Topic 9.5 - Increasing Energy Supply Flashcards
The pressure of growing energy demands means new, ___ being exploited
Ecologically-sensitive-areas
How does exploiting new oil and gas reserves bring economic benefits?
- Countries with oil and gas reserves can save money by reducing energy imports
- They can also make money from exporting energy
- Oil and gas companies bring investment and jobs inti an area, e.g. oil company in Alaska employs over 1700 people
What are some costs to the environment from economic development from oil production?
- Land may need to be cleared to reach reserves (roads + pipelines) disrupting fragile ecosystems
- Exploring offshore oil + bas reserves can impact marine life. Noise + vibrations from drills can confuse whales and other marine animals, relying on sound for navigation
- Opening up isolated areas with roads increases air, water, soil pollution
What are unconventional energy reserves?
Energy reserves exploited using more expensive methods needing specialist technology
What is shale gas?
Shale gas is a form of natural gas trapped in shale rock underground, extracted by fracking
How does fracking for shale rock work?
Liquid is pumped into rock at high pressure, causing it to crack, releasing the gas which is collected as it comes out of the well
How does fracking impact the environment?
- The chemicals used in fracking liquid as well as the shale gas can pollute groundwater and drinking water
- Land has to be cleared to build drilling pads for fracking, destroying habitats and disrupting ecosystems
How does surface mining for tar sand affect the environment?
- Vast amounts of space are required which devastates habitats causing a reduction in biodiversity as organisms have less space to live and find food
- Processing tar sands creates huge amounts of liquid waste full of harmful chemicals that can pollute water supplies if not managed properly
