Energy Resources Flashcards
Mining
Surface mining strips away large areas of soil permanently scarring the landscape
Habitats are destroyed in order to make space
Mining can release green house gases which contribute to global warming
Drilling
Onshore drilling requires soil land to be stripped of vegetation
Oil spillages cause major damage to the environment
Extracting natural gases from natural reserves could cause leaks . These gases that do escape contribute to global warming
Wind energy
Wind turbines take up huge amounts of space as you need lots of them to generate electricity to meet demand.
Wind turbines contribute to noise pollution
Spinning blades can kill birds
Solar energy
Because the are built on the ground they can disrupt habitats
The reflection off the panels can kill wildlife
Solar farms use surface water to clean their panels which can lead to water shortages , impacting the ecosytem
HEP
Constructing dam can cause flooding
A build up of sediment due to the Dams construction can block sunlight killing algae
Factors effecting energy Access
Technology-some countries are unable to exploit energy resources because they do not have the machines to do so. The continent of Africa contains huge stores of uranium but many countries that could access it cannot due to technology restraints
Geology-fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rock. If there is a lack of this type of rock then the countries will struggle to meet energy demands
Accessibility-an area might have an abundance of energy stores however these resources could be restricted . Permafrost is an example. It is permanently frozen ground.
Climate-solar power requires lots of sunlight,wind power requires fast wind speeds etcetera.
Landscape-wind turbines are most effective when placed on high ground. HEP energy can only be exploited if there are sufficient water bodies .
Energy consumption
Developed countries tend to have lots of energy per person because they can afford to. Most people in these countries have access to electricity. Economic wealth increasing also causes more energy to be consumed as more people can spend money on more electrical appliances. Whereas developing countries have much less energy per person as they are less able to afford it.
Many regions still rely on traditional fuel sources . If the distribution of electricity is lacking then many towns will have to retrieve their own biomass to burn
Oil reserves and oil production
The major oil reserves are found only in a handful of countries .
Oil production is effected by:
Infrastructure - in order to produce and transport the oil a country must have a good infrastructure
Domestic demand-many countries such as saudi arabia still rely soley on oil to meet energy demands
Why is Oil consumption increasing?
As GDP per capita increases so does oil consumption . People in wealthier countries have more energy intensive goods.
Rapid industrialisation in emerging countries also increase oil consumption.
An increasing global population means that oil must be produced to meet energy demands
What effects oil supply and prices
Conflicts - it can disrupt oil production which decreases the oil supply . Shortages of oil causes prices to increase.
Diplomatic relations-oil prices increase because of tensions between oil producing countries
Recessions-lower the demand for oil because industrial activity and economic growth slow down causing prices to fall
Economic boom-prices increase during periods of rapid economic growth because of increased consumption and demand.
Exploiting oil and gas
Oil and gas exploitation brings economic benefits:
Countries with oil reserves can reduce energy imports
Countries can make loads of money by exporting energy
Oil and gas companies bring investment and jobs to an area .
However exploiting oil does effect the environment:
In order to reach new reserves (e.g the amazon) land may be cleared causing huge losses in biodiversity
Exploiting offshore oil and gas reserves can also damage marine life especially if there is an oil spillage.
Fracking
Shale gas is a form of natural gas extracted from shale rock through fracking. Liquid is pumped into the rock at high pressure
This causes the rock to fracture releasing the gas.
However it does impact the environment:
Chemicals used in fracking can pollute groundwater . This has become a huge problem in the US as many people are able to set the water from house taps on fire.
Land has been cleared to allow this process to occur causing a loss in biodiversity
Surface mining and tar sands
Tar sands contain bitumen , which can be refined to produce oil.
Surface mines collect tar sands and transport them to processing plants where chemicals are used to extract the bitumen.
However it negatively impacts the environment:
Lots of space is needed in surface mining meaning lots of areas are destroyed
Processing tar sands create huge amounts of liquid waste full of harmful chemicals which can pollute water bodies if not disposed off correctly
Energy future opinions
Consumers-want a secure energy supply that wont be disrupted in the future. Consumers also want cheaper power however sustainable energy requires investment which will increase price .
Most consumers favour business as usual as their demands are met however many are moving to become more sustainable
TNCS-many are involved in the extraction of oil and gas, controlling these reserves provides these companies with lots of money. The introduction of sustainable methods means that they need to spend more money therefore they favour business as usual and want to keep costs down as much as possible.
Governments-They do want to secure a future energy supply . Whilst fossil fuels are cheap and easy to get they are running out . In developed countries governments are becoming much more active to sort out energy issues however developing countries still use fossil fuels no matter the environmental impact as they do not have the ressources to access sustainable methods
Attitudes are changing
Wealth-more people are becoming increasingly wealthy therefore they can afford to make choices on sustainable energy methods such as solar panels
Education-people are beginning to understand a lot more about the pressing situation encouraging students to limit their carbon footprint.
