Geography (9635) | Energy security

👋 Welcome to the Energy Security Study Guide!

Hi Geographers! This chapter is vital because energy literally powers everything we do—from charging your phone to lighting entire cities. But accessing this energy isn't always easy or fair. We are going to explore the big geographical challenges in getting enough energy for everyone, why some countries have lots of power (literally and politically), and how we can achieve a sustainable energy future.

Energy security is a core part of the "Resource Security" section. Let's break down these complex ideas step-by-step!

1. Defining Energy Security and Energy Mixes

1.1 What is Energy Security?

Energy security means having reliable, affordable, and accessible access to enough energy to meet a nation’s needs, now and in the future.
Think of it as filling your car's fuel tank: you need the fuel to be available (supply), you need to be able to afford it (price), and you need to trust the supply won't suddenly stop (reliability).

1.2 Primary and Secondary Energy Sources

All energy we use starts as a primary source, which is the raw form found in nature. This raw energy is often converted into a more useable secondary source.

• Primary Sources: These are used directly or fed into conversion processes.
  Examples: Coal, crude oil, natural gas, wind, solar, uranium (nuclear fuel).
• Secondary Sources: Energy that has been processed or converted from a primary source.
  The biggest example is electricity. We burn coal or use wind turbines (primary sources) to generate electricity (secondary source).

Did you know? Even though solar panels directly use sunlight, the "photovoltaic cell" is converting the solar energy into the secondary source of electricity!

1.3 Energy Mix and Components of Demand

The Energy Mix

A country’s energy mix is the combination of different primary and secondary energy sources it uses. This mix varies drastically between countries (we call these contrasting national settings) due to differences in geology, economics, policy, and climate.

• Example A (High Income Country - HIC, e.g., France): A high dependence on Nuclear Power (a policy decision made decades ago) and increasing use of renewables, with relatively low reliance on coal.
• Example B (Low Income Country - LIC, e.g., Chad): High reliance on traditional biomass (wood/charcoal) for domestic use and limited access to large-scale modern grids.

Components of Demand

Energy demand is driven by three main sectors:

1. Industrial: Manufacturing, production, factories (often the largest user in rapidly industrialising economies like China).
2. Transport: Fuel for cars, planes, shipping (dominated by oil/petroleum).
3. Domestic/Residential: Heating, cooling, lighting, appliances in homes.

Key Takeaway: Energy security requires understanding the difference between raw energy (primary) and processed energy (secondary). The national energy mix reflects unique geographical and policy choices.

2. Supply and the Physical Environment

2.1 The Link between Supply and Physical Geography

The volume (how much) and quality (how easily accessed/used) of a country's energy supply is fundamentally linked to its physical environment.

• Geology and Resources:
  • Countries with specific rock types (often sedimentary basins) are rich in fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas). Example: Saudi Arabia or the USA.
  • Areas with volcanic or tectonic activity may have high geothermal potential. Example: Iceland.
• Climate and Weather:
  • Areas with consistent sunshine are prime for solar power. Example: The Atacama Desert, Chile.
  • Areas exposed to constant strong winds (coastal areas, high altitudes) are ideal for wind power. Example: The North Sea region.
• Drainage and Relief:
  • Steep relief combined with high precipitation and large river systems provides excellent conditions for Hydroelectric Power (HEP). The higher the drop (relief) and the greater the water volume (drainage), the more energy generated. Example: The Three Gorges Dam in China.

Memory Aid: Think of the 3 Gs of Supply: Geology (Fossil/Nuclear), Gradient/Drainage (HEP), and Global Weather (Solar/Wind).

Quick Review: A country poor in fossil fuels but with steep mountains and high rainfall (like Norway) will naturally lean towards HEP.

3. Energy in a Globalising World: Geopolitics and TNCs

In an interconnected world, very few countries are 100% self-sufficient in energy. This leads to massive global transfers of energy, creating complex political relationships (geopolitics).

3.1 Competing National Interests

Geopolitics refers to how geography influences international politics, particularly concerning resources.

Countries have competing national interests because energy is tied to economic stability and power.

• Importers (Consumers): Their interest is stability and diversification. They want to avoid relying on a single supplier who could cut off supply (e.g., European reliance on Russian gas).
• Exporters (Producers): Their interest is maximising income and maintaining influence. They may use their energy resources as a political tool (e.g., OPEC controlling global oil supply to influence prices).

3.2 The Role of Transnational Corporations (TNCs)

Transnational Corporations (TNCs), such as Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Gazprom, are crucial. They often have more power and money than the governments of smaller nations.

TNCs dominate three stages of the energy supply chain:

1. Production and Exploration: TNCs have the technology and capital to drill deep offshore or develop complex gas fields, which many national energy companies cannot afford.
2. Processing: They own the massive refineries that turn crude oil into petrol, diesel, and other products.
3. Distribution: They control the global network of pipelines, supertankers, and distribution hubs, ensuring energy moves across continents.

Key Takeaway: Global energy security is fragile. It is constantly threatened by political conflict (competing interests) and controlled by a few powerful global companies (TNCs).

4. Environmental Impacts and Sustainability Issues

4.1 Environmental Impacts of Major Resource Development

The extraction, processing, and distribution of major energy resources (especially oil, coal, and gas) cause significant environmental damage:

• Coal Mining (especially open-pit): Leads to massive habitat destruction, loss of topsoil, and contamination of local water supplies (acid mine drainage).
• Oil and Gas Fields (and associated networks):
  • Habitat Loss: Clearing forests for drilling platforms or fracking sites.
  • Pollution: Oil spills from offshore platforms or leaks from distribution pipelines cause immediate, catastrophic environmental damage (e.g., the Deepwater Horizon disaster).
  • Fragmentation: Pipelines and roads divide natural habitats, disrupting wildlife migration patterns.

4.2 Sustainability Issues with Production and Consumption

Sustainability means meeting today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Current energy systems face major sustainability hurdles:

A. Issues from Burning Fossil Fuels:

• Acid Rain: Burning coal and oil releases Sulphur Dioxide (SOx) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). When these dissolve in atmospheric moisture, they fall as acid rain, damaging forests, aquatic ecosystems, and infrastructure.
• The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: The release of Carbon Dioxide (\(CO_2\)) from fossil fuels increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change.

B. Issues from Nuclear Power:

• Nuclear Waste: Uranium fuel creates highly radioactive by-products that must be safely stored for thousands of years. This long-term disposal challenge is extremely expensive and risky.
• Safety/Accident Risk: While rare, catastrophic accidents like Chernobyl or Fukushima show the extreme, long-term impact on people and environment.

C. Energy Conservation as a Sustainability Strategy:

Energy conservation (reducing demand) is arguably the most sustainable strategy. By simply using less energy, we reduce the need for extraction, processing, and the associated environmental damage.

Key Takeaway: All energy sources have environmental trade-offs, but fossil fuels cause global issues like acid rain and the enhanced greenhouse effect. Nuclear power faces the unique challenge of managing dangerous, long-lived waste.

5. Strategies for Managing Energy Supply and Consumption

To ensure future energy security and sustainability, strategies focus on two main areas: boosting clean supply and reducing wasteful demand.

5.1 Strategies to Increase Energy Supply

These strategies aim to secure greater volumes of energy, often involving high costs and technological complexity.

1. Oil and Gas Exploration:

   This involves finding new reserves, often in challenging and expensive environments like the Arctic or deep water (e.g., pre-salt reserves off Brazil). The risk is high (exploration fails often), but the potential payoff is enormous.

2. Nuclear Power Development:

   Building new nuclear fission plants provides reliable, low-carbon baseload power. While expensive and politically sensitive (due to waste and accident risk), it is a key tool for avoiding \(CO_2\) emissions.

3. Development of Renewable Sources:

   Investment in sources like wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal power. These are inherently sustainable and generate minimal emissions.

   • The Challenge: They are often intermittent (e.g., no wind, no solar at night), requiring expensive storage solutions (like batteries) or backup generation.

5.2 Strategies to Manage Energy Consumption (Reducing Demand)

Managing demand means improving energy efficiency—getting the same output using less energy.

• Technological Changes: Using LED lighting instead of old bulbs, manufacturing cars with hybrid or electric engines, and installing smart grids that optimise energy flow and minimise waste.
• Government Policy: Implementing mandatory efficiency standards for new buildings, offering financial incentives for home insulation, or introducing carbon taxes.
• Changing Consumer Behaviour: Encouraging people to use less heating/cooling, use public transport, or simply switch off unused appliances.

Analogy: Think of a leaking faucet. Increasing supply means pouring more water into the tank (building new power plants). Managing consumption means fixing the leak (insulating houses or using efficient appliances). You always want to fix the leak first!