Earth Energy Resources

_____ is by far the dirtiest fossil fuel, yet the biggest producer of electricity worldwide.

Coal

“The 20th Century was the Century of _____”

Petroleum

Where are most of the world’s oil reserves?

The Middle East

Where are most of the world’s gas reserves?

The Middle East & Europe/Eurasia

When was the US’s peak oil production? What has increased since then?

1970s; coal

Why are countries moving towards coal?

Oil & gas are finite resources, & there is not immediate danger of running out of coal (like there is w/ the other 2)

Moving away from coal is _____ _____.

Absolutely critical

Why is there no nuclear energy in Ireland?

It is illegal to extract uranium

What are the pros & cons of nuclear energy?

• Pros: low greenhouse emissions, can be turned on/off, produces concentrated energy that’s easy to feed into national electricity supply network

• Cons: waste needs storage, high infrastructure costs, long term maintenance legacy, safety, proliferation

How does nuclear energy work?

Controlled nuclear reactions produce huge amounts of energy

How does geothermal energy work?

In areas of volcanism, internal heat flow is hight & can be tapped (cold water pumped down into Earth → steam & hot water comes back up)

What are the issues of tidal power?

• Impact of barrier across estuary

• Electricity generated on lunar cycle while people work on solar cycle

• Tidal range

Where is the Sea Gen turbine used for tidal power?

Northern Ireland