Photo AI
Sustainable energy improves people’s lives, brings comfort and convenience and addresses environmental challenges - Leaving Cert Home Economics - Question 1(c) - 2018
Question 1(c)
Sustainable energy improves people’s lives, brings comfort and convenience and addresses environmental challenges. (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) (i) Ide... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Sustainable energy improves people’s lives, brings comfort and convenience and addresses environmental challenges - Leaving Cert Home Economics - Question 1(c) - 2018
Step 1
Identify and elaborate on three sources of energy supply to the home. Comment on the sustainability of each of these energy sources.
Answer
-
Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels include coal, oil, natural gas, peat, and uranium (used to generate nuclear energy). These are non-renewable resources that generate electricity through burning.
- Sustainability: Fossil fuels are non-renewable and their reserves are limited. The extraction and burning of these fuels contribute to environmental damage.
-
Renewable Sources (Wind Energy): Wind energy is generated through wind turbines that convert wind kinetic energy into electricity. It is a clean source of energy.
- Sustainability: Wind energy is renewable, as it relies on natural wind patterns that are inexhaustible. There are minimal emissions associated with wind energy production, making it sustainable.
-
Solar Energy: This is generated using solar panels that capture sunlight to produce electricity. Solar energy is abundant and increasingly efficient.
- Sustainability: Solar energy is renewable, has no emissions, and helps to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, making it a highly sustainable option for energy supply.
Step 2
Give an account of the emissions produced from burning fuels in the home and the effect these emissions have on the environment.
Answer
Burning fossil fuels in the home produces the following emissions:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): A greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming and climate change.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO): A harmful gas that can be fatal in high concentrations, reducing oxygen flow in the body.
- Water Vapour (H₂O): While a natural component of the atmosphere, excessive water vapour can enhance the greenhouse effect.
Additionally, pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) can result from burning fuels.
- Effect on the Environment: These emissions lead to air quality deterioration, contributing to respiratory diseases and harming wildlife. They also lead to acid rain, which damages buildings and natural ecosystems, and smog formation, which reduces sunlight reaching the earth and affects photosynthesis.