Energy Flashcards
What is energy?
- the ability to do work
Why is energy valuable to us?
enables us to:
- move from place to place
- manufacture stuff
- heat and cooling buildings; cook + refrigerate food
- see, learn, communicate, store data, watch movies
What are the challenges for energy systems?
- provide enough safe, reliable, affordable energy for all who need it
- distribute it equitably
- be ecologically responsible
- decarbonize
Is energy a technical problem?
energy presents social, environmental, and political issues as well technical issues
What is energy security?
when all ppl, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and reliable energy sources to meet their needs for an active and healthy life
What are the key components to energy security?
- physical access: availability
- economic access: affordability
- safe: does not endanger health, well-being
- reliable: uninterrupted supply
What is the energy security issue on a national scale?
available energy resources vary widely btwn countries
What are the two strategies for countries seeking energy security?
- acquire energy produced in other countries
- trade: import energy by exporting goods/services
- geopolitical/military interventions
- produce energy domestically
- use biofuels, renewables, unconventional fossil fuels
How is energy security on the household scale?
- many ppl lack sufficient, affordable energy to live the lives they want to live
- affordability a major issue for those who have access
- 750M lack access to electricity
- 2.7B use solid biomass for cooking (wood, charcoal, dung, crop residues)
What drives climate change, and how does it do it?
Use of fossil fuels
- coal, oil, and gas by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions
Are current efforts sufficient to meet mitigation targets?
- fuel efficiency actions help
- renewables getting cheaper
- but world not on track to meet climate mitigation targets
What is the climate mitigation targets?
1.5 degree limit
No new ___ or ___ fields can be developed to stay within 1.5 degree warming
oil, gas
What continues to be planned and approved even though no new oil and gas fields can be developed?
fossil fuel projects
What are renewable energy?
sources that are replenished either as they are used, or on meaningful human time scale
what are some examples of renewable energy?
solar, wind, tidal, biomass
what are non-renewable energy sources?
sources that are not replenished on a meaningful human time scale
what are some examples of non-renewable energy sources?
-coal
- oil
- natural gas
What is high carbon energy?
sources that release larger amounts of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane)
what are some examples of high carbon energy?
coal, oil, natural gas
what is low carbon energy?
sources that release small amounts of GHG or are carbon neutral
what are some examples of low carbon energy?
nuclear, most renewables
What energy sources does electricity use?
lots of possible sources
What energy sources does transportation use?
mostly oil, some electricity
What energy sources does heating and cooking use?
natural gas, biomass, electricity
What is electricity essential for?
manufacturing, services, household use
How is electricity generated?
- generated by rotating a turbine, using steam or mechanical action (e.g. water, wind)
- can also be produced by exciting electrons (photovoltaic)
How does electricity demand fluctuate?
- daily, seasonally
- lower at night
- higher when weather is hot or cold
What is nuclear energy source?
steady, low-emission electricity source
- low-carbon, but non-renewable (uranium mining)
what are the challenges of nuclear energy source?
- expensive to build
- needs long-term disposal of radioactive waste
- risk of accidents (low probability but high impact)
What is hydroelectricity?
- uses water flow to spin turbines
- renewable (through infrastructure deteriorates)
Where does most hydro power come from?
large dams
What are the challenges to hydroelectricity?
- displaces ppl
- changes ecology and livelihoods
- releases emissions (methane from decomposing underwater vegetation)
How is coal energy source?
- cheap fuel
- easy to adjust the amt of power produced
What are the challenges with using coal?
- High GHG emission and other air pollutants
- environment and health impacts of mining
What is wind energy source?
- wind spins turbine
- stronger wind = more electricity
- larger blade = more electricity
What are the challenges with wind?
- wind levels varies (intermittent)
- siting controversies (local resistance)
What is solar energy source?
- renewable, low-emission, price is declining
- can provide decentralized energy (on rooftops)
What are the challenges of solar energy?
- intermittent; only practical in some places
- environmental impacts of producing and disposing of panels
What do most vehicles still run on?
gasoline or diesel
growth in electric cars, trams, trains but: trucks, marine shipping, and aircraft still rely heavily on liquid fuels
Crude oil is refined into what?
- gasoline
- diesel
- kerosene
Natural gas is important for what?
Heating and electricity
What unconventional sources are pursued if convenient reserved are used up?
- hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
- arctic and offshore drilling
- oil sands
What are the benefits of oil and gas?
- dense energy source; store until needed; versatile (use to run engines or generate electricity)
What are the challenges of oil and gas?
- # 1 driver of climate change
- pollution and health impacts at sites of extraction
- object of geopolitical conflicts
- risk of spills from ships and pipelines
What is biofuel?
- Liquid fuel derived from plants or algae
What two forms does biofuel come in?
- Ethanol (from sugarcane, corn, wheat, cassava) can be blended with gasoline
- Biodiesel (from oil palm, soy, canola, algae) can be blended with regular diesel
Why was there a boom of interest in biofuel?
Around 2010, many countries set policies to encourage biofuel production and use (partly motivated by jumps in oil prices during 2008-9 financial crisis)
What are the main sources to heating and cooking?
- natural gas
- biomass
- electricity
What are the uses of biomass?
- burning wood, charcoal, crop residues directly
What is the advantage of biomass?
Cheap and available in places where other energy sources are not
what are the challenges with biomass?
health consequences:
- fine particulate matter in smoke causes respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer; 4M premature deaths a year linked to cooking indoors with solid fuels
- burning wood/charcoal contributes to deforestation
What are the core aspects of energy justice?
- distributional justice (outcomes)
- procedural justice (process)
- recognition justice (recognition)
What is energy proverty?
lacking reliable access to affordable, safe energy when it is needed
- Remote Indigenous communities in Canada relying on diesel supplies
- Residents of Cuba facing recurring blackouts
- Elderly people in UK unable to afford home heating
What does distributional justice in energy focus on?
Distributional justice examines:
- Who gets what benefits and burdens
- Who has access to reliable, safe, affordable energy
- Who benefits from an energy project
- Who suffers from an energy project
Patterns of benefits and harms based on class, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.
What does procedural justice in energy focus on?
Who gets to participate in decision-making?
How are problem boundaries and options selected?
Who has the authority to make final decisions?
What criteria are used to make decisions?
What priorities, values, and worldviews do these criteria represent?
What is an example of procedural justice?
Wind farm, Australia
- company negotiated agreements with landowners before announcing the project (neighbours felt left out)
What is the difference between process fairness and process favorability?
Process fairness: All who wish to participate have the opportunity, and all perspectives are heard and taken seriously
Process favorability: My perspective gets heard and taken seriously, and the process favors me or people like me
What is the difference between outcome fairness and outcome favorability?
Outcome fairness: Benefits and harms are equitably distributed
Or, harms are acceptably minimized
Outcome favourability: I get what I want
What are the two strategies for ‘shrinking’ projects?
- Split larger projects into multiple applications
- Expand a pipeline network bit by bit
What was the project splitting of Line 9?
Separate applications for changes to adjacent oil pipeline segments:
- 2011: Line 9 Reversal Phase I
- 2012: Line 9B Reversal and Line 9 Capacity Expansion
Both approved
What was the network expansion: BC Pipeline System?
- 5 applications in same gas pipeline network within 3 years (2015-18)
- all approved
- together, increased capacity by 40%
What were the effects of ‘project shrinking’?
- regulators exempted ‘shrunk’ projects from more rigorous forms of impact assessment, emphasizing their small size
- running multiple, separate reviews limited public participation
What is recognition justice in the context of energy decisions?
Recognizing the diversity of people involved
Ensuring all individuals are fairly represented
Checking for cultural domination or disrespect
Identifying potential biases in decision-making
Ensuring equal political rights
What potential biases might interfere with recognition justice?
Assume that certain groups lack knowledge
Assume that people who don’t come to consultation sessions don’t care
Dismiss non-“expert” knowledge
Prioritize some interests over others
Trust project proponents too much
Fail to respect Indigenous rights
What changes did Enbridge make to the Line 9 oil pipeline?
- alter direction of flow
- increase capacity
- carry diluted bitumen instead of crude oil
What concerns were raised during the review process of Line 9?
Pollution and health risks from potential spills
Specific impacts on Indigenous traditional activities
How were Indigenous concerns handled in the review process of Line 9?
Enbridge conducted most of the consultation
Said they notified communities of their plans and “to the extent practicable, addressed the concerns raised”
Regulators trusted Enbridge’s safety claims
What was the decision and appeal of the Line 9?
The government approved the pipeline changes
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation appealed the decision, arguing:
- Consultation was inadequate
- They were never consulted before Line 9 was built
- Traditional lands have been incrementally taken to industry, agriculture over many decades
- The project review was too narrow to properly assess impacts on Indigenous rights
What was the supreme court’s decision?
Dismissed the challenge
Said consultation was adequate
Would not consider historical or cumulative issues
“The duty to consult does not provide Indigenous groups with a ‘veto’ over final Crown decisions”
