Carbon EQ2 Flashcards
What are key energy characteristics of the USA and Western Europe?
Dependent on imports
Wasteful of energy
Unstable politics (Trump making huge changes in US)
import petroleum from the Middle East
Europe working on renewable energy
What are key energy characteristics of Russia?
Huge surplus of oil and gas due to large domestic supply
Inefficient use
Use energy as a political weapon, but less are reliant on them since Ukraine invasion
What are key energy characteristics of China and India?
Reliant on coal, developing renewables
Hep (3 gorges dam) in china
Both use around 80 % fossil fuels due to industrialisation
What are key energy characteristics of the middle east?
Big exporters of oil and gas
OPEC nations are oil rich
Reliant on around 76% gas in 2023
What are key energy characteristics of Africa?
Nigerian col exploitation by shell
Hep over Nile basin
Local usage of biofuels
General Energy poverty
What are key energy characteristics of South America?
Amazon and oil conflict
HEP + flooding of the Amazon
Shrinking glaciers in Andes leading to less HEP
Brazil is number one biofuels grower (in Amazon)
What is energy security
Uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price
What does long term energy security look like
Timely investment in energy infrastructure to supply energy in line with economic development and environmental needs
What does short term energy security look like
A county can quickly adjust to sudden changes in the balance between supply and demand
Which type of countries are more likely to be energy secure
Countries which meet all or more of their energy needs from within their boundaries
Use of domestic sources
What is energy security important for maintaining ?
- powering transport
- lighting settlements
- warming and cooling homes
- powering domestic appliances
- defence needs
- global market and trading of commodities
How does energy security underpin consumerism
Low energy costs lead to low transport costs and Low energy bills
People have more money to spend on consuming
Low costs of energy based materials such as plastics
What is an energy mix
The relative mix of energy sources to a countries energy consumption
Why might coal usage be declining in the USA
declining or depleted reserves
Attempts to reduce co2 emissions to meet targets as coal is dirtiest fossil fuel
Why might re-enable energy usage be increasing in the uk
Attempts to meet target increases
Improving technology make them cost effective
Why might natural gas energy usage be increasing in the USA
Large domestic supply
New techniques such as fracking mean more gas can be extracted
Why is nuclear energy usage not really changing
Lack of public support
High costs of setting up or decommissioning plants
Which countries use energy the most efficiently
uk
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Norway
Turkey
Which countries have the least efficient energy usage
Canada
Russia
China
Ukraine
DRC
Which countries use the most energy per capita
Iceland
USA and Canada
Australia and New Zealand
Oman and Saudi Arabia
Russia
Scandinavian countries
Which countries use the least energy per capita
South America
Africa
India
A lot of Western Europe
What does the energy mix of a country depend on
- availability of domestic supply
- access to imported energy
- energy needs of the country dependent in lifestyle, climate and economic development
- changing consumption patterns
- national and regional policies
- Geopolitical links
- Historical or cultural legacies
- cost of options
Example of government intervention in Peru
Indigenous Uros people Turing to solar power
Floating reed islands which primarily used candles before
Now more attractive to tourists as less fire risk - more revenue
How does climate impact per capita energy consumption
High consumption in North America, Middle East and Australia to make cost of extreme temps comfortable
However depends on economy as Africa low consumption
How do environmental priorities impact per capita energy consumption
Governments concerned about government may take more expensive renewable routes
Consumption decreases as cost increases
How does standard of living impact per capita energy consumption
Lifestyle variation
Energy intensive Domestic appliances, transport, electronic appliances
How does cost impact per capita energy consumption
Cost of physical exploitation, processing , and delivery to consumer varies
Higher cost means less consumption as not affordable
How does physical availability impact per capita energy consumption
Do they have a domestic supply? Is it accessible?
If it has to be imported it is likely more expensive
How does technology impact per capita energy consumption
Tech can help access inaccessible resources such as coal and oil
Technology can make energy consumption more efficient
But Day to day technology requires more energy
How does economic development impact per capita energy consumption
Higher gdp can afford to consume more energy
Higher standard of living expect energy so cost is less of an issue to them
What is an energy player
An individual or organisation which a vested interest in the energy industry
What is an energy pathway
Outs taken by energy from its source to its point of consumption
Involves tankers, pipelines, electricity transmission grids
What is energy equity
Ensuring accessible and affordable energy for all countries
What is environmentally sustainable energy usage
Efficient usage of energy and use of renewable energy
To reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases emissions
What is green energy
Energy developed from clean renewable sources
Who are players involved in energy supply
TNCs
OPEC nations
Governments
What players are involved in energy pathways
Shipping companies
pipeline controllers
TNCs
What are players involved in energy demand
TNCs
Energy companies
Governments
Consumers
Background and info on TNCs
Exploit and distribute energy
Own supply lined and investment in process and distribution as elk as energy production
Respond to the market to ensure profits
Examples of TNCs involved in energy
BP
Petrobas
Petrochina
Shell
Background and info on OPEC nations
14 countries
Permanent IGO
Coordinate and unify policies of members to enable efficient supply of petroleum, steady income for producers and a fair return
What is OPECs role in energy supply
Oil producing and exporting countries can set quotas and determine price by managing supply in member countries
Government role in energy supply
Meet international obligations whilst securing energy supplies
Regulate role of private companies and setting environmental priorities
Invest in infrastructure, put taxes in place
Consumer role in energy supply
Purchasing chooses usually based on prove and cost issues
May have power over oil if choose to favour renewables
Have some influence over supply and demand balance therefore price
When was most coal in North America and Western Europe found?
Carboniferous period
300-360 million years ago
How did coal form?
Successive layers of tropics rainforest trees within swamps accumulated as they fell
Transformed under pressure of overlying strata into seams of coal
When were oil and gas formed
Mesozoic era
250-260 million years ago
How were oil and gas formed
Fossil remains of plants and animals buried under alternate layers of mud
Heat and pressure converted into oil and natural gas
Earths movement trapped pockets of oil and gas within sandstone and shale where rocks folded
Who are two largest producers of coal
China
USA
Why are the two largest consumer of coal
China
USA
What does the consumer and producer patterns of coal reflect
Mainly producers are consuming
Coal characterised by high transport costs compared to low energy density
Who are the world’s leading oil exporters.?
OPEC nations
North America
Russia
Who are worlds leading oil importers
China
USA
Japan
What is europes relationship with production vs consumption of oil
Big consumers but produce very little
Oil thirsty
Important mismatch in supply
Why is there such a global demand for coal
No alternative for transport fuels
Deep global market and large difference between producers and consumers
Who are the worlds leading gas exporters
USA
Russia
Who are worlds leading gas consumers
Germany
Japan
Italy
UK
What is a transit country
Countries through which pipelines run
Why do transit countries increase energy insecurity
Geopolitical disputes - transboundary
Internal conflict
Why are more energy pathways increasingly needed?
-Growing population projected at 9.2 billion by 2050
- growing global affluence driving global demand
- geopolitical disputes force governments to search for ways to spread out risks
- depletion of old reserves
Where does the nord stream pipeline run
1200km along bed of Baltic Sea
What are the impacts of transit disruption
Energy spikes , reduced economic output
Need to search for alternative energy sources
Drive for efficiency and conservation
Social unrest- rising energy costs and unemployment
Political investment in domestic reserves, renewables and unconventional sources
Exploitation of reserves in fragile ecosystems
What could rise of price of oil lead to
Extraction from fragile locations
Diversification of energy sources
Mining lower quality resources
Improved efficiencies or reduced consumption
New technologies developed
Mining more extreme reserves
Why has the demand for unconventional energy sources grown rapidly recently
Accessible fossil fuels becoming increasingly rare
Demand increasing with population growth and increased wealth
Incentivised domestic production to ensure energy security
What are examples of unconventional energy sources
Technically difficult reserves (offshore and arctic reserves)
Exploitation of pristine wilderness environments (polar, tropical forest)
New tech - Fracking
Lower quality reserves - tar sands
describe tidal power
power trapped within manmade barrage, across an estuary
Desribe biofuels
Crops or organic matter such as agricultural waste which can be used as fuels
Renewable as Based on plants which convert light into chemical energy
Biogas produced when organic matter decays - can be burnt
Describe solar power
Uses mirrors to concentrate suns rays onto water filled black pipes which heats to 50-60°C
Cells convert solar energy into electricity
Describe wave power
Kinetic energy of waves converted into electrical energy by floating devices
Energy stored in a battery
Describe hydroelectric power
Water Stored in high altitude dams or lakes, allowed to run stream and gain velocity before passing through turbines which generates electricity
Describe geothermal energy
Rocks in earths core contain radioactively decaying elements
These heat rocks which can be used to heat water
Heated water either used directly or steam produced passes through turbines to generate electricity
How does Iceland produce geothermal energy
Pump water through hot lava to generate hot water
Describe wind energy
Turbines turn and convert kinetic energy into electrical energy
Energy generated is proportional to wind velocity
Pros and cons of wind energy
Pros - Uk is a windy island so lots of energy can be produced
- One time expense
- potentially infinite supply
Cons:
- NIMBY- Noise and visual disruption
- wind can’t be depended on
- can disrupt ecosystems
Pros and cons of solar energy
Pros:
- cheap once implemented
- can be built on local scale
- potentially infinite supply
Cons :
- not always reliable in the Uk
- initially expensive so not accessible to all
Pros and cons of tidal energy
Pros:
- tidal change regular and dependable
- ideal for island (UK)
- Tidal barrage doubles as bridge and flood defence
Cons:
- disrupts marine ecosystems
- very expensive to build
- only a few suitable estuaries
- could reduce tidal flow
Pros and cons of HEP
Pros:
- clean energy
- reliable
- creates water reserves as well as energy supply
Consm
- Flooding of large areas to create reservoirs
- displaces wildlife and people
- expensive to build
Pros and cons of geothermal energy
Pros:
- very low environmental impacts
- occupies small land areas
- not weather dependent
Cons:
- very few locations where significant energy can be generated
- installation costs high
Pros and cons of nuclear energy
Pros:
- peaceful spinoff of atomic bomb
- more dependable than fossil fuels, cheap energy
- waste can be reprocessed and reused
Cons:
- complicated, expensive, risky
- potential for HUGE disasters
- waste has long decay life
- expensive to build and decommission nuclear plants
How does carbon capture and storage work
Co2 is captured directly from the source by chemical absorption
Captured CO2 transported via pipelines to storage sites, where it is injected deep underground rock formations such as depleted oil and gas fields
Carbo;securely stored for thousands of years
How does carbon capture and storage reduce carbon emissions
can reduce emissions from sectors which are hard to decarbonise
Can be used to achieve net zero targets where renewable energy is less feasible
Example of carbon capture project
Boundary dam project in Canada
Coal fired power plant
Captures 1million tonnes of co2 annually
Uncertainties surrounding carbon capture and storage
Will co2 remain safely underground for long term? Risk of leakage
Not completely efficient
Very high cost
May not be enough suitable geological storage for scaling up
How do hydrogen fuel cells work
Generate electricity through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen
Water vapour only byproduct
How do hydrogen fuel cells reduce carbon emissions
When produced with green hydrogen, it is a carbon free alternative to fossil fuels
Replaces gasoline or diesel in transport
Example of hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen powered trains in Germany
First train in 2018
What are uncertainties surrounding hydrogen fuel cells
Most hydrogen currently produced from natural gas - challenge to scale up green hydrogen production
Hydrogen difficult to transport and store
Green hydrogen much more expensive to produce
Lack of Existing infrastructure
What are electric vehicles
Vehicles which run on electricity from batteries instead of gasoline or diesel engines
Lithium ion batteries
How do electric vehicles reduce carbon emissions
They have zero tailpipe emissions
Directly reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector
Minimal carbon footprint if electricity comes from renewable sources
Contribute to improved air quality in urban areas
Examples of electric vehicles
Tesla, USA
Central to expansion of electric vehicle market
Uncertainties surrounding electric vehicles
Electric vehicles dependant on battery technology
Could be hard to recycle batteries
Very expensive compared to internal combustion vehicles
Not enough charging stations to support total adoption
Production of batteries can have a large carbon footprint
EV batteries require raw materials which are becoming less available
