Environmental Impact of Energy Production

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  • Created by: Sharon
  • Created on: 09-04-15 18:40
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  • Environmental Impact  of Energy Production
    • Fuel Wood
      • Main source of cooking fuel, heating and lighting in developing countries.
      • Increased population = more demand for wood = more trees cultivated.
        • less interception of rainfall, reduced infiltration, faster run off (flooding) and greater soil erosion by wind and water, loss of habitat and attractive scenary
        • overuse of land from gathering
    • Nuclear Energy
      • Advantages
        • low co2 emissions
        • less toxic waste released
        • large amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel
        • energy produced is cheap. eg France - 78% of electricity produced from nucelar power.  France has cleanest air and chepest energy
      • Disadvantage
        • nuclear waste is highly radioactive - needs to be stored carefully for very long time - expensive
          • transport difficult and expensive eg specially designed railways.
        • accidents causing radioactive leak has devastating affect on environment
        • decommissioning powers stations at end of life is very expensive
    • Fossil Fuels
      • problems arising from depletion of fossil fuel reserves, (natural gas and crude oil)
        • no more cheap energy from petroleum
        • loss of 1000s products made from petroleum eg. plastics, acrylics, cosmetics, paints, varnishes, asphalts, fertilizers, medications
        • price of them will rise
    • Acid Rain
      • Causes
        • sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (from burning fossil fuels) reacting in atmosphere with water
          • kills plant life, pollutes rivers, erodes stone
      • Management
        • catalytic converters on cars - reduce nitrogen oxide in car exhausts
        • burn fossil fuels with lower sulphur content
        • replace coal fired power stations with nuclear

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