Geography -Topic 9

Question 1

How do wind turbines produce electricity

Answer 1

Wind turbines use energy form the wind to turn and generate electricity . These turbines can be on land or at sea

Question 2

How is energy harvested from the sun

Answer 2

Energy from the sun is used to heat water and solar cookers or to generate electricity using photovaultic cells

Question 3

How do HEP dams produce energy

Answer 3

HEP uses the energy of falling water to generate electricity. Water is trapped by a dam and allowed to fall though tunnels. The pressure of the falling water turns a turbine and generates electricity

Question 4

How are fossil feuls formed

Answer 4

Fossil feuls were formed millions of years ago from the remains of dead organisms. They can be extracted from the ground or seabed

Question 5

How is nuclear energy produced

Answer 5

Nuclear energy is produced from splitting uranium atoms. When uranium atoms split they release a lot of heat. This heat is used to boil water to produce steam . This steam then turns a turbine which generates electricity

Question 6

How can biomass be used to produce electricity

Answer 6

Biomass(wood, plants or animal waste) can be burnt to release energy directly or it can be used to produce biofuels

Question 7

What are the environmental impacts of mining

Answer 7

• Surface mining strips away large areas of surface land e.g soil, rocks vegetation so that miners can reach the materials they want e.g fossil feuls , this permenantly damages the landscapeb
• Mines themselves can destroy habitats e.g by clearing forest leading to a loss of biodiversity

Question 8

What are some other environmental impacts of mining

Answer 8

• The forest clearing (for the mines) affects the water cycle . There are less trees to absorb water from the ground and intercept water. Leading to more run off , erosion of soil and leaching
• Mining processes release greenhouse gases e.g methane , carbon dioxide into the atmosphere . This contributes to global warming

Question 9

What are the negative environmental impacts of drilling

Answer 9

• Drilling for oil requires lots of vegetation to be cleared to make space for the drills and to make space for roads to access the site
• Oil spills can cause major damage to the environment e,g the deepwater horizon oilspill in 2010 leaked 4 million barrels of oil into the gulf of mexico . This oil coats animals fur and feathers and affects their ability to move freely and to feed
• Drilling for natural gas may cause methane to be released into the environment which strengthens the greenhouse effect

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of wind turbines

Answer 10

• Lots of wind turbines are needed to produce significant amounts of electricity meaning they take up alot of space
• There is lots of noise pollution created by wind turbines e.g a constant humming noise
• The spinning blades of the turbines can kill/ injure birds and bats

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of solar panels

Answer 11

• Some solar panels use ground/surface water to be cleaned , this can lead to water shortages in arid areas
• The mirrors in solar farms can relfect heat , killing wildlife
• Solar farms build on the ground can destroy and disturb habitats

Question 12

What are the disadvanages of HEP plants

Answer 12

• HEP plants use dams to trap water to produce energy -This creates resevoirs which floods large areas of land
• The HEP dams can cause a build up of sediment on the river which the dam is on. This can block sunlight energy reaching the dam causing algea and plants to die

Question 13

What factors affect a countries access to energy

Answer 13

• Technology~some countries have access to energy resources but do not have the technology to exploit the resources either as it is too expensive or unavaliable e.g in Niger there are large uranium reserves but the technology to built nuclear power plants is not avaliable
• Accessibility -some countries have large energy resources but are not able to access them e,g because of permafrost . Some energy reserves are also into protected areas e.g antarctica and cant be exploited

Question 14

What are some other factors affecting access to energy

Answer 14

-Geology-Some countries may not have the correct geology for energy resources such as fossil feuls to develop as it develops in sedimentary rock. Some countries may also have lots of access to energy as they are on the equator so can harvest geothermal energy

-Climate-energy resources such as solar energy can only be access in sunny climates e,eg spain and may not be able to be aceessed in
duller climates e.g theUK

-Landscape -a country needs the correct landscape to harness its energy resources e.g wind turbines need a steady and reliable source of wind and HEP energy requires lots of water

-

Question 15

How does development affect energy resource consumption

Answer 15

• Developed countries e.g Norway and US use more energy per peson as they can afford to. The lifestyles of people in these countries is more energy intensive as they have more applainces e.g cars that require energy .
• Developing countries e.g Chad use less energy per person as they less able to afford it. The lifestyles of people in these countries are less enrgy intensive as they less energy using appliances. The jobs are also focussed around primary industry which used much less energy than manufacturing

Question 16

Why do some countries rely on traditional feul sources

Answer 16

Some countries e,g countries in sub saharan africa rely on traditional feul sources as the energy networks in the country are poorly connected and teh country does not have the technology to exploit the energy resources avaliable. This means teh people have to rely on energy from sources such as biomass

Question 17

What is oil production

Answer 17

Oil production is the process of extracting and refining crude oil

Question 18

What factors affect oil production

Answer 18

Infrastructure -a country must ahve the right infrastructure and technology to produce oil

Question 19

How much is global energy consumption increasing by

Answer 19

Global oil consumption is increasing as countries develop

-Between 2015 and 2016 global oil comsumption increased by 1.4 million barrels per day

Question 20

Why is oil consumption increasing

Answer 20

• Oil comsumption is increasing as GDP per capita increases ~ wealthier people can afford more oil intensive goods e,g cars
• Oil consumption is also increasing due to rapid industrialisation and development in emerging countries e.g China and India . The combination of population growth, boom in industry and expansion of cities all leads to increased oil consumption

Question 21

What factors affect oil supply and price

Answer 21

• Conflict - conflicts (such as the ones in the middle east in the 1970’s) disrupt oil production and cause a shortage of supply. This shortage causes prices to increase
• Economic booms - oil prices increase during periods of rapid economic growth because of increased oil consumption and demand
• Recessions (e.g 2008) -Lower demand for oil because economic and industrial activities slow down . This causes prices to fall
• Diplomatic relations-Tensions between oil producing countries e,g Iran and Saudi increase prices for oil as they try to outprice each other

Question 22

What is energy conservation

Answer 22

Energy conservation is about changing our behaviours as consumers in order to reduce energy use e.g driving less , using a washing line instead of a dryer

Question 23

What is energy efficiency

Answer 23

Energy effeciency involves buying products that do the same job but use less energy e.g a low energy lightbulb

Question 24

How can energy demand be reduced in the home

Answer 24

• Energy demand can be reduced by insulating the floors , walls and roofs in the home so less energy is needed to heat the home
• Energy demand can also be reduced by replacing an older boiler with a new one as they are more energy efficient so will use less energy in the home
• Solar panels can be fitted in the home to provide a renewable source of electricty

Question 25

How can energy demand be reduced in transport

Answer 25

• Engine manufacturers are makinh engines that are more energy efficient -This reduces the energy needed
• Encouraging walking/cycling and improving public transport reduces the demand for energy used for transport
• Regenerative breaking-Road vehichles can be fitted with devices tgat store energy lost under breaking and use them again or return them to the national grid

Question 26

What does the pressure of energy demand mean for ecologically sensitive areas

Answer 26

The pressure of meeting the energy demand means that new, ecologically sensitive areas are being explored for conventional oil and gas reserves

Question 27

What are the advantages of exploiting oil or gas reserves in ecologically sensitive areas

Answer 27

The advantages are:

• Countries with the oil or gas reserves can save money on importing energy e.g Peru with gas reserves in the amazon
• The countries with the reserves can also make money exporting the energy
• Gas companies coming to exploit the reserves bring jobs and investement into the communities e.g A gas company in Alaska has invested 4.5 million dollars into communities and created 1700 jobs

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of exploiting oil and gas reserves in new, ecologically sernsitive areas

Answer 28

• In order to access the new reserves land has to be cleared to make way for roads and pipelines . This can disrupt fragile ecosystems and cause a loss of biodiversity
• Exploring offshore oil and gas reserves e.g arctic circle can have a big impact on marine life. Noise and vibrations caused by the drills can confuse marine animals e.g whales that rely on noise to navigate , communicate and find food
• Putting roads and industry in isolated areas to access the reserves can leave these areas open and vunerable to illegal activity e.g logging

Question 29

How is shale gas extracted by fracking(unconventional method )

Answer 29

• Shale gas is a natural gas found in shale rock . It is extracted by fracking :
• Liquid is pumped into the shale rock at high pressure
• This causes the rock to crack which releases the shale gas which is then collected

Question 30

What are the negative environmental impacts of fracking

Answer 30

• The chemicals used fracking liquid as well as the shale gas itself can pollute groundwater and drinking water e.g in areas of the US
• Land has to be cleared to make way for drilling pads for fracking -This destroys animal habitats and disrupts ecosytems . E.g mule deer populations in wyoming have been affected

Question 31

What substance do tar sands contain

Answer 31

Tar sands contain bitumen which can be refined to produce oil

Question 32

How is bitumen seperated from tar sands (unconventional )

Answer 32

-Surface mines collect tar sands and transport it to processing plants where they use chemicals and war to seperate the bitumen from the sands

Question 33

What are the negative environmental impacts of tar sands and surface mining

Answer 33

-Surface mining for tar sands uses vast amounts of space. This devastates habitats and leads to a loss of biodiversity

Question 34

What are the negatives of biofeuls

Answer 34

• Sources of biomass have to be managed sustainably so they dont run out
• Growing crops for biofeuls requires a lot of water and reduces the amount of space avaliable for food crops
• In some areas, land is being deforested to make soace for crops for biofeuls

Question 35

What are the advantages of biofeuls

Answer 35

• Biofeuls produce less pollution than fossil fuels when they are burnt
• Biofuels can be made out of waste products, reusing waste is good for the environment

Question 36

What arethe disadvantages of wind energy

Answer 36

• Wind is unpredictable so the amount of electricty produced varies
• Wind turbines can have a negative environmental impact(noise pollution)
• It can be expensive to transport electricty produced at offshore wind farms to where it is needed

Question 37

What are the advantages of wind energy

Answer 37

• Wind energy is a relativley cheap source of renewable energy
• Once the turbines have been produced and transported to a sutiable location,the turbines dont produce any greenhouse gas emmisons

Question 38

What are the disadvantages of solar energy

Answer 38

• A sunny climate is needed to produce large amounts of energy so it is not a reliable energy source in pplaces where it is not sunny
• Toxic metals e.g mercury are used in the construction of solar panels
• Solar panels cause negative environmental impacts and can destroy habitats

Question 39

What are the advatages of solar energy and solar panels

Answer 39

• Once the solar panels have been made and fitted no emmisions are produced
• Solar panels require little mantainence once installed
• The technology for solar panels is widely avaliable

Question 40

What are the diadvantages of hydrogen fuel

Answer 40

• Hydrogen rarely exists by itself in the earth. Fossil feuls often have to be used to extract it , releasing greenhouse gases
• The technology for hydrogen feul is expensive and not widely avaliable
• Hydrogen gas is hard to store as it is flammable

Question 41

What are the advantages of hydrogen feul

Answer 41

• Burning hydrogen produces no harmful emissions the only by-product is water
• Hydrogen is extracted from water , so is not limited to a particular area

Question 42

What are the disadvantages of HEP power plants

Answer 42

• HEP power plants are very expensive to build and require a lot of land and water
• HEP power plants flood large areas of land

Question 43

What are the advantages of HEP power plants

Answer 43

• The flow of water through the turbines can be controlled , so the energy source is reliable
• No emissions are produced when HEP power plants are used to produce energy

Question 44

What does a business as usual energy future look like

Answer 44

A business as usual energy future is one where everything carries on as normal. The amount of fossil feuls used stays the same and there no increase in the use of renewable energy sources

Question 45

What does a move to sustainability energy future look like

Answer 45

A move to sustainability energy future is one where we reduce the amount of fossil feuls we use and increase the amount of energy we get from renewable sources

Question 46

What attitude do consumers have towards energy futures

Answer 46

• Consumers want reliable energy sources that be disrupted in the future
• But they also want cheap energy sources-renewable sources cost is high
• This ultimately means that currently consumers prefer a buisness as usual approach as it provides cheap, secure energy . As fossil feuls start to run out and environmental awarness increases consumers may move to favour a sustainability approach

Question 47

What are the attitudes of TNC’s to energy futures

Answer 47

• TNC’s favour a buisness as usual approach as sustainable and renewable energy sources cost more money than fossil feuls so the amount spent on energy would go up,eating into profits
• Some TNCs e,g shell are involved in the fossil fuel industry . These TNC’s would particularly favour a buisness as usual approach as moving to sustainablility would reduce profutd

Question 48

What is governments attitudes to energy futures

Answer 48

• In general governments want the most secure energy future for the people -this means they are starting to shift to a sustainable energy future view
• In developed countries , governments are coming under increasing pressure from some consumers to protect the environment -This means they are shifting to a sustainable future view
• In developing countries , fossil fuels are the most affordable option for the people , so governments favour a business as usual aproach

Question 49

What is climate scientists view towards energy futures

Answer 49

• Climate scientists want to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels to lessen the consequences of climate change e.g rising sea levels
• This means they favour a move towards sustainablility approach

Question 50

What are environmental groups attitudes towards enrgy futures

Answer 50

Environmental groups e,g greenpeace want to reduce the use of fossil fuels as they damage the environment and switch to renewable sources of energy.

-This means they favour a move to sustainability approach

Question 51

How does rising affluence affect peoples views to energy futures

Answer 51

• People with more money can afford to make a decision about energy use e.g they can afford electric cars and can afford to invest solar panels
• Governements in developed countries can invest in renewable energy sources and invest in public transport

Question 52

How does education affect peoples views to energy futures

Answer 52

-People who have a better education are more likely to understand the effects of increasing emissions and unsustainable energy usage .

People also learn how to reduce their carbon footprint and overall become more aware of their actions effect on the environment

Question 53

What is another reason why attitudes to energy futures are changing

Answer 53

Another reason why attitudes to energy futures are changing is because as investement into research about the environmental impact of different energy sources people are becoming more aware of the negative impacts of fossil fuels. This means they are more likely to switch to using renewable energy

Question 54

What is carbon footprint

Answer 54

Carbon footprint is the measure of the amount of greenhouse gasses emmited by a product, individual or organisation over its lifetime

Question 55

What is an ecological footprint

Answer 55

An ecological footprint is the measure of the amount of land that is needed to support an indivuals lifestyle