Consequences on people/environ on increasing energy demand

Question 1

Define energy mix

Answer 1

Range of e. sources used by country in a year both non/renewable

Question 2

Define energy pathways

Answer 2

Route which energy is transferred from production area to consumption area

Question 3

Define primary/secondary energy

Answer 3

Primary- natural energy resources not converted into another form of energy

Secondary- primary source converted into electricity to produce energy

Question 4

Example of energy mixes
Global, Germany, China, USA 2012

Answer 4

Global- majority coal oil gas biofuels
USA- oil, coal, natural gas
Germany- oil, natural gas, nuclear
China- +50% coal, natural gas, hydro electric

Question 5

Energy mix depends on these factors x6

Answer 5

Availability- physical/technology for extraction
Accessibility- from outside country
Energy needs- based on lifestyle/economy
Changing energy consumption patterns
National policies- legislation for environment
Cost- of each option

Question 6

Who are energy players

Answer 6

Companies, government, consumers, TNC’s

Question 7

Define energy security

Answer 7

Ensuring all energy supply meets current/future demand

Question 8

Define energy equity

Answer 8

ensure accessible/affordable energy for all countries

Question 9

Case study: Gazpron state controlled energy company

Answer 9

Government took over to control production/maximise profits in 2000

One of largest producers of natural gas globally

Pipelines transport gas for domestic and international customers. However, believed that Russia is using Gazpron as political weapon.
Multiple times Gazpron has cut pipelines to Ukraine 2005 and countries they have tension with

Question 10

Case study: OPEC

Answer 10

Organisation petroleum exporting countries
2016 14 countries (Saudi Arabia)

To create stable income for oil producing countries by controlling selling prices and improve connections OPEC controls 40% of worlds oil supply

Some believe OPEC operates like a cartel as it fixes/dictates rules of supply. In commercial world classed as illegal, but fluctuation in price show it doesn’t have control

Question 11

Case study: Danish energy model

Answer 11

Diverse energy mix
Wind produce 40% of country’s electricity
Was able to also export electricity from turbines to neighbouring countries

Reduced its ghge by 30%
Made agreements with Norway, Germany to ensure energy security through transfer of different energy sources

Targets: Generate half of electricity by wind e.
Eliminate coal by 2030
Be a ff free society by 2050

Question 12

Name human and natural challenges to energy pathways

Answer 12

Human- technical problems, broken pipelines, conflict, pirates

Natural- vast distances, difficult terrain, deep water, hurricanes

Question 13

Case study: Tar sands Canada

Answer 13

Tar sands has reserves of 166 million barrels
Surface mining covers over 3.4% of area and other areas extracted by drilling
Production has increased from 0.1 mill barrels a day to 2.3 mill in 2014

8.5% Canada’s ghge are from tar sand operations. Environmental concern for toxic chemicals killing migrating animals and leakages into freshwater sources

Question 14

Case study: Deep water oil in Brazil

Answer 14

Investment from China developed an deepwater oilfield 2006 with estimated reserves of 50-80 billion barrels.
2015 production was at 885,000 barrels a day but sea bed has a depth of 2,000m

Difficult drilling conditions, expensive, company in debt due to high cost and low market prices

Provides jobs and diversifies Brazil energy mix

Question 14

Case study: Biofuels in Brazil

Answer 14

Sugar cane
Biofuels provides petrol for cars, provides 16% of domestic energy supply

Cars were developed to run off a mixture of petrol and biofuel
Biofuels struggled to compete with ff when government reduced taxes on ff. But 2015 government increased the usage of biofuels into their energy mix

Sugar cane produces 8-10x more energy than it takes to grow, reducing ghge by 90%

Question 15

Name 3 radical technologies

Answer 15

Hydrogen fuel cells
Electric vehicles
Carbon capture/storage CCS

Question 16

Explain hydrogen fuel cells

Answer 16

Alternative energy source to replace petrol/natural gas heating. Hydrogen is combusted to produce heat/used in fuel cell to produce electricity

Positives- only waste product water
more efficient than petrol
Car development makes higher mile range

Negatives- H2 not found in pure substance, has to be separated process requires lots of energy emits large quantities of ghg
Difficult to store hydrogen

Question 17

Explain electric vehicles

Answer 17

Using electricity to power vehicles instead of ff
Positives- development has increased mile range, best suited for urban areas, zero carbon emissions, no noise pollution, reduces air pollution

Negatives- poor electric vehicle infrastructure in 2016 only 3,919 charging points in the UK majority London, ff used to charge batteries at charging points depending on energy profile of country

Question 18

Explain carbon capture storage

Answer 18

Collects CO2 emissions from fixed points then transports gas and injects it geological structure underground.

Positives- Canada Boundary Dam reduced emissions by 90%, while stored can produce ethanol and sold to make profit- net removal of CO2 from atmosphere, good technique to limit climate change, allows use of ff in future

Negatives- safety concerns of CO2 leaking from storage site, affects human health, can cause earthquakes, constant monitoring for leakages, very expensive