The carbon cycle EQ2 Flashcards
What three countries are the top energy consumers (total) globally?
China
USA
India
- high population - high development - industrialised -high quality of life so technology/domestic demand is high.
What influences a countries energy use per capita?
Iceland = 54,000 Kwh per capita
Norway = 23,000 Kwh per capita.
Climate - colder and less daylight hours, more enerhy for heating and lights.
Iceland is also secure in its energy supply, with 86% from their own renewable sources. This lowers the prices and there is less concern over wastage.
USA is still high 13,000 Kwh.
How does NYC energy consumption compare to Madagascar?
1 person in New York consumes more energy in one year than a person living in Madagascar will use in their whole life.
What are some energy issues around the world summary?
Canada - conflict over right to extract oil and gas from the Arctic.
Europe and North America - energy insecure, rely on imports, population is very wasteful of energy.
Russia - surplus of supply, economy reliant on fossil fuel trade, potential to use reserves as a political weapon.
Asia - rapid growing demand, use polluting sources such as coal, increasing global oil prices and decreasing population health.
Middle East- surplus supply, induces conflict.
Africa - energy poverty depends on foreign TNCs to exploit supply.
What is the difference between a primary and secondary energy source?
Primary source is consumed in its raw form, often to produce electricity.
Secondary source - energy that has been produced from another source, e.g electricity from burning coal.
What is the difference between a renewable and recyclable source?
Renewable in from a continuous flow of nature e.g solar wind and wave.
Recyclable is from a reprocessed material e.g uranium from nuclear power stations.
Define energy mix
The contribution of different energy types to a countries energy supply.
Give an overview of the factors affecting a countries ability to access and secure and energy supply.
Physical availability of resources or climate for renewable
Technology to extract resources
Geopolitical relationships and conflict.
The demand is influenced by the population size and level of economic development.
Global pattern of energy consumption analysis
Highest rates of consumption are in the northern hemisphere developed countries e.g Iceland, Norway using over 400 million Btu of energy per capita.
Saudi Arabia very high consumerism due to secure supply, worlds largest supplier of oil.
Africa has the lowest usage under 5 million Btu due to lower levels of development.
Iceland energy mix
86% domestic renewables.
85% of all houses are heated by geothermal energy.
On average energy costs 15 euro cents per Kwh.
Describe the UK energy mix
Use of coal has halved between 1980 and 2012
Majority of energy comes from gas (40%)
renewables only makes up 2% of electricity supply
What are the factors affecting the UK energy mix?
Margaret Thatcher closure of coal mines in 1980s
Environmental policy leading to a growth of nuclear, 2015 Uk committed to a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030.
1970-1980s discovery of large oil reserves in the North Sea, more secure than relying on imports but is more expensive to extract so is not viable if global oil prices fall. Estimated 4.4bn barrels remaining at the end of 2020.
Describe Norways energy mix
40% hydropower
Gas has increased from 0% to 20% between 1970 and 2010
What factors are affecting Norways energy mix?
Norways policy for change was launched in 2015 with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Norway is mountainous with steep valleys and lots of rainfall so HEP is the natural choice.
Discovery of North Sea Oil and Gas, development of extraction technology.
What are energy players?
Stakeholders in the enrgy industry who influence key decision making such as price, securing energy pathways and supply.
For example TNCs, governments, OPEC.
Define energy pathway.
The route taken by energy from its source to point of consumption, includes extraction transportation and delivery to consumer grids.
Who are OPEC?
established in 1960 to protect the interest of oil producing countries outside of the USA.
Sets quotas of oil extraction to help regulate global oil price via supply v demand.
Produces 45% of the worlds crude oil, owns 78% of the worlds crude oil reserves.
Membership is starting to decline as countries look for more sustainable ways to support their economy ,e.g tourism, as oil reserves run out.
What control do TNCs have as an energy player?
Control all three stages of pathway, including extraction, transportation and connecting homes to power grid.
Own infrastructure such as pipelines that are lent to other companies of governments.
Global wealth.
However, are limited by environmental laws in the country where they extract the resource.
Examples of TNCs role over energy pathways.
Shell blamed for 90% of Nigerias oil spills, shows lack of accountability but fear over international action.
Exxon/Mobil in USA exports 4.7bn barrels of oil a day.
Gazprom (private owned TNC) - 52% owned by the Russian government, controls 1/3 of the worlds gas reserves.
What role does OPEC have over global energy pathways?
Inter-governmental, combined influence with limited rivalry.
twelve member countries.
control 2/3 of the worlds oil reserves.
large influence over the amount of oil entering the global market, exerts power over prices by supply v demand.
Accused of purposefully under extracting to increase prices.
What are the weaknesses to OPECs control?
Conflict in the region creates instability.
Influence will decrease if unconventional source extraction increases or arctic extraction permission is granted.
Often rivaled by Russia - who in 2020 refused to decrease oil extraction under OPEC guidance (Russia is not a member of OPEC but are closely affiliated)
What control do governments have over energy pathways?
Influence the energy mix through environmental laws, allow TNCS foreign or state owned to manage extraction.
Responsible for securing a sustainable and plentiful energy supply.
Chooses energy suppliers.
State owned TNCs increase government power by giving them influence over the extraction and direction of oil.
OPEC examples of control over energy pathways.
2000 established their target oil price at US$22-28 per barrel
2022 OPEC have agreed to phase out 5.8bn barrel production cuts in order to tackle large increase in oil prices.
Governments examples of control over energy pathways.
UK aims to cut 1990 carbon emission by 78% by 2035
UK government gave permission for EDF (France) and China General Nuclear to develop nuclear power stations in the UK.
2015 UK governments tries to implement fast track fracking licenses means companies can test areas for fracking potential without public concent.
What influence do consumers have over energy pathways?
Mainly passive influence, occasionally successful.
Form pressure groups.
Influence energy mix through personal choices.
Mainly influence using political freedoms to vote and protest.
Examples of how consumers have influenced energy pathways.
2018 anti-fracking protests at Cuadrilla site on Preston New Road, fracking was banned in the UK in 2019.
British Gas is the most popular energy supplier in the UK (state owned)
Ambushed against shell in Nigeria caused revenue to decrease by 25%, constantly disturbed by illegal bunkering and stealing oil.
What role do pressure groups on energy pathways?
Create poltical pressure to make change.
Often consider the environment and local people as the priority.
March 2019 -Greenpeace protesters boarded West Hercules Oil Rig in Norweigan sea in protest against oil extraction in the Arctic.
Global patterns in coal
Indonesia are the biggest exporter of coal, correct climate, warmer with lots of peat bogs.
China are the second biggest importer of coal, supports their manufacturing demand. 2020 COP26 refused to sign to phase out coal by 2030.
Relative to other countries the USA imports and exports very little coal, prefer other energy resources such as tar sands from canada.
