Fossil Fuels

Question 1

Define ‘Fossil Fuel’

Answer 1

A fossil fuel is a fuel consisting if the remains of organisms preserved in rocks In the earth’s crust with high carbon and hydrogen content

Question 2

Define ‘Renewable Energy’

Answer 2

A form of energy derived from natural sources that do not use up natural resources to harm the environment.

Question 3

Formation of Coal

Answer 3

Coal is formed from the remains from dead plants that have been compressed turning it into peat due to the pressure. This pressure over millions of years turns into different grades of Coal for humans to mine

Question 4

Formation of Natural Gas and Crude Oil

Answer 4

It’s formed from the remains of dead sea creatures that are at the bottom of the ocean. Small rocks cover the creatures adding pressure and temperature and after millions of years of this it turns into natural gas and crude oil

Question 5

What is coal

Answer 5

It’s a finite source
Harms the environment due to its highly polluting nature
The polluting causes global warming

Question 6

Natural Gas/Crude Oil

Answer 6

The extracting causing disturbs wildlife and habitats

Once burnt it causes carbon dioxide - leads to global warming

Question 7

Biomass

Answer 7

A general term for material derived from plants or animal manure
Wood, Grass, Vegetation
1760

Question 8

What are Fossil fuels are for

Answer 8

Plastics
Transport
Fibres
Pharmaceutical

Question 9

How are we stopping use of plastics

Answer 9

Paper straws/cotton buds
Pay for plastic bags
Stop single-use cup - reusable cups

Question 10

Why is Global action required

Answer 10

Not one nation can tackle fuel depletion because every nation uses these fossil fuels and damaging the entrie world
Some nations using renewable and low carbon alternatives

Question 11

How is fossil fuels increasing

Answer 11

Takes millions of years of fossils fuels to form
After industrial revolution fossil fuels have increased rapidly
Coal = 40,000 TWH
Crude Oil = 100,000 TWH
Natural Gas = 120,000 TWH

Question 12

Time we have left of fossil fuels

Answer 12

Coal = 114 years left
Crude Oil = 52.8 years left
Natural Gas = 50.7 years left

Question 13

How technology increases lifespan of fossil fuels

Answer 13

Find new crude oil fields faster
Some isn’t worth drilling because its too deep
Crude oil prices increases so provides incentive to drill deeper to increase lifespan of fossil fuels

Question 14

What is the IPCC

Answer 14

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Question 15

Evidence of global warming

Answer 15

Hotter days/ nights and heatwaves more common 
Colder days/ nights are fewer
Polar ice-caps are melting
Sea levels rising
Sea temperatures are rising
Hurricanes are increasing

Question 16

What is Anthropogenic

Answer 16

Human Induced

Question 17

What is carbon trading

Answer 17

Reduces carbon emissions by providing incentives

When a nation is given permits based on target levels
1 permit = 1 tonne of carbon dioxide
If a nation uses less than their target permits, the country can sell excess permits for profit
If a nation uses more than their target permits, the country get penalised

Question 18

Carbon trading advantages

Answer 18

Environment = reduces carbon emissions
Control = government can control the amount of carbon emissions they produce
Incentive = provides incentives for companies to reduce pollution
Transition = companies can choose to enter a period of transition that suits you

Question 19

Carbon trading disadvantages

Answer 19

Fraud = difficulties governing the system leaving it open to fraud and manipulation, investors not doing it to save the environment

Companies not joining = some companies not wanting to join and small companies can buy some permits for low prices as its been argued the permit prices are too low

Inflation = nations can inflate figures so they have excess permits to sell.

Questionable = carried out by desktop assessments so results are Questionable