Sustainability - Energy Flashcards
wind
renewable energy source
location factors:
- environmental impacts
- how much wind is there
- the rock type (geology)
- local residents
advantages:
- pollution free/no GHGs
- provides jobs in rural areas
- land can be multi-purpose
- can be on and off-shore
disadvantages:
- requires alot of land
- expensive
- if no wind then no energy
- blades can kill bats and birds
wave
renewable energy source
advantages:
- renewable and clean source of energy
- predictable as the weather can be forcast
- reliable
- no damage is done to land
disadvantages:
- pelamis “snake” costs over £3 million
- machines may not be able to withstand storms
- requires lots of maintenance due to rough salty conditions
- upset marine ecosystems
tidal
renewable energy source
location factors:
- narrow channel of water (high speeds)
- large volume of water
- proximity to national grid
- current water use
advantages:
- renewable and clean energy
- there are always tides that are pedicatble and dependable (not weather dependent)
disadvantages:
- very expensive to start and maintain
- expensive engineering due to difficult building conditions
geothermal
renewable energy source
advantages:
- renewable and clean energy
- cheap
- small area of land used
- creates skilled jobs
disadvantages:
- location specific - requires hot rocks
- gases stored underground can be released when digging
- digging can sometimes trigger earthquakes
solar
photovoltaic cells and solar towers
renewable energy source
advantages:
- renewable and clean energy
- can be fitted to houses (takes up very little space)
- pretty safe to use and very little maintenance required
disadvantages:
- areas with little solar radiation do not benefit as much from the technology
- the temperature at the top of solar towers can get very hot and has been know to killing birds
biomass/biofules
renewable energy source
advantages:
- renewable
- much fewer pollutions than fossil fuels
- cheaper than fossil fuels
disadvantages:
- increased demand for biofuel crops causes increases in price for biofules and food
- requires water to irrigate crops putting more strain on water supplies
- fertilisers used to grow the crops have a negative impact on the surrounding environment
- huge areas of land are needed to grow the crops reducing land for food farming and natural habitats
hydro-electric
renewable energy source
location factors:
- steep sided valley
- high precipitation
- impermeable geology
- proximity to national grid
advantages:
- renewable
- little ditruption to locals
- low running costs
- resevoirs can be used for irrigation, leisure, water supplies
- tourist attractions
disadvantages:
- difficulty getting materials to remote areas
- very expensive to build
- large areas need to be flooded for the resevoir
- affects migrating fish
coal oil and natural gas
non-renewable energy source
advantages:
- cheap and reliable
- lots of uses for oil via fractional distillation
disadvantages:
- supplies are limited and will run out very soon
- pollution has many environmental issues
nuclear
non-renewable energy source
advantages:
- large amount of energy with no CO2 produced
- cost effective
disadvantages:
- waste products are radioactive
- threat to human health if radiation leak
- expensive to build
impacts of increasing global population on energy supplies
social, economical, and environmental
social:
- EMDCs use increasing quantities of energy due to advancing technology
- renewables create skilled jobs
- ELDCs will continue to use non-renewable sources of energy due to a lack of money and technology
economical:
- countries invest in more renewables
- governments spend money on educating new technologies by bringing in specialists
- increased cost of living
environmental:
- great demand for energy increased quantity of fossil fuels burned which expells GHGs into atmosphere
- great demand for renewables requires metals and other resources which are polluting during extraction and processing
