Nuclear Energy & Fuelwood (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

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 

• 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, Ukraine (at the time part of the USSR) was the site of a reactor explosion in 1986

  • 50 direct deaths (UN estimate)

  • An 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

• The Fukushima nuclear reactor failed in Japan in 2011

  • The tsunami that resulted from the 2011 earthquake flooded parts of the power station, causing a loss of power, which meant they lost the ability to cool the reactor. This led to explosions, a 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

Advantages

• No greenhouse gas emissions 

• Efficient

• Small amounts of uranium are needed, and large reserves are available 

• It is not bulky so it is easy to transport 

• Reduces reliance on fossil fuels

• Increases energy security

Disadvantages

• Nuclear waste is radioactive and expensive to dispose of

• Power stations are expensive

• Risk of nuclear accidents 

• Possible health impacts in the areas around nuclear power stations

• The cost of decommissioning (shutting down) is very high

• Risk of use of nuclear fuel by terrorists or rogue states

Fuelwood

• It is estimated that between 2 and 3 billion people across the world rely on fuelwood for heating and cooking

  • This is 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 

  • It does not require technology 

  • That it can be renewable if the trees are replaced

  • No high-technology equipment is needed to use the fuel

• There are disadvantages to this reliance on fuelwood: 

  • The use of fuelwood 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 is estimated that it is responsible for 1.5 million deaths each year in LEDCs

Case Study: Nepal

• There are examples of energy use in every country

• The example below is of an LEDC (developing) country and can be used in the final exam to give place-specific detail