Energy Sources

Energy Sources

Fossil Fuels
1. All energy ultimately comes from either the sun or the Earth
2. Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy
3. Food is clearly a fuel
4. Wood, dung and animal fat were early fuels, burned by our prehistoric ancestors to create heat and possibly light
5. Fossil fuels are those formed over geological time from the partly decayed remains of plants or animals.
6. They include coal, oil and natural gas.
7. They can be used or combusted only once and are therefore finite
8. They become exhausted because they can only be replaced over considerable periods of geological time
9. They are classified as non-renewable sources of energy
10. During combustion, fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide, which has an impact on climate because it contributes to the greenhouse effect
11. Exploiting fossil fuels by quarrying, mining and pumping has other environmental impacts, such as deforestation and the disruption of water tables and groundwater supplies
12. Nuclear energy falls into the category of non-renewable energy since supplies of the raw material, uranium, are finite
Renewable Sources
1. By contrast, renewable sources of energy are those capable of natural regeneration on a human timescale
2. They provide almost continuous flows of energy
3. These sources include inland water, wind, the tides, ocean waves, geothermal heat and the sun's rays
4. Sustainable sources of energy include wood, which can be regrown, and the pumped storage water of a hydroelectric power plant, which can be used time and time again
5. Some would also put nuclear energy in this category, because the nuclear power industry is able to reprocess some spent fuel so that it can be reused.
Primary Energy Sources
1. A distinction is made between primary and secondary energy
2. Primary energy is the energy found in natural resources
3. Examples include coal, crude oil, sunlight, wind, rivers, vegetation and uranium
4. Secondary energy is primary energy that has been converted into a more convenient form, usually electricity

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	Created by Jodie Goodacre over 10 years ago