ENERGY Where does our energy come from

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ENERGYWhere does our energy come from?
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Where does the energy come from for?
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OR?
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OR?
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OR?
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ENERGY for the these things come from
Energy Resources that are converted into
electricity
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Energy Resources can be divided into 2
categories

• Non-Renewable Resources, e.g. coal or oil
• Once used these resources cannot be used again
• 2. Renewable Resources, e.g. wind or solar These
  resources can be used over and over again

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Non-Renewable Resource,e.g. COAL

• Coal is formed from dead vegetation that has been
  buried in mud for millions of years
• First forming PEAT
• Then the PEAT turns into COAL over time as more
  water and air are squeezed out, due to the weight
  of more earth building up on top of it.

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Non-Renewable Resource,e.g. Oil

• Oil is formed from the remains of plankton (small
  plants and animals) that live in the sea millions
  of years ago
• Oil is formed when the dead plankton are covered
  by mud on the sea floor and slowly change into
  oil
• This change happens due to the actions of heat
  and microbes

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Non-Renewable Resource,e.g. Gas

• Natural gas is found underground, often in the
  same places as oil
• A mixture of gases make up natural gas
• It is mainly made up of methane gas

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Non-Renewable Resource

• Have you heard of LIGNITE?
• Lignite is sometimes called, Brown Coal
• Basically, lignite formation is half-way
• between peat and coal

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Non-Renewable Resource, e.g. Lignite

• Using LIGNITE is a controversial issue in
• Northern Ireland
• Should Northern Ireland use its resource of
• Lignite, found underground in the Ballymoney
• and Lough Neagh areas?

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• Why is mining Lignite controversial?
• Getting it out of the ground would be by
  open-cast mining, which involves changing the
  landscape
• Mining lignite would cause visual and noise
  pollution, as well as, disruption to the local
  ecosystem
• To burn lignite in order to generate electricity
  would involve building a power station and would
  contribute to air pollution
• Pollutants released could affect peoples health
• Impact for the people who live, farm and have
  businesses on the land that would be mined

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Why is the term, FOSSIL FUELS used for coal,
lignite, oil and gas?
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Renewable Resource,e.g. Wind

• Wind is freely available
• Turbines are needed to harness this resource
• Hill-top/exposed areas are good

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Renewable Resource,e.g. Solar

• There is more sun available in south-facing
  locations
• Light and heat from the sun can be used

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Renewable Resource,e.g. Biomass Biogas

• Animal and plant waste can be used to produce
  energy
• Biogas is gas given off when material decays
• Wood from sustainable
• sources can be used

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Renewable Resource,e.g. Hydro

• The energy from moving water in rivers - can have
  its energy harnessed

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Renewable Resource,e.g. Wave Tidal

• The energy from moving water at sea waves and
  tidal movement can be used

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Where does our energy come from?

• It comes from different energy resources
• Some of the resources are known as non-renewable,
  e.g. coal
• Others are known as renewable, e.g. wind