IB ESS Topic 7.1 - Energy choices and security

• energy security

  the supply of useful energy to a society for individual consumption and national security
• availability (energy choices)

  energy may be chosen according to what is present within a country, or what can be imported e.g. local oil fields, coastal areas for wave power,
• technological developments (energy choices)

  energy choices may change due to finding new sources of energy, e.g. shale oils or harnessing wave powerthere may also be advances in energy production methods to increase efficiency
• politics (energy choices)

  energy choices may be shaped by conflict over energy suppliesnations may choose to use more expensive energy production methods available locally rather than importing to increase national security
• economics (energy choices)


  globalisation of economics may make it cheaper to import power rather than produce your own
• cultural attitudes (energy choices)


  people perceptions and culture may shape their energy choices, e.g. our love for motorised vehicles making us unlikely to switch to electric cars
• sustainability (energy choices)


  while only renewable energy sources are sustainable, they make up for a very small proportion of world energy production
• environmental considerations (energy choices)


  concerns over safety, aesthetics, ecological impacts may cause choices to be made over energy sources, e.g. in Germany the phasing out of nuclear energy after safety concerns following Fukishima
• energy efficiency


  the amount of energy required to power a house, industry, vehicle or other machineorthe amount of useful energy created by different methods of energy production as a percentage of energy needed to create it(useful energy out / energy in) x 100
• USA shale oil (energy security choices)

  high oil prices and new technology has led to an increase in fracking in the USA - since 2008,the USA has increased its yield from 600,000 to 11.6 million barrels a day of crude oil (possibly overestimated)this has resulted in a dramatically increased fossil fuel security for the USA
• tight oil


  oil that is held tightly in rocks, and is therefore difficult to extract, however, is becoming more economic to do sothe removal of tight oil from rocks is often known as "fracking"
• wind turbines in Denmark

  over 30% of energy is produced in this way (more than any other country) - most turbines are off-shore in shallow water and linked to the on-shore electricity griddue to government drive since the 1970s when the majority of power was generated using coal-fired power and a ban was enforced on nuclear
• the sun

  all our energy on Earth comes from here - without it the planet would be devoid of life and at absolute zero (-273 degrees C)
• non-renewable energy


  energy sources which once used cannot be replenished (or are being replenished at an extremely slow rate)e.g. fossil fuels
• fossil fuels


  a non-renewable energy which is essentially trapped energy from the sun - created from compressed decomposed organic matter from millions of years agoburning releases heat energy used to heat water, which then turns turbines - this burning releases the carbon dioxide which was fixed through photosynthesis
• oil reserves


  two-thirds is found in the Middle East, the rest in Russia but more is being found as shale oil and tar sands in the USA and Canada
• peak oil


  we are soon to reach the time when we are finding oil at the maximum rate - after that, the amount we are able to find will start decreasing
• coal


  the dirtiest energy source as it releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide - made from fossilised peat (marshy land with large amounts of plant matter) and forests
• carbon capture and storage (CCS)


  technology used in some power plants to capture and store the carbon released through burning to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere
• energy crisis


  a bottlenecking, significant logistical issue or price increase in supply of energy to a societywe are currently in a global energy crisis, yet we continue to, in general, continue as if there were nothing wrong
• renewable energy


  energy created in a way that cannot be exhausted - either because it harnesses the energy of a natural process (such as solar, wind or tidal energy) or uses a source which replenishes rapidly (e.g. fast growing timber for burning)
• hydrogen economy


  the concept of using hydrogen as the fuel for industry, transport and electrical generation combustion of hydrogen releases a lot of energy - the waste product is water - however, hydrogen is highly flammable and so storage and transport is problematic
• Nuclear fusion

  the fusing of 2 hydrogen atoms to make helium - gives out a vast amount of energy (this is the reaction powering the sun)requires heavy water - water containing deuterium (a form of hydrogen which has a neutron)
• energy consumption


  measured in tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE)
• TNCs


  the transnational corporationsthey are contributing to the slow reduction in fossil fuel reliance as all machines are made to run on fossil fuels
• carbon emissions


  carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuelscarbon dioxide is considered to be responsible for 66% of the anthropogenic (enhanced) greenhouse effect
• TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent)

  The amount of energy released in burning one tonne of oil
• Solar energy


  Energy that comes from the sun. Solar energy is free, renewable and does not cause pollution. However it is only available when the sun is shining and initial set up costs can be high.
• wing power

  Energy that can be harnessed from the movement of the air. It is free, renewable and does not cause pollution. However it is only available when the wind strengths are in a particular range and initial set up costs can be high.
• Tidal power


  Electricity generated by the movement of sea water caused by the tides. It is free, renewable and does not cause pollution. However initial set up costs can be high and Tidal barrages can affect ecosystem (wetlands).
• Tidal barrages


  Tidal barrages are big dams across river estuaries, with turbines in them. As the tide comes in the estuary gets filled up. The water is then allowed out through turbines at a controlled speed. Tides are produced by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
• Hydroelectric power


  Electricity generated by flowing water. It is free, renewable and does not cause pollution.
• Hydroelectric dam


  Dam that uses the water it stores to produce electricity. It produces clean, affordable electricity, however initial set up costs are high, sites are relatively limited, ecosystems are changed and there is a potential risk if the dam breaks.
• wave power


  Is electrical power produced from ocean waves that is used to turn an electrical generator. It is free, renewable and does not cause pollution. However its use can alter ecosystems, initial set up cost can be high and generation depends on the energy in the waves.
• Biofuels/Biomass


  Fuel that comes from plants and animals. It is renewable and can be a way of getting rid of waste material. However it uses combustion and therefore causes air pollution. It may use land that could be used for growing food.
• Geothermal energy


  Energy from steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks. It is free, renewable and does not cause pollution. However initial set up costs may be high and it can lead to surface instability.
• Spratly Islands


  Claimed by China but disputed by claims from Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, others, partly due to the oil reserves they have
• Ukraine-Russian Gas dispute


  Russian gas pipelines flow through the Ukraine to Europe, Russia sells the Ukraine gas at a reduced price. In 2006 Russia cut off the gas to the Ukraine due to unpaid debts and over use. This raised questions over energy security in many European countries.
• Fukashima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster


  An earthquake and Tsunami whiich disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident on 11 March 2011. All three cores largely melted in the first three days.
• What are Fossil Fuels?

  • Fossil fuels include:
  • Coal
  • Natural gas (mostly methane) which is used in domestic boilers and cookers
  • Crude oil which is refined into petrol, diesel, and other fuels
  • Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of plants and animals
  • Chemical energy stored in fossil fuels originally came from sunlight
  • Energy from the sun was transferred to chemical energy stores within plants through photosynthesis (plants use energy from sunlight to make food)
  • Animals ate the plants and the energy was then transferred to their chemical store