concept of decoupling?

Answer 26

Decoupling is the concept of increasing economic development whilst increasing environmental protection

Question 27

Define carbon and ecological footprint

Answer 27

Carbon footprint is the measure of greenhouse gases generated by activities of an individual
Ecological footprint is the measure of how much land is needed to support an individual’s lifestyle

Question 28

How do hydrogen fuel cells?

Answer 28

Electrolysis of water occurs which produces hydrogen which is stored and used to fuel hydrogen cells

Question 29

What are the pros and cons of hydrogen fuel cells?

Answer 29

+ water is the only waste product, no GHG or environmental dangers
+ cheap to produce
+ multiple uses (power, transport, heating)
+ very long lasting
- electricity needed to produce
- infrastructure needed to filling hydrogen
- hard to find H2