You need to be able to describe the distribution of
energy production.
Topic 1= Energy Security
The topic is split into 3 key questions:
1. To what extent is the world's energy
'secure' at present ?
• Energy supply, demand and security
2. What are the potential impacts of an
increasingly 'energy insecure' world?
•
The impacts of Energy Insecurity
3. What might the world's energy future be?
•
Energy Security and the future
Energy-Issues-Contested
Economic viability of energy sources
Offshore wind
Onshore wind
European biodiesel
USA Corn ethanol
Sugar cane ethanol
Tar sands
Coal to liquids
Oil Shale
Deep water oil
Conventional Oil other
Conventional Oil Middle East
0
20
40
60
80
100
Oil price US$
120
140
160
Planet….
Energy-Issues-Contested Planet….
1. Supply-demand and security
2. Impacts:environmental and socio economic issues
3. Futures- alternatives, renewables, conservation, efficiency……..
Oil exploration Arctic
Expansion nuclear
power UK eg Sizewell
Energy crisis - oil peak
Kingsnorth coal
powerstation +
Grenpeace protest
Economic viability of energy sources
Offshore wind
Onshore wind
Hybrid car- less energy
European biodiesel
USA Corn ethanol
Sugar cane ethanol
Alternatives for future?
Tar sands
Coal to liquids
Oil Shale
Deep water oil
Conventional Oil other
Conventional Oil Middle East
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Oil price US$
Renewables: wind farm
Thames Estuary ARRAY
and wave: Anaconda
system
Key supply player:
OPEC
What does it mean to be energy
secure?
• To have ENERGY SECURITY means to
have access to reliable and affordable
energy sources
• E.g. Russia
• Countries that do not have this are said to
be ENERGY INSECURE
Key terms –
learn and use
Achieving Energy Security
Factors important are:
• Control over supplies
• Control over prices
• Having a variety of energy sources to call
on
• Political stability (in supply region as well
as demand region)
Energy security can be threatened by:
• Rapid increase in prices (oil 2004)
• Instability of suppliers (Georgia 2008)
• Manipulation of supply and process
• Attack on infrastructure (terrorism)
• Competition from expanding economies
e.g. China
• Environmental legislation which adds to
the costs of finding, transporting and
processing the resource
Energy security can be improved by:
• Greater energy efficiency
• Greater energy self-sufficiency
• Decentralization of energy production
• Short term stockpiles (90 days)
Energy Issues across the World
– which statement goes where?
•Rapidly growing demand; use of pollution
sources such as high sulphur coal; health
impacts; impact on global fossil fuel prices
•Reserves; questions of developing these in
the Arctic, Antarctic and other sensitive
areas
•Energy poverty; dependency on foreign
TNCs to exploit supply (Nigeria, Sudan)
•Dependency; wastefulness; lack of fossil
fuel supply (energy insecurity)
•Supply security; role of unstable regions in
fossil fuel supply; link between nuclear
power and weapons.
•Huge surplus; inefficient use; energy as a
political weapon?
Energy Issues across the world
Reserves; questions of
developing these in the
Arctic, Antarctic and other
sensitive areas
Dependency;
wastefulness; lack of
fossil fuel supply (energy
insecurity)
Huge surplus;
inefficient use;
energy as a political
weapon?
Key issues
for learning
Energy poverty;
dependency on foreign
TNCs to exploit supply
(Nigeria, Sudan)
Supply security; role
of unstable regions in
fossil fuel supply;
link between nuclear
power and weapons.
Rapidly growing demand;
use of pollution sources
such as high sulphur coal;
health impacts; impact on
global fossil fuel prices