National and Global Energy Resources — AQA GCSE Physics
Energy resources are used for transport, heating and generating electricity. They are either renewable or non-renewable.
Renewable and non-renewable
- Non-renewable resources will run out: fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and nuclear fuel.
- Renewable resources can be replenished as they are used: solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, geothermal and bio-fuel.
Comparing resources
| Reliability | Environmental impact | |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil fuels | reliable, high output | release CO₂ and pollutants; finite |
| Nuclear | reliable, high output | radioactive waste; risk of accidents |
| Wind/solar | unreliable (weather) | clean, no CO₂ when running |
| Hydroelectric/tidal | fairly reliable | habitat disruption; high set-up cost |
| Bio-fuel | reliable | "carbon neutral" but uses land |
Trends and considerations
There is increasing use of renewables to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and limit climate change. However, decisions are affected by reliability, cost, environmental impact and political/ethical factors. Some renewables cannot meet demand on their own because they are unreliable.
Exam tips
- Classify resources as renewable or non-renewable with examples.
- Give balanced advantages and disadvantages (reliability, cost, pollution).
- Fossil fuels are reliable but polluting and finite; many renewables are clean but unreliable.
- Be ready to evaluate the use of a resource using data.