Energy, Water and the Environment

Question 1

Why are we now using more renewable and nuclear energy?

Answer 1

Concern for environment, prices of fossil fuels and they’re finite, improvement of renewable tech, stability of nuclear development

Question 2

What are advantages and disadvantages of coal?

Answer 2

Ad: Tech to generate electricity exists, energy from it can be increased or decreased to demand
Dis: Finite, harder to extract, danger of mining, greenhouse gases, expensive to transport

Question 3

What are advantages and disadvantages of oil?

Answer 3

Ad: Tech to generate electricity exists and to extract better, energy from it can be increased or decreased to demand
Dis: Finite, located in unstable countries, pollution when spilt, expensive to refine, price, greenhouse gases

Question 4

What are advantages and disadvantages of gas?

Answer 4

Ad: Tech to generate electricity exists, energy from it can be increased or decreased to demand, produces less greenhouse gas when burnt, compressible
Dis: Finite, located in unstable countries, leaks and explosions

Question 5

What are advantages and disadvantages of solar energy?

Answer 5

Ad: Infinite, generate elec and heat water, clean, can be on anyone’s house
Dis: Expensive, absence of sun, night, store surplus energy is hard, demand of it

Question 6

What are advantages and disadvantages of wind energy?

Answer 6

Ad: Clean, infinite, local scale, can be far away
Dis: Visual and noise pollution, unreliability of wind, expensive, hard to store surplus energy

Question 7

What are advantages and disadvantages of tidal energy?

Answer 7

Ad: infinite, ideal for islands, clean
Dis: Block shipping routes, interfere with animals, expensive, damaged by storms

Question 8

What are advantages and disadvantages of wave energy?

Answer 8

Ad: Clean, infinite, ideal for islands
Dis: Block shipping routes, strength of waves varies, damaged by storms

Question 9

What are advantages and disadvantages of HEP?

Answer 9

Ad: Clean, infinite, dam can prevent flooding, store of water
Dis: Limited number of suitible rivers, resettlement, flood large areas, aquatic animals

Question 10

What are advantages and disadvantages of biofuel energy?

Answer 10

Ad: Renewable, cheap
Dis: Releases greenhouse gases, deforestation needed, if crops used -> Inflation of the price

Question 11

What are advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Answer 11

Ad: Infinite, clean, generate electricity, not dependent of weather
Dis: Not every country has potential, expensive, drilling potentially harmful,

Question 12

What are advantages of nuclear energy?

Answer 12

Plentiful supply of uranium, low amount of greenhouse gases released, reduces dependency of other natural resources, safely stored underground

Question 13

What are disadvantages of nuclear energy?

Answer 13

Blow up, could be terrorist targets, nuclear weapons, waste expensive to transport, cancer, half life of uranium, mining for it is dangerous and polluting

Question 14

What are disadvantages of using fuelwood for energy?

Answer 14

Deforestation, biodiversity loss, desertification, soil erosion, animals in woods, fire

Question 15

What is increasing the demand for water?

Answer 15

More people, houses, agriculture, industry and energy production

Question 16

Why is there a falling supply of water?

Answer 16

Climate change, pollution and sewage, mismanagement

Question 17

What problems are caused by water shortages and pollution?

Answer 17

Drought, crop failure, livestock deaths, famine, conflict over water, disease, eutrophication,

Question 18

What are some solutions to water shortages and pollution?

Answer 18

Irrigation projects, dams, water metering, wells, sewage treatment, conservation and education

Question 19

What are some ways the UK are trying to save water?

Answer 19

Water meters, reducing leakage, reservoirs, sewage treatment

Question 20

What are some problems caused by global warming?

Answer 20

Rising sea levels, flooding, desertification, loss of industry, flash floods, tropical storms, famines

Question 21

What are solutions to global warming?

Answer 21

Renewable energy, hybrid cars, recycling, reforestaion, carbon sequestration

Question 22

What are some adaptions to global warming?

Answer 22

More sea defences, improved meteorology, disease treatment, resettlement

Question 23

What are some advantages of global warming?

Answer 23

Improved arctic navigation, access to new resources, increased agricultural land, reduce in cold deaths, more freshwater, reduced central heating use