The Global Demand for energy through sustainable and non-sustainable developments
By 2010, global oil consumption was 86.6 million barrels per day, and the demand is still rising. China was using 10% of this and India 3%. By 2030 global demand for energy is expected to have grown by 50%. The demand from developing countries may have grown by 85%, compared to developed countries 19%.
1. What are energy resources? - mindmap and classify them (fossil fuels, non-renewable, renwable)
Take a look at how the UK's electricity is being generated today - click here
2. Why is global consumption increasing?
a. As world population grows so does energy consumption. Extra people use extra energy. China and India now contain 40% of the world's population - if their energy use per person rose to USA levels the demand for energy would be extreme! Use page 134 of your text book to describe the growth in world population.
b. Increased wealth and technological advances creates further energy consumption. China and India need more energy for their industries to grow. They currently rely heavily on coal; for electricity generation but China also accounts for a third of the global growth in demand for oil. Increasing wealth in these countries also means a greater demand for electrical goods (requiring energy to make and operate them) and for cars. In addition devices that use energy such as computers and ipads are increasingly popular world wide.
Consider these facts and the impact they have on energy demand:
3. Read pages 222-223. Activities 1, 2a-c page 223. (graph here so you can have a copy too!)
The social, economic and environmental impact of increased energy use.
1.Complete the sorting activity
Study this map and summarise the effects of global warming in the different continents shown. Begin like this: In North America the predicted effects of global warming include......
How hot will it get? - have a go at this!
Sustainable development must ensure that the environment is protected and that there are sufficient resources for future generations
1. This can be achieved through the use of renewable energy.
Renewable energy - these sources can be used again and again e.g solar power, wind power. This group also includes biogas, which is made from organic material like cow dung.
Non Renewable - these are finite e.g oil and gas. Continued use of these will eventually use them up, and they can not be replaced.
List the advantages of using renewable using figure 3 page 224.
Complete this activity on energy consumption.
Case study - Wind farms But first... Watch this - identify: location factors, pros and cons
a useful summary of viewpoints on Wind Farms
Take a look at The London Array - the World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm! and read and watch this report from the BBC about the role of wind power in CHINA (link back to your urbanisation topic!)
NIMBY! - read this
2. International Directives on pollution control and carbon reducing initiatives - document and task
The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement signed by more than 100 countries in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 whose aim was to halt climate change. Countries made pledges to cut down their carbon emissions by agreed amounts by 2010. By 2006 it had been accepted by 162 countries, but the USA was criticised for refusing to stick to it. This treaty was due to expire in 2012 and has now, after many more meetings on climate talks, been extended to 2020.
The two biggest emitters of all – the United States and China – churned out more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Worldwide, emissions soared by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009.
In 2012’s International Summit countries finally agreed that rich nations should move towards compensating poor nations for losses due to climate change. and countries have agreed to work towards a new treaty from 2015. Getting all of the world's countries to agree is very difficult - WHY?
The latest set of Climate Talks were in Paris in Dec 2015 - They were hailed a success as 'The Paris agreement', in which 195 countries committed to limiting the temperature increase to well below 2C WATCH THE NEWS REPORT
• To keep global temperature increase "well below" 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C
• To review progress every five years
• $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.
Will Donald Trump pull out of the agreement? - keep an eye on the news.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38676898
3. Ways of reducing the costs of globalisation from local to global...
Ever heard the saying 'Act Local. Think Global'? ...
LOCAL
- List as many examples as you can from PF's Eco Schools work (see our FROG pages)
- Take a look at the Greening Godalming website and select some examples.
-Explain how recycling can help reduce the costs of globalisation...
GLOBAL
- What are Carbon Credits? How can they help?
The European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS) is the world's biggest scheme for trading greenhouse gas emissions allowances. Launched in 2005, it covers some 11,000 power stations and industrial plants in 30 countries, whose carbon emissions make up almost 50% of Europe's total.
A cap on the total emissions allowed within the scheme is set, and allowances adding up to the cap are provided to the companies regulated by the scheme. The companies are required to measure and report their carbon emissions and to hand in one allowance for each tonne they release. Companies can trade their allowances, providing an incentive for them to reduce their emissions.
