EQ2 CARBON

Primary energy

Relates from a direct source as it naturally occurs e.g burning coal generates heat

Secondary energy

When primary energy is converted turns to secondary energy e.g thermal power station may use coal to generate heat, which is then used to generate electrical energy

Renewable energy

E.g solar, hep, wind can be constantly reused and will never run out

Non renewable

Energy source will eventually run out e.g fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas

Domestic energy

Produced in same country energy is consumed

Foreign energy

Sources made in one country and imported to another country, where energy will be consumed

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil and natural gas form over millions of years from organisms that die and are buried. They can be burnt in power plants to generate electricity and oil can be refined to produce petrol

Coal

Coal is a sedimentary rock. It forms when plant material undergoes specific geological processes such as burial and heating. Coal that has undergone the most change is the highest quality (anthracite), while coal that has been changed least is the lowest quality (lignite).

Oil and natural gas

• Oil and natural gas need specific geological conditions to form and be stored. When organic-rich rocks are buried, they are heated, compressed and begin to break down into oil and gas.
  Gas forms at high temperatures, often deeper underground than oil.

• Both gas and oil travel upwards through pores in rocks until they meet a layer of impermeable rock and become trapped. They are found where impermeable 'cap' rock, such as granite, overlies permeable 'reservoir' rock such as sandstone.

• Oil and natural gas can also form in shale. Shale is impermeable, so it is difficult to extract oil and gas from it. A process called hydraulic fracturing (fracking) can be used to extract the fuel.

Energy pathways

• gas and oily pipelines- cross continents and seas

• Transmission lines transfers electricity to final user through above and underground cables

• Shipping routes that transport oil, gas and coal to other countries in bulk, as well as transportation by road and rail

Energy often must travel long distances to reach its consuming countries. Physical energy pathways, such as pipelines and transmitters, are often owned by the energy company that maintains the supply.

Some energy pathways are extremely well established. For example:

• The movement of oil from the Middle East to the USA, the EU, and increasingly to South East Asia shows a long-standing political relationship between these regions.

• Coal is harder to move, so countries tend to use their domestic supplies to meet their energy needs first before exporting any excess to other countries. However, Australia, Indonesia and Russia have supplied the EU, India and China with coal for many years.

Unconventional fossil fuels

• In 2014, 81% of energy used worldwide came from fossil fuels. The prices of fossil fuels increase as their reserves are depleted and it becomes more economically viable to develop less accessible reserves.

• Less accessible reserves are termed unconventional fossil fuel sources. Many energy companies are now trying to find new ways of accessing these resources. There are four main unconventional fossil fuel sources:
  Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is designed to extract natural gas from shale. High-pressure fluid is pumped into rock, causing it to crack and release gas which is then collected. Fracking is controversial because it may cause environmental issues, such as groundwater contamination. The USA has created over 1.7 million fracking wells.

Oil can be extracted from tar sands. This is sediment that contains bitumen (low-grade oil). It is extracted by mining the sediment and then separating the oil from it. It takes about two tonnes of tar sand to make one barrel of oil, so mining is large-scale and has major environmental impacts. Tar sand exploration is taking place in Canada.

Oil is also found in oil shale. When this rock is placed under pressure and heated, shale oil is released.

Deep water oil is found under the ocean floor. Deep ocean rigs, such as those off the coast of Brazil, allow drilling to take place.

damage to the fragile environments

As fossil fuels run out, there may be pressure to explore reserves in remote or protected locations such as Antarctica.

Fracking

• Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is designed to extract natural gas from shale. High-pressure fluid is pumped into rock, causing it to crack and release gas which is then collected. Fracking is controversial because it may cause environmental issues, such as groundwater contamination. The USA has created over 1.7 million fracking wells.

Tar sands

Oil can be extracted from tar sands. This is sediment that contains bitumen (low-grade oil). It is extracted by mining the sediment and then separating the oil from it. It takes about two tonnes of tar sand to make one barrel of oil, so mining is large-scale and has major environmental impacts. Tar sand exploration is taking place in Canada.

Shale gas

Oil is also found in oil shale. When this rock is placed under pressure and heated, shale oil is released.

Deep water oil

Deep water oil is found under the ocean floor. Deep ocean rigs, such as those off the coast of Brazil, allow drilling to take place.

Renewable energy sources

• solar

• Wind

• HEP

• Tidal

• Wave

• Geothermal

Solar

Energy from the Sun is used to heat water and solar cookers or converted to electricity using photovoltaic cells (PV cells).

Wind

Turbines use the energy of the wind to generate electricity, either on land or at sea, often in large windfarms. There are no greenhouse gas emissions once the turbines have been built.

Hydroecletic

This uses the energy of falling water. Water is trapped by a dam and allowed to fall through tunnels, where the pressure of the falling water turns turbines to generate electricity.

Tidal

Currents or changes in water level caused by tides are used to turn turbines and generate electricity.

Wave

Wind blowing across water makes waves, which drive turbines to generate electricity.

Geothermal

Water is pumped into the ground, where heat deep in the Earth's crust turns it into steam and then drives a turbine to generate electricity. The steam may also be piped to homes for hot water and heating.

Nuclear power

Nuclear power can be used to generate a large amount of energy from a small amount of fuel. The splitting of uranium atoms releases energy, which is then used to generate electricity. Nuclear energy is a recyclable energy source

— i.e. where the waste products can be recovered and used to make new energy.

Biofuels

1. The combustion of biomass (wood, plants and animal waste) is a key energy resource in many developing countries.
   Biomass can be burnt to produce heat energy or processed to make biofuels, such as bioethanol and biodiesel.

2. These biofuels can replace petrol and diesel and have lower particulate emissions. They can be produced by growing crops such as grass, sugar cane and wheat, as well as oil based crops such as rapeseed and linseed.

Pros biofuels

Pros:

Biofuels rely on relatively simple processes (growing crops) which make them accessible to people in

countries of all levels of economic backgrounds

• Bioethanol can be cheaper than traditional petrol if produced on a large scale.

• It can bring high levels of income to rural areas from little investment.

Biofuels do not create devastating environmental disasters if they are spilt or if there are leaks.

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more easily and create little lasting damage.

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dioxide into the atmosphere, the rate of release is a lot less than traditional petrol emissions.

Cons biofuels

Growing the crops needed to make biofuels can reduce biodiversity. Biofuels like corn-based ethanol need a lot of land to grow, which means clearing other vegetation. This can result in the deforestation of ecologically sensitive areas, such as rainforests.

In some regions, growing crops may require the heavy use of fertilisers and pesticides, which can pollute water courses.

In some countries, land is needed to grow food crops rather than fuel crops and competition for land and water resources means that growing biofuels reduces the ability of a country to feed itself.

Pros and cons of wind power

Pros

• renewable energy source

• Environ friendly

• Low operating costs

• Reduces fossil fuel use

• Land can still be used

Cons;

• weather depend

• Noise and visual impact

• Harm to wildlife

• High initial costs

• Require suitable locations

Pros and cons of nuclear

Pros

• low greenhouse gas emissions

• High energy output

• Reliable power supply

• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels

• Small land footprint

Cons;

• risk of accidents and severe environmental and health consequences

• High initial costs

• Closing and dismantling old nuclear plants is costly and technically difficult

• Nuclear material and tech concerns abt terrosim and weapons

• Radioactive waste

Pros and cons of HEP

Pros

• renewable energy source

• Low greenhouse gas emissions

• Generate large amounts of electricity consistently and respond quickly to changes ind means

• Low operating costs

Cons:

• expensive to build dam

• Environ damage- flooding

• Displace people

• Depend of water avaliblitt

• Can trap sediment which can affect water quality

Pros and cons of solar

Pros:

• renewable and suatinable

• Environ friendly no greenhouse emissions

• Lower energy bills- generate own electric reduces energy cost

• Low operating costs- last 20-30 years

• Energy independence- no need to rely on energy supplies

Cons:

• high initial costs

• Weather depend

• Energy storage costly

• Neeeds space

• Manufacturing impacts

• E waste

Radical tech

Radical technologies are engineering designs and developments that either create new forms of energy or use energy in a very different way so that countries can be more energy secure.

There are three main technologies you need to know about:

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Hydrogen fuel cells

Electric vehicles

Carbon capture and storage

CO2 prodcued in fossil fuels are burnt is captured inside the power plant or within the factory before it enters the atmosphere. This gas is then compressed and piped through an injection well to natural underground cavities and chambers like aquifers

Hydrogen fuel cells

Combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce water an energy in the form of electricity- means they can be sued as battery packs for homes and cars

Electric vehicles

Run off rechargeable electric batteries rather than conventional fuel

cons of carbon capture and storage

• Carbon capture and storage is very expensive and requires a high degree of mechanical engineering.

• Although CCS removes carbon from the atmosphere, potentially reducing the onset of a more enhanced greenhouse effect, results will not be felt immediately.

• Leakage from the underground stores is not always monitored

Hydrogen fuel cells cons

• Hydrogen fuel cells don't produce any dangerous waste products (just pure water) and aren't part of the carbon cycle so can reduce carbon emissions. But there are still problems:

1)

Sourcing and storing hydrogen for use in the cells is difficult. Although hydrogen is hugely abundant, it does not occur as a gas in a natural state from which it can be captured and used.

2) It is highly volatile and can cause explosions.

Electric vehicles cons

• Electric vehicles run off battery packs that have a limited distance range. Although the technology is improving rapidly, they still require a network of charging points. In the UK, the number of public charging points is limited and a high proportion are found in large cities.

• Producing and disposing of the batteries can cause environmental problems.

• Although owners of electric cars save money on fuel, they are expensive to buy initially and converting a petrol car to electric power is expensive.

• Electric vehicles are also extremely quiet. Although this creates some concerns around road safety, it does reduce noise pollution.