Topic 9-consuming Energy Resources Flashcards
Renewable energy-Defenition,examples and location
Renewable energy are flow resources that don’t run out and can be restored
Examples:
Wind energy-turbines use the energy of the wind to generate electricity, either on land or out at sea. Turbines are often built in large wind farms
Solar energy-energy from the sun is used to heat water and solar cookers or to generate electricity using photovoltaic cells
Hydroelectric power- HEP uses the energy lf falling water. Water is trapped by the dam and allowed to fall through tunnels, where the pressure of the falling water turns turbines to generate electricity
Location:
-make up 9.4% of world energy. Now more than 16k large wind turbines in California, and hundreds of homes across the state are also using smaller wind turbines.
-in 2015 wind energy provided 6.9% of California’s total energy requirements
Non-renewables resources-defenition,examples and location
Definition: sources that can’t be replenished so will eventually run out (finite)
Example: fossil fuels (coal,oil and natural gas) formed million years ago from remains lf dead organisms. They can be extracted from ground and seabed. Ss technology develops, it has become to extract resources that were previously to difficult or costly to use.
Location: gas comes from underneath north sea. 60% still comes from North sea, but instead comes by pipeline from Norway. Much of Eau depends on Russia and Ukraine for gas-large pipelines carry gas across the continent. Most of worlds resource 86% is from non-renewable resources
Recyclable energy-Defenition,example and location
Definition: energy than can be reused which are made from waste products or whose waste products can be used to generate more energy
Example:
Nuclear energy-uses Uranium atoms-when split, lots of heat produced, which is used to boil water. The steam turns a turbine, generating electricity. New breeder reactors can generate more fuel during the splitting process, making nuclear energy more like a renewable energy resource. Radioactive waste can also be processed ti generate more energy.
Biomass- wood,plants or animal waste fan be burnt to release energy or used to produce biofuel. It’s easy to produce biomass because living organisms grow quickly. Sometimes,biomass is already available as a waste product from other processes e.g farming. Sometimes waste products from production of biofuels can also be used as fuel. E.g sugar cane is fermented to produce ethanol, a biofuel often sued in transport-leftover cane is burnt to produce more energy
Location:
-uk has 15 reactors generating 21% of its electricity but almost half retired half of capacity is to be retired by 2025
-methane released is collected in a tank and then can be used to power electricity generators or used in gas for cooking. The Indian government has encouraged communities to install biogas plants to provide energy for rural villages-over 2.5 million biogas plants now
Defenition of open cast mining and oil drilling
Open cast mining: surface mining creating large, open pits on the earths surface
Oil drilling: holes created in earth surface. Pipes are passed down and a pump connected to remove oil from under the surface
Surface mining impacts on environement.
-can permanently scar the landscape as it strips large areas of soil,rock and vegetation so minoers can reach materials.
-habitats are destroyed to make way for mines e.g through clearing forests,leading to loss of biodiversity
-clearing forests also affects water cycle as there are fewer trees to take up water from ground which can lead to increased soil erosion
- can release greenhouses gases e.g carbon dioxide, methane into atmosphere which contribute to global warming
Negative impacts to environment from oil drilling
-onshore drilling requires land to be stripped of vegetation to make space for drills and roads ti access sites
-oil spills cause major damage ti environment-especially out at sea. Deepwater horizon oil spill in 2010-4 million barrels of oil leaked into Gulf of Mexico. Affects the biodiversity and habitats of animals
-extracting natural gas reserves can cause methane to leak into atmosphere,making greenhouse effect stronger and contribute to global warming
How do renewable energy impact environment
Wind energy:
-large number of wind turbines are needed to produce significant amounts of electricity and they need ti be set quite far apart. This means lots of space is taken up
-produce constant humming noise-some people living near have complained about noise pollution
Solar energy:
-some solar farms use ground and surface water to clean their solar panels-leads to water shortages in arid areas,disrupts ecosystems
-heat reflected from mirrors in solar farms can kill wildlife
-solar panels built on ground can disturb and damage habitats
HEP:
-HEP plants use dams to trap water for energy production-created s reservoir,which flood a large area of land
-river on which dam is built can be affected by changes jn water flow e.g sediment deposited in reservoir instead of further downstream
- a build-up of sediment can block sunlight,causing plants and algae to die in river
Access to energy is affected by many factors
Technology-some countries are not able to exploit their energy resources as the technology required is unavailable or too expensive. E.g Niger has large uranium reserves but dies not have technology to develop nuclear power plants. Developed countries can exploit renewable energy supplies but also have to depend on fossil fuels
Geology-fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rocks,where impermeable rocks have trapped the oil and gas in permeable rocks below. Countries located on o,ate boundaries may be able to access geothermal energy
Accessibility-an area might have large energy resources but be unable to access them. E.g permafrost makes it difficult to access fossil fuels. Some resources are also found in protected areas e.g Antarctica can’t be exploited
Climate-solar power requires large amounts of sunlight to generate energy. Countries with sunny climates e.g soain can use solar power more effectively than countries with duller climate
Landscape-wind turbines in areas with steady and reliable source of wind, e.g on high ground or along coast. Hydroelectric power usually requires lots of water to generate energy, and steep-sided valleys to use as reservoirs.
Why did uk coal industry decline
- Cheaper imported coal. Cheaper imports now come from Russia, Colombia and the USA.
- High cost. Coal mining requires expensive drilling and pumping technology. Production costs rose as coal became more inaccessible - the shallowest coal had been mined.
- Declining demand. Trains switched from steam to diesel and electric, and homes moved from coal heating to oil and gas. Gas is cleaner and cheaper way of producing electricity.
- Greenhouse gas emissions. Coal produces more greenhouse gases than any other fuel. Pressure by the EU and environmental pressure groups such as Greenpeace forced the UK to reduce coal usage.
- Other energy sources replaced coal (e.g, oil, gas, nuclear and renewables).
Global energy consumption
Strong relationship between development and energy consumption:
-developed countries e.g Australia, Norway and USA, tend to consume lots of energy per person as they can afford to. Most people in these countries have access to electricity and heating.
-economic development is increasing wealth in emerging countries e.g China. People are buying more things that use energy e.g cars,fridges and TVs
-developing countries e.g Chad,Mongolia, consume less energy per person as they are less able to afford it. Less energy is available and lifestyles are less dependant on high energy consumption.
-some regions rely in traditional fuel sources. E.g sub-saharan Africa, energy networks are poorly connected, which means people to have to rely on biomass such as wood for cooking and heating. There little development, so countries can’t afford to exploit their own energy reserves or improve existing infrastructure
Oil reserves defenition
Oil reserves are the amount of recoverable oil that can be extracted using today’s technology
Oil reserves and oil production are unevenly distributed
Oil production doesn’t just depend on a country’s oil reserves-there are several factros:
-infrastructure-in order to produce oil, a country needs the right equipment. Russia, Saudi and USA are world’s biggest oil producer
-domestic demand-Saudi Arabia relies on oil to meet its own energy needs
-Shrinking reserves-oil production from North Sea reserves has been declining as reserves are used up
-Global consumption is increasing as countries develop. Between 2015 and 2016, the amount of oil consumed worldwide rose by 1.4m barrels a day.
- As GDP per capita increases, so does oil consumption. People in wealthier countries have more energy-intensive goods e.g cars. Around 65% of all oil is used to fuel vehicles
-Rapid industrialisation in emerging countries e.g China and India,also increases oil consumption. The combination of a growing population, a boom in industry and the expansion of cities lead to higher consumption of oil
Lil supply and oil prices are affected by different factors
Conflicts-(e.g those in Middle East in 1970s) can disrupt oil production, which leads to a decrease in oil supply
Diplomatic relations-oil prices may increase because of tensions between oil-producing countries. E.g relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have led to uncertainty about oil production in region
Recessions- (e.g global financial crisis in 2008) lower the demand for oil because industrial activities and economic growth slow down. Causes prices to fall.
Economic boom-oil prices increase during periods of rapid economic growth because of increased consumption and demand
What is an ecologically sensitive area
Is w region that is environmentally significant due to its rich biodiversity, fragile ecosystems and importance for wildlife conservation. These areas are particularly vulnerable to human activities and require protection to prevent damage. E.g low temperatures and seasonal climate-low energy produced in arctic sea
Conventional oil and gas reserves are being exploited in sensitive areas
Exploiting new oil and gas reserves brings economic benefits:
-countries with oil and gas reserves can save money by reducing energy imports e.g Peru is exploiting natural gas reserves in Amazon Rainforest that could save country billions of dollars.
-These countries can also make money from exporting energy
-Oil and gas companies bring investment and jobs to an area. E.g one oil company in Alaska has invested 4.5m into communities and employs 1.7k people.
However, these economic benefits come at a cost to environment:
-in order to reach new reserves (e.g Amazon), land may have ti be cleared to make way for pipelines and roads. This can disrupt fragile ecosystems and cause loss of biodiversity.
-Exploring offshore oil and gas reserves e.g Arctic ocean, can have a big impact on marine that rely on sound to communicate,navigate and find food
-opening up isolated areas with roads and industry increases air pollution and can pollute soils and water
Why there is pressure for some countries to expolit the oil reserves of the arctic
Exploiting new oil and gas reserves brings economic benefits such as countries with oil and gas reserves can save money by reducing energy imports such as America,Russia and Norway all being close to the arctic. There is also 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and there is a 50-100% chance of finding oil ehich can be used to make money from exporting energy. Also, many of accessible oil and gas fields have already been exploited so there is a greater demand of oil from countries so will look in more fragile areas such as arctic.
Top 3 benefits and top 3 negatives of exploiting oil in ecologicically sensitive area (arctic)
Positives:
-Reserves at Prirazlomnaya are
estimated at about 72 million tonnes of
oil, enabling an annual production level
of 6.6 million tonnes.
-Prirazlomnaya is Russia’s
first Arctic oil rig. It will
contribute taxes worth
$700 million per year to the
Russian budget
-Russian government’s total
income from the project over its
entire life cycle will be $11.5
billion
Negatives:
-Fragile ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to an oil spill and the consequences of an accident would have a profound
effect on the environment and local fisheries due to the low temperatures with lack of decay and small food webs present
-The cost of the oil rig was high -
estimated to be $800million due to
the high cost of drilling through
ice, then rock deep into reserves
-Drilling through ice, then rock
chalinite. The cosal very
doing this, the equipment needed is higher
Process of fracking extra t energy from shale gas
Fracking is a method of forcing natural gas or oil from rock layer deep bellow the Earth’s surface. A pressurised mixture of sand,water and chemicals is injected into a horizontally drilled well. The mix cracks the shale and fills the cracks with sandy grit,allowing natural gas to flow up the well. The recovered water is stored in lined pits or taken to a treatment plant.
Negative impacts of fracking
Methane is emitted by fracking process- powerful greenhouse gas. Much of water is collected from well and processed, some communities have raised concerns that carcinogenic chemicals may escape into drinking water-nearby water wells face a slight risk of contamination. - In addition to air and water pollution, fracking also increases the potential for oil spills, which can
harm the soil and surrounding vegetation. Fracking may cause earthquakes due to the high pressure
used to extract oil and gas from rock and the storage of excess wastewater on site
How does surface mining extravt energy from tar sands?
Tar sands contain bitumen, which can be refined to produce oil. It’s mainly extracted by mining: surface mines collect tar sand and transport it to processing plants which use water and chemicals to seperate the bitumen from the sands.
Negative effects from tar sands (Athabasca)
Carried out by surface mining, which means vegetation is cleared and surface oil and rock removed over a large area resulting habitat loss. To recover and refine oil from tar sands need large amounts of energy,releasing 15% more CO2 than refining crude oil. Mining tar sands has led to leaks into rivers and lakes, 11 million L of toxic waste reaches Athabasca river daily. 470km2 of Alberta’s woodlands (taiga forest) has been removed
Definition of energy efficiency and energy conservation
Energy efficiency-is to reduce the amount of energy required to power products e.g driving less,drying clothes on a washing line
Energy conservation-if something is energy-efficient, it does the same job but using less energy e.g low-energy lightbulb
How can can homes conserve and become more energy efficient
Hot water:
-hot water cylinder jacket
-waste water heat recovery devices
-have shorter showers
-recycle water
Energy appliances:
* Use better rating appliances
* Energy provided from green
energy supplier
* Solar panels
* Switch electrical items off.
Insulation:
* Cavity wall insulation
* Draught proofing
Window and
doors
* Double glazing
* Draft proofing
* Efficient external doors
* Loft/roof insulation
* Underfloor insulation
* Shut doors/windows
Heating:
* Condensing boiler
* Heat controls (smart
thermostats, radiator
control
* Flue gas heat recovery
device
Lighting:
Lighting * Energy efficient
lightbulbs
* Motion sensor lights
* Low energy LED lighting
* Turn off lights when they
are not needed
Windows and doors:
* Double glazing
* Draft proofing
* Efficient external doors
