For your geography GCSE, you need to study how energy is generated and the effects of energy generation on people and the environment. It is also required that you understand the ways in which energy resources are managed in a sustainable way by considering how energy is used and where it is wasted. The exact requirements depend on the syllabus that you are following.
The need for energy is increasing every day due to population growth along with increased wealth, urbanisation and technological advances in emerging economies. Cities develop by consuming energy and resources from other environments. National and local governments are increasingly aware that sustainability is essential and are taking various steps to achieve this. One of the key aspects is energy generation. Avoiding energy wastage and finding new ways of obtaining the energy required are the two ways that a city, town or village can contribute to this global issue.
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Currently, energy is generated using mostly fossil fuels - diesel and petrol provides the bulk of the energy for transport. For cooking, in the UK, natural gas (from the North Sea) and electricity are the key sources of energy. The electricity flowing through the National Grid to homes and businesses is generated from coal, oil and gas with some nuclear and a small amount from sustainable sources. In Scotland, some electricity is generated sustainably through hydro-electric schemes based in the highlands where rainfall is high and population density is low.
At some point in the future, fossil fuel stocks will be exhausted which means that humans will need to find alternative sources of energy to replace them or face a world with little or no electricity. These alternatives are nuclear power plus a number of sustainable energy generation methods referred to as renewable energies.
Nuclear power generation is not sustainable, however, it is believed that it will take longer to exhaust the raw materials than fossil fuels and a small amount of fuel can generate much larger amounts of electricity than other methods. Renewable energies include wind power, solar power and wave power. Energy can also be generated from biological sources (biofuels) but this can create problems in LEDCs where land that was used to grow crops to feed local populations are used to grow cash crops for making biofuels.
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1.
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Why is the global demand for energy increasing? |
|
| [ ] |
Populations are increasing |
| [ ] |
More technology is available |
| [ ] |
Increased wealth |
| [ ] |
All of the above |
|
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|
2.
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Which of the following methods of energy generation is not considered as being sustainable? |
|
| [ ] |
Electricity generation from fossil fuels |
| [ ] |
Electricity generation from a solar cell |
| [ ] |
Using modified vegetable oil in place of diesel |
| [ ] |
Heating a home using a wood burning stove |
|
|
|
3.
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Which of the following is not a way that an individual can help to reduce energy usage in an urban area? |
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| [ ] |
Insulating their home |
| [ ] |
Using public transport instead of a car |
| [ ] |
Turning off the street lights for a few hours each night |
| [ ] |
Buying energy efficient appliances |
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4.
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How is electricity generated for use in the National Grid? |
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| [ ] |
By burning biofuels |
| [ ] |
By burning wood |
| [ ] |
By burning fossil fuels |
| [ ] |
By burning nuclear fuels |
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|
5.
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Why is it important to find alternative ways to generate electricity? |
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| [ ] |
To make electricity cheaper |
| [ ] |
To reduce the quantity of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere |
| [ ] |
To get a better quality of electricity to use for charging up smartphones and tablet computers |
| [ ] |
To get rid of the National Grid |
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6.
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What is a wind farm? |
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| [ ] |
A farm that produces wind |
| [ ] |
A farm that uses wind |
| [ ] |
A farm that uses a windmill to grind wheat and other crops to make flour |
| [ ] |
A collection of wind turbines that feed electricity into the National Grid |
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7.
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Which of the following would be a suitable location for a wind farm? |
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| [ ] |
In a valley |
| [ ] |
On high ground |
| [ ] |
Alongside a river |
| [ ] |
On a hill in a national park |
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8.
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Why does Scotland have a higher percentage of electicity generated from hydro-electric schemes than other areas of the UK? |
|
| [ ] |
It has a high rainfall |
| [ ] |
It is windy |
| [ ] |
It is the most northerly country of the British Isles |
| [ ] |
It gets snow in the winter |
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9.
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Which of the following is not a practical way of reducing the energy generation needs of an urban area? |
|
| [ ] |
Banning nightclubs and late night parties |
| [ ] |
Adding insulation to schools and public buildings |
| [ ] |
District heating schemes |
| [ ] |
Replacing older public transport vehicles |
|
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10.
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In some countries, alcohol that has been fermented from sugar cane is added to petrol to make a biofuel. Which of the following is not a disadvantage of biofuels? |
|
| [ ] |
They don't contribute significant greenhouse gases to the atmosphere |
| [ ] |
Less land is available for food crop farming |
| [ ] |
Cars that run on petrol need to be converted to run on biofuels |
| [ ] |
It requires intensive farming |
|
|
|
1.
|
Why is the global demand for energy increasing? |
|
| [ ] |
Populations are increasing |
| [ ] |
More technology is available |
| [ ] |
Increased wealth |
| [x] |
All of the above |
|
|
|
2.
|
Which of the following methods of energy generation is not considered as being sustainable? |
|
| [x] |
Electricity generation from fossil fuels |
| [ ] |
Electricity generation from a solar cell |
| [ ] |
Using modified vegetable oil in place of diesel |
| [ ] |
Heating a home using a wood burning stove |
|
|
|
3.
|
Which of the following is not a way that an individual can help to reduce energy usage in an urban area? |
|
| [ ] |
Insulating their home |
| [ ] |
Using public transport instead of a car |
| [x] |
Turning off the street lights for a few hours each night |
| [ ] |
Buying energy efficient appliances |
|
|
|
4.
|
How is electricity generated for use in the National Grid? |
|
| [ ] |
By burning biofuels |
| [ ] |
By burning wood |
| [x] |
By burning fossil fuels |
| [ ] |
By burning nuclear fuels |
|
|
|
5.
|
Why is it important to find alternative ways to generate electricity? |
|
| [ ] |
To make electricity cheaper |
| [x] |
To reduce the quantity of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere |
| [ ] |
To get a better quality of electricity to use for charging up smartphones and tablet computers |
| [ ] |
To get rid of the National Grid |
|
|
|
6.
|
What is a wind farm? |
|
| [ ] |
A farm that produces wind |
| [ ] |
A farm that uses wind |
| [ ] |
A farm that uses a windmill to grind wheat and other crops to make flour |
| [x] |
A collection of wind turbines that feed electricity into the National Grid |
|
|
|
7.
|
Which of the following would be a suitable location for a wind farm? |
|
| [ ] |
In a valley |
| [x] |
On high ground |
| [ ] |
Alongside a river |
| [ ] |
On a hill in a national park |
|
|
|
8.
|
Why does Scotland have a higher percentage of electicity generated from hydro-electric schemes than other areas of the UK? |
|
| [x] |
It has a high rainfall |
| [ ] |
It is windy |
| [ ] |
It is the most northerly country of the British Isles |
| [ ] |
It gets snow in the winter |
|
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following is not a practical way of reducing the energy generation needs of an urban area? |
|
| [x] |
Banning nightclubs and late night parties |
| [ ] |
Adding insulation to schools and public buildings |
| [ ] |
District heating schemes |
| [ ] |
Replacing older public transport vehicles |
|
|
|
10.
|
In some countries, alcohol that has been fermented from sugar cane is added to petrol to make a biofuel. Which of the following is not a disadvantage of biofuels? |
|
| [x] |
They don't contribute significant greenhouse gases to the atmosphere |
| [ ] |
Less land is available for food crop farming |
| [ ] |
Cars that run on petrol need to be converted to run on biofuels |
| [ ] |
It requires intensive farming |
|
|
