Bio-fuels and Non-renewables Flashcards
Energy (27 cards)
What are bio-fuels made from?
Bio-fuels are made from plant products or animal dung.
What forms can bio-fuels take?
Bio-fuels can be solid, liquid, or gas.
How can bio-fuels be used?
Bio-fuels can be burned to produce electricity or run cars.
Are bio-fuels considered carbon neutral?
Bio-fuels are supposedly carbon neutral, but this is debated.
What is necessary for bio-fuels to be carbon neutral?
Plants must be grown at the rate that they are burned.
What is a challenge of bio-fuel production?
Bio-fuels cannot respond to immediate energy demands.
How are bio-fuels stored to meet energy demands?
Bio-fuels are continuously produced and stored for when needed.
What is a concern regarding the cost of refining bio-fuels?
The cost to refine bio-fuels is very high.
What impact does growing crops for bio-fuels have?
It may lead to insufficient space or water for food crops.
What environmental issue arises from clearing forests for bio-fuels?
It results in species losing their natural habitats.
What emissions are increased by the decay and burning of vegetation?
CO2 and methane emissions.
What types of energy sources are considered reliable?
Fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
Why are fossil fuels and nuclear energy reliable?
There is enough supply to meet current demand.
What is a future concern regarding fossil fuels?
Some fossil fuel stocks may run out within a hundred years.
What are the setup costs of power plants compared to running costs?
Setup costs can be high, but running costs are not expensive.
What do fossil fuels contribute to when burned?
CO2 emissions that add to the greenhouse effect.
What harmful substance is released from burning coal and oil?
Sulfur dioxide.
What environmental problem is caused by acid rain?
It can harm trees and soils and affect ecosystems.
How can acid rain be reduced?
By removing sulfur before burning fuels or cleaning emissions.
What issue does coal mining create?
It makes a mess of the landscape, especially open-cast mining.
What environmental disaster can oil spillages cause?
They can seriously affect marine mammals and birds.
What is a major advantage of nuclear power?
Nuclear power is clean.
What is a major disadvantage of nuclear power?
The nuclear waste is very dangerous and difficult to dispose of.
What are examples of nuclear fuel?
Uranium or plutonium.
