energy geo Flashcards
2 categories that energy sources can be split into:
- name
- definitions
3.examples
renewable- energy sources that can be replenished and will not run out. solar / wind / wave / tidal / hydroelectric power / geothermal / biomass
non-renewable- energy sources that can’t be replenished quickly as they take millions of years to form, so will run out. fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)
nuclear is unclear
coal:
- what happened to consumption and production of coal since 2014 (stat) how produced
- 3 advantages of production and development of coal
- 3 disadvantages of production and development of coal
- consumption went up 4% and production declined by 7%. coal mined then burned
- a) large quantities of coal available in 70 countries -
will last world for 200 years
b) mining coal is cheap and easy
c) It is efficient for producing large quantities of
energy - a) releases greenhouses gases when burnt like
sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. atmospheric
pollutants
b) mining is dangerous (flooding and cavie ins) and
has caused many deaths and other health
implications
c) open cast mining can damage the surrounding
ecosystem, destroying habitats and reducing
biodiversity
wind:
- what happened to production of wind since 2014 and how produced
- 4 advantages of production and development of wind
- 5 disadvantages of production and development of wind
16.5% increase in generating capacity since 2014. huge wind farms are built offshore or onshore, turbines are spun by the wind
- clean —-> no pollutants or greenhouse gases
low price for consumers and cheap operating cost
new turbines are energy efficient
installed by anyone so boosts the local economy - eyesore
weather dependent- only when windy and power
can not be stored to use on calm days
offshore wind farms need expensive transmission
lines to bring onshore
noise pollution
spinning blades kill birds
What is energy mix
the proportion of different energy resources used in a country used to meet energy demands
UK energy mix:
current: coal , oil , gas , nuclear , renewable
how and why has this changed (coal, nuclear, renewable)
how does uk get its oil supply
oil = 34%
coal = 13%
gas = 34%
nuclear = 10%
renewables = 9%
coal has fallen rapidly (used to be 80% in the 1960s) due to closure of mines and move to less polluting forms
nuclear supply declining but govt want to increase it
renewable supply is still small proportion, but it is steadily increasing
uk import most of oil
3 factors that energy mix is impacted by and explain the significance of each factor
- population- countries with a fast / quickly growing population like china and india have to use the energy resources available to them that are the most efficient, which are usually fossil fuels. countries with low populations can use the greener forms of energy as they don’t have to produce as much- e.g iceland and geothermal.
- wealth- people and countries, who are not wealthy, will need the cheapest energy sources available but people from wealthy countries can afford the high initial costs of energy from renewable sources
- Availability- some countries have a greater access to particular sources than others due to their unique geology or climate. e.g USA oil as it has oil reserves & Iceland geothermal due to tectonic activity
why is global demand for energy increasing (3)
- INCREASING POPULATION - more people = more energy needed
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- people in emerging countries can now afford more energy intensive appliances like cars, TVs, fridges
- TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES- more new devices being created and they are energy intensive appliances
oil:
how developed
impact of development on humans (1 good 1 bad)
impact of development on environment (3 bad)
developed by getting bitumen from tar sands
humans:
breaks and leaks in pipes create spillages which expose humans to harmful chemicals
creates jobs (nearly 800,000 people are expected to be employed in this sector by 2028 in Canada alone)
energy intensive process - enough to heat 3 million homes
environment;
water intensive process- need 6 barrels of water for one barrel of oil
land is cleared so destroys habitats
the bitumen is refined which increases co2 emissions by 15% which contributes to global warming.
nuclear power:
largest produces in the world
how many countries do nuclear power
impact on humans (1 good, 2 bad)
impact on environment (1 good, 2 bad)
usa largest
31 countries produce nuclear
humans:
cheap, reliable and in plentiful supply so can produce when needed
expensive set up + risks radioactive material leaks which result in disasters and death
environment:
less co2 emissions than fossil fuels- contribute less to global warming
still release co2 + radioactive waste is difficult to manage safely and risk of the waste stays high for centuries
hydroelectric power:
how is it developing
impact on humans: 1 good, 1 bad
impact on environment: 1 good and 1 bad
large dams are being built
families are displaced
makes countries less dependent on non renewable sources
construction of dams destroy ecosystems like forests and therefore decreases biodiversity
clean energy and less co2 when in progress
solar power:
how being developed
impact on humans: 1 good and 1 bad
impact on environment: 1 good and 2 bad
large solar plants are being built in places such as deserts which have few people and lots of space
humans:
take up a lot of land which could be used for growing crops instead
fast growing industry creating hundreds of thousands of jobs around the world
environment:
manufacturing photovoltaic cells is harmful to the environment as they are made of silicon and toxic metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium
deserts are excellent locations due to strong sunlight and clear skies, but desert environments are fragile and easily damaged during construction
fracking:
why done?
how done?
done to extract natural gas and uses technology to resole energy shortages as growing energy demands put pressure on existing fossil fuel reserves
shaft in the ground is drilled
liquid (water and chemicals) is pumped into the shale rock at high pressure
this causes the rock to fracture/crack, releasing the gas which is collected from a well
fracking:
advantages (4)
disadvantages (4) (WCSS)
advantages:
- fracking reduces gas prices which is good for countries reliant on gas such as the uk
- less people are subjected to energy poverty
- jobs and boost local economy
- still available in the short term for 20 years
disadvantages:
- water intensive- limited resource
- chemicals used in fracking may pollute ground-water in water table, air and drinking water making it unsafe
- shale gas releases co2 when burnt, global warming and climate change
- cause seismic activity in ground there was a 2.9 magnitude tremor in Lancashire
attitudes of individuals to exploitation of energy resources and sustainable energy development (3)
many favour non renewables as they are cheap and secure. they do not want them to be extracted near their homes.
the move to renewables will first result in a energy price increase which people will not be happy about at first and may oppose it
as environmental awareness increases, people are starting to favour more sustainable and renewable energy resources that aren’t as polluting. people will also not want new developments in their areas.
NIMBYs = NOT IN MY BACKYARD
attitudes of organisations to exploitation of energy resources and sustainable energy development (4)
tnc (transnational corporations) invest a lot into refining fossil fuels and the energy sector like shell
control oil reserves give tnc wealth and power so they may lose money if we move to renewables
renewables need more investment and are more costly so non renewables favoured
environmental organisations campaign against fossil fuels and encourage people to use more sustainable energy sources. and some companies switch to renewables- better brand image- nike = sustainable fuels
groups have different views on sustainable energy :complex+contradictory
