Energy Resources Compared

Energy Resources

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Advantages:


Advantages:
• Reserves are likely to last 300 years.


Advantages:
• Reserves are likely to last 300 years.
• Improved technology has made conversion to electricity more
efficient.


Disadvantages:


Disadvantages:
• Most easily accessible coal has been used up so production costs
have risen.


Disadvantages:
have risen.
• Burning coal causes air pollution and the release of greenhouse
gases.


Disadvantages:
have risen.
• Burning coal causes air pollution and the release of greenhouse
gases.
• Mining causes lots of visual pollution.


Advantages:
• Cheaper and cleaner than oil and coal.


Advantages:
• Easy to transport.


Advantages:
• Safer than Nuclear energy.


Disadvantages:
• Only going to last 50-70 years.


Disadvantages:
• Greenhouse gases.


Disadvantages:
• Terminals are unattractive and take up a lot of space.


Oil


Advantages:
• Efficient to burn.


Advantages:


Advantages:
• Used for petrochemical industry.


Disadvantages:
• Reserves may only last another 50-70 years.


Disadvantages:


Disadvantages:
• Huge environmental problem of oil spills.


Disadvantages:
• Huge environmental problem of oil spills.
• Vulnerable to political and military pressure.


Nuclear


Advantages:
• Uses very little raw material.


Advantages:
• Produce very small amount of greenhouse gases.


Advantages:
• Produce very small amount of greenhouse gases.
• Long life span – not going to run out.


Disadvantages:
• The consequences of an accident e.g. Chernobyl.


Disadvantages:
• The production of nuclear waste.


Disadvantages:
• The production of nuclear waste.
• Potential health risks.


Biomass &
Biogas


•Non fossil organic material which has a chemical energy content.


•Can be a sustainable crop.


•Household waste (Sheffield).


•Household waste (Sheffield).
•Fermented organic material e.g sugar alcohol for vehicles (Brazil).


Advantages:
• Renewable and / or sustainable.


Advantages:
• Renewable and / or sustainable.
• Getting rid of waste products.


Disadvantages:
• Burning still produces greenhouse gases.


Disadvantages:
• Large area of agricultural land needed for growing a sustainable
burning crop.


Disadvantages:
• Large area of agricultural land needed for growing a sustainable
burning crop.
• Specialist equipment (incinerators) needed.


Advantages:
• Low running costs.


Advantages:
• When the wind is strongest – demand is highest.


Advantages:
• When the wind is strongest – demand is highest.
• Off-shore wind farms solve some of the problems of the on-
shore projects.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to build and maintain.


Disadvantages:
• Very large numbers needed – unsightly.


Disadvantages:
• Noisy.


Disadvantages:
• Noisy.
• NIMBY.


Tidal


Tidal Barrage


Sea Turbines


Advantages:
• Unlimited supply.


Advantages:
• No pollution.


Advantages:
• No pollution.
• Constant supply – there are always tides.


Advantages:
• No pollution.
• Constant supply – there are always tides.
• The UK will be world leaders in sea turbine technology.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to build.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to build.
• Floods estuaries – can destroy wildlife habitats.


Advantages:
• Masses of free energy.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to develop.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to develop.
• Equipment to survive severe weather still being developed.


Solar


Advantages:
• Very good for small scale uses.


Advantages:
• Alternative and appropriate technology for LEDCs.


Advantages:
• Alternative and appropriate technology for LEDCs.
• No pollution.


Disadvantages:
• Expensive to set up.


Disadvantages:
• For UK – when need is the greatest – the weather is the worst.


Disadvantages:
• For UK – when need is the greatest – the weather is the worst.
• Large scale (power station) projects still in development.


Hydroelectric
Power


Advantages:
• Little pollution when running.


Advantages:
• Cheap once set up.


Advantages:
• Lakes can be used for recreation and to stop flooding.


Advantages:
• Lakes can be used for recreation and to stop flooding.
• Pump storage schemes use spare energy.


Disadvantages:
• Dams are expensive to build and large projects can get LEDCs in
debt.


Disadvantages:
debt.
• Floods lots of land – disrupts peoples lives.


Disadvantages:
debt.
• Floods lots of land – disrupts peoples lives.
• Can create methane (greenhouse gas) from rotting vegetation.


Geothermal


Advantages:
• Renewable.


Advantages:
• Renewable.
• Reliable.


Advantages:
• Renewable.
• Reliable.
• Non-polluting.


Advantages:
• Renewable.
• Reliable.
• Non-polluting.
• Hot water can also be used for heating the local city.


Disadvantages:
• Limited locations with the possibility of earthquakes, eruptions
and sulphur.


Fuelwood


Advantages:
• The wood is free.


Disadvantages:
• The trees are important for shelter, food, fuel and shade.


Disadvantages:
• Collecting wood is a time consuming job for women and
children.


Disadvantages:
• Collecting wood is a time consuming job for women and
children.
• Environmental deprivation.


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