Unit 12 Flashcards
What are the advantages of renewable energy sources?
Original Answer: Renewable energy sources are sustainable and do not deplete natural resources. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping to combat climate change, and provide energy security by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, they can create jobs in new energy sectors.
Simple Terms: Renewable energy sources are sustainable and do not run out. They reduce pollution, help fight climate change, and make countries less dependent on fossil fuels. They can also create new jobs.
What are the disadvantages of renewable energy sources?
Original Answer: Renewable energy sources can have high initial setup costs and often depend on environmental conditions like sunlight, wind, or water availability. They may also require large areas of land, potentially leading to habitat destruction, and some sources, like wind and tidal power, can have high maintenance costs.
Simple Terms: Renewable energy can be expensive to set up and may depend on weather (like sunlight or wind). It can also need a lot of space and sometimes harm natural habitats.
Why has the use of renewable energy increased in recent years?
Original Answer: The use of renewable energy has increased due to rising environmental awareness about the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governments have implemented policies and subsidies to promote renewables, and technological advances have made renewable energy sources more efficient and cost-effective.
Simple Terms: People want to reduce pollution and fight climate change. Governments are supporting renewables, and new technology has made them cheaper and more efficient.
What factors have influenced changes in fossil fuel usage?
Original Answer: Changes in fossil fuel usage are influenced by the depletion of reserves, rising costs of extraction, and the environmental impacts of their use, such as air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, global efforts to transition to renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels have played a significant role.
Simple Terms: Fossil fuels are running out, and using them causes pollution. People are switching to renewable energy to protect the environment and save resources.
What are the environmental concerns associated with nuclear power?
Original Answer: Environmental concerns include the challenge of safely disposing of radioactive nuclear waste, the potential for catastrophic accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima, and the environmental degradation caused by uranium mining, which can lead to soil and water contamination.
Simple Terms: Nuclear power produces dangerous waste that is hard to get rid of safely. Accidents, like Chernobyl or Fukushima, can cause serious harm, and mining uranium can damage the land and water.
What issues has Norway faced in meeting electricity demand?
Original Answer: Norway’s reliance on hydropower makes electricity supply vulnerable to seasonal variations, such as low water levels in reservoirs during dry periods, and long-term impacts of climate change on water availability.
Simple Terms: Norway relies mostly on hydropower, which can be affected by dry seasons and climate change, making electricity supply less reliable at times.
How has Norway addressed seasonal variations in electricity production?
Original Answer: Norway has addressed seasonal variations by developing interconnections with neighboring countries like Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, allowing electricity imports during shortages. It has also invested in energy storage and grid upgrades.
Simple Terms: Norway imports electricity from other countries when needed, builds better electricity connections, and invests in energy storage to manage shortages.
What renewable energy source dominates Norway’s electricity production?
Original Answer: Hydropower dominates Norway’s electricity production, accounting for more than 90% of the total electricity generated, thanks to its abundant water resources and mountainous terrain.
Simple Terms: Hydropower is the main source of electricity in Norway, producing over 90% of the country’s power.
How successful has Norway been in meeting its electricity demand?
Original Answer: Norway has been highly successful in meeting electricity demand due to its well-developed hydropower infrastructure, efficient grid system, and interconnections with other countries. It has maintained a reliable and sustainable electricity supply despite seasonal challenges.
Simple Terms: Norway has done very well by using hydropower and trading electricity with other countries, ensuring a steady and clean supply of energy.
What is the importance of renewable energy in Norway’s energy strategy?
Original Answer: Renewable energy, particularly hydropower, is central to Norway’s energy strategy. It provides a sustainable and low-carbon source of electricity, supporting domestic energy needs and enabling Norway to meet climate goals.
Simple Terms: Renewable energy, especially hydropower, is key to Norway’s energy plan because it provides clean and reliable electricity while helping to fight climate change.
How does Norway incorporate non-renewable energy in its energy strategy?
Original Answer: While non-renewable energy sources like oil and gas are not heavily used for domestic electricity production, Norway is a major exporter of oil and gas, which is critical to its economy. Domestically, it focuses on renewable energy.
Simple Terms: Norway doesn’t use much oil and gas for its own electricity but exports a lot of it, which is very important for its economy.
Why is hydropower important to Norway’s energy strategy?
Original Answer: Hydropower is important because it provides a reliable, renewable, and low-emission energy source. It underpins Norway’s electricity system and enables the country to have one of the cleanest energy mixes in the world.
Simple Terms: Hydropower is important because it is clean, renewable, and provides most of Norway’s electricity, making the country a leader in green energy.
What role do interconnections with neighboring countries play in Norway’s energy strategy?
Original Answer: Interconnections allow Norway to export surplus electricity during periods of high production and import electricity during shortages, ensuring energy security and optimizing the use of renewable resources.
Simple Terms: Norway uses connections with other countries to share electricity, exporting when it has extra and importing when it needs more, ensuring reliable energy for everyone.
What are the different approaches to waste disposal?
Approaches to waste disposal include recycling to turn waste into reusable materials, reusing items to reduce waste production, converting waste into energy through incineration or biogas production, and reducing overall waste by minimizing consumption and packaging.
Simple Terms: Approaches include recycling to reuse materials, reusing items instead of throwing them away, converting waste into energy through incineration, and reducing waste by using less packaging and products. In simple terms: recycle, reuse, burn for energy, and create less waste.
How can land pollution be reduced?
Land pollution can be reduced by proper waste management such as recycling and composting, reducing the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture, reforestation to stabilize soil, and adopting sustainable farming practices to prevent overgrazing and soil degradation.
Simple Terms:
Proper waste disposal, recycling, using fewer harmful chemicals, planting trees to prevent erosion, and adopting sustainable farming methods help reduce land pollution. In simple terms: manage waste, recycle, use fewer chemicals, plant trees, and farm responsibly.
