Energy Flashcards
What is primary energy?
Energy sources in their raw form
What is secondary energy?
When primary energy is converted into a different form
What is a renewable resource?
Resources that will not run out and which are continuously being created, e.g. solar, wind (can also be called flow resources)
What are non-renewable resources?
Finite or limited resources which will run out e.g. coal, oil. (can also be called stock resources)
What are critical resources?
Sustainable resources that require prudent management
What is an energy mix?
The different sources of energy used by households, industry and commerce.
How much of the UKs energy supply is made up of oil?
Over 70%
What has happened since the early 1970s to the UKs consumption of oil?
Increased due to the discovery of North Sea oil and the growing need for transport fuel.
How does fuel wood gathering damage the environment?
1) Deforestation - Most fuel wood gathering isn’t regulated and can deplete local woodland
2) Habitat loss - Deforestation can damage or destroy habitats
3) Soil erosion - Tree roots bind soil together. If trees are removed soil isn’t held together as well and can be washed away by rain or blown away by winds.
How can using fossil fuels damage the environment?
1) Acid rain - kills fish reducing biodiversity, kills trees reducing biodiversity, reduce the nutrient content of soil so some species of plant cant grow, corrode statues made of limestone
2) Global warming - CO2 is released which is a greenhouse gas, increases the greenhouse effect. This could lead to rising sea levels, more frequent and severe weather events, habitat loss
3) Coal mining - Wildlife displaced, habitat loss, reduced air quality, contamination of water
4) Oil spills - Animals can’t move freely, hypothermia if feathers are coated in oil.
What percentage of the worlds energy is supplied by nuclear power?
15%
What are the advantages of nuclear power?
1) Low carbon emissions
2) Large amounts of energy are generated from small amounts of fuel
3) Electricity produced by nuclear power is cheap
How much of France’s electricity is generated by nuclear?
78%
What are the disadvantages of nuclear power?
1) Nuclear waste is highly radioactive and has to be stored carefully for thousands of years which is very expensive
2) Accidents causing radioactive waste to lead into the environment are dangerous
3) Non renewable as only limited amount of plutonium and uranium
4) Decommissioning plants is very expensive
When was the Chernobyl disaster and how many people died?
1986 and 56
