Nuclear Energy & Fuelwood
Nuclear energy
- Nuclear fuel has the potential to provide large amounts of energy
- It is often used countries who do not have their own supplies of fossil fuels such as France
Share of Electricity Production from Nuclear
- In 2019 approximately 4% of the global primary energy supply was from nuclear power
- There are 439 active nuclear reactors across the world. Most of these are in just five countries:
- USA (92)
- France (56)
- China (54)
- Russia (37)
- Japan (33)
Controversy
- Nuclear energy is controversial due to the issues surrounding waste disposal and nuclear accidents
- Three Mile Island in the USA in 1979
- Partial meltdown of the nuclear reactor
- Slight increase in cancer rates in the area affected by the release of radioactive contamination
- Chernobyl (now in Ukraine at the time part of the USSR) was the site of a reactor explosion in 1986
- 50 direct deaths (UN estimate)
- Estimated 4000 people have or will die as a result of exposure to radioactive materials
- Radioactive fallout entered the atmosphere and fell over a large area including Scandinavia and the UK
- Fukushima nuclear reactor failed in Japan in 2011
- The tsunami which resulted from the 2011 earthquake flooded parts of the power station causing loss of power which meant they lost the ability to cool the reactor. This led to explosions, meltdown of the reactor and the release of radioactive contamination
- 154,000 people evacuated
- There has been an increase in thyroid cancers in the area since 2011 but this may be that more are being detected due to the screening program established after the event
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy
| Energy Source | Advantage | Disadvantage |
| Nuclear |
|
|
Worked example
Describe the advantages of using nuclear power to generate electricity.
[3]
- Answer:
- Only small amounts of uranium/fuel needed (to generate large amounts of power) it is efficient [1]
- Uranium will not run out in the foreseeable future [1]
- Does not produce greenhouse gases/acid rain [1]
- Improved regulation and safety record [1]
- Reduces reliance on fossil fuels [1]
- Increases energy security [1]
Exam Tip
Remember nuclear fuel is a non-renewable because uranium cannot be replaced at the speed it is being used. It is not a fossil fuel because it uses uranium rather than a fuel formed from the remains of living organisms.
Fuelwood
- It is estimated that more than between 2 and 3 billion people across the world rely on fuelwood for heating and cooking usually because they do not have access to other forms of energy
- Approximately 13% of the world's population does not have access to electricity
- This is mostly an issue in LEDCs within Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
- Fuelwood is often included as a biofuel but the wood is not usually grown specifically for use in heating and cooking
- The trees felled are not replaced which would make them sustainable
- The reasons for this include;
- It is free
- Does not require technology
- Can be renewable if the trees are replaced
- No high technology equipment is needed to use the fuel
- There are disadvantages of this reliance on fuelwood:
- The use contributes to deforestation, soil erosion and desertification in many countries
- The amount of wood cut each year is greater than the rate of replanting and regrowth
- In many areas there is little wood left, and people have to walk further and further to collect it
- Indoor pollution leads to health issues from exposure to smoke. It estimated that it is responsible for 1.5 million deaths each year in LEDCs
Worked example
Explain the importance of fuelwood to people in many countries.
[3]
- Answer:
- Important in LEDCs [1]
- Important in rural areas [1]
- May be free to the user [1]
- Does not require high technology equipment [1]
- Fuels for heating/cooking [1]
- Can be renewable/sustainable [1]
- In some areas there is little wood left [1]
- Can be sold by the roadside as a cash crop [1]
