Unit 8 review Flashcards
non-renewable resources
they take a long time to form and be replaced. Easy to mine and cheap to use
coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fuel
currently non-renewable resources dominate global energy
Disadvantages of coal
produces greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming
pollutes the environment
pollutants from coal can mix with water and create acid rain
the pollutants can cause health problems in humans
miners who mine coal can get a disease called black lung
disadvantages of oil
when it is burnt, it produces greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming
limited supply
expensive to mine
oil reserves are expected to run out by 2050
disadvantages of natural gas
when burnt it gives off atmospheric pollutants
limited supply
expensive to mine and access
natural gas reserves are expected to run out by 2060
disadvantages of nuclear energy
expensive to establish and run a nuclear power station
waste from a nuclear station can be very toxic
waste needs to be stored properly for hundreds of years
leaks from waste storage can affect the environment
nuclear fall can be detrimental to humans, plants and animals
energy demand varies with population size and GDP
higher populations consume more energy
higher GDPs tend to consume more energy
energy supplies vary with the energy policy of a country
if a country focuses on efficiency and sustainability the demand for renewable energy will increase
if a country focuses on industrialisation the demand for non renewable energy will increase
energy demand varies with physical factors within a country
location of deposits of fossil fuels
renewable energy sources require suitable locations
tidal power requires a large tidal range
wind power requires high average wind speed throughout the year
HEP requires high precipitation, steep valleys and impermeable rock
large power stations require flat land and geologically stable foundations
energy demand varies with economic factors
exploitation of resources
in less industrialised countries, FDI is required to access the resources
as energy prices rise, companies are more likely to increase spending on exploration and exploitation
energy demand varies with political factors
international agreements impact the way nations organise their energy
an HEP scheme that draws water form rivers that cross international borders may need agreements form other countries
governments within countries may insist that companies produce a certain proportion of their energy from renewables
resource endowment
the level of energy resources a country can exploit
those countries with a high level of endowment tend to be more prosperous than those who lack domestic energy resources and rely heavily on imports
resource curse theory
volatility of prices on the global market
decline in the competitiveness of other economic sectors
government mismanagement
weak and inefficient exploitation of resources
some LICs that have a lot of non-renewables grow more slowly due to these
development of energy technology
increases the ability to exploit resources
environmental impact of energy
those who are will informed about the environmental impact of energy sources can influence government policy
trends in the consumption of fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy in MICs and LICs
global energy consumption is rising due to power generation, strong industrial demand and increase transport control fuel consumption
trends in oil consumption
main source of energy in the Americas and Africa
makes up 50% of the energy used in the middle east
trends on coal consumption
main energy source in the Asian Pacific
Europe, Eurasia, Asian Pacific and North American have even coal reserves
China dominates coal production and consumption
trends in natural gas consumption
main source of energy in Europe and Eurasia
