Energy - Geography Flashcards
What is the primary source of energy in the UK?
Natural gas 35%, wind 30%, nuclear 10%, Solar 5%
Factors affecting how much energy is used in each country?
- varying population size
- some countries and people can’t afford energy
- lack of technology so less energy used
- whether energy/electricity supply is available throughout that country
- more electronic devices and home appliances are used
- some countries are more industrialised so need more energy
- some countries use more transport and have more cars
- some countries use more energy travelling by plane
The world energy consumption is increasing because?
Increasing population
Countries industrialising
Increased domestic use
Increased car ownership
More flights and tourism
What percentage of the UK’s electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2020?
Approximately 43%
Ways to reduce global warming?
Reduced emissions from industry
Sustainable transport
Technological solutions
Recycle
Energy efficient devices
Use of renewable and nuclear energy
Which fossil fuel has seen a significant decline in use in the UK energy sector?
Coal
Causes of enhanced global warming?
Deforestation
Burning fossil fuels
Car exhausts
Rubbish dumps
All made worse due to increasing population
Agriculture
What is the greenhouse effect
Energy from sun reaches earth
Most of that energy is absorbed by surface of earth and then reflected back into space
Greenhouse gases act like blanket trapping heat that would otherwise be radiated away
Leads to heat being trapped so increase in average global temperature
What is the primary use of energy in the UK?
Heating and electricity generation
Impacts of global warming?
Change rainfall pattern -> desertification
Difficulty producing food
Impacts on species and their food chains
Flooding of coastal lowlands
Loss of habitat
Heat stroke
Advantages and disadvantages of coal
Cheap to mine and convert to electricity
Last longer than oil or gas
Creates jobs
Not renewable
Produce CO2
Leads to respiratory diseases
Advantages and disadvantages of oil
Easy to transport
Less polluting than coal
Only fuel used in motor vehicles
Raw material in chemical industry
Non renewable
Lead to global warming
Oil spill kills wildlife
Supply controlled by a few countries - price instability
Advantages and disadvantages of gas
Cheaper than using oil
Power plants are less expensive the coal, nuclear and most renewable energy ones
Non renewable
Produce CO2
Explosive, dangerous
Problems with relying on fossil fuels?
Take millions of years to make
Non-renewable
Prince keeps rising
Cost of extraction/transport high
Give off greenhouse gases
Global warming
Acid rain
Problem of fuel wood
Time consuming
Deforestation leads to soil erosion
Lead to respiratory problems through burning
Solar energy
Photovoltaics
True or False: Hydropower is a significant source of energy in the UK.
False
What are the two main types of energy sources?
Renewable and non-renewable
Advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear power
Low production cost
No air pollution or greenhouse gases
Only small amounts of uranium required
Construction costs are high
Worries over radiation
Storage and disposal of waste not easy
Land cannot be used after closure for many years
What is the role of the National Grid in the UK?
To distribute electricity across the country
Which energy source emits the least carbon dioxide?
Wind energy
Components of global gas emissions
Nitrous oxide - 6%
F-gases - 2%
Carbon dioxide - 76%
Methane -16%
What is energy efficiency?
Using less energy to provide the same service
Facts about UK energy?
332 million tonnes of CO2 emitted by UK
UK produced 60% of its consumed natural gas
Rose bank oil field has just opened
UK now imports more than 40% of its gas since 2010
In Dec 2023 wind produced 41.2% of our electricity - record
