There are alternatives to fossil fuels but each has costs and benefits. Flashcards
Renewable and recyclable energy (nuclear power, wind power
and solar power) could help decouple fossil fuel from
economic growth.
In simple terms, decoupling fossil fuel from economic growth means finding ways to sustain economic development and prosperity without relying heavily on fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal but can still use them.
Why is this necessary? Renewable and recyclable energy (nuclear power, wind power
and solar power) could help decouple fossil fuel from
economic growth.
There are very few places where we can solely rely on renewable energy resources due to their climate and budget
Oil prices changing so we cannot rely solely on this and has become unattractive as a choice of energy security options.
And relying on renewables is likely to cause an imbalance to the hydrological cycle and significant impacts for the environment for example the reliance on HEP has caused more problems for the environment like the 3 Gorges Dam.
The UK changing energy mix -
Still not deemed energy secure and play a role in reducing global carbon emissions unlike other big nations.
80% of UK’s primary energy is of oil and natural gas now the UK consume less energy than they did in 1970 despite a population increase of 6.5 million and industries use 60% less energy, and the UK looks as if they will the use the same amount of energy in 2030 as they do today.
Biofuels -
Used in order to decrease the consumption use of fossil fuels. These are fuel derived immediately from living matter, agricultural crops, forestry.
Primary = fuelwood, wood chips and pellets and other organic materials.
Secondary = the processing of biomass to ethanol and biodiesel to be used by vehicles and industrial processes.
The biomass and biofuels have much to commend them as a green source of energy and are renewable. (biofuels are produced from renewable feedstocks)
Biofuels in Brazil -
Took action in 1970 in order to combat concerns about its energy security, it has invested in HEP and more recently biofuels. 40% is renewable energy now and contain 90% of new flex-fuel vehicles which work with using combinations of petrol and sugar cane ethanol (secondary biofuels) This has significantly reduced their co2 emissions. Due to their investment they are now the greatest steakholder in sugar cane. However the knock-on effect has been clearing the rainforest in order to deal with the large scale sugar cane investment but rainforest is said to worsen from already high deforestation rates.
Radical technologies to reduce carbon emissions could be?
Carbon capture and storage and hydrogen fuel cells. - These offer a more sustainable future and reduce emissions.
Carbon capture and storage (Carbon re-capture) -
Description:
A system that collects CO2 emissions from fixed points such as power plants, then transports the gas and injects it into a suitable geological structure (over 800m below ground). CCS could cut global CO2 emissions by 19% and could extend the use of fossil fuels as well as encourage greater efficiency. However it’s expensive as there is complex technology involved and it isn’t certain whether the CO2 will stay trapped underground as it may leak as well as potentially cause earthquakes because of the pressure.
Examples:
Canada opened the first coal-fired power plant with CCS in 2014 at a cost of US$1.3 billion. It reduces emissions by 90%.
Carbon Engineering (video)
Hydrogen fuel cells -
Description:
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but usually combined with other elements. Once separate it provides an alternative to oil. Using it in a hydrogen engine in a car produces no pollution, just water as a waste product, making it more efficient than petrol or diesel. Separating hydrogen from other elements requires energy, which could be provided from renewable sources.
Examples:
Toyota developed a car with a range of 270 miles, which went on sale in California in 2015.
Since the 1970s, NASA has used liquid hydrogen to propel space shuttles and other rockets into orbit.
Little on electric cars in reducing emissions -
As well as renewables, radical technologies are also available to be used as alternative energy sources. They use state of the art technology to reduce carbon emissions. One way of doing this is through the use of electric cars. Electric cars run on electric motors which are powered by rechargeable batteries. People can then use recharging stations at home or in public areas. Between 2018 and 2019, Tesla Model 3 was the world’s best-selling electric car which had a maximum range of 310 miles. Electric cars could provide energy security as there is no need for petrol or diesel which means that it would reduce a country’s independence on fossil fuels for transport. Having said that, the level of energy security would depend on how the vehicle was being charged. If electricity was still being generated by non-renewables, it would not provide energy security as a country would still have to rely on those resources to charge electric cars. However, less of those non-renewables would be needed to charge these cars, which means that there would be less of a reliance on non-renewables. This could help a country become more energy secure however more is needed to be done to ensure the electricity used to charge the vehicles was renewable.
