Sustainability Flashcards
describe adv of renewable energy
describe the disadv of renewable energy
- initial set-up costs are high
- don’t produce as much energy as finite resources
- rely on external factors wind/sunlight) so are less reliable
- resources may look ugly/spoil the landscape or be noisy - affects local residents
- can impact the environment - valleys/habitats are flooded to make dams/hydroelectric power, birds can be injured by wind turbines
describe the 6 Rs
- repair - fixing things instead of throwing them away
- re-use - extend a product’s life by using again/passing it on, reuse products for other purposes
- recycle - uses less energy than obtaining new materials, composite products made to be separated at disposal, use recyclable/mobius loop logo
- rethink - think about your design carefully to make it more sustainable
- reduce - making long-lasting/durable products to reduce the number of products customers have to buy
- refuse - refusing to buy a product if you think it is wasteful (unnecessary packaging, big carbon footprint)
describe why considering the 6 Rs is important when designing a product that doesn’t negatively impact the environment +examples
- recycle/reuse: less new materials needed to be extracted for new products -> less energy used in manufacture, less products sent to landfill/ oceanic pollution
-> recycling plastic bottles reduces oil extraction
-> reusing plastic shopping bags - design for disassembly: allows people to reuse/recycle -> less materials extracted etc.
- design for maintenance: allows people to reduce/reuse/repair
define design obsolescence
- designing a product with an artificially limited lifespan/ a purposely frail design, so that it becomes obsolete/outdated after a predetermined period of time
- it suddenly stops functioning or might be seen as unfashionable
- done to increase sales profit as consumers need/want to buy a functional replacement
- generally bad for the environment as it creates more waste
define design for maintenance
- products designed to last by making it durable/ parts replaceable+repairable
- eco-friendly
- used for more expensive products
define design for disassembly
product designed to be easily taken apart at the end of its lifetime so parts can be reused/recycled
describe fossil fuels
fuel is burned to heat water into steam -> steam turns turbines to power an electricity generator
/ low cost, reliable
X non-renewable, produce CO² which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, burnt coal causes acid rain
describe nuclear fuel
fuel undergoes a nuclear reaction to release thermal energy -> heats water to steam -> steam turns turbines to power an electricity generator
/ generates a lot of energy per kg of fuel, reliable, doesn’t release greenhouse gases
X non-renewable, requires safety measures as radioactivity is dangerous, expensive construction+security costs (from tourists), produces radioactive waste
describe wind power
wind turns a turbine which powers an electricity generator
/ sustainable, no pollution, used in remote areas
X unreliable as no energy provided when it’s not windy+ turbines are turned off when too windy as they can break, considered ugly, noisy
describe solar power
thermal energy from sun is focused to boil water to steam in a power station / solar panels use thermal energy for heating / photocells convert light to electricity
/ sustainable, no pollution, excess energy from domestic solar panels can be sold back to energy producers, some used in remote areas
X unreliable as no energy produced at night or in bad weather, expensive, only used in desert countries
describe hydroelectric power
build a dam, river flows over turbines to power generator
/ reliable, sustainable, easily controlled, no pollution
X requires flooding land, destroys local area+habitats, ugly structure
describe tidal power
turbine driven with tide movement to power generator
/ reliable, no pollution, sustainable
X ugly, dangerous for wildlife+damages habitats
describe biofuel
crops are burned for fuel to heat water to steam -> steam turns a turbine to power electricity generator
/ sustainable, reliable, carbon neutral as plants growing take in the CO² produced when burned
X produces greenhouse gas, requires land for crops which reduces land available for food crops
describe geothermal power
water is pumped underground to areas which are tectonically active -> water is boiled by heat of the earth -> steam turns turbines to power electricity generator
/ reliable, no pollution
X can only be used in volcanic areas
