Consuming Energy Resources Flashcards
what is non renewable energy?
sources of energy that cannot be remade because it would take millions of years for them to form again
what % of the worlds energy did was produced by finite resources in 2014?
86%
what is renewable energy?
a resource that does not run out also known as infinite resources
what is recyclable energy?
sources of energy that can be reused or reprocessed so they can last into the future
how does climate affect energy accessibility?
high volumes of rainfall is good for HEP
high winds are good for wind power
lots of sun is good for solar power
how does money effect energy accessibility?
richer countries can afford nuclear power
they can afford to explore for new energy resources
how does geology affect energy accessibility?
some countries have geothermal energy as they are on plate boundaries
what global impacts does energy extraction have on the environment?
carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane emissions increase which cause climate change
what regional impacts does energy extraction have on the environment?
air pollution in cities
acid rain from emissions from power stations and vehicles
what local impacts does energy extraction have on the environment?
deforestation can damage habitats land subsistence from mines landscape scarred by mining and drilling oil leaks flooding of land for HEP water pollution
why hag global demand for oil risen?
world population reached 7 billion in 2011 so more people now need access to oil
as countries get richer they buy more things which use more energy
as new technology is developed people want to buy new things
what 2 factors are oil prices affected by?
supply and demand
how has economic growth affected the global price of oil?
economic growth means there is an increase in the demand for oil meaning it also increases its price
how has war and conflict affected the global price of oil?
oil producing countries are prevented by war causing a spike in prices
how has the discovery of new energy sources affected the price of oil?
if we are finding new energy sources it reduces the demand for oil meaning prices decrease
why are large oil companies willing to spend money on exploration of new sites?
demand for oil is increasing
many sources have been exhausted
some oil/gas regions are becoming more politically unstable
new technology gives access to new sites
what are conventional sources?
drilling in pools below the surface of the land or sea and pumping oil and gas to the surface
what are unconventional sources?
oil and gas can be found trapped between layers of rock or mixed with sand
what is fracking?
drilling down into shale rock deposits the injecting water,sand and chemicals into the rock at high pressure which frees natural shale gas
what are the environmental costs of fracking?
affects water quality
ecosystems are destroyed
causes minor earthquakes
what are the benefits of fracking?
reduced american energy bills
created over 2 million jobs
reduced dependence on oil and gas imports from middle east
what % of the USA’s gas was produced by fracking in 2014?
39%
what is energy efficiency?
providing the same service but using less energy
what is energy conservation?
reducing demand for energy
how much of the UK’s oil is used for transport?
over three quarters
what % of the UK’s carbon emissions does transport contribute to?
22%
how does changing transport use reduce the amount of energy used in transport?
trains and buses are more efficient because there is one engine to carry many passengers instead of many engines each carrying one passenger
how does improving energy efficiency reduce the amount of energy used in transport?
new car engine designs that have lower fuel consumption
how does improving energy conservation reduce the amount of energy used in transport?
aeroplane design has focused on reducing drag which reduces the amount of energy lost during flights
what is energy security?
having access to reliable and affordable energy
what is energy diversity?
obtaining energy from lots of different sources rather than relying on fossil fuels
why is geography a cost of renewable energy sources?
the best places for generating energy are often a long way from the cities where the energy is needed
why is the impact on landscape a cost of renewable energy sources?
they are very visible and some say they spoil the landscape
why is impact on local ecosystems a cost of renewable energy sources?
deforestation destroys habitats for HEP and biofuels
what is a business as usual approach to energy consumption?
TNC’s continue to use energy in large amounts because reducing energy consumption increases their costs
what is the 450 scenario?
atmospheric CO2 must be limited to 450ppm if the future increase is to be capped at 2 degrees
what changes consumers attitudes towards energy?
rising affluence
environmental concerns
education
