Carbon - EQ2 - Flashcards
Define consumption
- when something is used in normally high amounts
Define demand
- how much is required/wanted/needed
Define primary energy source
- one that occurs naturally
Define secondary energy source
- one that is made using a primary source
Give an example of a primary energy source
- wind turbines convert the energy from wind into electrical energy
Give an example of a secondary energy source
- electricity, which can be generated by a number of different primary sources
Define renewable
a flow of resources which is infinite
Define non-renewable
a finite stock of resources which will not run out
Give 2 examples of recyclable energy sources
- biomass
- nuclear - with reprocessing of fuel
Define resources
- any fossil fuels which can be recovered at any price (if money was not an object)
Define reserves
- any fossil fuels that technically can be recovered at a finanically feasible price
- therefore it varies according to fuel prices
Define energy mix
- the energy mix is the proportion of each primary energy resource a country uses in a row
Define energy security
- Energy security is achieved when there is an uninterrupted availability of energy at a national level and at an affordable price
- All countries seek to achieve this; the most secure energy situation is where the national demand for energy can be completely satisfied by domestic sources
- The more a country demands on imported energy, the more it is exposed to risks of an economic and geopolitical kind
What are the 4 key aspects of energy security
- availability
- accessibility
- affordability - competitively priced energy supply
- reliability - uninterrupted
List some of the key demand drives of an energy mix
- industrialisation
- mass motorised mobility
- rural electrification
- affluence
- population (increase)
Name some of the key energy players
- government
- environmentalists
- industrialists
- consumers
- TNCs
- NGOs
- infrastructure/ engineering companies
- technology innovators
What is the role of key energy players
Consumers
- an all embracing term, but probably the most influential consumers are transporrt, industry & domestic uses
- consumers are largely passive players when it comes to fixing energy prices
- direct positive correlation between oil price & oil consumption
What is the role of key energy players
National Governments - what is their role
- governments have the option of allowing oil companies to further exploit their own environment in order to increase oil production
What is the role of key energy players
National Governments - how can they be sustainable
- conversely, governments may opt to incentivise conservation of energy through fuel duties or green taxes & emission tracking because it leads to industries investing in cleaner technology
- investment in cheaper fuels can secure energy provisions in the future, as it can be sustainable & everlasting
Name 6 factors which would influence an energy mix
- physical availability
- cost
- economic development
- technology
- politics
- environmental priorities
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Physical availability - UK
- Until the 1970s the UK depended heavily on domestic coal from Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Norther-East England.
- It was also among global leaders in nuclear technology from the 1950s -70s,
- but lost momentum after the discovery of large reserves of North Sea oil and gas, whose increased use after the 1970s greatly altered he UKs energy mix.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Physical availability - Norway
- Because Norway is mountainous, with steep valleys and plentiful rainfall, HEP (Hydro-Electric Power) is the natural energy choice.
- Much of the oil and natural gas in Norway’s territorial Coal from Svalbard is also exported.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Cost - UK
- The North Sea reserves became a ‘secure’ alternative to dependency on Middle Eastern oil after prices there rose in the early 1970s.
- However North Sea oil is expensive to extract, so if global prices fall (as they did in in 1997-98) &, it becomes less viable.
- Stocks of North Sea oil and gas are also declining, which is forcing the UK to import more.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Cost - Norway
- Norsk Hydro runs over 600 HEP sites, which supply 97.5% of Norway’s renewable electricity.
- HEP costs are low once capital investment is complete in remote regions to urban population centres and isolated settlements is expensive.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Technology - UK
- There are 150 years’ worth of coal reserves left in the UK, but current technology and environmental policy make its extraction and use unrealistic and expensive.
- The UK’s last deep coal mine closed in 2015, although 80% of the UK’s primary energy still came form fossil fuels.
- The technology exists for ‘clean coal’ (that is absorbing CO2 emissions), but coal has lost its political support.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Technology - Norway
- Deepwater drilling for technology enabled both Norway & the UK to develop North sea oil & gas extraction
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Political - UK
- The increasing reliance on imported energy sources affects the UK’s energy security and this has become a political issue.
- However public concern is also growing over new and proposed fracking and nuclear sites.
- The privatization of the UK’s energy supply industry in the 1980s now means that overseas companies (eg.
- France’s EDF and Germany’s E-on) decide which energy sources are used to meet UK demand.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Political - Norway
- HEP has been used since 1907 and the Norwegian Water and Energy Directorate manages the nation’s power supply.
- The Norwegian government has an interventionalist approach, which prevents foreign companies from owning any primary energy source sites - waterfalls, mines and forests.
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Economic Development - UK
Average annual household energy costs: £1,300
(2015)
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Economic Development - Norway
Average annual household energy costs: £2,400
(2015)
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Environmental Priorities - UK
- In 2015 the UK committed to a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels
- It intends to broaden its energy mix with renewable sources (especially wind) and more nuclear power
- However, the UK also abandoned its Green Deal conservation and insulation schemes in 2015
Explain the reasons behind specific energy mixes
Environmental Priorities - Norway
- In 2015, Norway committed to a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
- Norway is the largest exporter of hydrocarbon and is expanding its output. They also have a ‘Policy for Change’ which was launched in 2016 with a domestic target of being carbon neutral by 2050.
In some location they may have the supplies but…
- lack the resources to extract them
Give examples of countires whose resources have peaked
- UK
- USA
- Japan
- China
Define peak oil
- when the maximum rate of crude oil extraction is reached, after which the rate of extraction will decline forever
When did the world discovery of oil peak
In the 1960s, & has declined since then
What can we understand from the 40 year cycle seen in the US for world oil production
- it means global peak oil production is right about now, after which oil becomes less available & more expensive
What 3 processes allow fossil fuels to form
- compression from the weight of the land
- microogranisms decomposing the contents
- heat from undergound turns the dead plants & animals into fuel
What is the differences between the orgins of coal, oil & gas
- Coal if from ancient plants
- Oil & natural gas is from marine creature
What is a proven reserve
- we know the location of & we have a good chance of getting to them
What is an unproven reserve
- we know the locations but are less certain we can recover them
What are 2 new technqiues to extract oil
- extracting oil from where its mixed iwth fine-grained sediments
- high pressure fracking
Why is fracking controversial
linked to earthquakes & toxic tap water
What is the current trajectory of fossil fuel demand
- as more countries develop, the global demand for diffferent sources of energy is increasing
The primary energy sources used by different countires………, but it is still mainly……
- change overtime
- fossil fuels
Today we consume around _ times as much oil as we discover
4
Fossil Fuel Demand
There is a mismatch between……. & …….
- locations of conventional fossil fuel supply & regions where demand is highest
Define ‘energy pathways’
- the flows of energy from producer (source areas) to consumer (areas of demand)
What are examples of energy pathways
- pipelines over land - oil & gas
- bulk carrier ship - coal & uranium
- tankership by sea- oil & LNG (liquified natural gas)
- underground electricity cables
Which 2 factors summarise why energy pathways are complex
- They move through different natural & human environments
Why may energy pathways be complex
- human factors
- Embargoes and sanctions e.g. from Iran and Russia.
- Many resources are in unstable locations such as the Middle East and Russia, for example the war in Iraq (1990s) or Somalian pirates.
- Pipeline leaks.
- Political tensions and disagreements may block pathways (choke points) e.g. Russia/Ukraine.
- Supplies might be diverted for greater profit, e.g. China.
- Supply runs out e.g. North Sea gas.
Why may energy pathways be complex
- natural factors
- Difficult terrain e.g. the tundra in Alaska (Trans-Alaskan pipeline) and Siberia (Trans-Siberian pipeline)
- Extracting oil from the Gulf of Mexico during a hurricane
- Vast distances
What are the consequence of pathway disruption
- energy shortages affecting lifestyles
- armed conflicts
- recession
- job issues
What would be a case sudy for the possible reason for a complex energy pathway
-resources in unstable locations
- Somalian & West African pirates
Explain how Somalian & West African Pirates disrupted eenrgy pathways
- The first quarter of 2020 saw a spike in piracy around the world, with 47 attacks compared to 38 for the same time last year
- The Gulf of Guinea, a key production hub surrounded by eight oil exporting countries in West Africa, has emerged as a global hot spot,
- accounting for 90% of all kidnappings at sea in 2019
- armed criminal gangs frequently seized ships for hostage payments
What would be a case sudy for the possible reason for a complex energy pathway
-political tensions & disgreements
Russia & Ukraine
Reasons for disruptions to complex energy pathways - Political tensions
Describe the EU’s dependency on Russia’s energy supplies
- Currently one of the world’s biggest suppliers of both oil & gas
- EU is dependent for:
- 41% of its gas
- 27% of its oil
- 46% of coal
Reasons for disruptions to complex energy pathways - Political tensions
How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacted the energy pathways of oil & gas
- The global energy landscape has changed dramatically.
- Soaring prices for consumers, all against a geopolitical backdrop with energy security at its heart.
- Russia cut gas flows to the EU by around 80% in 2022, leaving the bloc with a significant shortfall in its energy mix, and a pressing need to find energy alternatives from other places.
Reasons for disruptions to complex energy pathways - Political tensions
What could be seen as a positive to cutting Russias’ energy supplies off
- This could be the force that many countries in Europe needed to start diversifying energy mixes
- to have more renewable energy and have more of a domestic supply
- so we’re not reliant on other countries.
What would be a case sudy for the possible reason for a complex energy pathway
-extracting oil during a tropical storm
The Gulf of Mexico
Reasons for disruptions to complex energy pathways - Tropical Storms
What is the impact of oil extraction during a hurricane
- 19km toxic oil leak occurs, damaging oil & gas infrastructure
- this exacerbates the devestations of coastal communities, who already must recover from tropical storms
Reasons for disruptions to complex energy pathways - Tropical Storms
How did this occur in the Gulf of Mexico
- 2004 - a mudslide triggered by Hurrican Ivan sank an oil platfor, buring various wells underground
- the storm damaged wells leaked oil & gas into the Gulf of Mexico for almost 15 years,
- & containment efforts continue to this day
Name 4 unconventional fossil fuels
- shale gas
- oil shale
- deep water oil
- tar sands
Define ‘unconventional fossil fuels’
- produced using different methods to those used for conventional fossil fuels (oil,coal & gas)
- our global oil consumption will eventually peak, so we need to begin to look for, develop & use alternatives to help build a sustainable future
What percentage of the US’ energy mix did shale gas take up in 2015
- 25%
…….. is a relatively new process if extracting shale gas
- fracking
How is shale gas extracted
- Water, chemicals & sand are pumped into the ground to break up the shale, access the hydrocarbons & force them to the surface
- Horizontal drilling then releases the gas reserves
What are the advantages of shale gas
- less polluting tha coal & oil
- could boost economy
- concepts of it being safe
- job creation