Ads and disads of renewable and non renewable sources of energy Flashcards
Ads of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
- provide a lot of energy (most of our energy)
- reliable (till run out)
Ad of using natural gas above other fossil fuels
- fastest start up time
- so can meet surges in demand
- fewest co2 emissions
Disads of fossil fuels
- non renewable (will all run out)
- damage environment (co2 emission -> global warming, greenhouse effect)
- burning coal and oil releases sulphur dioxide (acid rain)
- coal mining ruins landscape
- oil spillages
Why is coal often used to provide constant supply of electricity (base load)
slow start up time
How can acid rain be reduced?
- taking sulphur out before burning fuel
- cleaning up emissions
What does carbon capture reduce?
- reduces amount of co2
- reduces strength of greenhouse effect
Process of carbon capture
- co2 collected from power stations
- captured co2 pumped into empty gas fields or oil fields
- can also be dissolved in seawater (at bottom of ocean)
- can also be captured by algae
Ad of using algae to capture co2
- used to produce oil
- oil can be used as biofuel
Disads of nuclear power (7)
- longest start up time
- large set up costs
- large decommision costs
- long time to set up
- visual pollution
- noise pollution
- dangerous waste, explosions, contamination
Ads of nuclear power (8)
- no greenhouse gases
- high energy density in fuel
- longer operating life
- reliable
- small volume of waste
- buy less fuel from other countries
- concentrated source of energy
- fossil fuels last longer (conserves fossil fuels)
Ads of Wave Energy
- no polluting gases produced
- renewable
- min running costs, no fuel involved
Disads of Wave Energy
- unreliable cuz weather dependent
- viusal pollution
- hazard to boats
- low amount of energy produced
- large set up costs (big power station)
Ads of hydroelectricity
- no polluting gases produced
- renewable
- min running costs, no fuel involved
- can provide immediate response to high demand (cuz pumped storage)
Disads of hydroelectricity
- flooding of valley by building big dam (rotting veg)
- may disrupt wildlife, destroy habitats
- visual pollution
- expensive set up costs
- dams may burst
Ads of Tidal Energy
- not weather dependent
- renewable
- no polluting gases produced
- tides easily predicted
- energy can be stored for periods of peak demand
Disads of Tidal Energy
- visual pollution
- can disrupt habitat of wildlife
- hazard to boats
- lower tides provide much less energy
- doesn’t work when water level same either side of barrage
Ads of geothermal
- not weather dependent
- no polluting gases
- renewable
Disads of geothermal
- not very many suitable locations
- large set up costs
- compared to energy output
Ads of Solar cells
- no pollution
- reliable in sunny countries
- low running costs
- minimal maintenance
- renewable
Disads of solar cells
- needs lots of energy to manufacture
- doesn’t work at night (weather dependent)
- large set up costs
- not very efficient, so not used large scale
Ads of wind energy
- no greenhouse gases
- small plot of land, still used for farming (no perm damage)
- low running costs
- renewable
- energy source (wind) free
- conserves fossil fuels
Disads of wind energy
- kills birds
- noise
- eyesore
- unreliable cuz weather dependent
- dilute energy source
- large initial cost
- times when not enough electricity generated
- co2 used in manufacture
Ads of biofuels
- renewable
- plants carbon neutral
- relatively quick
Disads of biofuels
- areas of forest cleared to make room for biofuel crops (disrupts habitats)
- decay and burning of biofuel releases co2 and methane
- farmland used for biofuel could be used to grow food (limited farmland availability)
