Unit 7.1 Energy choices and energy security Flashcards
Availability of energy
transformed the course of humanity over the last few centuries.
new sources:
1. Fossil fuels
2. Nuclear energy
3. Hydropower
4. Renewable technologies
quantity we can produce and consume
Climate change
Is a natural process just like greenhouse gases. Human are speeding up the process so we are having climate change effects in a short amount of time.
- extreme weather events (flooding, wildfires)
- more frequents
- higher temperatures
IPCC
IPPC = Intergovernmental panel of climate change
Most reliable source of information regarding climate change. All reports published are science based.
Paris agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21)
1.5 ºC
Target number on the Paris agreement. Not go beyond 1.5ºC increase of the global average temperature of planet.
Fossil fuels
Non-renewable energy supplies (coal, gas and oil) cannot be renewed at the same rate as they are used. This results in depletion of the stock.
Sources of energy with lower carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels
Renewable energy (solar, biomass, hydropower, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal) and their use is expected to increase.
Nuclear power is a low carbon low-emission non-renewable resource but is controversial due to the radioactive waste it produces and the potential scale of any accident.
Most impacted by climate change
Poorest
Global warming
Part of climate change
Energy production use
About 40% of the energy from all energy resources is used to generate electricity, more than for any other single purpose.
Nuclear Power
Non-renewable = uranium for fission process (non-renewable form of natural capital)
Low carbon low-emission resource but is controversial due to the radioactive waste it produces and the potential scale of any accident
Renewable Sources
Solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, wind, tidal and wave.
Can be large scale (country wide schemes of energy generation) or small scale (micro generation) within houses or communities.
Can be considered more sustainable because there is no depletion of natural capital.
Primary used energy source
Fossil fuels contribute to the majority of humankind’s energy supply, and they vary widely in the impacts of their production and their emissions; their use is expected to increase to meet global energy demand.
Energy sources
Renewable
- hydropower
- solar
- wind
- tidal
- geothermal
- wave
- biomass
Non-renewable
- oil (ff)
- coal (ff)
- gas (ff)
- nuclear
Solar energy
Sun’s light and heat can be harnessed and transformed into electricity (photovoltaic) or used to heat water (thermal)
ADVANTAGES
- renewable energy source
- potentially infinite energy supply
- low maintenance costs
DISADVANTAGES
- initial costs are high
- needs sunshine, does not work in the dark
Tidal energy
Tidal energy is powered by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents
ADVANTAGES
- It’s a renewable energy source!
- Low maintenance costs
DISADVANTAGES
- It’s predictable Costs are high (still in early stages of development)
- Environmental impacts: wildlife, natural flows
Hydropower
a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion -
such as water flowing over a waterfall- to generate electricity.
Approximately 70% percent of all of the renewable electricity generated on Earth is from hydropower.
ADVANTAGES
- Renewable energy source
- Creates water reserves as well as energy supplies
- Reservoirs used for recreation, amenities
DISADVANTAGES
- Downstream lack of water: might cause conflict: i.e. water wars
- Risks of floods in lower elevations
- May cause problems with deltas: no sediments arrive, deltas disappear
- Interruptions of natural water flow.
- Cut off migration paths of fish who move because (dams)
Wind power
Anything that moves has kinetic energy, and scientists and engineers are using the wind’s kinetic energy to generate electricity through wind turbines.
ADVANTAGES
- Wind is free!
- renewable energy source!
- Clean energy supply once turbines are made.
- Low maintenance costs once turbines and energy centres have been installed
- Wind energy can provide power to remote locations that would otherwise be not connected to any electricity source
DISADVANTAGES
- Manufacture and implementation of wind farms can be costly
- Aesthetic impact
- Needs the wind to blow!
- Wildlife: Wind turbines may be dangerous to flying animals.
- Many birds and bats have been killed by flying into the rotors.
- Noise: Some wind turbines tend to generate a lot of noise
Geothermal
Geothermal energy is the heat derived from the Earth’s interior used for heating, cooling, and electricity generation.
ADVANTAGES
- Renewable energy
- Work in summer or winter, not dependent on changing factors
- Geothermal power plants produce electricity or heat 24/7
- Low maintenance costs
DISADVANTAGES
- Process requires almost no fuel to run, the initial cost of installing geothermal technology is expensive.
- Geothermal plants can release small amounts of greenhouse gases such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon
dioxide.
- Process can result in minor seismic activity, or small earthquakes.
Wave
Wave power is the capture of energy of sea waves for electricity generation
ADVANTAGES
- It’s a renewable energy source
- Ideal for an island country
- Enormous energy potential
DISADVANTAGES
- Costs are high (still in early stages of development)
- Environmental impacts: wave power plants may affect sea life, visual impact can affect tourism
Biomass
Biomass is energy generated by living or once-living organisms.
The most common biomass materials are plants, such as corn and soy,.
The energy from these organisms can be burned to create heat or
converted into electricity. It can also be processed into biofuel.
ADVANTAGES
- It’s a renewable energy source!
If crops are replanted, biomass can be a long term,
sustainable energy source. - Unlike other stored within the
organism, and can be harvested when it is needed.
DISADVANTAGES
- Most biomass requires arable land to develop. Land used for biofuel crops such as corn and soybeans are unavailable to grow food or provide natural habitats
- If crops are not replanted, biomass is a non- renewable resource
- When burned, it still gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.
Coal (fossil fuel)
Black sedimentary rock can be burned for fuel and used to generate electricity.
Composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons, which contain energy that can be released through combustion (burning).
ADVANTAGES
- Plentiful supply
- No need for processing
- It is relatively cheap to mine and convert to energy by burning
- Easy to transport as a solid
- Up to 250 years of coal left
DISADVANTAGES
- Take millions of years to develop and a limited amount (of nonrenewable resources.
- Burning releases carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a greenhouse gas
- Some coals contain up to 10% sulfur, which leads to acid rain.
- Small particles from burning coal produce smog and lung disease
Natural gas
(fossil fuel)
Like other fossil fuels natural gas forms from the plants, animals, and microorganisms that lived millions of years ago.
Natural gas is primarily methane (CH4) with smaller quantities of other hydrocarbons.
ADVANTAGES
- burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, producing half carbon dioxide as coal and a third less than oil
- Relatively cheap form of energy
- It is more efficient: natural gas provides more energy when it burns than other fossil fuels.
DISADVANTAGES
- must be handled carefully because it is a combustible material
- It still emits CO2 , a greenhouse gas
- Natural gas is non-renewable!
Crude oil (fossil fuel)
Petroleum (crude oil) is a fossil fuel. Like coal and natural gas, petroleum was formed from the remains of ancient marine organisms, such as plants, algae, and bacteria, over millions of years of intense heat and pressure.
ADVANTAGES
- Many uses
- Once found it is relatively cheap to mine and convert into energy
- No new technology needed to use
DISADVANTAGES
- Non-renewable source!
- Like coal, gives off carbon dioxide when burned
- Oil spill danger from accidents (transportation by ships)
- Oil drilling damages ecosystems and habitats
Nuclear power
Advantages:
Low operational emissions, contributing minimally to climate change.
High energy density, with small amounts of fuel producing large amounts of energy.
Reliable and capable of producing base-load power without variability.
Disadvantages:
Nuclear accidents, though rare, can have catastrophic environmental and human health impacts.
High initial capital costs and long construction times.
Issues with waste disposal and potential targets for terrorism.
Energy security
country’s ability to secure all its energy needs.
depends on the adequate, reliable, diverse and affordable supply of energy that provides a degree of independence.
Energy insecurity
lack of security over energy sources.
Inequitable availability and uneven distribution of energy sources may lead to conflict.
Energy choices adopted by a society may be influenced by:
- availability
- Sustainability
- technological developments
- cultural attitudes
- Political factors
- economic factors
- environmental factors.
CASE STUDY: Denmark’s clean energy strategy
Aims for renewables to
cover at least half of the country’s total energy consumption by 2030; by 2050, Denmark aims to be a low-carbon society independent of fossil fuels.
- Strategies
- Benefits
- Challenges
- Conclusion
