GCSE Geography | Increasing Energy Supply (Resource Management - Energy 4)

There are many different solutions to increasing energy supply and ensuring energy security across the globe. But we need to ensure that these strategies don't harm the environment, are affordable and can be exploited with the technology available to us.

Fossil fuels are the dominant energy source around the globe (about 80%) - however climate change has forced governments to rethink our use of coal, oil and gas and turn to alternative energy sources to reduce carbon emissions.

Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy accounts for just under 5% of global energy production. It works by nuclear fission using uranium - this process takes place in a nuclear reactor and generates heat and steam, which drive turbines to generate energy. Because it uses the mineral uranium, nuclear power is classed as a non-renewable energy as the mineral is finite so will run out eventually. However it only needs very small quantities of uranium and emits minimal carbon dioxide during production so is better for the environment than fossil fuels. It is also able to produce energy at a large-scale, which many other alternative energy sources can't.

But nuclear power is controversial for many reasons...

Economic: The power stations cost an enormous amount of money to construct so therefore are not suitable for LICs and many NEEs. Transportation and storage of nuclear waste is very difficult and expensive, and the cost of the decommissioning process at the end of the life of the power station is also very high

Environmental: Nuclear waste has to be stored for a very long time - it can take thousands of years for radioactive decay to occur so the risk of contamination is high. In addition, radiation leaks from nuclear accidents can have a long-term effect on people and the environment, e.g. Chernobyl (Ukraine, 1986) which led to the evacuation of 350,000 people, and destroyed hundreds of thousands of pine trees close to the reactor, leading to reduced seed production in the area, and a huge decline in species of invertebrates and small mammals.

In the late 1990s nuclear power accounted for a quarter of all energy production in the UK, but this has declined to around 15% now. Other countries have also decided to change their stance on nuclear energy - the Japanese government is considering closing down all of its nuclear plants, and Germany has stated that their future energy security will be met through non-nuclear energy production.

Wind power

Wind power works by turbines on land or at sea being turned by the wind to generate electricity. Once they are constructed the cost to run wind turbines is quite low. They can be built offshore, so take up less valuable land and are less likely to be opposed. Improved technology means they require less maintenance, can generate more power and are less noisy. There is a lot of potential for wind farms in upland areas around the world, as well as the world's deserts where the land is exposed and there is nothing to slow the wind down. Jaisalmer Wind Farm in the Thar Desert is India's biggest windfarm (pictured below).

However, some people claim they ruin the landscape (particularly as they are often in upland areas with spectacular scenery), and they pose a danger to flying birds who often fly into the blades. They are also expensive to construct and wind is unpredictable so at certain times of the year they generate far less energy, and at other times, the energy generated cannot be stored.

Solar power

Solar energy is generated by photovoltaic cells mounted together to make up solar panels. This technology converts sunlight into electricity. Solar panels are cheaper to install than some other renewable sources, easy and cheap to maintain and huge potential in LICs and NEEs with sunny climates, e.g. solar farms are being developed in the Thar desert in India.

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Power Facility (pictured below) in the Mohave Desert in California is one of the world's largest solar farms. It generates power by using 173,000 heliostat mirrors, each measuring 7m², to focus sunlight onto three 138 m high solar power towers. The heat from the sun generates steam to drive turbines that generate electricity for 140,000 homes. The project cost $2.2 billion and covers 360,000 hectares of land. Environmental campaigners have expressed their concerns over the impact of this project on the fragile desert ecosystem. Vegetation has to be removed during construction, leading to the destruction of rare plants. Birds are confused by the mirrors, mistaking them for water and are also killed by flying into the concentrated rays. Groundwater is used to wash the mirrors. The habitats of the golden eagle and bighorn sheep have been destroyed, and over 130 desert tortoises have been killed or displaced.

And of course, solar energy production is seasonal, for example, in a temperate climate there are times of the year when solar panels wouldn’t generate as much energy, and in some countries it wouldn’t generate much at any point in the year. Solar farms also take up a lot of land, which people think should be used to produce food.

Biomass

Biomass is energy produced from organic matter, either through burning dung or plant matter, or the production of biofuels, by processing specially grown plants such as sugar cane. It can be produced domestically so sources of biomass energy are widespread and easily available. It also reduces and makes use of waste, meaning less waste ends up in landfill.

However, it does cause deforestation as rainforests are cut down to make way for biofuel plantations, which take up huge amounts of space, such as the sorghum plantation (pictured below). Additionally, when organic matter is burned it emits harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide which leads to the greenhouse effect and climate change.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy comes from water heated underground by hot rocks, creating steam that drives turbines to generate electricity. It doesn’t emit any harmful gases and is very efficient so can generate a lot of energy, e.g. it provides over 1/3 of Iceland’s energy and the Svartsengi Plant (pictured below) is one of six enormous geothermal power plants in the country.

It is a constant source of energy, meaning that it is not dependent on neither wind nor sun, and available all year long, which makes it more reliable that other forms of renewable energy.

However, it is limited to tectonically-active countries, for example, Iceland is on a constructive plate margin - in fact it’s on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and there are some concerns that these locations could cool down over time, making them unsuitable for geothermal energy. Extracting geothermal energy is a really expensive process, so is only really an option for the HICs in tectonically active areas, rather than the many LICs who could potentially exploit it because of their proximity to plate margins.

Hydroelectric power

Hydroelectric power (HEP) is generated using dams where water turns turbines. These dams can be small-scale or huge engineering feats, such as the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the USA (pictured below). HEP makes up about 80% of all renewable energy generation across the globe - it is popular in upland areas with big rivers. Water flow can be controlled in order to generate more electricity when demand peaks.

However, it is very controversial as the large dams are expensive and reduce the amount of water feeding rivers downstream, causing issues for local communities such as not having enough water for farming and disrupting fish migration. They also cause mass flooding upstream, displacing local communities when reservoirs are constructed. The change in depth of water also has an impact on wildlife which can’t adapt to the change in water temperature.