Energy Flashcards
Describe the use of coal for energy
- 23% of world energy use
- non-renewable fossil fuel
- formed underground from decaying plant and animal matter
- pros: high world reserves, newer mines are highly mechanised
- cons: pollution with CO2 and SO2, mining can be difficult and dangerous, pits destroy land, hard to transport
Describe the use of oil for energy
- 37% of world energy use
-non-renewable fossil fuel - formed underground from decaying plant and animal matter
- pros: variety of uses, easy to transport, efficient, less pollution than coal
- cons: low reserves, some pollution, danger of spills and explosions
Describe the use of natural gas for energy
- 23% of world energy use
- non-renewable fossil fuel
- formed underground from decaying plant and animal matter
- pros: efficient, clean, least polluting of the fossil fuels, easy to transport
- cons: explosions, some air pollution
Describe the use of fuel wood for energy
- 10% of world energy use
- especially important in LICs
-non-renewable/renewable - trees can be grown specifically for fuel
- pros: easily available, free, replanting possible
- cons: trees used up quickly, time consuming, deforestation has other problems, replanting cannot keep pace with consumption
Describe the use of hydroelectric power for energy
- 3% of world energy use
- renewable
- water held in a reservoir and channelled through pipes to a turbine
- pros: clean, reservoirs/dams can also control flooding/provide water in times of shortage
- cons: large areas of land flooded, water quality deteriorates, visual pollution, impact on aquatic life
Describe the use of wind power for energy
- power obtained by harnessing KE of wind
- pros: significant amounts of energy can be generated, can be harnessed in most parts of the world, non-polluting
- cons: visual pollution, impact property values, noise pollution affects people and wildlife, can kill birds, not a reliable source of energy as winds are unpredictable and not constant
Describe the use of biofuels for energy
- can be made from a range of crops and blended with petrol and diesel
- pros: reduces amount of oil countries consume, crops are renewable, cleaner than petroleum based fuels
- cons: large amounts of land, water and fertilisers needed, manufacture of biofuels uses energy, adding to greenhouse gas emissions
Describe the use of geothermal energy
- renewable
- heat energy extracted from hot water/rocks beneath earth’s surface
- pros: can be used directly for heat energy and agriculture, geothermal plants occupy small areas of land and have low environmental impacts and low maintenance costs
- cons: few locations worldwide where significant amounts of energy can be generated, installation costs are relatively high
Describe the use of solar power to produce energy
- renewable
- produced by photovoltaic cells
- pros: no noise or pollution, limited maintenance, technology improving constantly and running costs decreasing, can be used in remote areas, positive public perception
- cons: initial set up expensive, can’t be used during storms, cloudy days or at night, large areas of land required to generate significant amounts of energy
Describe the use of wave and tidal power to generate energy
-renewable
- uses water power to turn a turbine and generate electricity
- pros: predictable, less invasive infrastructure than solar or wind power
- cons: high set up costs, not as dependable as fossil fuels or nuclear, environmental concerns, such as effects on marine life, sediment build up and impacts on tides
Advantages of nuclear power
- zero greenhouse gas emissions
- highly reliable and efficient
- seen as a viable way to decrease fossil fuel reliance by governments
- less vulnerable to price fluctuations
- uranium is in plentiful supply and mined in politically stable countries
How is nuclear energy generated?
Nuclear power stations convert heat energy produced from a nuclear fission chain reaction into electricity. Heat generated inside a nuclear reactor core from nuclear fission is used to convert water into steam, which then drives an electric turbine alternator.
(Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large nucleus and energy is released in the form of heat).
Disadvantages of nuclear power
- accidents could release waste into air/land and sea
- water is radioactive and can cause death if exposed to humans
- waste generates heat that can corrode containers
- high construction and decommissioning costs
- fuel can be used as weapons by rogue states/terrorists
How is coal used in China?
-nearly two thirds of energy generated by coal
- constructing cleaner coal plants and retiring polluting older plants
- since 2015, coal consumption has declined
How is China developing other types of energy?
- increase oil supply by building up a national oil reserve
- want to make oil and gas more accessible so improving network
- wind power grew rapidly and now largest in the world
- wanted a total renewable capacity of 800GW by 2021
