Consuming Energy Resources Flashcards
Identify 3 non renewable energy resources
Coal oil and gas
Identify 3 renewable energy resources
Solar, hydro electric power, wind
Identify 2 recyclable energy resources
Nuclear, biofuels
Define recyclable
Sources of energy that can be reused or reprocessed so that they can last into the future
Define renewable
Sources of energy that do not run out. Also known as flow or infinite sources
Define non renewable
Sources of energy that cannot be remade because it would take millions of years for them to form again. Also known as stock of finite sources
How much of the worlds energy did recyclable renewable and non renewable resources produce in 2014?
Recyclable 4.4%, renewable 9.3%, non renewable 86%
How many people in Sub Saharan Africa do not have access to the electricity grid and what do they rely on instead?
620 million, rely on biomass (wood/charcoal)
Why might developing countries not utilise the energy they have access to?
Although magma is very close to the surface in countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya, they may not use it because: most countries are developing so cannot afford to develop energy resources, some resources are in remote areas which makes them more expensive to exploit and bring to consumers, conflict and lack of infrastructure discourages companies from locating there
Identify a factor which affects access to fossil fuels and geothermal energy
Geology
Identify a factor which affects access to HEP
Landscape
Identify a factor which affects access to hep, wind power and solar power
Climate
Where do fossil fuels tend to be distributed as a result of geology?
Found in sedimentary rocks. Countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia and Iran have the greatest oil and gas reserves. Coal is widely distributed with major reserves in Russia and China
Where does geothermal energy tend to be distributed as a result of geology?
Volcanic activity at plate boundaries produces magma that can be used to heat water or generate electricity. Iceland and New Zealand have geothermal energy systems
Where does HEP tend to be distributed as a result of landscape?
Steep sided river valleys are perfect for dam construction. The three gorges dam in China is the worlds largest HEP scheme. Large volumes of water are needed
Where does HEP tend to be located as a result of climate?
Large volumes are needed to power hydroelectric dams so high volumes of rainfall are needed too. 80% of Brazil’s energy comes from hydroelectric dams
Where does wind power tend to be distributed as a result of climate?
Exposed areas such as coasts or the middles of seas have the highest wind speeds. The largest offshore wind farm in the U.K. is the London Array in the North Sea
Where does solar energy tend to be distributed as a result of climate?
Places with longer hours of and more intense sunlight are best. The largest solar farm is located in the mojave desert in California but China is currently building an even bigger one in the Gobi desert
How much more energy do developed countries consume against developing and emerging?
7 times more than emerging and 14 times more than developing
What percentage of the UKs energy is used for transport, industry, homes, services and farming/other?
38% transport, 21% industry, 27% homes, 13% services, 1% farming/other
Why is so much energy used for transport in developed countries?
Car ownership increases oil consumption
Why is so much energy used in homes in developed countries?
Technology is easily available in developed countries (TVs and dishwashers etc) which increases energy consumption, our appliances are often more efficient than those in emerging or developing countries
What percentage of energy is used in India for transport, industry, homes and services, farming/other?
14% transport, 35% industry, 41% homes and services, 5/6% farming/other
Why is so much energy used for industry in emerging countries?
Emerging countries have a large secondary sector. Factories are powered by coal
Identify 3 factors affecting access to energy resources
Level of development, physical factors, access to technology
Identify 3 regional impacts of energy production
Air pollution in cities causing health problems, acid rain from emissions from power stations and vehicles, potential for nuclear leaks and accidents,
Identify 4 local impacts of energy extraction
Land subsidence from mines, deforestation and damage to habitats, landscape scarring by mining and drilling, oil leaks from drilling rigs and pipelines and tankers
Identify 2 local impacts of energy production
Flooding of land for HEP, water pollution causing health impacts
Identify a global impact of energy production
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen emissions cause climate change
How did the deep water horizon oil spill impact people and the environment?
In 2010 BPs deepwater horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, 11 people killed, oil leaked into the sea for 87 days and 3.2 million barrels were lost, marine and bird life killed as oil coated ocean surface
How did the Fukushima nuclear disaster impact on the environment and people?
In 2011 Released radioactivity into ocean and onto land and atmospheric fall out occurred. Caesium is soluble and so mixes with ocean particles and isotopes are swallowed by marine life which can affect fishing industries
How is wind power used in the USA?
Over 16,000 large wind turbine in California, hundreds of homes use smaller turbines to convert wind power into electricity. In 2015 wind power provided 6.9% of California’s total energy requirements
Does energy extraction have a greater impact than energy use?
It all depends on the type of energy however I would say yes because deforestation causes global warming (talk about impacts of global warming) but energy use can prevent global warming because renewable energies like wind and solar do not produce greenhouse gases
Where are the largest oil reserves and how much is this?
The Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, kawait, UAE) has the largest oil reserves. They have an estimated 804 billion barrels of oil left which is enough for 200 years of production. Saudi Arabia, Russia and the USA are the 3 biggest producers which are responsible for more than a third of global oil supplies
Why has oil consumption increased? 3 ways
Due to a growing population (expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050) as all these people need energy, rising affluence means a higher demand for goods and an increase in car ownership, as new technology develops people want to buy new things or the latest version
How much has oil consumption increased in Asia- Pacific region and in Europe and North America and why?
Almost tripled in Asia- Pacific region but has stayed the same in Europe and North America. This is due to industrialisation in India and China sb deindustrialisation in developed countries
Why can we not cope with the demand for oil?
There is high rising demand for it but it is a non renewable resource. The growing and wealthier global population has increased oil consumption in different sectors (70% in transport) and industrialisation in India and China (emerging countries)
What percentage of oil consumption is used in transport?
70%
What percentage of oil consumption is used in electricity production and heating?
29%
Identify 3 long term factors which have affected global price of oil
Global economic growth increases demand and therefore price of oil, demand from emerging economies since 2000 leads to increasing prices, discovery of new energy resources such as shale gas in the USA increases energy supply so imports of oil and the global price fall
Identify 4 short term factors which affected global price of oil
Oil prices spiked when there was a disruption to the supply after the BP oil spill in 2010, war/conflict in oil producing regions disrupts the supply so oil prices spike (e.g Gulf War 1990, Libyan Civil War 2011), periods of economic recession such as after 2008 mean lower demand for goods and oil so prices fall, poor diplomatic relations between oil producing regions can lead to price wars (e.g rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran 2013-14 led to overproduction which increased supply and lowered prices)
Define peak oil
When we have discovered all of the oil resources which are available
Why are large TNCs such as BP willing to spend their profits on oil/gas exploration in challenging environments such as the Arctic? 6 reasons
Demand for oil and gas is increasing, many sources in accessible areas have been exhausted, some oil and gas producing regions are becoming more politically unstable like the Middle East, new technology gives access to more sites, rising global temperatures have decreased the economic cost of drilling in the Arctic, some areas are close to important markets in Europe and the USA
Identify a conventional method of oil extraction
Drilling into pools below the land or sea and pumping the oil and gas to the surface
Identify an unconventional source of oil
Oil which is trapped between layers of rock or mixed with sand because these need different or unconventional methods of extraction
Describe the extraction method of conventional gas in the Arctic
In an isolated region of the coast along the Beaufort Sea, Exxon Mobile Corporation has been constructing a $4 billion natural gas extraction facility on flat and marshy land called the Point Thompson Facility
Identify an economic cost of the Point Thompson facility
Costs $4 billion due to the remote location which makes it difficult to exploit and export
Identify 3 economic advantages of the Point Thompson Facility
Will produce 10,000 barrels of gas a day to be exported to Asian countries which boosts the US economy, estimated 35 billion cubic feet of gas under the north slope, new employment opportunities for up to 800 workers
