23-01-2012, 01:57 PM
Alternative sources of energy
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Why is there a need for alternative sources of energy?
The graph that you completed last time shows just how much we rely on fossil fuels
90 per cent of the worlds energy supply’s come from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are convenient and relatively cheap – a litre of petrol in 1998 would have been 20p if there was no tax added!
How much longer can we depend on fossil fuels?
Because they are fossil fuels they DO have a life expectancy
“Oil has 40 – 50 years left”
In 1960 they said this too! – what has happened is that we have found new reserves of oil and new technology has made the oil we use last longer
Advantages of using natural sources of energy
They are inexhaustible – they will always be available – they are renewable
They are clean and will not damage the Earth
There are several types – so one or more of them is present in each country
Most natural sources can be used on a small scale and serve local needs therefore cutting costs of transmitting the energy
