Affecting Factors

Question 1

Name the six factors affecting energy consumption

Answer 1

Physical availability, technology, cost, economic development, climate and environmental properties

Question 2

How does physical availability affect energy consumption?

Answer 2

Are the resources available within the country or imported? As transport cost will increase the pressure on energy consumption or if the resources are imported - what is the cost and expertise required in extraction, conversion and transportation?

Question 3

How is technology an affecting factor of energy consumption?

Answer 3

On one hand, technology can help to discover and extract harder to access resources which encourages energy consumption. However, modern technology is very popular and energy thirsty

Question 4

How is cost an affecting factor of energy consumption?

Answer 4

Exploitation, processing and delivery

The lower the cost, the greater the consumption

Question 5

How is economic development an affecting factor of energy consumption?

Answer 5

Depending on economic development in a country may affect access to resources and imports e.g. what’s cheap for England may be expensive for Ghana
The public perception of how costly their tariff depends on their standard of living
Increased standard equals a decrease in sensitivity to cost

Question 6

How does climate affect energy consumption?

Answer 6

North America, Middle East and Australia have greater energy consumption due to extremes of temperature and to make the climate more comfortable - air con or heating

Question 7

How do environmental priorities affect energy consumption?

Answer 7

Concern for carbon emissions e.g. Japan wearing face masks due to air pollution less likely to burn fossil fuels for energy
Cost of green energy may reduce consumption

Question 8

USA energy portrait

• (1) in the world for energy consumption
• (2) population
• (3)% carbon fuels, (4)% renewable and (5)% nuclear
• Imports (6)% of primary energy

Answer 8

1 - 2nd 
2 - 319 million 
3 - 82
4 - 10 
5 - 8
6 - 15

Question 9

France energy portrait

• (1) highest global energy consumption
• Population of (2)
• (3)% fossil fuels, (4)% renewable and (5)% nuclear
• (6)% imported supplies

Answer 9

1 - 10th 
2 - 64.6 million 
3 - 50
4 - 9 
5 - 41
6 - 46

Question 10

How are TNCs energy players?

Answer 10

Nearly half the big players in oil and gas are government owned, TNCs are most involved in exploration, extraction, transportation, refining and producing petrochemicals

Question 11

How is OPEC an energy player?

Answer 11

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
12 member countries who cumulatively own approx. two-thirds of the world’s oil and gas on the global market, accused of holding back production to increase prices

Question 12

Name five players in energy security

Answer 12

• TNCs
• OPEC
• Energy companies
• Governments
• Consumers