EQ2 - Alternatives To Fossil Fuels - CARBON

Question 1

What are peak oil implications

Answer 1

• extracted or recovered oil
• prices rie
• need to look for different sources of energy

Question 2

What are the uncertainties

Answer 2

• amount of oil trapped underneath arctic
• artificially high ( peak oil or due to conflicts )
• uncertain of recession or developing countries will increase at some rate
• population will increase at same rate
• pandemic
• disruption of supply
• influence of conflict overseas
• some reserves of barrels of oils to meet spike of demand

Question 3

How has the Uk energy mix changed?

Answer 3

• uk is not self sufficient in energy, by 2020, the uk will be importing 75% of its energy affecting its energy security and therefore not allowing reliance on other countries
• 2/3 of UK gas supplies remain but the production overall has declined by 6% each year
• major concerns has been the decline in coal because concerns about greenhouse gas emissions

However fossil fuels are likely to remain important in the future because:
- The uks remaining reserves of fossil fuels will provide energy for several decades
- existing UK power stations use fossil fuels so makes ecncomic sense to keep using them

Question 4

What are the benefits of the implications of the use of biofuels?

Answer 4

• less CO2
• bio degradable
• easily grown + doesn’t need specialist machinery
• lower emissions than fossil fuels
• renewable sources
• provides rural inward investment
• postive multiplier which effect rural regions
• earns export income
• infrastructure improvements

Question 5

What are the costs of the implications of the use of biofuels?

Answer 5

• takes land from food production
• needs pesticides and fertiliser which use fossil fuels in production so not carbon neutral
• clearing forest fro crops mean increase CO2 emissions from deforestation throwing doubt on crops ‘ carbon neutrality”

Question 6

What is the biofuels CASE STUDY

Answer 6

• Brazil
• in 1970s Brazil took action to combat concerns regarding energy security
• 4% comes form renewable sources
• 90% of new passenger vehicles in Brazil contain flex fuel engine’s using a combination of petrol and sugar cane ethanol

Question 7

Name two radial technologies

Answer 7

• Carbon capture
• Hydrogen cells

Question 8

State facts of carbon capture

Answer 8

• putting C02 into the ground
• carbon capturing storage
• primairly used at local stations
• compress c2 and pup it underground
• expensive, not much return or reward
• Aim - for carbon to stay for over millions of years
• rocks can absorb 22 million tonnes which is 180 years
• difficult to get into unless environmentally conscious
• reduce carbon in atmosphere by 20% but theres still 80% left

Question 9

State facts of hydrogen cells

Answer 9

• abundant element ( a lot )
• hydrogen needs to by separated for use
• can be used instead of oil
• fuel cells used to convert chemicals into electricity
• more efficient than petrol
• in order to separate energy is needed to seperate
• creates jobs in green sectors