1.3 national & global energy resources

what are the advantages of fossil fuels?

reliable, release a lot of energy, abundant & cheap, versatile (transport, electricity, heating)

what are the disadvantages of fossil fuels?

release CO₂ → climate change, non-renewable, release other pollutants (acid rain, nitrogen oxides)

advantages of nuclear power?

no CO₂ while running, reliable, generates lots of electricity when needed

disadvantages of nuclear power?

contains dangerous radioactive materials, expensive & slow decommissioning, produces long-term radioactive waste

what was the UK energy mix historically?

coal until 1950s–1980s; nuclear from 1950s (~20% by 1980s); North Sea oil & gas from 1970s; by 2000 gas = coal in electricity generation

advantages of switching from coal to gas?

less CO₂, gas power stations are flexible & start quickly (unlike coal)

what challenges come with switching to renewables?

expensive, could cost jobs, some sources unreliable (wind, solar), some damage habitats (hydroelectric, tidal)

future UK energy plan?

renewables = bulk of electricity, nuclear = baseload, gas = peak demand backup

what makes an energy source renewable?

it can be replenished as it is used and won’t run out

advantages of renewable energy?

never run out, produce no CO₂ once in place

disadvantages of renewable energy?

wind & solar unreliable; hydro can destroy habitats & needs rivers; tidal may harm wildlife; wave power small scale; geothermal limited use in UK; renewables mostly generate electricity but UK uses energy for transport; biofuels could push up food prices