Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Gilyeat and I'm going to be your Geography teacher for today.

In today's lesson, we are going to be learning about alternative energy supplies.

So let's get started.

Our lesson outcome for today is that you can describe alternative sources of energy to using fossil fuels and some of their benefits and limitations.

We've got three key words for today's lesson.

So the first one is renewable energy, which are sources of energy that can be reused and will not run out.

Geothermal energy is energy from the heat inside Earth.

And nuclear energy is power released from splitting atoms in a process called fission.

It's used to make electricity and produces no carbon emissions, but it does create radioactive waste.

So we've got quite a lot to get through this lesson.

So our first learning cycle, we're gonna learn what alternative source energy sources are, then we are going to look at the benefits and limitations of using renewable energy.

And then finally we're going to look at the benefits and limitations of using nuclear.

So let's get going with the first learning cycle.

Now in the Anthropocene, human activity is changing Earth's systems, especially through the way we produce and use energy.

Burning fossil fuels has led to rising carbon emissions and climate change.

To reduce this impact, many countries are turning to alternative energy sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric, and nuclear energy.

Alternative energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear produce little or no greenhouse gases.

This helps many things, including: it slows down global warming, it protects ecosystems and biodiversity, it lowers our carbon footprints, the amount of carbon dioxide we're pumping into the atmosphere, reduces air and water pollution, and by switching to cleaner energy, we reduce the pressure humans are putting on the planet, helping to fix some of the damage caused in the Anthropocene.

Okay, let's check what we've learned so far.

So true or false? Alternative energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, nuclear produce little or no greenhouse gases.

That is true.

And can you tell me why? So alternative energy sources don't burn fossil fuels and therefore they don't release greenhouse gases.

So well done if you got that right.

Okay, our first task for this lesson is I'd like to use an atlas to mark on the country that's on the table here with the type of alternative energy supply which is used a lot in that country.

So if you have a look at the table, we've got lots of different countries all around the world there and one of their main forms of alternative energy ranging from geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, nuclear, and solar.

So the the blank world map is on the worksheet if you would like to use that.

So use an atlas, if you've not got an atlas, you could use the internet to find a world map on there and like I've done the first one on the board, on the slide, sorry, I've drawn an arrow to the UK and I've put "wind" in brackets.

So pause the video and have a go at that first task.

Okay, let's have a look at our answers then.

So you can see there where the countries are and their form of alternative energy.

So pause the video and just double check that you put those in the correct place.

Okay, moving on to our second learning cycle, which is looking at the benefits and limitations of renewable energy.

Now, renewable energy comes from natural sources that won't run out.

They can be used again and again.

Renewable energy sources don't burn fossil fuels, so they don't pollute the air with harmful gases and they don't contribute to climate change.

They're better for your health and the planet.

So as you can see on the slide here, we've got an image of some solar panels and also one of a wind farm.

Can you think of any other sources of renewable energy that you may have heard of? Okay, so as I just said, burning fossil fuels causes climate change and pollution.

Many countries are using towards renewables instead.

So hydroelectric is a big form.

So this is using water and the movement of water to create energy, wind, as I just mentioned earlier, geothermal, which we're going to look at a little bit more detail later on in the lesson, and also solar as I said earlier.

Okay, which of the following are renewable energy sources? So I'd like you to tick all the apply.

Okay.

It's A, B, and C.

Coal of course is a fossil fuel, which is non-renewable.

Okay, we're gonna look at these energy sources in a little bit more detail now.

So first of all, solar energy.

You get solar energy from using solar panels.

So solar panels contain small cells that can convert sunlight into direct electricity.

This can be used in the place where it is produced.

It can even be stored in batteries or distributed across the country.

Panels can be placed on rooftops or the ground in solar farms. So you might have seen when you're out and about that some people decide to put them on their own homes.

So they are creating their own source of renewable energy, okay? So to power their electricity, their lights, their hot water, et cetera, okay? Sometimes, even, if they are creating surplus energy that can go back to the main grid that can be distributed elsewhere, okay? But on a larger scale as well, you can have these solar farms which create energy, which can then be distributed to people across the country.

Okay, an example of a solar park is the Bhadla Solar Park, which is located in India, okay? And it's one of the largest solar parks or solar farms in the world.

So the location is Rajasthan in India and it's built in the Thar desert, which is sunny for most of the year.

And if we're thinking about where we put different types of renewable energy, you need to think about what natural sources are actually located there.

So it's an absolutely massive park.

It covers over 14,000 acres.

It can generate 2,200 megawatts, okay? So that's enough to power millions of homes and it also creates local jobs.

Some of the challenges are though that the dust, because it's in the desert, can get onto the solar panels and that makes them less efficient, okay? Another problem is that they only work during the day when the sun is shining, okay? So when at nighttime when the sun sets, they don't create energy anymore.

Okay, let's check this then.

So solar energy works all day long.

True or false? That is false.

And can you tell me why? So solar energy only works in daylight hours.

Well done if you got that right.

So the next one, wind.

Wind has been used as a source of energy throughout history.

Windmills used to grind grain.

Today, wind turbines are used.

When the wind blows, the turbine blades turn a rotor, okay? So as you might have seen out and about, you can see these massive turbines.

The blades move, and in the centre of that they turn a rotor and that that rotor powers a generator to produce electricity.

So an example of this in the UK is the Hornsea Wind Farm.

So some wind farms are located on land and some are offshore, okay? There are pros and cons of having wind turbines on and offshore, but we don't have enough time to go through all of those now.

So the location is in the North Sea, off the coast of Yorkshire in England.

Some of the facts about this wind farm.

So Hornsea Project 2 is the largest offshore wind farm in the world, and that was as of 2023.

It produces enough electricity to power over 1.

4 million homes.

Some of the challenges to do with the wind farm though, they are very expensive to build and maintain and harsh weather makes construction really quite difficult and they can impact marine life and birds, okay? So yes, they are better for climate change, but they do have an impact on the surrounding environment as well.

Okay.

True or false? Wind energy can affect ecosystems. That is true.

And can you tell me why? Wind turbines can impact marine life and birds.

So well done if you got that right.

Next one is hydroelectric energy.

Now approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered in water.

This can be used to make energy.

Hydroelectric plants are powered by water, okay? Reservoirs store water behind dams and release it downhill to power turbines.

These then generate electricity.

So as you can see on the slide here, we've got an image of a dam.

So what happens is a river runs down a river valley, you build a wall across that river.

So water piles up behind the back of the dam or the the wall, okay? And then you can manage the water flow through the dam, okay? When the water goes through it, it moves a turbine which can generate electricity.

So hydroelectric power has different uses as well, which we'll look at in a second.

So one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in the world is the Three Gorges Dam, which is located on the Yangtze River in China, okay? So facts about it, it uses flowing water to turn turbines, produces clean electricity for millions of homes, it can generate up to 22,500 megawatts of power.

Some of the main challenges of this, it flooded towns and villages when it was built.

So, as I said earlier, you flood a river channel to do this, but that then means that the flooded area you can't live in anymore.

So people had to leave their homes during the construction of this dam, and it can have quite a large impact on fish and river ecosystems as well, okay? So great for generating power, but they do have a very large impact on the surrounding ecosystems 'cause massive areas of land will be flooded, okay? Another kind of way that dams and reservoirs can be used, not just for generating electricity, is also for water sources.

So creating a pool, a reservoir of water behind a dam can be used as a water source and it can also be used to manage flooding downstream.

So there's multiple uses of why you would use a dam.

Okay, let's check what we've learnt.

So I'd like you to give a social and environmental challenge of using hydroelectric energy.

Okay, so dam building and flooding of valleys can cause people to have to leave their homes and flooding a river valley can destroy habitats.

So well done if you got those.

Geothermal energy is another renewable energy source that comes from the Earth's internal heat.

This heat warms underground water producing steam that can then be used to generate electricity or heat buildings.

It's a clean and a reliable energy option that works year round.

So here you've got a picture of a geothermal energy plant, which is located in Iceland.

Now Iceland does actually get the majority of its energy from geothermal.

So let's have a look at this then.

So Iceland, which is a volcanic island with lots of underground heat, and the reason for that, is because it's located on a tectonic plate boundary.

It uses geothermal energy to generate electricity and heat homes.

Around 90% of homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy, okay? It's a reliable source of energy, okay? And it does work all year round.

So it's not like a solar panel that doesn't work at night.

So benefits: no air pollution, very reliable, and it creates very cheap energy.

Some of the challenges of this though, there can be the smell of sulphur gases, which are released in places where the geothermal energy is used and it does need careful management as well.

So geothermal, a fantastic bit of renewable energy, however, it can only be used in places around the world where you can access it, okay? New Zealand is another big place where they use a lot of geothermal.

Okay.

True or false? Iceland still heavily relies on fossil fuels.

That is false.

And can you tell me why? Around 90% of homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy.

Well done if you got that right.

Now, in the Anthropocene, humans have become the main force changing Earth's system.

Switching to renewable energy brings major benefits.

It reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, helping slow down climate change, it improves air and water quality leading to better health and cleaner ecosystems, and it protects natural resources as renewables don't rely on mining or drilling.

So in the period of the Anthropocene, okay, using renewable energy is really trying to reduce our impact that we are having on our planet.

Even though renewables do reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they still do have a small impact on Earth's systems. So for example, the actual land use solar and wind farms and wind turbines take up large areas which can affect wildlife habitats.

Resource extraction, so making solar panels and wind turbines requires mining rare metals, which can sometimes harm ecosystems. And there is an intermittent supply.

So sun and wind aren't always available, which can make that energy supply less stable.

However, renewable energy is still much better for the planet than burning fossil fuels.

It produces far fewer emissions and it helps slow down climate change.

Now, in the past, renewable energy was very expensive, but now prices are falling fast.

New technology makes it cheaper to build and instal and more people and countries can afford it.

What this means is that families can use solar panels on their own homes, businesses can switch to using renewable energy, poorer countries can access clean energy, and it helps the world move away from fossil fuels.

So we're gonna have a look at how an example of a small-scale energy scheme is helping developing countries.

So in Nepal, micro-hydro plants have been used, okay? So lots of small rural mountain villages in Nepal are far away from the national power grid, okay? So they don't have the main access to electricity, okay? So what they are doing there is they have put in place micro-hydro plants, which are small power stations that use flowing water from rivers or streams to generate electricity for local communities.

So where there's a river, they might put a sort of dam across it that doesn't stop the flow of water, but as the water flows through the dam, it moves a turbine which can generate electricity.

Now there are many, many benefits to this for the communities that live in Nepal.

So it provides them with clean electricity from renewable sources, it reduces the use of polluting fuels like kerosene, so that's where a lot of they use for their cooking is burning kerosene, which is really bad for air pollution and it affects their health.

It helps improve education, health, and income.

It also creates jobs for the people maintaining and building the systems. And it powers lights, schools, tools, and small businesses.

So it really helps those villages in rural Nepal develop and improves their quality of life.

Okay, so for this task, what I would like you to do is look at the image and climate data of this area, okay? So I want you to, first of all, decide whether a wind or solar farm is more suitable for the area, justify your choice, and then give some of the expected challenges of your decision.

So pause the video and have a go at this task.

Next, what I'd like you to do is use the information to fill in the table to explain how geothermal energy benefits people, the economy, and the environment in Iceland, okay? So there's an article there about geothermal energy in Iceland.

Pick out some of the benefits to people, economy, and the environment and put them in the correct column of the table.

So pause the video and have a go at that task.

Okay, we've got some example answers here.

So for the first task I've put, "I think a wind farm is the most suitable renewable energy for this area.

That is because the average wind speed is relatively high at 18 miles per hour.

There are only average 85 sunny days per year, which means that a solar farm may not always be that efficient." Potential challenges, I thought of, "Some of the potential challenge I can predict is negotiating the land use with local farmers, and residents are only five kilometres away so they may not be happy about being able to see the wind farm." Now you didn't have to get those exact answers, but hopefully you got something similar.

Okay, and then we've got answers to this of how geothermal energy in Iceland benefits people, the economy, and the environment.

So people, there's reliable heating to around 90% of homes.

It's affordable and widely accessible energy.

It supports local jobs.

For the economy it reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels, saves money, it creates energy independence, they're not relying on other countries to get their energy, supports local jobs, again, is another economic benefit, and it helps attract eco-conscious industries and tourism.

And finally, for the environment, it produces very low carbon emissions and it helps protect Iceland's natural landscapes and air quality.

Well done if you got those in the correct column.

Okay, we're onto our final section of this lesson, which is looking at the benefits and limitations of nuclear energy.

Now, nuclear energy is a low-carbon power source that produces electricity by splitting atoms in a process called fission.

It creates a lot of energy without releasing greenhouse gases, making it a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.

Some countries rely heavily on nuclear energy to reduce emissions and fight climate change.

However, it also raises concerns about safety, radioactive waste, and high costs.

So people are often quite split on whether we should use nuclear energy 'cause in some ways it's fantastic.

Doesn't produce much emissions, and it's a quite reliable source of creating a lot of energy.

However, there are some quite bad potential impacts if it goes wrong.

France is an example which gets most of its energy from nuclear.

Now in the Anthropocene, nuclear energy plays a complex, but important role in reducing our impact on the planet.

So some of the major benefits of using nuclear: it's reliable and it can run continuously, it produces electricity with low greenhouse gas emissions, and it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels helping to fight climate change.

However, there are some limitations.

So the risk of accidents, which can have serious environmental and health impacts, there's limited uranium resources.

So uranium is used, required, to make nuclear energy.

It may restrict its long-term use.

There's high cost to build and maintain nuclear power plants, and it creates radioactive waste that stays dangerous for thousands of years putting pressure on lands and ecosystems. So that's something we have to consider when we're thinking about our potential impact on the environment.

What do you do with that nuclear waste? Because it lasts for thousands and thousands of years.

So you need to make sure that we're able to look after that waste and make sure that it is done in a safe way for the many years to come.

Okay, let's check what we've learned so far.

I'd like you to give a benefit and a limitation of nuclear energy.

So your benefits you could have had, it's reliable and it can run continuously, produces electricity with low greenhouse gas emissions, and it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels helping fight against climate change.

Limitations, however, there's limited uranium resources, may restrict its long-term use, there's the risk of accidents which can have serious environmental and health impacts, and it generates radioactive waste that is difficult to dispose of safely.

Now, you might have heard of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which happened in 1986 in Ukraine.

It's one of the most well-known examples of nuclear energy risks.

A reactor exploded, releasing large amounts of radioactive material into the environment.

This caused: long-term contamination of land and water, so it did have a massive impact on the environment, a lasting impact on wildlife and ecosystems in the area, and it caused serious health problems for thousands of people.

And sadly, many people died in this disaster as well.

Okay, our final task for this lesson is, I would like you to write a paragraph or make a short presentation giving your opinion on whether nuclear energy should be used to help fight climate change.

In your answer, I'd like you to include one or two benefits of using nuclear energy, one or two problems or risks, and then your final opinion.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Why or why not, okay? If you'd like to do a bit of extra research to find out about nuclear, it might be worth putting this into your presentation or your paragraph.

Pause the video and have a go at this task.

Okay, I've got an example answer here.

"I think we should use nuclear energy to help fight climate change.

One big benefit is that it produces a lot of electricity without releasing carbon dioxide, which helps reduce global warming.

It is also more reliable than solar or wind because it works all the time.

However, nuclear energy can be dangerous if accidents do happen and it creates radioactive waste that last a long time.

Even with these risks, I believe the benefits are greater as long as we use strong safety rules and find better ways to manage the waste." Now that's my answer.

You did not have to agree with me, but hopefully you have justified your opinion.

Okay, here we've got a summary for today's lesson.

Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.

Renewables produce little or no greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar and wind energy depend on weather and location.

Hydroelectric energy can affect ecosystems and communities.

Geothermal energy is a clean and reliable energy option that works year round.

And the cost of renewable technology is falling, making it more accessible.

Nuclear energy is reliable and does not produce greenhouse gas emissions.

Right, that's it for today's lesson.

That was a long lesson so well done.

Fantastic job.

And I'll see you next time.

Bye.