1.3 National & Global Energy Resources

What are the main energy resources? (9)

• Fossil fuels

  • coal

  • oil

  • natural gas

• Nuclear fuel

• Bio-fuel

• Wind

• Hydroelectricity

• Geothermal

• Tidal power

• Solar power

• Water waves

Which of the main energy resources are renewable?

• Bio-fuel

• Wind

• Hydroelectricity

• Geothermal

• Tidal power

• Solar power

• Water waves

Which of the main energy resources are non-renewable?

• Fossil fuels

  • coal

  • oil

  • natural gas

• Nuclear fuel

What is a renewable energy resource?

One that is being (or can be) replenished as it is used.

What do the uses of energy resources include? (4)

• Transport

• Electricity

• Generation

• Heating

Which gas in coal contributes to acid rain?

Sulfur dioxide

Which fossil fuels can be fired up the quickest to meet spikes in demand?

Oil and gas

What is the effect of sulfur dioxide on the environment?

Causes acid rain

How does solar power improve a hydroelectric system's reliability?

It provides power when hydroelectric power output is low — e.g. in summer.

• Three energy sources used to generate electricity are given in List A.

• Statements about the energy sources used to generate electricity are given in List B.

Match each energy source in List A to the statement about the energy source in List B. [3 marks]

• 1 — B

• 2 — A

• 3 — D

• In the UK, most electricity is generated in power stations that burn fossil fuels.

Which type of fossil fuel power station has the shortest start-up time? [1 mark]

Gas

• Decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide released by different activities will help slow down climate change.

• Transport and generating electricity are the two activities that released the largest amounts of carbon dioxide in the UK in 2018.

Explain one change that would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released by each activity. [4 marks]

• Transport

  • don’t use petrol cars for transport

  • use electric cars instead

• Generating electricity

  • don’t use fossil fuels to generate electricity

  • use renewable methods instead

• A remote village in the UK uses a hydroelectric generator to provide electricity.

• The hydroelectric generator is turned by falling river water.

• Figure 2 shows how the power output of the hydroelectric generator varied during one year.

Explain one reason why the power output varied. [2 marks]

• The amount of rainfall varies

• And is lower in the summer months

What are the advantages of coal? (3)

• Reliable

• Cheap

• Relatively high energy per kg

What are the disadvantages of coal? (4)

• Long startup time

• Non-renewable

• Finite

• Releases greenhouse gases

What is the environmental impact of coal? (3)

• It releases carbon dioxide — contributes to global warming and climate change

• It releases sulfur dioxide (impurities) — causes acid rain (destruction to wildlife)

• It releases carbon particulates — cause breathing difficulties and global dimming

What are the advantages of oil? (4)

• Can be fired up quickly to meet demand

• Reliable

• High energy density

• Cheap

What are the disadvantages of oil? (3)

• Non-renewable

• Releases greenhouse gases

• Finite

What is the environmental impact of oil? (2)

• It releases carbon dioxide — contributes to global warming and climate change

• It releases dangerous pollutants (diesel) — can harm health

What are the advantages of natural gas? (4)

• Shortest startup time

• Burns cleaner than coal — less carbon dioxide

• Reliable

• Relatively cheap

What are the disadvantages of natural gas? (3)

• Non-renewable

• Releases greenhouse gases

• Finite

What are the environmental impacts of natural gas?

It releases carbon dioxide — contributes to global warming and climate change

What are the advantages of nuclear fuel? (3)

• Very high energy density

• No greenhouse gas emissions

• Suitable for base load

What are the disadvantages of nuclear fuel? (6)

• Long startup time

• Radioactive waste must be stored for thousands of years

• Non-renewable

• Risk of accidents

• Expensive

• Slow to decommission

What is the environmental impact of nuclear fuel? (2)

• Produces radioactive waste — could release radioactive compounds into the environment

• Doesn’t release carbon dioxide

What are the advantages of bio-fuel? (3)

• Carbon neutral — plants release as much carbon dioxide when burned as they absorb when they grow

• Renewable

• Non-finite

What are the disadvantages of bio-fuel? (2)

• They use land needed for farming — can lead to deforestation

• Releases carbon dioxide when burned

What is the environmental impact of bio-fuel? (2)

• Carbon neutral — plants release as much carbon dioxide when burned as they absorb when they grow

• Can cause deforestation:

  • less carbon dioxide is absorbed from the air

  • destroys habitats

What are the advantages of hydroelectricity? (4)

• Renewable

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

• Short startup time

• Can store energy — pumped storage

What are the disadvantages of hydroelectricity? (2)

• Destroys habitats/floods valleys

• Only suitable for certain terrain — mountains/rivers

What is the environmental impact of hydroelectricity? (3)

• Flooding of habitats

• Drought

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the advantages of geothermal energy? (3)

• Renewable

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

• Very reliable

What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy? (2)

• Only possible in specific volcanic regions

• Expensive to build

What is the environmental impact of geothermal energy?

Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the advantages of solar power? (3)

• Renewable

• Non-finite

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the disadvantages of solar power? (4)

• Unreliable — doesn’t work at night/cloudy days

• Low efficiency

• Requires a lot of space

• High initial set up costs

What are the environmental impacts of solar power? (2)

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

• No harm to the environment once built

What are the advantages of wind power? (3)

• Renewable

• Non-finite

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the disadvantages of wind power? (3)

• Unreliable — doesn’t work if there is not enough wind/too windy

• Causes visual and sound pollution

• May affect birds

What are the environmental impacts of wind power? (2)

• May affect birds

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the advantages of tidal power? (4)

• Renewable

• Predictable — tides twice a day

• Cheap to tun

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the disadvantages of tidal power? (3)

• Affects river estuaries and wildlife

• Expensive to build

• Can’t be used during the day — no tide

What is the environmental impact of tidal power? (3)

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

• Affects shoreline systems

• Damage to habitats

What are the advantages of water waves? (2)

• Renewable

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

What are the disadvantages of water waves? (2)

• Unreliable

• Can damage seabed and habitats

What is the environmental impact of water waves? (2)

• Doesn’t release greenhouse gases

• Can damage seabed and habitats