Sustainability And Energy Sources Flashcards
What are the 6 Rs?
Reduce: Use less and buy less and create design with fewer materials.
Reuse: Use something again and again. Modify parts to avoid disposal.
Recycle: Reprocess materials to be used again.
Rethink: Revise the way a current product or system functions, either completely or partially. Solve the problem in a different way.
Refuse: Ask yourself if a product is necessary and avoid using it.
Repair: Take a product that is damaged and instead of buying a new product replace the parts of the product you already own.
Energy is used in manufacturing in 3 key ways
Preparing raw materials
Manufacturing processes
Distribution
Production of almost anything requires materials that affect the environment. Give some examples.
Wood - forests take 100s of years to grow
Metals and metal ores are mined
Extraction of oil to produce plastics
Why have levels of consumption increased?
Non renewable energy is cheaper
Changing fashions promote a throw away society
High levels of packaging
Recycling is too time consuming
Name the 6 renewable sources of energy
Solar Wind Tides Water Geothermal Biomass
Advantages and disadvantages of solar
Large areas covered with solar farms
Low maintenance
Zero emissions of CO2 (clean energy)
Cells are expensive and need positioning correctly
Less energy in winter when demand is highest
Advantages and disadvantages of wind
Low cost of generation once set up
Unsightly high set up costs
Generates small amounts in comparison to other sources
NIMBY (not in my back yard)
Advantages or disadvantages of tides
Can generate large amounts of energy
Available throughout the day
No pollution
very high set up costs
Flooding of estuaries
Damage wildlife and habitats
Advantages and disadvantages of water generation (hydroelectric)
Clean, quick and efficient at peak times
Controllable
Contributes one small amount of energy needs
High set up costs
Needs suitable sites which are often remote
Affects habitats and wildlife
Advantages and disadvantages of geothermal
Provides power and hot water
Only effective in counties with thin crust like Iceland
Advantages and disadvantages of biomass
Lower cost power produced as it burns waste food, farm waste, wood chips
Deforestation
Transporting biomass of site causes pollution
What is a photovoltaic solar energy cell?
Also called solar cells or PV cells
Convert sunlight energy directly into electricity
Photons of light release free electrons from atoms which then flow as electricity
What are fossil fuels and why should we use less of them?
coal, oil, gas
finite energy source which releases CO2 when burnt
contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming
How is energy from a fuel converted to electricity?
burn fuel heats water to make steam which turns a turbine which turns a generator which generates electricity
What is fracking?
drilling into layers of shale rock deep in earth to release pockets of gas
injects water, sand and chemicals in the earth to force the gas out
