energy

• Essential global resources


  • Food
  • Water
  • Energy
• Types of energy sources

  • Fossil Fuels (Coal, Oil, Gas)
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Solar Power
  • Wind Power
  • Wave Power
  • Tidal Power
  • Hydroelectric Power
  • Biomass/Biofuel
  • Geothermal

  
• Fossil Fuels


  • Cheap to mine
  • High demand, since fossil fuels can be used in all countries and provide a reliable source of energy
  • Polluting - releases carbon dioxide and methane, which contributes to Global Warming
  • Non-renewable, so limited supply left of coal

  
• Nuclear Energy


  • Very reliable output of energy, so good base energy source throughout the year
  • Risk of radiation poisoning if uncontrolled (Chernobyl)
  • Any waste must be sealed in concrete and glass, and left underground for hundreds of years
  • When the power station is finished, it is expensive to decommission

  
• Solar Power


  • Costs are decreasing rapidly
  • Large potential in desert areas
  • Not very efficient yet (15-20%)
  • Effectiveness dependent on climate and time of the year and day
• Wind Power


  • Low running costs
  • Can be used year round
  • Plenty of suitable sites
  • Bird life can be affected
  • Weather dependent
• Wave Power


  • Produce most electricity during winter when demand is highest
  • Pioneer projects are commencing across the globe
  • Very expensive and a 'perfect' solution is yet to be created
  • Needs to survive storms
• Tidal Power


  • Has significant potential
  • Reliable source of energy once installed
  • Very expensive
  • Few schemes currently operating in the world
  • Impact on marine life
• Hydroelectric Power


  • Dams built for reservoirs can also generate electricity, improving clean water and energy supplies
  • Large dams are expensive to build
  • Disrupts fish migration along the river, as fish cannot swim through the dam
• Biomass/Biofuel


  • Cheap and easy to find
  • Biofuel is a renewable alternative to oil, which doesn't require car engines to be modified
  • Vegetation must be found sustainably, so land shouldn't be cleared for biofuels and not replanted
• Geothermal


  • Low maintenance costs
  • Suitable where other technologies might not be
  • High installation cost
  • Risk during earthquakes etc.
• Across the world, the demand for electricity varies as well as the method we use to generate electricity
• We require electricity for many purposes: household appliances (TVs, washing machines, etc), industry (machinery and factories), transport (for example trams)
• Graphs showing energy consumption

  • Graph A - Type of energy source used and the amount of energy it contributes
  • Graph B - Amount of energy consumed by each country

  
• The world is demanding more and more energy. This is because the world's population is growing, as is as the number of developed countries
• As countries develop, they demand more electricity for household appliances and evolving industries
• Inequalities between countries relating to electricity

  • The richest, more developed countries consume much more electricity than poorer, less developed countries
  • Not all countries have sources of energy
  • Fossil fuels tend to be cheaper and easier to source than renewable sources, so only the most developed, high income countries can afford to generate electricity sustainably
• Energy surplus


  When the supply of energy exceeds the demand
• Energy deficit


  When the supply of energy is less than the demand
• Countries with energy surplus

  • Russia - due to its large natural gas and oil fields, as well as many nuclear plants
  • Middle East - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait have between them 100 billion barrels of oil to be extracted, making them wealthy and energy secure
• Countries with energy deficit

  • Western Europe - The UK has largely used up its supply of coal during the mining era
  • Asia - Rapidly growing population means rapid demand outweighs the supply of energy
• Benefits of nuclear energy

  • Reliable source of constant energy since nuclear fission is a constant process and so the same amount of energy can be produced each day
  • The fuel (Uranium) is extremely concentrated, so there are small mining sites required to fuel the nuclear plant
  • The nuclear industry creates many employment opportunities at each plant. 475,000 jobs are created in the US's nuclear sector, from head engineers to cleaners
• Not all countries believe nuclear energy is a good idea as the biggest negative is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown, the effects of which are incredibly long lasting
• The land around Chernobyl (a nuclear power station in Ukraine) is still full of radiation and the effects are still being felt to this day
• Due to the risk of nuclear meltdowns, some governments have adopted anti-nuclear policies. Countries such as Germany and Denmark don't use nuclear power stations to generate energy
• In recent years, fewer countries wish to build nuclear power stations
• The nuclear industry creates many employment opportunities at each plant. 475,000 jobs are created in the US's nuclear sector, from head engineers to cleaners.
• Not all countries believe nuclear energy is a good idea


  The biggest negative is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown, the effects of which are incredibly long lasting
• Due to the risk of nuclear meltdowns, some governments have adopted anti-nuclear policies. Countries such as Germany and Denmark don't use nuclear power stations to generate energy.
• In recent years, fewer countries wish to build nuclear power plants after the 2011 Fukushima Disaster.
• Human factors affecting energy supply

  • Government policies affect which types of energy can and cannot be used
  • Conflict can prevent energy sources being extracted
  • The development of a country will affect the technology available

  
• Physical factors affecting energy supply

  • Not all countries have access to all energy sources
  • Fossil fuels can be found only for specific geology types
  • Geothermal energy can only be produced near magma plumes
  • Climate can impact the efficiency of renewable sources
• Economic factors affecting energy supply

  The cost involved in using an energy source could be too much for a country, and make the electricity generated unaffordable for families
• Farming and agriculture demands a large amount of energy each year. This is used to power machinery, as fuel for tractors and harvesters, as well as heating barns and greenhouses in the winter.
• To try to reduce the greenhouse emissions produced by tractors and machinery


  Some farmers are choosing to use biofuels
• Biofuels take up land that could be used for growing food crops, which increases the pressure on existing food supplies. In some countries (such as Mexico) this has led to riots; the people are unhappy that their government leaves them hungry but makes money producing biofuels.
• Many industries require a constant supply of electricity for their computers in offices and machinery in production lines. Therefore, many TNCs will set up operations in countries where they have constant, cheap supply of energy.
• If energy costs too much for a company, their products will cost more and so a business may not make enough profits. Countries who import energy are vulnerable to changes or fluctuations in price.
• When supply cannot meet demand

  The price of electricity/fuel will rise
• This can result in inequality between who can afford electricity and who cannot. This can lead to many other disadvantages such as children falling behind with their education, unemployed people having a smaller chance of finding new work, and families becoming isolated.