Economic Activity and Energy Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing renewable and non-renewable energy sources, their advantages, and disadvantages, based on lecture notes.

Wind Energy: Description

Wind drives blades to turn turbines, producing electricity.

Wind Energy: Advantages

Very clean, no air pollution, small and large schemes possible, cheap to run.

Wind Energy: Disadvantages

Winds are unpredictable, visual and noise pollution, many turbines are needed.

Wind Energy: Main Producers

China, United States, Germany

Tidal Energy: Description

Tidal water drives turbines, producing electricity.

Tidal Energy: Advantages

Large schemes could produce a lot of electricity, clean, barrage can protect coasts from erosion.

Tidal Energy: Disadvantages

Very expensive to build, few suitable sites, disrupts coastal ecosystems and shipping.

Tidal Energy: Main Producers

South Korea, France, Canada

Solar Energy: Description

Solar panels or photovoltaic cells using sunlight to produce direct heating and electricity.

Solar Energy: Advantages

Could be used in most parts of the world, unlimited supplies, clean, can be built into new buildings, efficient.

Solar Energy: Limitations

Expensive, needs sunlight, cloud/night reduce energy, large amounts of energy require technological development and costs.

Solar Energy: Main Producers

China, United States, Japan

Biofuels and Waste: Description

Fermented animal or plant waste or crops (e.g. sugar cane); refuse incineration, producing ethanol, methane, electricity, and heating.

Biofuels and Waste: Advantages

Widely available, especially in LICS; uses waste products; can be used at a local level.

Biofuels and Waste: Disadvantages

Can be expensive to set up, waste cannot be recycled, some pollution.

Biofuels and Waste: Main Producers

United States, Brazil, European Union

Nuclear Energy: Advantages

Clean, fewer greenhouse gases, efficient, uses very small amounts of raw materials, small amounts of waste.

Nuclear Energy: Disadvantages

Dangers of radiation, high cost of building and decommissioning power stations, problems over disposal of waste, accidents have raised public fears.

Nuclear Energy: Main Producers

United States, France, China

Hydroelectric Energy: Description

Good, regular supply of water needed; water held in a reservoir channeled through pipes to a turbine to produce electricity.

Hydroelectric Energy: Advantages

Very clean; reservoirs/dams can also control flooding/provide water; often in remote areas.

Hydroelectric Energy: Disadvantages

Large areas of land flooded, silt trapped behind dam, lake silts up, visual pollution from pylons and dam.

Hydroelectric Energy: Main Producers

China, Brazil, Canada

Geothermal Energy: Description

Boreholes are drilled below ground to use the Earth's natural heat; cold water is pumped down, hot water or steam are channeled back to produce electricity and direct heating.

Geothermal Energy: Advantages

Many potential sites, but most are in volcanic areas.

Geothermal Energy: Limitations

Sulphuric gases, expensive to develop, very high temperatures can create maintenance problems.

Geothermal Energy: Main Producers

United States, Indonesia, Philippines

Oil: Description

Formed underground from decaying animal and plant matter used for electricity, petroleum, diesel, fuel oils, liquid petroleum gas, coke and many non-energy uses, e.g. plastics, medicines, fertilisers.

Oil: Advantages

Variety of uses, fairly easy to transport, efficient, less pollution than coal.

Oil: Disadvantages

Low reserves, some air pollution, danger of spills and explosions.

Oil: Main Producers

United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia

Natural Gas: Description

Formed underground from decaying animal and plant matter used for electricity, cooking, and heating.

Natural Gas: Advantages

Efficient, relatively clean - least polluting of the fossil fuels; easy to transport.