National and global energy sources (1.3) Flashcards
What are the main energy resources available for use on Earth? Are they renewable (R) or non-renewable (NR)?
- fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) - NR
- nuclear fuel - NR
- bio-fuel - R
- wind - R
- hydro- electricity - R
- geothermal - R
- the tides (tidal) - R
- the Sun (solar) - R
- water waves - R
What are the three fossil fuels?
Coal, oil and gas
What is renewable energy resource?
An energy source that is being (or can be) replaced as quickly as it is used
4 needed
What are some of the uses of energy resources?
transport, electricity, generation and heating
Why are non-renewable sources sometimes more useful than renewable sources other than being more reliable?
Provide large amounts of energy easily, so used more for large-scale energy supplies
Still relatively abundant, so cost-effective
Why has the development of renewable energy sources become more important?
due to the finite lifetime of fossil fuels
What may some renewable energy sources be dependant on?
External conditions (e.g. waves for tidal, sun exposure for solar, wind for wind turbines)
Generating power through other means is often more efficient and economically beneficial
What is the problem with fossil fuels?
Extraction involves destroying landscapes and use of them releases CO2 emissions, which contributes to global warming
Also, sulfur dioxide is released which causes acid rain, which can damage buildings and crops
What is the advantage of creating electricity with wind/solar energy sources?
They release no emissions
Describe the pattern of energy sources during the industrial revolution. Why is this?
fossil fuels became an important source of energy as it was easy to mine, and provided a lot of energy
Why have renewable energy sources only recently become suitable to use?
Technology has had to develop a lot since industrial revolution to be able to harness such energy sources efficiently
Why today, is it both easier and harder to use energy sources (e.g. fossil fuels, nuclear)?
It is easier to use energy resources due to increasing pressure to cope with the public’s increasing power demands
but harder to solve environmental issues due to political, social, ethical and economic considerations.
2 needed
What are the advantages of generating power using gas rather than coal?
- shorter start-up time
- less CO2 emissions
not non-renewable
Fossil fuels are described as (…) energy sources
reliable (not dependent to external conditions)
3 needed
What are the advantages of nuclear power?
- Large energy produced for little fuel
- don’t release greenhouse gases and so don’t contribute to climate change
- low fuel costs
3 needed
What are the disadvantages of nuclear power?
- Produces nuclear waste which is harmful to humans & must be safely stored for centuries
- Non-Renewable energy source
- Risk of nuclear accidents, which have fatal consequences on humans and the environment
2 needed
What are some disadvantages of using biofuels?
- When plants are burned or decay they release CO2 In order to grow biofuels, you need to destroy land which leads to problems because:
- The land could have been natural habitats
- Destroying land may involve burning plants growing on it, which would release CO2
- Growing biofuels reduces the land available for growing food
3 needed
What are advantages of tidal energy sources?
- They do not produce greenhouse gases
- They are quite reliable, as tides happen twice a day
- They are cheap to run as tides are natural, and so are free
2 needed
What are disadvantages of hydro-electric power?
- The dam may cause flooding
- It can cost a lot to install the required infrastructure
3 needed
What are advantages of solar panels?
- They don’t cause harm to the environment
- They are a renewable resource
- They can be used in remote areas where other types of energy are less accessible
2 needed
What are some social factors which may act as a deterrent for certain types of energy production?
- visual pollution
- noise pollution
Both disadvantages of wind farms - may also lead to bird being killed/hurt if they fly through
Why may a country’s energy usage decrease over time?
Due to increased efficiency
What is a way into reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from burning the same amount of fossil fuels?
Carbon capture
What is the energy transfer taking place at a solar panel?
Light energy of sun to electrical energy of solar panel by heating