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EnglandEnvironmental Science

3.3 Energy resources

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How can we cut energy demand through conservation and efficiency, and why does it matter?

The difference between energy conservation and energy efficiency, methods of reducing energy demand in buildings, transport and industry, and the environmental and economic benefits of doing so.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Environmental Science 3.3.4, covering the difference between energy conservation and efficiency, methods of reducing energy demand in buildings, transport and industry, and the benefits of doing so.
11 min answer →

How did fossil fuels form, why are they so widely used, and what are the environmental costs of burning them?

How coal, oil and natural gas form, their extraction and use, why they are non-renewable and finite, and the environmental impacts of extracting and burning fossil fuels.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Environmental Science 3.3.1, covering the formation of coal, oil and natural gas, their extraction and use, why they are finite, and the environmental impacts of using fossil fuels.
11 min answer →

How does nuclear power generate electricity, and do its low-carbon benefits outweigh the risks of waste and accidents?

How nuclear fission is used to generate electricity, the fuel cycle, the management of radioactive waste, and the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power including safety and decommissioning.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Environmental Science 3.3.2, covering how nuclear fission generates electricity, the fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, and the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power.
12 min answer →

What are the main renewable energy resources, and what are the trade-offs between them?

The main renewable energy resources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, geothermal and biomass), how each generates energy, and the advantages and limitations of each.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Environmental Science 3.3.3, covering the main renewable energy resources, how each generates energy, and the advantages and limitations of solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, geothermal and biomass power.
12 min answer →