Summary Study notes for a 7 in IB ESS Topic 7: Climate Change and Energy Production
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Course
IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL
Institution
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY PRODUCTION
Topic 7
7.1 ENERGY CHOICES AND SECURITY
Energy can be generated from both renewable and non-renewable resources. The majority
of the world’s fuel comes from non-renewable ones, and it will not change much by 2030.
Non-Renewable Resources
Fossil Fuels: include coal and oil. Processing of fossil fuels to produce petroleum led to the
invention of the combustion engine, and this technology has continued to dominate until the
present day. Pollution and global warming were not factors that were considered when fossil
fuels were adopted as the primary source of energy generation.
MEDCs use more energy from fossil fuels than LEDCs that have never had the technologies
to exploit natural resources, but their demand is expected to rise as they develop.
Awareness has been growing about the consequences of fossil fuel use, putting pressure
on the development of renewable sources.
Although nowadays fossil fuels are cheap to use, in the future the cost of non-renewable
resources is likely to increase due to lower supply (energy insecurity) as only resources with
difficulties to access will remain, this will make renewable sources more attractive.
Advantages relatively cheap and plentiful, advanced technologies allow safe extraction.
Oil and gas can be moved over long distances through pipelines.
Disadvantages contribute to the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere and global warming,
their use is unsustainable, their extraction will become more expensive and risky, spillages
from tankers and pipelines can damage ecosystems.
Shale Gas: extracted from Earth’s sedimentary rocks in China, Argentina and South Africa.
It can have economic impacts (firms, jobs, energy) as well as geopolitical consequences as
dependence on Qatari, Russian and Algerian gas could cease.
Hydraulic fracturing may pollute groundwater and soil, releasing methane and triggering
earthquakes. Large volumes of water are required and countries may face shortages.
China potential contender, has started exploratory projects but it lacks pipeline networks,
faces water shortage and although drills have been placed, Chinese reserves of shale are
deeply buried in deposits of high clay content which makes fracking less productive.
Nuclear Power: nuclear fission releases huge amounts of energy that heats water around
the nuclear core turning it into steam which passes over turbines that spin a generator
producing electricity. Steam is cooled by cold water from the cooling tower, it condenses
back to water that is then reheated to restart the process.
Advantages Disadvantages
Does not emit CO2, no global warming. Waste is extremely dangerous for millennia.
Technology is readily available. The source is uranium which is scarce and
Large amount of electrical energy is non-renewable.
produced by a single plant. It takes 20 to 30 years to build a plant.
Very efficient (1kg of uranium has 20000 High associated risks, 100% reliability is not
times more energy than 1kg of coal). guaranteed (Fukushima, Chernobyl…)
, Renewable Resources
They do not release pollutants like greenhouse gases or acid chemicals and will not run out.
Extensive investments have been made although fossil fuels are still cheaper.
Hydroelectric power: water is blocked behind a dam and flown through turbines that can
be switched on to generate electricity.
Advantage once they are set up they are cheap to run,
Disadvantage vast areas may be flooded causing loss of habitats, farmland and human
lives, costs are high, if a dam silts up then it becomes unusable.
Tidal power: produced energy by using the ebbing or flooding tide to turn turbines and
produce energy.
Problems good tidal range and right shape of coastline to channel water are required to
generate enough energy, expensive installations might interfere with navigation and wildlife.
Solar energy: makes use of the sunrays to obtain energy.
Advantage passive solar energy is cheaper for heating homes than fossil fuels.
Problems expensive if the goal is high quality energy for manufacturing, its usefulness is
limited in northern countries during the winter.
Wind power: produced by turbines driven by available wind energy which turns the rotor
blades that rotate a metal shaft which transfers the rotational energy to the generator
(electric energy).
Problems expensive, disrupt landscape, require high and constant wind.
Biofuel: plant material burnt to produce energy. The most common source is ethanol from
plants used as fuel or methane digestion methods to convert biomass to methane which is
then burnt to generate electricity.
Problems produce emission, require large amounts of land to grow biofuel crop which are
often planted at the expense of natural ecosystems where land has to be cleared.
Wastes: organic waste decomposes and gives off methane gas which can be burnt. Waste
can also be burnt directly to generate energy.
Advantages readily available resources that do not deplete natural capital, the waste
would be disposed otherwise.
Disadvantages burning adds to global warming (decomposition would do it anyway).
Geothermal: obtained from residual heat underground. Water is pumped into pipes beneath
the ground and the geothermal heat from the found heats the water which can then be used
to heat buildings. Pipes have to be buried at a great depth to capture enough heat.
Advantage low impact and no release of pollutants.
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