Energy Issues

Energy Resources
- Some resources are only renewable if carefully managed e.g. wood - natural cycle of replenishment needs to be kept balanced 
- Some non-renewable resources can be replaced but only over a long period of time e.g. fossil fuels, still classed an non-renewable

UK Energy Mix:
- Over 70% of the UK's energy supply is provided by oil and - UK has reserves of both
- Since early 1970's, oil comsumption has increased - discovery in the North Sea
- Use of natural gas increased by 85% since 1990
- Despite large reserves, coal has fallen by 40% due to closure of mines and use of less polluting resources
- Use of renewable resources has increased - moving towards a more sustainable energy supply 

France Energy Mix:
- Limited coal and oil reserves (imported) - coal mining stopped completely 
- Proportion of natural gas used has increased by over 50% 
- Nuclear power is big due to lack of other resources - 41% (biggest in EU, second biggest in the world)
- Renewable energy from hydropower and biomass

Global Distribution
- Some countries produce lots of energy due to having large reserves and the money to exploit them e.g.
- Iran, Saudi Arabia  - large oil reserves
- China, Australia - large coal reserves
- UK, Russia, Canada - large oil and gas reserves 
- USA, Indonesia - large coal, oil and gas reserves 

- Some countries produce little energy due to lack of resources and are unable to exploit them because of lack of money and political instability e.g.
- Angola - politically unstable and lack of money
- Spain - small fossil fuel reserves 

Global energy comsumption is unevenly distributed

- Wealthy countries can afford to consume more - access to electricity, heating and use energy intensive devices like cars e.g. USA, Australia and Sweden 
- Poorer countires consume less because they can't afford - less energy is available and lifestyles don't depend on high energy consumption e.g. Mongolia and Burkina Faso

Some countries comsume less per person, but because of their big populations, the consumption for the whole country is more

- Countries that produce a lot of energy export it to those who can't
- Canada, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, United Arab Emirates all export…