Resources management - Energy Flashcards
What is the definition of the term ‘energy mix’?
Range of energy resources of a country both renewable and non-renewable
Why does the government want to move towards more renewable energy?
The government want this to happen because it would mean that there will be reduced carbon emissions which helps climate change.
In addition, it helps the country become more self-sufficient and not have to rely on other countries for energy.
It also improves our energy security
Definition of energy security
Uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price
What is fracking?
The UK has rich reserves of natural gas trapped deep underground in shale rocks
To extract the gas, high pressure liquids are sent underground to fracture the shale and release the gas
What are the issues associated with fracking?
Earthquakes
Pollution of underground water
High cost of extraction
Ugly-scars environment
Economic challenges with fossil fuels
Hard to access areas-very expensive to mine
Coal must be imported from South Africa
Costs of exploring more remote and inaccessible areas in the North Sea
Opportunities from fossil fuels
Creation of jobs
Brings in money and jobs into an area-a multiplier effect
Carbon captive storage is more efficient but expensive
Environmental challenges with fossil fuels
Creates greenhouse gases and may contribute to climate change
Access roads and support industries for all these can destroy wildlife habitats and impact on land visually
Waste heaps from coal mining can create visual pollution
What are the challenges of nuclear energy?
Costs of building power stations
Enormous costs to store and transport waste
Expensive to decommission
Waste must be stored safely to avoid contaminayion
Nuclear accidents
What are the advantages of nuclear energy?
Creates jobs in research and development
After initial investment, energy generated by nuclear power is seen to be cheaper
Nuclear power is considered cleaner and less pollution than energy generated by fossil fuels
What are the challenges of renewables?
High set-up costs
Visual pollution impacts tourism-reduce income and jobs
Low profitability
Effect on bird migration patters and bat life in area
Ugly
Noisy and can block TV and phone signals
What are opportunities created by renewables?
Many jobs are created in the manufacture of solar panels and research and development
They produce much lower carbon emission
Offshore wind turbines can act as an artificial reef, creating habitats for marine wildlife
Explain why the UK’s energy mix will include both renewable and non-renewable sources in the future
UK renewables are becoming exhausted. However, there are still significant supplies that could be exploited but extraction has become too expensive and the government has begun to import cheap coal from Russia. This reliance on importing coal makes the UK vulnerable to price rises
As a result, the government has increased investment in the renewables sector to improve UK’s energy security as well as reducing carbon emissions. Wind energy has particularly increased with many wind farms established around the country like the Hornsea Offshore Windfarm
However, the reliance on fossil fuels to produce energy will continue into the future, mainly due to the cost and unreliable nature of renewable energy sources
