National and Global Energy Resources Flashcards
What are the 3 main ways in which we use the Earth’s energy resources?
- Generating electricity
- Heating
- Transport
What are examples of fossil fuels?
- Coal
- Oil
- Natural gas
What is a reliable energy resource?
One that is available all the time (or at predictable times) and in sufficient quantities
What are disadvantages of non-renewable energy resources?
- Not replaced as quickly as they are used
- Will eventually run out
E.g. Fossil fuels and nuclear fission
What are advantages of renewable energy resources?
- Can be replaced at the same rate as they are used
- Will not run out
E.g. Solar, tidal, wave, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and hydroelectric energies
Where is coal, oil and natural gas extracted from?
Underground
What are advantages of coal, oil and natural gas?
- Enough available to meet current energy demands
- Reliable - supply can be controlled to meet demand
- Relatively cheap to extract and use
What are disadvantages of coal, oil and natural gas?
- Will eventually run out
- Release carbon dioxide when burned - one of the main causes of climate change
- Release other polluting gases, such as sulphur dioxide (from coal and oil) which causes acid rain
- Oil spills in the oceans kill marine life
How is nuclear fission sourced?
Mining naturally occurring elements, such as uranium and plutonium
What are advantages of nuclear fission?
- No polluting gases or greenhouse gases produced
- Enough available to meet current energy demands
- Large amount of energy transferred from a very small mass of fuel
- Reliable - supply can be controlled to meet demand
What are disadvantages of nuclear fission?
Produces nuclear waste which is:
- Dangerous
- Difficult and expensive to dispose of
- Stored for centuries before it is safe to dispose of
Nuclear power plants are expensive to:
- Build and run
- Decommission (shut down)
How is solar energy sourced?
- Sunlight transfers energy to solar cells
- Sunlight transfers energy to solar heating panels
What are advantages of solar energy?
- Can be used in remote places
- Very cheap to run once installed
- No pollution/greenhouse gases produced
What are disadvantages of solar energy?
- Supply depends on weather
- Expensive to buy and install
- Cannot supply large scale demand
How is hydroelectric energy sourced?
Water flowing downhill turns generators
What are advantages of hydroelectric energy?
- Low running cost
- No fuel cost
- Reliable and supply can be controlled to meet demand
What are disadvantages of hydroelectric energy?
- Expensive to build hydroelectric dams
- Flood a large area behind the dam, destroying habitats and resulting in greenhouse gas production from rotting vegetation
How is tidal energy sourced?
Turbines on tidal barrages turned by water as the tide comes in and out
What are advantages of tidal energy?
- Predictable supply as there are always tides
- Can produce large amounts of electricity
- No fuel costs
- No pollution/greenhouse gases produced
What are disadvantages of tidal energy?
Tidal barrages:
- Change marine habitats and can harm animals
- Restrict access and can be dangerous for boats
- Are expensive to build and maintain
Cannot control supply
Supply varies depending on the month
How is wave energy sourced?
Floating generators powered by waves moving up and down
What are advantages of wave energy?
- Low running costs
- No fuel costs
- No pollution/greenhouse gases produced
What are disadvantages of wave energy?
Floating generators:
- Change marine habitats and can harm animals
- Restrict access and can be dangerous for boats
- Are expensive to build, install, and maintain
Depend on weather
Cannot supply large scale demand
How is wind energy sourced?
Turbines turned by the wind
What are advantages of wind energy?
- Low running cost
- No fuel costs
- No pollution/greenhouse gases produced
What are disadvantages of wind energy?
- Supply depends on weather
- Large amounts of land needed to generate enough electricity for large scale demand
- Can produce noise pollution for nearby residents
How is geothermal energy sourced?
Radioactive substances deep within the Earth transfer heat energy to the surface
What are advantages of geothermal energy?
- Low running costs
- No fuel costs
- No pollution/greenhouse gases produced
What are disadvantages of geothermal energy?
- Expensive to set up
- Only possible in a few suitable locations around the world
How are biofuels sourced?
Fuel produced from living or recently living organisms, for example, plants and animal waste
What are advantages of biofuels?
- Can be carbon neutral - the amount of carbon dioxide released when the fuel is burnt is equal to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed when the fuel is grown
- Reliable and supply can be controlled to meet demand
What are disadvantages of biofuels?
- Expensive to produce
- Growing requires a lot of land and water that could be used for food production
- Can lead to deforestation - forests are cleared to growing biofuel crops
