P3 -energy Sources Flashcards
What are three types of fossil fuel
Three types of fossil fuel are coal , oil and gas
What are some advantages of fossil fuels
- Fossil fuels are reliable for now , they will provide energy when we need it
- Fossil fuels are versatile (they can be used to generate electricity,heat homes and for transport)
- Fossil fuels release a great deal of energy when burnt (this makes them useful e.g in aeroplanes)
- Fossil fuels are relativley cheap at the moment as there is still a good supply of them
What are the disadvantages of fossil fuels
- fossil fuels release a great deal of carbon dioxide when burnt
- Fossil fuels are non renewable , they are not being used up at a rate they can be replaced
-Burning fossil fuels releases other harmful pollutants
E.g burning deisel releases carbon particulates and nitrogen oxides which are damaging for human health
E.g burning coal releases sulfur dioxide which causes acid rain
What type of energy is nuclear energy ? What elements does it run on?
- Nuclear energy is non renewable energy
- It runs on the radioactive elements uranium and plutonium
What are the advantages of nuclear power
- Nuclear power is extremely reliable-It releases huge amounts of energy exactly when we want it
- Once a nuclear power plant is up and running it releases no carbon dioxide -Therefore it doesnt contribute to climate change
What are the disadvantages of nuclear power
- Nuclear power plants contain highly dangerous radioactive materials. If there is an accident these materials could be released into the environment e.g fukashima
- Decommisioning a nuclear power plant after it has been used takes many years and is extremley expensive
- A nuclear power plant generates large amounts of highly dangerous radioactive waste . This must be stored for thousands of years before it is safe
Describe a brief history of the UK’s energy usage
Up to 1950’s-Almost all of the energy generated in the UK came from burning coal (as the Uk had an abundant supply of coal)
1950’s -nuclear power came and by the 1980’s 20% of UKs energy came from nuclear sources
1970’s-The uk became a major producer of oil and gas from the north sea and this began to replace coal for electricity generation
2000-As much electricity was being generated from burning gas as from burning coal
Why is burning gas better than burning coal
- Burning gas generates less carbon dioxide than burning coal ~so contributes less to climate change
- Gas fired power stations are flexible. They can be switched on quickly during periods of high demand(short start up time).Coal fired power stations have longer start up times
What did scientists begin to realise in the 1970s
- in the 1970s scientists began to realise carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels could be causing climate change however politicians did not see this as a big issue
- Fossil fuels were cheap and removing them would cost more and cost jobs
What did the Uk begin to do in terms of energy change
The UK began to switch to renewavle sources of energy and take climate change seriously
Why is it easy for the UK to switch to renewable sources of energy
- It is easy for the Uk to switch to renewable sources of energy because the UK has one of the best locations for windpower in the Uk
- Wind now accounts for 11% of the UKs electricity
What is the main problem with renwable sources of energy
One of the main problems with renwables is reliability e.g windspeed can vary which affects the amount of electricity generated
How can the issue of reliablity of renewables be addressed
- To adress the issue of renewables reliablility we can use a baseload(a contast supply of electricity that is on all the time to provide energy during periods of high demand when renewables cannot)
- We can also use gas fired power stations to produce power in times of peak demand
