energy geography

• Fossil fuels are non-renewable and will one day run out so scientists are exploring the potential of renewable sources of energy
• Renewable and non-renewable energy resources


  • Renewable (quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again)
  • Non-renewable (will run out one day)
• Fossil fuels


  Remains of ancient animals and plants that make up fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas
• Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases and relying on them for energy generation is unsustainable
• Renewable or infinite energy resources


  Sources of power that quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again
• Solar energy


  • Captured in solar panels and converted into electricity, potentially an infinite energy supply, but manufacture and implementation can be costly
• Wind energy


  • Wind turbines turn wind energy into electricity, a potentially infinite energy supply, but manufacture and implementation of wind farms can be costly and some object to onshore wind farms
• Tidal energy


  • Movement of tides drives turbines, a tidal barrage can generate a lot of energy but is very costly to construct and may have negative environmental impacts
• Wave energy


  • Movement of seawater compresses trapped air driving a turbine, more likely to be small local operations rather than large-scale, construction can be costly and may be opposed by local groups
• Geothermal energy


  • Uses the natural heat of the earth, potentially an infinite energy supply but can be expensive to set up and only works in areas of volcanic activity
• Hydroelectric power


  • Harnessed from the movement of water, creates water reserves as well as energy, but costly to build and can cause flooding and ecological impacts
• Biomass


  • Generated from decaying plant or animal waste, a cheap and readily available source of energy if crops are replaced, but gives off atmospheric pollutants including greenhouse gases when burned
• Wood


  • Obtained from felling trees, a cheap and readily available source of energy if trees are replaced, but gives off atmospheric pollutants including greenhouse gases when burned
• Biomass and wood are only renewable if the trees and crops are replanted
• Many people think bio means renewable, but it doesn't
• The UK government wants to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and increase the amount of energy that comes from renewable sources by 2020
• The EU has a target of 20% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020, with each member state having a different target
• The EU also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050
• Ways the UK can change energy use

  1. Reducing the demand for energy

  2. Increasing the supply of renewable energy
• Reducing energy demand in the UK

  • Due to economic, seasonal, and temporal factors
  • Regulations have forced vehicles to become more energy efficient
  • Incentives to save energy e.g. grants to make homes more efficient
• Renewable power use in the UK

  • Greatest amount comes from wind generation, with many wind farms set up
  • Biomass production of energy is expanding
  • Wave and tidal power not used significantly yet but could be developed more in the future