Topic 9 Flashcards
What is renewable energy + examples
Energy sources that can be replenished in a short time scale
Wind energy
Solar energy
HEP
What is non renewable energy + examples
Cannot be replenished quickly as they take millions of years to form from remains of dead organisms
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
What is recyclable energy + examples
Energy sources made from waste products or whose waste products can be hsed to generate more energy
Nuclear energy
Biomass
How does mining have an impact on the environment
Strips away large areas of soil, rock and vegetation which permanently scars the landscape
Habitats destroyed to make way for mines which loses biodiversity
Forest clearing affects watercycle as there are less trees to take up water from the ground which increases soil erosion
Mining processes release CO2 and CH4 which contributes to global warming
How does drilling affect the environment
Onshore drilling requires land to be stripped of vegetation to make space for drills and roads
Oil spills cause major damage to the environment as it coats fur and feathers of animals so they can’t move freely or feed e.g. deepwater horizon spill leaking 4 mil barrels of oil
Extracting natural gas causes methane to leak into the atmosphere causing global warming
Wind energy environmental impacts
Take up lots of space as many turbines needed to produce significant electricity
Wind farms produce constant humming noise which causes noise pollution
Spinning blades can kill or injure birds and bats
Solar energy environmental impacts
Some solar farms use water to clean the panels which can cause drought in arid areas and disruot ecosystems
Heat reflected of panels can kill wildlife
Panels built on the ground can damage and disturb habitats
Hydroelectric environmental impacts
Use damns to trap water for energy, the reservoir created floods large areas of land
River on which the damn is built can be affected by changes in water flow e.g. sediment deposited in reservoir instead of downstream
Build up of sediment can block sunlight causing plants and algae in the river to die
How does technology affect access to energy
Poorer countries are not able to exploit their energy resources as they don’t have the technology required.
Developed countries can exploit more renewable energy supplied whereas developing countries rely on fossil fuels
How does geology affect access to energy
Fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rocks, where impermeable rocks have trapped oil and gas in the permeable gas below
Countries on plate boundaries may have access to geothermal energy
How does accessibility affect access to energy
Areas may have large reserves of energy resources but cannot access them
e.g. permafrost makes it difficult to access fossil fuels and protected areas such as antarctica cannot be exploited
How does climate affect access to energy
Hot, sunny areas can easily exploit solar energy
How does landscape affect access to energy
Wind turbines are most efficient in areas with steady and reliable sources of wind, e.g. on high ground or the coast
HEP requires lots of water to generate energy and steep sided valleys to use as reservoirs
How is there a relationship between development and energy consumption
Developed countries tend to consume more energy per person because they can afford to. People have access to electricity, heating, and use energy intensive devices like cars
Economic development in emerging countries is increasing wealth. People are buying more devices that use energy e.g. cars and TVs
Developing countries consume less energy per person, they cannot afford it.Less energy available and people less dependent on high energy consumption 
Why do some regions rely on traditional resources
Energy networks poorly connected, people have to rely on biomass e.g. wood for cooking and heating.
Very little development, countries cannot afford to exploit their own energy reserves will improve existing infrastructure
Why do industrial activities require large amounts of energy
Energy is needed to power machinery or for transport
Manufacturing industries in developed and emerging countries use lots of energy
Developing countries have more primary industry which uses very little energy
Difference between oil reserves and oil production, where are major oil reserves found in the world
Oil reserves are the amount of recoverable oil that can be extracted using today’s technology
Oil production is process of extracting and refining crude oil
World major oil reserves are mostly found in the Middle East
What factors affect oil production
Infrastructure – countries need the right equipment and technology to produce oil
Domestic demand – Saudi Arabia relies on oil to meet its own energy needs
Shrinking reserves – oil production from North Sea reserves have been declining as reserves are used up
How does global oil consumption increase
As countries develop:
GDP per capita increases, so does all consumption. People in richer countries have more energy intensive good e.g. cars
Rapid Industrialisation in emerging economies, the combination of growing population, a boom in industry and expansion of cities leads to high oil consumption
What affects oil prices and production
Conflicts: (e.g. those in middle east) can disrupt oil production which leads to decrease in supply which increases prices
Diplomatic relations: prices may increase due to tensions between oil producing countries. E.g. tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have causes uncertainty about oil production
Recessions: lower the demand for oil as industrial activities and economic growth slow which causes prices to fall
Economic booms: prices increase during periods of rapid economic growths because of increased consumption and demand
How does exploiting new oil and gas reserves bring economic benefits
Countries with high reserves can save money by reducing fossil fuel imports
Countries can make money by exporting fossil fuels
Oil and gas companies bring investment and jobs to areas.
How does exploiting new oil and gas reserves bring environmental costs
Ecosystems and biodiversity are damaged by land being cleared to make way for pipelines and roads to reach reserves
Exploiting offshire reserves can impact marine life due to noise and vibrations from drills. Animals that rely on noise to feed and navigate can be confused
Opening up isolated areas with roads and industry increases air pollution and pollutes soils and water
How does fracking negatively effect the environment
Chemicals used in fracking liquid as well as gas itself pollutes ground water and drinking water
Land must be cleared to make space for drilling pads which destroys habitats
How does surface mining of tar sands negatively affect the environment
Large amounts of space are needed which destroys habitats. This destroys biodiversity
Processing tar sands creates large amounts of liquid waste full of harmful chemicals. These can pollute water supplies if not managed properly
How can the demand for energy be reduced
Energy conservation: changing behaviour as consumers
Energy efficiency: finding ways to do the same job but use less energy
How can energy demand be reduced in the home
Insulating walls and roofs so less energy is needed to heat homes
Modern boilers are more efficient so will use less energy in homes
Solar panels can be fitted to roofs of homes to provide renewable energy
How can energy demand be reduced in transport
Hybrid cars, vans and trains use electricity when possible and recharge their batteries using diesel power which increases efficiency
Regenerative braking can allow vehicles to store energy lost under braking which can be used later or returned to the national grid
More efficient engines
Improved public transport and encouraging walking or cycling reducec energy demand
How is reducing carbon footprints an advantage of reducing fossil fuel usage
Burning fossil fuels release greenhouse gases which cause global warming
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured as people’s carbon footprints
Carbon footprints include direct emissions ( produced from things that use energy ) and indirect emissions ( produced from making things we buy )
By reducing their use of energy generated by fossil fuels, we reduce our carbon footprint
How is improving energy security an advantage of reducing fossil fuel usage
Energy security means having a reliable, uninterrupted and affordable supply of energy available
Switching to renewables ensures that we will have secure energy when fossil fuels run out
How is diversifying the energy mix an advantage of reducing fossil fuel usage
Reducing reliance on finite resources and increasing energy from alternate methods increases energy mix
Having diverse energy mix reduces country’s reliance on single source of energy
Increases energy security as countries are less affected by shortages of one resource which reduces risk of energy not meeting population’s needs ( energy deficits )
Using renewables will make non renewables last longer
Costs of biofuels
Sources must be managed sustainably so they don’t run out
Growing biofuels reduces amount of food crops grown and lots of water needed
Growing biofuels increases deforestation
Benefits of biofuels
Cause less pollution when burned
Can be made from waste products so they reduce total waste produced
Costs of wind energy
Wind is unpredictable so amount of electricity produced varies
Turbines cause environmental issues
Expensive to transport energy produced from offshore wind farms to where it’s needed
Benefits of wind energy
After turbines are made and transported, they don’t release any greenhouse gases
Cheap source of renewable energy
Costs of solar energy
Sunny climates needed to produce large amounts of electricity, not reliable energy source in places with little sun
Toxic metals are used in construction of solar panels
Solar panels can affect habitats and ecosystems
Benefits of solar panels
Once panels have made and fitted, no emissions produced
Panels don’t require much maintenance
Technology wise and available
Costs of HEP
HEP plants are expensive to build and require lots of water and land
Methene may be released from rotting organic matter in reservoirs
HEP plants can cause other environmental issues
Benefits of HEP
No emissions produced when HEP plants are used to generate electricity
Flow of water through turbines can be controlled so supply of energy is reliable
Costs of hydrogen fuel
Hydrogen must be extracted from water. Energy required often comes from burning fossil fuels
Technology is expensive and not widely available
Storing hydrogen is dangerous as it’s flammable
Benefits of hydrogen fuel
Burning hydrogen doesn’t release any harmful emissions only water
Hydrogen usually extracted from water so it’s not limited to particular areas
What are the two main energy futures
Business as usual – everything carries on as you usual, most of our energy comes from fossil fuels
Moved to sustainability – we reduce amount of fossil fuels used increase use of renewable resources
Consumers attitude to energy futures
Consumers want to secure and cheap energy supplies
Many consumers currently favour business as usual but views may change as fossil fuels run out and environmental awareness increases
TNC attitudes towards energy futures
Many favour business as usual as sustainable energy is more expensive and they will lose profits
Many TNCs are involved in extracting and refining fossil fuels so they will lose money
Governments attitude towards energy futures
Governments wants to secure future energy supplies – fossil fuels are cheap and reliable way of supplying energy
In developed countries governments are starting to come under pressure from consumers to protect the environment
Fossil fuels have helped countries develop and governments of emerging countries doubt renewables will help them to develop
Climate scientists attitude towards energy futures
Scientists have predicted what may happen to the Earth if we proceed with business as usual scenario
They want to reduce reliance on fossil fuels to stop the consequences of climate change
Environmental groups attitudes to energy futures
Groups want to stop people rely on fossil fuels as their extraction and use damages the environment
Want people to reduce use of fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy ( move to sustainability scenario )
How is rising affluence changing attitudes to energy futures
People with more money can afford to make a choice about energy usage e.g. buying solar panels or electric cars
Governments in developed countries are richer so they can invest in public transport and renewable energy
How is education changing attitudes to energy futures
People in developed countries have better education - they have better understanding of the consequences of fossil fuels
People learn how to reduce their carbon footprint, more interest in reducing energy consumption
How is environmental concerns changing attitudes to energy futures
Increased access to education means people are worried about permanently damaging the environment- more likely to reduce carbon footprint
Developed countries can afford to invest in research into environmental impacts or different energy sources
In developing countries, economic develop is more important than environmental concerns, as it develops the environment becomes more important
Difference carbon and ecological footprint
Carbon footprint: amount of greenhouse gases generated by activities of an individual or organisation, or by a product over its lifetime
Ecological footprint: measure of how much land is needed to support an individuals lifestyle, can also be used to see impact of cities, countries or world population
What are both carbon footprint and ecological footprint calculated from
Food: how much meat is eaten and food wastage
Home: size of house and how many people live in it and the type of energy used to run the house
Travel: air travel, commuting and type of transport
Lifestyle: how much you spend on clothes and electrical devices in a year and how much recycling you do
