Every time you turn on a light switch or start a car, you are likely tapping into energy sources that took millions of years to form. Fossil Fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) remain a dominant part of the global Energy Mix, but their extraction and use carry significant consequences.
Understanding global temperature rise requires looking at what we burn; coal combustion alone is responsible for over of the increase in global average temperatures since the industrial era.
You can snap a piece of coal in half easily, but splitting a single atom releases millions of times more energy. Nuclear Fission generates electricity using highly concentrated uranium; just 1 kg of Uranium-235 produces 2-3 million times the energy of 1 kg of coal.
How do we balance the immediate human need for electricity against the long-term survival of our ecosystems? To effectively assess non-renewables, we must weigh their short-term economic reliability against their long-term environmental damage.
While fossil fuels and nuclear power currently prevent a geographic Mismatch between global energy production (e.g., the Middle East) and consumption (e.g., Europe), their negative impacts are severe. Fossil fuels drive irreversible climate change and habitat destruction, while nuclear power carries extreme disaster risks and unsolved waste issues. Ultimately, while they provide essential energy security and economic growth today, they are environmentally unsustainable in the long term.
Understanding how to extract trapped gas from solid rock explains why the United States suddenly became an energy superpower, meeting 25% of its energy needs through this method by 2015. Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing) is a technology used to extract Shale Gas from deep underground.
Step-by-step Fracking Process:
A simple chain of events explains how rocks deep underground can help keep the lights on across an entire country. As North Sea oil and gas reserves decline, the UK faces an increasing Energy Gap.
The Causal Chain for Energy Security:
The UK Context: Fracking began in the UK in 2008 at Preese Hall, Lancashire, tapping into the Bowland Shale. Estimates suggested UK reserves could provide security for 100 years, with the Lancashire site alone worth £6 billion per year. It was also viewed as a "transition fuel," as burning shale gas produces 50% less than coal. However, a moratorium (ban) was imposed in November 2019 due to the process inducing seismic activity (earthquakes).
Explain how technology such as fracking can resolve energy shortages. (4 marks)
Step 1: Identify the technology and its immediate action.
Step 2: Link the action to domestic supply.
Step 3: Link supply to the energy gap.
Step 4: Conclude with the final outcome.
Students often confuse 'global warming' with the 'ozone layer'. When assessing fossil fuels, specifically state that combustion releases greenhouse gases like CO2 and CH4 which trap heat, rather than destroying the ozone layer.
When the command word is 'Assess', examiners expect a balanced evaluation: you must actively weigh the economic benefits (like jobs and energy security) against the environmental and social costs before writing a final, weighted judgement.
In 'Explain' questions about fracking, explicitly use causal connective phrases like 'therefore increasing domestic supply' and 'leading to a smaller energy gap' to secure top marks.
Always support your evaluation of non-renewables with specific case study data, such as the 134 million gallons spilt during the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the 2019 UK fracking moratorium due to seismic activity.
Fossil Fuels
Non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) formed from the remains of living organisms over millions of years.
Energy Mix
The specific combination of different energy sources used by a country to meet its total energy consumption.
Multiplier Effect
The process where initial investment and job creation in one industry (like oil exploration) triggers growth in support industries and the wider economy.
Unconventional Energy
Energy resources that require non-traditional, often expensive extraction methods, such as tar sands (bitumen) or shale gas.
Albedo effect
The measure of how much sunlight is reflected back into space, which dangerously decreases as white, reflective Arctic ice melts.
Nuclear Fission
The process of splitting the nucleus of an atom (such as Uranium-235) to release vast amounts of heat energy to generate electricity.
Base Load
The minimum, constant amount of electric power that must be delivered to the national grid at all times to meet basic demand.
Decommissioning
The expensive and complex process of safely closing down a nuclear power station and removing hazardous radioactive material.
Mismatch
The geographic gap between where energy is produced (e.g., the Middle East) and where it is heavily consumed (e.g., the USA or Europe).
Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing)
The process of injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into subterranean rocks to force open fissures and extract trapped gas or oil.
Shale Gas
Unconventional natural gas that is trapped tightly within impermeable sedimentary shale rock.
Energy Gap
The difference between a country's rising energy demand and its declining domestic energy production.
Energy Security
Having a reliable, affordable, and sufficient supply of energy without relying on volatile or politically unstable international imports.
Put your knowledge into practice — try past paper questions for Geography A
Fossil Fuels
Non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) formed from the remains of living organisms over millions of years.
Energy Mix
The specific combination of different energy sources used by a country to meet its total energy consumption.
Multiplier Effect
The process where initial investment and job creation in one industry (like oil exploration) triggers growth in support industries and the wider economy.
Unconventional Energy
Energy resources that require non-traditional, often expensive extraction methods, such as tar sands (bitumen) or shale gas.
Albedo effect
The measure of how much sunlight is reflected back into space, which dangerously decreases as white, reflective Arctic ice melts.
Nuclear Fission
The process of splitting the nucleus of an atom (such as Uranium-235) to release vast amounts of heat energy to generate electricity.
Base Load
The minimum, constant amount of electric power that must be delivered to the national grid at all times to meet basic demand.
Decommissioning
The expensive and complex process of safely closing down a nuclear power station and removing hazardous radioactive material.
Mismatch
The geographic gap between where energy is produced (e.g., the Middle East) and where it is heavily consumed (e.g., the USA or Europe).
Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing)
The process of injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into subterranean rocks to force open fissures and extract trapped gas or oil.
Shale Gas
Unconventional natural gas that is trapped tightly within impermeable sedimentary shale rock.
Energy Gap
The difference between a country's rising energy demand and its declining domestic energy production.
Energy Security
Having a reliable, affordable, and sufficient supply of energy without relying on volatile or politically unstable international imports.