Paper 3: Consuming Energy Resources - Topic 9 Flashcards
Non-Renewable Energy Definition
Non-renewable energy comes from sources that are finite and will eventually run out. E.g, gas, oil, and coal
Renewable Energy Definition
Renewable energy comes from flow sources that do not run out and can be reused, e.g wind, HEP and solar power.
Recyclable Energy Definition
Recyclable energy comes from sources that can be reused. E.g, nuclear and biofuels.
Examples of Non-Renewable Energy
Non-renewable are known as stock resources as the planet has a limited supply of each one. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) are non-renewable resources
Examples of Renewble Energy
A source is renewable if it can be replenished on a short timescale, and wind energy, solar energy, and hydroelectric power
Examples of Recyclable Energy
Recyclable energy sources are those made from waste products or whose waste products can be used to generate more energy. Nuclear energy amd biofuels are recyclable sources of energy because they have unstable waste products
Non-Renewable Energy Location (where is it found)
Fossil fuels formed millions of years ago from the remains of dead organisms. They can be extracted from the ground and seabed. As technology develops, it has to become possible to extract resources that were previously too difficult or costly to use, e.g, by fracking
Natural gas is used for electricty production in Europe. In the UK, most gas comes from underneath the North Sea. Much of the EU depends on Russia and Ukraine for gas.
Renewable Energy Location (where is it found)
Wind Turbines - Turbines used the energy of the wind to generate electricity, either on land or out at sea. Turbines are often built in large windfarms, like in California
Solar Energy - Energy from the Sun is used to heat water and solar cookers or to generate electricity using photovoltaic cells
Hydroelectric Power - HEP uses the energy of falling water, which is trapped by a dam and allowed to fall through tunnels, where the pressure of the falling water turns turbines to generate electricty
Recyclable Energy Location (where is it found)
Nuclear Energy - Uranium atoms are used when they are split to produce lots of heat. The heat is used to boil water. The steam turns a turbine, generating electricity. New breeder reactors can generate more fuel during the splitting process, making nuclear energy more like a renewable emergy source. Radioactive waste can also be processed so it can be used to make more energy.
Biomass - Biomass (wood, plants, animal waste) can be burnt to release energy or used to produce biofuels. It’s easy to produce biomass because living organisms grow quickly. Sometimes, biomass is already avaliable as a waste product from other processes, e.g farming. Sometimes the waste products from the production of biofuels can also be used as a fuel. For example, sugar cane is fermented to produce ethanol, a biofuel often used in transport. The leftover cane is then burnt to produce more energy, e.g for heating. Biogas system are also used in places like India.
How is opencast mining different to underground pit mining?
Opencast mining is surface mining creating large, open pits on the earths surface, scarring the land and possibly leading water supplies to get contaminated, whereas underground pit mining is beneath the surface instead of above the surface like opencast mining.
Explain the impacts of opencast mining on the environment
- Surface mining strips away large areas of soil, rock, and vegetation so that miners can reach can reach the material they want. This can permanently scar the landscape.
- Habitats are destroyed to make way for mines, e.g through clearing forests, leading to loss of biodiversity
- Clearing forests also affects the water cycle because there are fewer trees to take up water from the ground. This can lead to increased soil erosion
- Mining processes can release greenhouse gases, e.g carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. These gases contribute to global warming.
What is Oil Drilling
Oil Drilling is holes created in the earths surface. Pipes are passed down and a pump connected to remove oil from under the surface
Explain the impacts of oil drilling on the environment
- Onshore drilling land to be stripped of vegetation to make space for the drills and roads to access the sites
- Oil spills cause major damage to the environment - especially out at sea. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 leaked around 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Oil coats the feathers and fur of animals, which reduces their ability to move freely or feed
- Extracting natural gas from underground reserves can cause methane to leak into the atmosphere, making the greenhouse effect stronger and contributing to global warming.
- Oil is extremely hard to clear up, as it floats on top of water, meaning it can take years for the oil to clear up (it washes up on coasts and e.c.t)
Explain how HEP development and deforestation impact the landscape
- HEP plants use dams to trap water for energy production - this creates a reservoir, which floods a large area of land, destroying a huge area for wildlife
- The river on which the dam is built can be affected by changes in water flow, e.g sediment is deposited in the reservoir instead of further downstream
- A build-up of sediment (alagal blooms) can block sunlight, causing plants and algae into the river to die
Explain how the landscape is impacted by wind turbines
- Large numbers of wind turbines are needed to producd significant amounts of electricity and they need to be get quite far apart. This means they take up lots of space
- Wind farms produce a constant humming noise - some people living close to wind farms have complained about this noise pollution
- The spinning blades on turbines can kill or injure birds and bats (they also confuse birds in their migration routes)
Explain how the landscape is impacted by solar panels
- Some solar farms use ground and surface water to clean their solar panels. This can lead to water shortages in arid areas, which disrupts ecosystems.
- The heat reflected from mirrors in solar farms can kill wildlife, e.g birds.
- Solar panels built on the ground can disturb and damage habitats. (And materials from the ground are used in the production of them)
How did ‘geology’ & ‘accessibility’ help the UK coal industry?
These have both help the UK coal industry as coal was formed on the UK in the carboniferous period formed in seams as much of the UK is made up of sedimentry rock, and is accessible, as it’s formed near the surface, so surface mining can be used.
Why did the UK coal industry decline?
-Official figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change show the UK imported more coal than it produced for the first time in 2001 - a trend repeated every year since 2003.
(In 2003 the UK produced 28.28m tonnes and imported 31.89m.)
-Cheaper imported coal - Cheaper imports now come from Russia, Colombia, and the USA
High Cost - Coal mining requires expensive drilling and pumping technology. Production costs rose as coal became more inaccessible - the shallowest coal had been mined
- Declining Demand - Trains switched from steam to diesel and electric, and homes moved from coal heating to oil and gas. Gas is a cleaner, cheaper way of producing electricity
- Greenhouse gas emissions - Coal produces more greenhouse gases than any other fuel. Pressure by the EU and environmental pressure groups such as Greenpeace forced the UK to reduce coal usage
- Other energy sources - Replaced coal (e.g oil, gas, nuclear and renewables)
Explain why the coal in Antarctica isn’t accessible?
The Antarctic ice cover is, on average, 2.5 km thick and this means that very little of the land is accessible for exploration, so work would have to take place under the ice sheet. The difficult Antarctic conditions, even when the technology works well elsewhere, make exploitation unlikely. Once minerals are mined, Antarctica is a long way from world markets, and material would have to be transported over the treacherous Southern Ocean, as it’s extremely stormy, meaning it would be quite difficult to transport the equipment over to start mining, and it would also be quite difficult to export the coal back to other countries.
Explain how climate can affect access to energy
Only certain types of energy can be used in some areas, like solar power which needs yo be in areas recieving far more sunlight. Solar power requires large amounts of sunlight to generate energy. Countries with sunny climates, e.g Spain, can use solar power more effectively than countries with duller climates, e.g the UK. On a global scale, countries near the equator, like nations especially in Northern Africa (and South East Africa), the Middle East, and Australia. However, places like the Sahara Desert would not be practical, as the panels would get covered in sand which would need to be cleared off, and the energy would need to be transport an extremely long way.
Explain how landscape/relief can affect access to energy resources
Wind turbines are most efficient in areas with a steady and reliable source of wind, e.g on high ground or along the coast. Hydroelectric power usually requires lots of water to generate energy, and steep-sided valleys to use as reservoirs. For example, mountainous areas such as the Andes has lots of relief, meaning lots of wind and gravitational potential energy can be used to help power wind turbines and hydroelectric dams.
Explain why energy use varies throughout the world
There’s a strong relationship between development and energy consumption:
- Developed countries, e.g USA and China, tend to consume lots of energy per person because they can afford to. Most people in these countries have access to electricity and hearting, and use energy-intensive devices like cars
- Economic development is increasing wealth in emerging countries, e.g China. People are buying more things that uses energy, e.g cars, fridges
- Developing countries e.g Chad and Mongolia, consume less energy per person as they are less able to afford it. Less energy is avaliable and lifestyles are less dependant on high energy consumption.
Some regions rely on tradiational fuel sources. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, energy networks are poorly connected, which means people have to rely on biomass such as wood for cooking and heating. There’s very little development, so countries can’t afford to exploit their own energy reserves or improve existing infrastructure.
Access to infrastructure is another factor, as in order to produce oil, a country needs the right equipment and technology. Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA are the world’s biggest oil producers.
Industrial activities require large amounts of energy, e.g to power machinery or for transport:
- Manufacturing industries in developed and emerging countries use huge amounts of energy
- Developing countries have more primary industry (e.g agriculture), which uses very little energy.
Explain how energy poverty affects the lives of people
Conflicts - (e.g those in the Middle East in the 1970’s) can disrupt oil production, which leads to a decrease in oil supply. Shortages of oil cause prices to increase.
Diplomatic Relations - Oil prices may increase because of tensions between oil-producing countries. For example, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have led to uncertainty about oil production in the region.
Recessions - (e.g the global financial crisis in 2008) lower the demand for oil because industrial activities and economic growth slow down. This causes prices to fall
Economic Booms - Oil prices increase during periods of rapid economic growth because of increased consumption and demand
Access to Electrcity - This will allow business to have longer working hours throughout the night, and allows for faster internet connects for smaller businesses to connect themselves with the rest of the world
Explain the decline in use of Biofuel
Overall, the use of biofuels will have decreased between 1820-2000. This will be due to the fact that developing countries use biofuels more often, as they don’t have the technology and money to use more efficient energy resources like coal, oil, or gas. As countries have improved and modernised, they will move away from biogas for this reason, which is exactly why the use if it has decreased over those 80 years.
Explain why energy use is increased in developed countries
There’s a strong relationship between development and energy consumption:
- Developed countries, e.g USA and China, tend to consume lots of energy per person because they can afford to. Most people in these countries have access to electricity and hearting, and use energy-intensive devices like cars
- Economic development is increasing wealth in emerging countries, e.g China. People are buying more things that uses energy, e.g cars, fridges
Access to infrastructure is another factor, as in order to produce oil, a country needs the right equipment and technology. Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA are the world’s biggest oil producers.
Industrial activities require large amounts of energy, e.g to power machinery or for transport:
-Manufacturing industries in developed and emerging countries use huge amounts of energy
Explain why energy use is decreased in developing countries
-Developing countries e.g Chad and Mongolia, consume less energy per person as they are less able to afford it. Less energy is avaliable and lifestyles are less dependant on high energy consumption.
Some regions rely on tradiational fuel sources. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, energy networks are poorly connected, which means people have to rely on biomass such as wood for cooking and heating. There’s very little development, so countries can’t afford to exploit their own energy reserves or improve existing infrastructure.
-Developing countries have more primary industry (e.g agriculture), which uses very little energy.
Explain why there are difference in the amount of renewable energy used around the world (4 marks)
Some regions rely on tradiational fuel sources. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, energy networks are poorly connected, which means people have to rely on biomass such as wood for cooking and heating, for example, many women carry home an average of 20kg of fuelwood. These African countries are energy-poor, lacking electricity or the income to pay for it, so there is very little development, so countries can’t afford to exploit their own energy reserves or improve existing infrastructure. As a result, these poorer nations are constantly caught up in a negative cycle of decline, as energy poverty keeps women poor by limiting their chances to attend school, and earn an independant income. These things are what hold up these nations along with their people and are the reason why they rely on biofuels so much, rather than moving on to fossil fuels and other energy resources.
What are oil reserves?
Oil reserves are the amount of recoverable oil - oil that can be extracted using today’s technology. Oil production is the process of extracting and refining crude oil.
What % of the worlds remaining oil reserve is in the Middle East? Show your workings out.
Eurasia - 119 Africa - 127 Middle East - 804 Europe - 12 Asia Pacific - 46 North America - 220 Central and South America - 328
(billions of barrels, as of 2014)
(804 / 119+127+804+12+46+220+328) x 100 = 48.55%
What are the issues with drilling for oil in places like Ecuador?
This issues with drilling for oil in places like Ecuador include:
- In order to reach new reserves, land may have to be cleared to make way for pipelines and roads. This can disrupt fragile ecosystems and cause a loss of biodiversity
- Opening up isolated area with roads and industry increases air pollution and can pollute soils and water.
What factors affect oil production?
Oil production doesn’t just depend on a country’s oil reserves - there are serveral factors that affect it:
- Infrastructure - in order to produce oil, a country needs the right equipment and technology. Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the USA are the world’s biggest oil producers
- Domestic Demand - Saudi Arabia relies on oil to meet its own energy needs
- Shrinking Reserves - Oil production from North Sea reserves has been declining as reserves are used up
Why is Global consumption of oil increasing?
Global oil consumption is increasing as countries develop. Between 2015 and 2016, the amount of oil consumed worldwide rose by 1.4 million barrels per day.
- As GDP per capita increases, so does oil consumption. People in wealthier countries have more energy-intensive goods, e.g cars. Around 65z of all oil is used to fuel cars
- Rapid industrialisation in emerging economies, e.g China and India, also increases oil consumption. The combination of growing population, a boom in industry and the expansion of cities leads to higher consumption of oil.
Suggest reasons why oil consumption in North America and Europe decreased?
Some reasons for why oil consumption in North America and Europe decreased include:
- They may be making an effort to switch to different energy resources, therefore meaning they will import and cinsume less oil
- Due to rising prices in oil, these countries may be deciding not import as much (or import more) due to the cost to benefit ratio of importing more oil
What are the factors leading to increases in world oil prices.
- Up to 2008, increasing demand caused by growth of the world’s economies led to a long-term rise in the price of oil
- China’s rapid industrialisation in the early 21st century further increased the demand for energy which China’s own oilfields could not meet, so oil imports filled the gap
- Short-term spikes in the oil price can be causes by disruptions to supply, such as the 2010 oil spill caused by an explosion on a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Political events in the Middle East can also restrict oil supplies
What are the factors leading to decreases in world oil prices.
- Diplomatic relations and conflicts between countries can affect supply and demand. For example, in 2013-14 rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia meant they failed to agree production targets. Saudi Arabia increased supply of oil, leading to a fall in prices on world markets.
- During periods of recession, such as after 2008, economies slowed down and consumers bought fewer goods. There was less demand for oil and prices fell
- The discovery of new sources like shale gas in the USA increased supply, reducing pil and gas imports and leading to lower local and world priced
- The fracking boom meant that global prices would’ve dropped as more supply would’ve been made avaliable.
Explain how conflict between countries can affect global oil prices. (4 marks)
One way conflict between countries can affect global oil prices is that sometimes, oil prices may increase tensions between oil-producing countries. For example, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have lead to uncertainty about oil production in the area. This will be because these nations will be shifting their focus from producing oil to more pressing issues if they enter conflict or war.
On the other hand, conlfict between countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran led to an increased supply in oil in 2013-14, therefore leading to a fall in prices. This was due to the fact that these countries failed to agree production targets whilst they were engaged in conflict
Explain how over or under supply can affect global oil prices.
The global price of oil is decided by traders on commodity markets. Prices are essentially decided by supply and demand. High demand causes prices to rise, and falling demand causes lower prices, while supply affects the price - too much oil and the price falls, too little and it rises. An example of how over supply affects prices is that sometimes, countries deliberately increase supply of oil to increase their income, even if they know increasing supplies will drive the price down. The price of oil fell from US $115 per barrel in 2014 to US$50 per barrel in 2015. It was caused by oversupply of oil from Sauidi Arabia, Iraq (YALA DANY MALIK, SUIIII), USA tracking sources, and Iran.
What is an Ecologically sensitive area
An ecologically sensitive area is a type of designation for an agricultural area which needs special protection because of its landscape, wildlife or historical value. An example would be the Acrtic. In the Arctic, there are small food-webs. If one organism dies, there are very few alternatives. Cold temperatures also mean there is very slow rates of decay – if oil is spilt it remains for a long time. Also, the minimal amount of human activity means any increase will cause disturbances to habitats/migrations
