OCR 21st Century P3 Non-renewable Energy Sources

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  • Created by: LexaBen
  • Created on: 29-08-16 13:08

OCR 21st Century P3 Non-renewable Energy Sources

Advantages

  • Non-renewable Energy Sources including fossil fuels and nuclear fuels (uranium and plutonium), release a lot more energy than renewable energy source.
  • They are able to meet rising demands for energy more quickly, as they can produce energy faster and in greater amounts.
  • They are relatively cheap and reliable (they don't rely on the weather).
  • Thermal power stations usually have quite a large lifespan so they can be used for a long time before needing to be redone and remade.

Disadvantages

  • Non-renewable energy sources are finite, which means that they are limited and will run out sometime in the near future.
  • Start-up costs and running costs may be high. As well as that, fuel costs are also needed to maintain the power stations and demand for fuel.
  • Pollutants are released into the air. Pollutants include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide (which forms acid rain) etc. The pollutants are made when carbon and sulfur in the fuel burns.
  • Power stations, especially ones that are made for nuclear fuel, will take a long time to start up and could be quite expensive.
  • Nuclear fuel doesn't release CO2. However, the radioactive waste from the nuclear fuel emits ionising radiation and could be dangerous to human health as it leads to cancer.

Evaluation

Non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels and nuclear fuels are very important for us as it provides most of our energy currently. It provides a lot more energy than renewable energy sources of the same quantity, which makes it much more useful. However, non-renewable energy sources are polluting the Earth by adding harmful gases, like carbon dioxide, which can cause global warming.Nuclear fuel is also dangerous. So it is definitely better to use less of non-renewable energy sources. However, we do need some of non-renewable sources to meet the demands.

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