7.1 Energy choices and security

what contributes to the majority of human energy supply

fossil fuels

what are some examples of sources of energy with lower carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels

solar, biomass, hydropower, wind, tidal, geothermal, nuclear

what does energy security depend on

adequate, reliable and affordable supply of energy that provides a degree of independence

what can inequitable availability and uneven distribution of energy lead to

conflict

what can the energy sources chosen by a society be influenced by

availability, sustainability, scientific and technological developments, cultural attitudes and political, economic and environmental factors

what are some ways the growth in energy demand be limited

through improvements in energy efficiencies and energy conservation

where are there large deposits of fossil fuels

china, the middle east, russia

how can politics influence the energy choices made by a society

can lead to conflict over energy supplies or choices to use more expensive domestic supplies for increased security, this may impact the decision to go nuclear or not

how can economics influence the energy choices made by a society

globalization of economies can make it uneconomic to produce your own power and cheaper to import it

how can cultural attitudes influence the energy choices of a society

our love of the motor car powered by fossil fuels means we are reluctant to give them up or change to electric cars

how might environmental considerations influence the energy choices of societies

backlash against nuclear power generation such as it being phased out by germany after it was deemed too dangerous after the fukishima accident

give an overview of the ukraine-russia gas disputes

russia exported gas to ukraine at below market prices, about 80% of russian gas flows through ukraine, in 2006 russia cut of supplies to ukraine as they had not paid off their debts and were using gas intended for the rest of europe, the dispute continued until 2010 when an agreement was signed

what is tight oil

oil that has been discovered but not previously extracted as it was held tightly in rocks and was not economic to extract

give an overview on USA shale oil

since 2008, US tight oil production has increased from 600,000 to 3.5 million barrels a day, shale gas and oil is also extracted in the USA now, some estimate that the USA may become a net exporter of oil and the fossil fuel security for the USA has improved dramatically

what is shale oil

Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil (not to be confused with tight oil—crude oil occurring naturally in shales) can be produced

give an overview of wind turbines in denmark

denmark produces over 30% of its energy requirements from wind energy, more than any other country, this is because the government drove the change, in the 1970s much of denmark's power came from coal power plants, denmark has large areas of shallow water offshore where the turbines can be sited and then linked to the national grid, denmark is linked to the electricity grids of its neighbouring countries and can buy electricity if the wind drops and sell it if their own demand is less than that generated

where does almost all of the energy on the earth come from

the sun

when will we run out of coal

about 230 years

when will we run out of gas

about 170 years

when will we run out of oil

about 100 years

where are two thirds of the known oil reserves

in the middle east

what is the fossil fuel with the most reserves and fastest increase in consumption

coal, mostly because of China's need for power and many power stations there burn coal

what would happen if LEDCs used oil at the rate per capita of the United States

it would run out in 17 years or sooner

how many coal powered power stations was china building per week in 2007

two

what is the dirtiest fossil fuel

coal, it releases sulphur dioxide

what percentage of the EUs energy is produced from renewable sources

7% (at the time this book was written)

what are two potential power options for the future

hydrogen, nuclear fusion

what percentage of energy worldwide is renewable

14%

why is investment into making renewable energy more efficient small compared with research into finding more oil or gas

transnational corporations and heavy industry are committed to the carbon economy, it is cheaper to produce electricity from fossil fuels than from most renewable resources, countries are locked into the resource they currently use by trade agreements or convenience, all renewable sources are location dependent

how much of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide responsible for

two thirds

what regions of the world have the highest per capita emissions

singapore, gibraltar and some gulf states

what does the united nations calculate about air conditioners in florida

the average air conditioner in florida is responsible for more CO2 every year than a person in Cambodia is in a lifetime

what are the advantages of coal

plentiful supply, easy to transport as a solid, needs no processing, relatively cheap to mine and convert to energy, up to 250 years of coal left

what are the disadvantages of coal

non-renewable energy source, cannot be replaced once used, burning releases carbon dioxide, some coals contain up to 10% sulphur, burning sulphur forms sulphur dioxide which causes acid deposition, particles of soot from burning coal produce smog and lung disease, coal mines leave land degraded and polluted, lower heat combustion than other fossil fuels

what are the advantages of oil

high heat of combustion, many uses, once found is relatively cheap to mine and convert to energy

what are the disadvantages of oil

only a limited supply, may run out in 20-50 years, gives of carbon dioxide when burned, oil spill danger from tanker accidents, risk of terrorism in attacking oil pipelines

what are the advantages of natural gas

highest heat of combustion, lot of energy gained from it, ready-made fuel, relatively cheap form of energy, cleaner than coal and oil

what are the disadvantages of natural gas

only limited supply but more than oil, about 70 years worth at current usage rates, gives off carbon dioxide but less than coal and oil

what are the advantages of nuclear fission

raw materials are relatively cheap once the reactor is built and can last quite a long time, small mass of radioactive material produces a huge amount of energy, no carbon dioxide or other pollutants released (unless there are accidents)

what are the disadvantages of nuclear fission

extraction costs are high, nuclear reactors are expensive to build and run, nuclear waste is radioactive and highly toxic for a long time, big question of what to do with it, needs storage for thousands of years, may be stored in mine shafts or under the sea, accidental leakage of radiation can be devastating, accidents rare but possible, risk of uranium and plutonium being used to make nuclear weapons, terrorist threat

what are the advantages of hydroelectric power

high quality energy output compared with low quality energy input, creates water reserves as well as energy supplies, reservoirs used for recreation, good safety record

what are the disadvantages of hydroelectric power

costly to build, can cause the flooding of surrounding communities and landscapes, dams have major ecological impacts on local hydrology, may cause problems with deltas, silting of dams, downstream lack of water and risk of flooding if dam bursts

what are the advantages of biomass

cheap and readily available, if the crops are replanted, biomass can be a long term sustainable energy source

what are the disadvantages of biomass

may be replacing food crops on a finite amount of crop land and lead to starvation, when burned it still gives of atmospheric pollutants, if crops are not replanted biomass is a non-renewable resource

what are the advantages of wood

a cheap and readily available source of energy, if the trees are replaced wood can be a long term sustainable energy source

what are the disadvantages of wood

low heat of combustion, when burned it gives off atmospheric pollutants, if trees are not replanted it is a non-renewable resource, high cost of transportation due to high volume

what are the advantages to solar photovoltaic cells

potentially infinite energy supply, single dwellings can have own electricity supply, safe to use, low quality energy converted to high quality energy

what are the disadvantages of solar photovoltaic cells

manufacture and implementation of solar panels can be costly, need sunshine do not work in the dark, need maintenance must be cleaned regularly

what are the advantages of concentrated solar power

solar energy renewable resource, cost of power stations equivalent to fossil fuel power stations

what are the disadvantages of concentrated solar power

required area of high insolation, relatively new technology

what are the advantages of solar passive energy

minimal cost if properly designed

what are the disadvantages of solar passive energy

requires architects who can design solar passive technology

what are the advantages of wind power

clean energy supply once turbines are made, little maintenance required

what are the disadvantages of wind power

need the wind to blow, often windy sites not near highly populated areas, manufacture and implementation of wind farms can be costly, noise pollution (though this is decreasing through new technologies), some local people object to onshore wind farms arguing that visual pollution spoils countryside, question of whether birds are killed or migration routes are disturbed by turbines

what are the advantages of tidal power

should be ideal for an island country such as the UK, potential to generate a lot of energy this way, tidal barrage can double as a bridge and help prevent flooding

what are the disadvantages of tidal power

construction of barrage is very costly, only a few estuaries are suitable, opposed by some environmental groups as having a negative impact on wildlife, may reduce tidal flow and impede flow of sewage out to sea, may disrupt shipping

what are the advantages of wave power

should be ideal for an island country, these are more likely to be small local operations rather than done on a national scale

what are the disadvantages of wave power

construction can be costly, may be opposed by local or environmental groups, storms may damage them

what are the advantages to geothermal energy

potentially infinite energy supply, is used successfully in some countries such as iceland

what are the disadvantages of geothermal energy

can be expensive to set up, only works in areas of volcanic activity, geothermal activity might calm down leaving power station redundant, dangerous underground gases have to be disposed of carefully