WEBVTT 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:03.975 Welcome to GCSE A Q A Geography revision. 00:00:04.125 --> 00:00:06.476 Topic G 18: Energy. 00:00:06.626 --> 00:00:08.610 This is an optional topic. 00:00:08.760 --> 00:00:12.011 Study it if it is one of the options taught by your school. 00:00:12.161 --> 00:00:17.015 Use your school’s selected case studies if they differ from these revision examples. 00:00:19.667 --> 00:00:24.103 Energy security is reliable access to affordable energy supplies. 00:00:24.253 --> 00:00:30.909 A country can have fuel resources but lack electricity connections or the money and technology to exploit them. 00:00:33.567 --> 00:00:35.721 Energy consumption is uneven. 00:00:35.871 --> 00:00:44.521 Wealthy and industrialised economies generally use more per person, while poorer households may lack modern fuels or reliable electricity. 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:49.696 Population growth raises demand. 00:00:49.846 --> 00:00:58.975 Economic development and technologies such as air conditioning and digital services can increase it further, while efficiency can reduce energy per task. 00:01:01.633 --> 00:01:08.523 Geology determines fossil-fuel deposits; climate and relief influence wind, solar and hydropower potential. 00:01:08.673 --> 00:01:12.857 A resource's location does not alone make it economic to develop. 00:01:15.533 --> 00:01:20.145 Extraction cost, depth, distance and transport infrastructure affect supply. 00:01:20.295 --> 00:01:26.031 Technology may make difficult resources accessible but can create new environmental risks. 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:34.267 Political instability, conflict, sanctions or disputed routes can disrupt energy trade. 00:01:34.417 --> 00:01:38.715 A mix of sources and suppliers can reduce dependence on a single route. 00:01:41.367 --> 00:01:45.825 Higher prices increase household costs and can make heating unaffordable. 00:01:45.975 --> 00:01:51.201 Businesses may raise prices or reduce production, affecting jobs and living standards. 00:01:53.867 --> 00:01:58.159 Power cuts disrupt hospitals, water pumps, factories and communication. 00:01:58.309 --> 00:02:02.279 Backup generators add costs and can increase local pollution. 00:02:04.933 --> 00:02:10.458 Energy is used in fertiliser manufacture, irrigation, food processing and transport. 00:02:10.608 --> 00:02:14.325 Rising fuel prices can therefore increase food prices. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:22.705 Demand can encourage extraction in deep oceans, fragile environments or remote areas. 00:02:22.855 --> 00:02:27.020 Development may increase costs, spill risks and habitat disturbance. 00:02:29.700 --> 00:02:32.897 Countries can compete over deposits and supply routes. 00:02:33.047 --> 00:02:38.050 Trade agreements, cooperation and reduced demand can also improve security. 00:02:40.700 --> 00:02:43.981 Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. 00:02:44.131 --> 00:02:50.017 They store energy from ancient organic material and form far too slowly to replace current use. 00:02:52.700 --> 00:02:58.778 Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide; some processes also release air pollutants. 00:02:58.928 --> 00:03:03.716 Extraction and transport can cause spills, habitat loss and methane leakage. 00:03:06.367 --> 00:03:11.624 Fossil fuels can provide controllable energy and established jobs and infrastructure. 00:03:11.774 --> 00:03:16.926 Price volatility, finite reserves and climate impacts are major disadvantages. 00:03:19.600 --> 00:03:24.665 Nuclear power releases energy from uranium rather than burning fossil fuel. 00:03:24.815 --> 00:03:30.287 It is non-renewable because its fuel is finite, although operating carbon emissions are low. 00:03:32.967 --> 00:03:36.760 Nuclear stations can provide substantial continuous output. 00:03:36.910 --> 00:03:43.275 High construction costs, long building times, radioactive waste and decommissioning require management. 00:03:45.933 --> 00:03:49.311 Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity. 00:03:49.461 --> 00:03:55.164 Output depends on wind conditions; landscape, noise and wildlife effects influence siting. 00:03:57.833 --> 00:04:02.142 Solar photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity. 00:04:02.292 --> 00:04:04.660 Solar thermal systems heat water. 00:04:04.810 --> 00:04:09.311 Night-time and seasonal variation require other supply or storage. 00:04:11.967 --> 00:04:16.389 Hydroelectric power uses flowing or falling water to drive turbines. 00:04:16.539 --> 00:04:23.279 It can offer controllable generation where water storage exists, but dams alter rivers and can displace people. 00:04:23.429 --> 00:04:25.648 Small-scale hydroelectricity. 00:04:25.798 --> 00:04:29.225 Water falls through the supply pipe and drives a turbine. 00:04:29.375 --> 00:04:33.619 The diagram shows a concept, not a particular Nepal installation. 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:42.755 Tidal power uses predictable changes in sea level or tidal currents. 00:04:42.905 --> 00:04:48.035 Suitable sites are limited and structures can affect estuary habitats and navigation. 00:04:50.700 --> 00:04:53.323 Wave power uses movement of sea waves. 00:04:53.473 --> 00:04:59.242 Exposed sites offer energy but storms, corrosion and maintenance make engineering challenging. 00:05:01.900 --> 00:05:04.949 Geothermal energy uses heat from within the Earth. 00:05:05.099 --> 00:05:10.624 Accessible high-temperature resources are unevenly distributed, and drilling is expensive. 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:16.521 Biomass burns or processes organic material. 00:05:16.671 --> 00:05:25.235 Regrowth can replace some carbon absorbed by plants, but emissions, land-use change and time to regrow mean it is not automatically carbon-neutral. 00:05:27.900 --> 00:05:34.341 Renewable supplies avoid using finite fuel deposits, but construction still uses materials and land. 00:05:34.491 --> 00:05:38.725 Compare life-cycle impacts, reliability and local conditions. 00:05:41.400 --> 00:05:50.796 A carbon footprint measures greenhouse-gas emissions associated with a person, activity or product, usually expressed as carbon-dioxide equivalent. 00:05:50.946 --> 00:05:53.442 It includes more than electricity at home. 00:05:56.100 --> 00:06:00.578 Insulation, draught reduction and efficient heating lower building demand. 00:06:00.728 --> 00:06:06.487 Suitable shading and ventilation can reduce cooling needs without harming indoor air quality. 00:06:09.167 --> 00:06:15.425 Efficient appliances, lighting and industrial processes use less energy for the same useful task. 00:06:15.575 --> 00:06:19.581 Switching unused equipment off reduces avoidable consumption. 00:06:22.233 --> 00:06:27.340 Walking, cycling and public transport can reduce transport energy per passenger. 00:06:27.490 --> 00:06:33.953 Electric vehicles need electricity and materials, so their full impact depends on supply and manufacture. 00:06:36.633 --> 00:06:43.768 Combined heat and power uses useful heat alongside electricity, reducing waste when there is a nearby heat demand. 00:06:43.918 --> 00:06:47.485 More efficient fossil-fuel use still produces emissions. 00:06:50.167 --> 00:06:55.690 Reducing demand, diversifying supply and improving grid flexibility work together. 00:06:55.840 --> 00:07:00.544 Energy security and low emissions should be assessed alongside affordability. 00:07:03.200 --> 00:07:09.375 Local renewable projects can serve remote communities without waiting for a national grid connection. 00:07:09.525 --> 00:07:14.334 Maintenance funding, ownership and fair access determine whether benefits last. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:24.177 The Niger Delta in southern Nigeria contains oil fields and associated pipelines and export infrastructure. 00:07:24.327 --> 00:07:30.747 Extraction brings employment, export income and government revenue and supplies fuel to wider markets. 00:07:33.400 --> 00:07:39.255 Suppliers and transport firms can gain work, but not all residents obtain secure skilled jobs. 00:07:39.405 --> 00:07:43.297 Benefits depend on how revenues and opportunities are distributed. 00:07:45.967 --> 00:07:51.341 Oil spills can contaminate soil and waterways and damage fishing, farming and mangroves. 00:07:51.491 --> 00:07:57.847 U N E P's Ogoniland assessment provides documented evidence from one affected part of the delta. 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:04.009 Gas flaring releases greenhouse gases and other pollutants. 00:08:04.159 --> 00:08:09.673 Maintenance, regulation, reduced flaring and effective clean-up are needed to reduce harms. 00:08:12.333 --> 00:08:17.399 The case shows a conflict between export income and local environmental wellbeing. 00:08:17.549 --> 00:08:24.235 Some pollution has multiple causes, so avoid attributing every incident to a single company without evidence. 00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:36.391 Community micro-hydro schemes in Nepal use the fall of water in small streams to generate electricity for settlements that may be distant from the national grid. 00:08:36.541 --> 00:08:40.383 The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre supports this approach. 00:08:43.033 --> 00:08:47.769 The Badigaad Micro Hydro Plant in Bajura is a named local example. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:09:00.183 U N D P documents its supply to households and enterprises and its damage during a 2020 flash flood, followed by rehabilitation through work with A E P C and Japanese funding. 00:09:02.833 --> 00:09:10.096 A small intake diverts part of the flow through a channel or pipe to a turbine and generator; water is returned downstream. 00:09:10.246 --> 00:09:13.318 It does not burn fuel to generate electricity. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:21.641 Electric lighting and power for small businesses can support study, communication and income. 00:09:21.791 --> 00:09:26.313 Local operation and repair skills help communities maintain the supply. 00:09:28.967 --> 00:09:34.235 Stream flow varies seasonally, and damaged intakes or equipment can interrupt service. 00:09:34.385 --> 00:09:40.176 Construction finance, maintenance funds and fair tariffs determine whether households can benefit. 00:09:42.833 --> 00:09:50.736 Micro-hydro has lower fuel emissions than diesel generation, but diversion can affect stream habitats and competing water uses. 00:09:50.886 --> 00:09:54.399 Appropriate flow protection and siting remain necessary. 00:09:57.067 --> 00:09:58.825 That completes Energy. 00:09:58.975 --> 00:10:02.320 Revisit the notes and test yourself on the revision website.