PHES

Geography Department

Energy & Water Resources Self Study Unit

READ the following information before you start!

Energy and Water Resources is a part of the IGCSE course

The work, once completed, will form your revision notes and the knowledge and understanding
gained from it will allow you to answer exam questions on this topic presented in Paper 1
It is important therefore, for you to read all that is provided, follow the instructions
carefully and be very thorough in completing this work
One word answers, poorly explained ideas and incomplete work will not help you at all!
You should complete this work using a computer (not hand written), the internet and any
other resources such as your text book
Make sure that your work is clearly presented with all relevant titles / sub-headings, etc.
The relevant pages in your Complete Geography text book are pages 284-309
You will also find the following websites very useful
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy_resources
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/water_rivers/water_usage_rev1.shtml
COMPLETE ALL SEVEN SECTIONS
Good luck and remember, if you are unsure / need help, ask!

The world's growing demand for energy poses two key questions
(Rhetorical questions just think about them!)
According to estimates, the world's supplies of non-renewable fossil fuels are running out. So we need to
find alternative, renewable sources of energy, BUT can we produce enough energy from renewable
sources to meet an ever increasing demand for electricity and transport?
Energy generation from fossil fuels has unwelcome side effects. One of them being global warming; may
have a catastrophic impact on the natural earth systems and its inhabitants, SO what are we going to do
about it?
Section 1
Energy consumption and energy types
The term energy crisis, refers to the fact that demand for energy is increasing but energy resources are
running out.
The current world population is 7.3 billion and growing! As economies worldwide are growing, along with it
so does the demand of energy as well. To feed the ever increasing population of the world, more food is
required. Farming is now accomplished by advanced machinery which runs on oil or other forms of energy
thus adding to the demand. Furthermore, business and marketing has also advanced resulting in vast
globalisation. Transportation is one of the largest consumers of energy in the world. This accounts for 58%
of liquid fuel consumed by countries according to statistics of 2004. Gradually, the energy we use in
transportation will inevitably increase as more people travel. An example is air travel which is a heavy user
of fuel. Rapidly developing countries such as India and China also play a huge role in the energy
consumption. They alone make up a population of 2.5 billion. To compensate their needs, the economy
industrialises; consequently increasing energy demands.

Read pages 284-85 of your text book and look at Figures 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, and 11.4 before answering 1-4.
1. For each figure stated above, describe what it tells you about energy consumption; you must use
evidence / figures from the Figures in your descriptions.
2. What are the benefits and problems associated with higher energy consumption?
3. Why do you think world energy consumption decreased in 2009?
4. Figure 11.4 has renewables on it; name some renewable energy sources.
Read the first couple of paragraphs on page 286 and this website before answering 5-9.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy_resources/energy_rev1.shtml
5. What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy?
6. What are fossil fuels and how were they formed?
7. What are the three largest sources of energy consumed today? Are they renewable or nonrenewable?
8. Why is using fossil fuels unsustainable? (look up the meaning of sustainable if you are not sure)
9. Why can wood (i.e. fuel-wood) be considered both renewable and non-renewable?
MEDCs and LEDCs compared
There are considerable differences between the patterns of energy consumption in MEDCs and LEDCs,
including; the total amount of energy used, the amount of energy used per capita, the sources of energy
used and the ways in which the energy is used.
Some nations, e.g. the USA, account for a vast proportion of the worlds consumption, and some
areas, e.g. most of Africa, use only very small amounts
the MEDCs have less than one quarter of the total world population but use nearly three quarters of
the worlds energy!
the average per capita energy consumption in MEDCs is almost three times that found in LEDCs
Energy is consumed in many ways by industry, commerce, transport, and domestic uses
Factors such as the amount of manufacturing industry, the physical size of the country, the extent of
car ownership, climate, etc. affect differences in energy consumption between MEDCs and LEDCs
The Middle East has a very high per capita energy consumption
Qatar has a per capita energy consumption value of 14.2 the highest in the world. A comparison
with Bangladesh at 0.11 and several African states with under 0.25 highlights a wide range of values
In LEDCs, over 50% of the energy consumed may come from non-commercial sources such as wood
or animal dung. Many local people are also so poor that even if commercial sources were available,
they would not be unable to afford them
MEDCs use a much larger percentage of their energy consumption on transport and commercial
uses than LEDCs, which use higher percentages on industrial and residential uses. Both groups of
countries use the same proportions on agriculture

Section 2
Environmental, Social and Political Issues
Use this website to answer question 10
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy_resources/what_resources_rev2.shtml
10. What are the consequences of exploiting energy resources?
Use this website to answer questions 11-13
www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/weather-and-climate/revise-it/climatic-and-environmental-problems

11. What are the causes and consequences of acid rain?

12. Why is acid rain an international issue?
13. The greenhouse effect is a natural process within our atmosphere and without our planet would
be frozen! Briefly explain how burning fossil fuels is causing global warming (i.e. the warming of
our atmosphere).
Use these websites to answer question 14
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy_resources/what_resources_rev3.shtml
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/wasting_resources/waste_pollution_rev2.shtml
14. What can people (like you) do to become more energy efficient; reducing their demand for
electricity and petrol, etc. and therefore reducing their carbon footprint (greenhouse gas
emissions?

15. Use page 287 and this website to explain how the oil industry (i.e. BP) caused unintentional harm
to the environment, using the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill as an example
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/wasting_resources/waste_pollution_rev5.shtmlto

16. Use pages 289-290 of your text book to describe the main environmental impacts of coal mining

The UK has set energy targets for the future

There are around 66 countries of the world that have engaged in setting energy targets. The United
Kingdom carries high intentions to boost nuclear energy and renewables. The UK, being one of the leading
nations of the UN is setting targets for a more sustainable future. The gas industry however has been
arguing the fact that gas offers a cheap alternative to renewables, despite being a fossil fuel.
The UK has taken a tough challenge to deliver key policy goals:
More than 30% of the electricity will be generate from renewables
12% of heat generated from renewables
10% of transport energy from renewables
Establish a mechanism to provide financial support for renewable electricity and heat worth of
around 30 billion pounds by 2020
Increase investment in emerging technologies and pursue new sources of supply
Create new opportunities for individuals, communities and business to harness renewable
energy

Section 3
Advantages and Disadvantages of Selected Energy Resources

FOSSIL FUELS COAL, OIL AND GAS

Major source of energy in: China

Advantages
Easily combustible, and burns at low
temperatures
Widely and easily distributed all over the
world by rail (coal), tankers (coal and oil)
and pipeline (gas)
Comparatively inexpensive to buy on the
open market due to large reserves and easy
accessibility
Good availability for much of the world
Coal is simple to mine, making it the least
expensive fossil fuel to obtain
Very large amounts of electricity can be
generated
Gas can be piped into homes to for heating
and cooking
Gas can be used as a fuel for vehicles, being
cleaner than petrol or diesel

Disadvantages
Is non-renewable and will run out!
Coal produces the least energy per ton
of fuel
Coal dust is an extreme explosion
hazard
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas,
contributing to global warming
Natural gas is mostly methane, which
is 21 times more potent as a
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide
Coal leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion (both
airborne and in solid-waste form),
thereby causing a lot of pollution
Gas has a high risk of explosion
Oil spills pollute the environment
Gas is vulnerable to sudden
international price changes as well as
political, economic and military
pressures

FUEL WOOD
Major source of energy in: Kenya
Advantages
Renewable source of energy
CO2 is also produced by burning wood; but it
is reabsorbed by growing the trees that
produce replacement wood.
As long as the net amount of wood in the
world remains constant, no net carbondioxide is released into the atmosphere by
burning firewood
Is currently the cheapest heating option

Disadvantages
A great many of the world's trees have
been destroyed to obtain fuel wood,
resulting in environmental problems
such as: deforestation, increased
erosion, and increased flooding
Wood burning contributes pollution to
the environment in the form of the
smoke emitted when burnt
Wood must be stacked and protected
from the elements to prevent it from
becoming wet and difficult to burn

NUCLEAR
Major source of energy in: Belgium
Advantages
No greenhouse gas emissions
The plants almost never experience
problems, which rarely occur as few people
are needed to operate it
Small amount of uranium creates a large
amount of energy
New reactor types have been designed to
make it physically impossible to melt down.

Disadvantages
Nuclear plants are more expensive to
build and maintain
Proliferation concerns - reactors yield
products that could potentially be
stolen and turned into a nuclear
weapon
Waste products are dangerous and
need to be carefully stored for long
periods of time. The spent fuel is highly
radioactive
There is presently no adequate safe
long-term storage for radioactive
waste produced from early reactors
Nuclear power plants can be
dangerous

HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER (HEP)

Major source of energy in: Brazil
Advantages
Creates no pollution and renewable
Stations can operate and run for long
periods of time
Hydroelectric power plants require little
maintenance
Dams are designed to last many decades
and so can contribute to the generation of
electricity for many years
Is generally available as needed; engineers
can control the flow of water through the
turbines to produce electricity on demand
Is a cleaner source of energy than oil, more
cost effective and efficient

Disadvantages
High investment costs
Studies show that the plant decay
caused downstream of major dams
produces greenhouse gasses
Building of large dams can cause
serious geological damage
Can damage the surrounding
environment and alter the quality of
the water by, which impacts fish and
the surrounding ecosystems
Takes up a great deal of space and can
impose on animal, plant, and even
human environments

GEOTHERMAL
Major source of energy in: New Zealand
Advantages
Disadvantages
Geothermal energy generally involves low
Low number of suitable locations for a
running costs
power plant
Is a constant supply of energy
Locations may temporarily run out of
Renewable and pollution free
steam, during this time, the power
Governments of various countries are
plant won't have enough energy to
investing hugely in creation of geothermal
generate electricity
energy which has created more jobs for the
Not easily transported
local people
Hazardous gases and minerals can
Can be directly used
come up from underground
Can cause recurring earthquakes in the
surrounding areas
SOLAR
Major source of energy in: Germany
Advantages
Solar energy is renewable
Non-polluting, no carbon dioxide like fossil
fuels & does not harm the environment
Batteries can be used to store power for use
at night
There is more solar energy landing on the
earth every day than it would take to supply
the world for a year
Solar panels can last over twenty years
In certain countries, excessive power
generated can be sold back to local
electricity provider

Disadvantages
When there is no solar energy to be
collected you'll have to have adequate
battery backup to get you through the
nights and rainy days
Takes a considerable amount of solar
panels depending on your location to
produce the same amount of
electricity
High cost of the semi-conducting
materials used in building one
Solar panels require quite a large area
for installation to achieve a good level
of efficiency

WIND
Major source of energy in: USA
Advantages
The wind is free and with modern
technology it can be captured efficiently
Once the wind turbine is built the energy it
produces does not cause greenhouse gases
or other pollutants
Wind turbines can be very tall but take up
only a small plot of land. So the land below
can still be used. Thus in agricultural areas
farming can still continue
Wind power is very low cost (after the initial
production and installation)
Remote areas that are not connected to the
electricity power grid can use wind turbines
to produce their own supply

Disadvantages
The strength of the wind is not
constant and it varies from zero to
storm force. This means that wind
turbines do not produce the same
amount of electricity all the time
The noise pollution from commercial
wind turbines
Many people feel that the countryside
should be left untouched, without
these large structures being built. The
landscape should left in its natural
form for everyone to enjoy
Animals that fly can be killed by
spinning turbines

TIDAL
Major source of energy in: France
Advantages
Tidal and wave energy is free, renewable,
and clean source of energy
It produces clean electricity, with no
production of greenhouse gas or pollution.
Tides are active 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year
Uses an abundant, inexpensive fuel source
(water) to generate power
Highly efficient resource compared with coal
and oil

Disadvantages
Some pollutants are released into the
atmosphere
Maintenance of tidal power station is
also a difficult task and it requires lots
of money
Lots of money required for tidal power
projects
Power generated depends on tides

Use page 296 of your text book to answer the following questions
17. What are biofuels made from and how can they be used?
18. Why did biofuel production increase after 2000?
19. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of biofuels?

Section 3
The Location and Operation of Power Stations
Power stations produce electricity by spinning a turbine at high speed. The turbine is connected to an
electro-magnetic generator which produces the electrical current. What actually causes the turbine to spin
varies between power stations. Thermal power stations burn fossil fuels to boil water to produce steam.
The steam (at high pressure) turns the turbine! HEP simply uses the force of gravity and running water to
turn the turbine.
HEP

Thermal (coal, oil, gas)

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Nuclear power is technically non-renewable because uranium, once used, cannot be used again. However, a
small amount of uranium lasts a long time and can produce vast amounts of electricity. For this reason it is
known as an alternative energy source rather than non-renewable.
Use pages 300-301 of your text book to answer the following questions;
20. How does a nuclear power station work (produce electricity)
Nuclear power station

21. Read the statements below. They describe factors which are important to consider when deciding
where to build different types of power station. Decide which of the statements are important for
nuclear power stations. Highlight the statements that you have chosen.

Needs high rainfall and low evaporation levels

Needs stable geological conditions (away from volcanoes/earthquakes)
Needs a steep sided valley, impermeable rock and a large river
Needs flat land which is easier to build on
Needs to be near a large coal/oil supply as coal/oil is heavy to transport
Needs a regular and constant flow of water throughout the year
Needs large amounts of water for cooling purposes so is often by the coast / a river
Needs to be away from large populations (towns and cities)
Needs to be close to a railway to bring in large amounts of fuel

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Section 4:
The Other Energy Crisis: Fuel-wood

Men buying fuel-wood and a woman collecting fuel wood.

22. Complete the paragraph below, using the words from the text box.
Nearly _________ people still use fuel wood as their __________ energy source. The majority of these
people live in the _____________ world. These people cut down trees and burn the wood as fuel or to
make ___________ for fuel for their stoves. It is usually women and ___________ that collect the wood.
Sometimes they can spend up to ____________ each day, just collecting firewood. The loads are very heavy
and the time taken is time that is lost from other important things such as farming or _____________. The
population in many of these countries is also ______________ very fast. This means that too many trees
are cut down and people have to walk _______________ and further each day to find fuel. Eventually
people will be without fuel for food and heat and the environment will experience ____________ without
trees to protect it.

soil erosion
children

five hours
schooling

developing
primary

Use page 291 of your text book to answer the following questions;
23. Why is the use of fuel-wood a concern in Lesotho?
24. What are two problems and two solutions of fuel-wood use?

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charcoal
further

growing
3 billion

Section 5:
CASE STUDY - Electricity / Energy supply in Germany
Use pages 302-305 to answer these questions about Germany
25. How many and what forms of energy are used to produce electricity in Germany?
26. What % of Germanys electricity is produced from; a. Renewable sources, b. Non-renewable
sources, and c. Nuclear
27. Even though coal contributes to global warming, why does Germany still use so much?
28. Name two locations where coal (lignite and bituminous) is extracted from in Germany.
29. Look at Figure 11.31. What do you notice about the location of Germanys coal mines and thermal
power stations?
30. Describe the main features of the Heilbronn coal-fired power station shown in figure 11.30.
31. Why is Rostock coal-fired power station not near to a coal field or a river?
32. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using coal for Germany?
33. How many nuclear power stations does Germany have and what are they all located next to?
34. Still under development, where will Germany eventually put 95% of its nuclear waste?
35. What is the opinion among Germans about the future of nuclear power? What do you think
about using nuclear power in Germany?
36. If Germany was to phase out and abandon nuclear power, where would/could it get its electricity
from instead?

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Section 6
Water Supply and Usage
Open the file World Water Day Simply read and be shocked!

Above shows global water supply.

Although over 70% of the earths surface is water, very little of this is of any use to people.
37. Calculate the % of the worlds water that is easily obtained by people from groundwater, rivers
and lakes (i.e. 31.1% divided by 2.5% x 100)
38. Use page 306, to state which sectors of society use and demand water.

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Use this website to answer question 39

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/water_rivers/water_usage_rev1.shtml
39. What are the main differences in water usage between MEDCs and LEDCs?
Use this website to answer question 40
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/water_rivers/water_usage_rev3.shtml
40. MEDCs use (and probably waste) huge amounts of water. Briefly describe what can be done to
better manage supply and demand of water in MEDCs?
Use this website to answer question 41
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/water_rivers/water_usage_rev5.shtml
41. Water issues in LEDCs is more to do with lack of it, diseases and water pollution. Briefly describe
what can be done to better manage water in LEDCs?

Water stress areas in the world are increasing every year. Water stress means that an area does not have
enough fresh water supplies to meet the demands of its population. Water stress is sometimes referred to
as water deficit (page 307)
Factors affecting water stress:
Amount of and reliability of precipitation
Temperature and levels of evaporation
Population density
Level of economic development
Use and management of groundwater supplies (water-bearing rocks)
Presence of rivers (or not)
Pollution of available water (by industry and domestic uses)
Intensity of irrigation used for farming
Per capita wealth (as more people become wealthy their lifestyle uses more water)
Tourism (tourists and tourist industry use lots of water)

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Water shortages have a big impact upon people, especially in LEDCs like Kenya. Between 1998 and 2001
Kenya experienced a massive drought. The rains failed every single year!
42. Read the speech bubbles below. Briefly describe how an unreliable rainfall can affect people in
Kenya.

CASE STUDY Water Supply in Lesotho (and South Africa) The Highlands Water Project
This is presented on page 308-9 of your text book. Answer the questions below; remember that case
studies need to contain place specific detail.
43. What are the main features of this scheme and why is South Africa also involved.
44. What are the objectives of the project?
45. How and where is water transferred to and from?
46. Why is Lesotho a good location for such a project?
47. What were the positive and negative impacts of the project?

THE END!

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