sustainability

Reduce

Reduce

To decrease the amount of energy and materials used in the manufacture of a product.

Re-use

To use a product for something else instead of throwing it away.

Recycle

To use a product to take new components for new products.

Rethink

To consider products and how we use them, and find a better way to do the job that’s better for the environment.

Repair

To fix a product instead of throwing it away, or design a product that’s easier to repair rather than throw away.

Refuse

To choose not to buy materials and products that are unsustainable.

Resource Recovery

Recovering disposed materials for specific uses, for example composting or recycling.

end of life disposal

how we dispose of products can have a significant impact on the environment.

End-of-life disposal

The process of disposing of a product at the end of its useful life.

Landfill

A site for the disposal of waste materials by burying them under layers of soil.

Biodegradable materials

Materials that can be decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

Recyclable materials

Materials that can be processed to be used again.

how are fossil fuels formed?

from the fossilised remains of plants and animals over millions of years

what are the 3 fossil fuels?

• coal

• oil

• gas

how are coal, oil, and gas extracted?

through mining and drilling

how are fossil fuels a source of energy?

can be burned to heat water which can be used to turn turbines which is used to power a generator

what are non - renewable energy sources?

• finite materials

• will eventually run out

what are examples of finite materials?

• metals

• plastics

what are some examples of non-renewable energy sources?

• fossil fuels

  • coal

  • oil

  • natural gas

what are the advantages of non-renewable energy sources?

• easily accessible

• generate lots of energy cheaply

• oil + gas can be transported over long distances thru pipes

what are the disadvantages of non-renewable energy sources?

• release CO2 when they’re burnt - create pollution

• CO2 contributes to greenhouse effect - global warming

• oil spills cause environmental damage

• supplies are running out

what are renewable energy sources?

• non-finite materials

• will never run out

• found naturally

what are examples of non-finite materials?

• wood

• cotton

what are examples on renewable energy sources?

• solar

• wind

• tidal

• geo thermal

• biomass

• hydro electric

what is solar power?

energy captured from the Sun’s rays by a photovoltaic cell and converted into electricity

what are the advantages of solar power?

• can be small and portable

• no pollution

• can be used in remote location

what are the disadvantages of solar power?

• high cost per unit of electricity

• depends on light intensity

• difficult to harness energy

what is wind power?

a wind turbine extracts energy from the wind to rotate blades that are connected to a generator which produces electricity

what is the best place for wind turbines?

• on top of hills

• off the coast

what are the advantages of wind power?

• can be small and portable

• no pollution

• running costs are low

what are the disadvantages of wind power?

• initial start up costs are high

• wind dependant

• produce lots of noise pollution

what is tidal power?

when the tide moves water through a turbine which in turn, generates electricity

what are the steps to getting tidal energy?

1. water flows into and out of estuaries as tides go in and out

2. barrages trap water at high tide