The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security EQ2 Flashcards
What is energy security?
Energy security is achieved when there is an uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.
What are the four key aspects to energy security?
- Availability
- Accessibility
- Affordability
- Reliability (uninterrupted)
Why is energy security important?
Vital for the functioning of a country particularly its economy and well being of its population
- powers most forms of transport
- lights settlements
- warms and cools home an powers home domestic appliances
- vital for modern communication
- drives most forms of manufacturing
How is energy consumption measured?
- per capita (kilograms of oil or megawatt hours per person) normally measure rise with economic development
- energy intensity (units of energy used per GDP). Units of energy used per unit GDP.
What is energy intensity?
a measure of how efficiently a country is using its energy. Units of energy used per GDP. The fewer the units the more efficiently a country is using its energy supply. Decrease with economic development.
What is energy mix?
The combination of different energy sources used to meet a countries total energy consumption.
What are the different types of energy?
- domestic and foreign
- primary (found in nature) and secondary energy(tranfromataio of primary sources)
- renewable vs non renewable
e.g. fossil fuels account for over 80% of energy mix
What affects consumption of energy resources?
- Physical availability
- cost
- standard of living
- environmental priorities
- climate
- public perception
- level of economic development
- technology
How does physical availability affect energy consumption?
Physical availability determines if energy resources are available in the country and if they can be accessed or whether they need to be imported in.
- If energy is transported in or difficult to extract transportation and drilling costs likely to to add to overall cost and consumption may decrease.
- lower costs means higher consumption
How does technology affect energy consumption?
Modern technology mega that previously inaccessible resources can now be tapped (deep ocean drilling).
- Higher availability and thus higher consumption
- increase rise of modern technology and transport also increases consumption
How does the cost of energy affect energy consumption?
The cost of energy includes physical exploitation, processing and delivery. The higher the cost of energy the lower the consumption and vis versa
How does economic development and public perception affect energy consumption?
The cost of energy is relative, with perception of whether energy is perceived as expensive of not is variable between countries
- the higher the public perception of cost the lower the consumption
- domestic appliances and wide spread use of transport makes energy consumption higher
How does climate affect energy consumption?
Higher energy consumption is common in extreme climates with higher amounts of energy needed for heating and air conditioning. Also effect the physical distributions of fossil fuels and the availability to the use of alternative energy sources (renewables)
How does environmental priorities affect energy consumption?
Different countries ha ve different environmental priories
- any county driving a ‘green agenda’ may reduce energy consumption through taxation
- preference for alternative sources of energy (renewable)
How does energy consumption vary between the USA and France?
- USA 2nd and France 10th in energy consumption but total energy consumption in France in 1/10th that of USA
- This is due to differences in populations 318.9 million vs 64.6 million and more extreme climate in USA.
- USA over 3/4 of energy from fossil fuels, France 1/2 from fossil fuels, 40% nuclear energy
- France has to import nearly half its primary energy whereas USA more self sufficient
What is an energy pathway?
The route taken by any form of energy from its source to its point of consumption, this bridges the gap between differences in production and consumption. Involves different forms of transport tanker ships, pipelines and electricity transmission grids.
What are the fiver major players in energy?
- TNCs
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Energy companies
- consumers
- government
What are the role of TNCs in the world of energy?
TNCs are involved in a range of operations exploring, extracting, transporting, refining and producing petrochemicals. They include Gazprom, PetroChina, Royal Dutch Shell, nearly half the top twenty companies are state owned, meaning under government control.
What are the role of OPEC in the world of energy?
OPEC is a group of 14 counties in which between then have 2/3rds of oil reserves. This means they are in a position to control the amount of oil and gas entering the global market as well as the price. It has been accused of holding back production to drive up the price.
What are the role of energy companies in the world of energy?
The most important are the companies that convert primary energy (oil, gas, nuclear ect) into electricity and distribute it. They therefore have considerable influence when it comes to setting consumer prices and tariffs.
What are the role of consumers in the world of energy?
Consumers play a role in fixing energy prices, when consumption low energy prices fall and when consumption high energy prices increase.
What are the role of governments in the world of energy?
They play the role of guarding and controlling national energy security, influences the sourcing of energy and energy mix. As well as setting energy taxes.
Why is there a mismatch between supply and demand?
There is a mismatch between supply and demand as the supply is determined by physical processes (climate, biomass production, tectonic activity), and ease of exploitation (technology not easily available) and demand varies with level of economic development.
What is the % reliance on conventional fossil fuels?
The world continues to rely on conventional fossil fuels for the greatest part of its energy needs. (86%).