JOCELYN MAR - YEAR 12 2023
Analyse the effects of TWO alternative energy systems on society and the environment
(wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen)
WIND ENERGY
Society Environment
Positive ● Job creation: provides job opportunities in ● Reduced greenhouse gas emissions & water
manufacturing, installation, maintenance, conservation- produces clean energy without
research and development, reduce without direct greenhouse gas emissions,
unemployment rates displaces fossil fuels in electricity, reduce CO2
● Local economic benefits = lease payments to emissions = mitigates climate change, lack of
landowners and local communities → boost local water needed for turbine cooling (unlike
economies in rural areas, building essential conventional power plants) conserves water in
services (ie schools) scarce/drought locations
● Energy independence = reduces country’s ● Air quality improvement - decrease in air pollution,
reliance on fossil fuels/foreign energy sources = improves air quality, benefits humans by reducing
reduces vulnerability to supply disruptions → incidence of respiratory diseases/health related
enhances energy reliability and reduces risks healthcare costs
associated with energy price fluctuations ● Low lifecycle carbon emissions - lower than fossil
● Improved air and water quality, wind energy fuel based power generation
● Manufacturing to decommissioning = smaller
carbon footprint, as energy sector becomes
cleaner and more efficient
● Long term = resource renewability
● Doesn’t contribute to water pollution
● Energy security
● Reduced land use compared to other alternatives
● Wildlife preservation
Negative ● Aesthetic impact → can change aesthetics of the ● Habitat disruption = construction and operation,
landscape, opposition and impacts on tourism, disrupt local ecosystems and wildlife habitats →
particularly in countries known for natural rural changes in behavior, migration patterns,
landscapes displacement
, JOCELYN MAR - YEAR 12 2023
● Noise concerns = disturb nearby residents, ● Wildlife collisions - bird/bat populations high, could
remains source of concern for some lead to injury or mortality → need for proper siting
communities, despite modern turbines being and mitigation strategies to reduce impacts, but
designed to be quieter → could remain source of can still happen
concern in some communities ● Electromagnetic fields → generated by power
● Land use competition = significant land/offshore lines/transformers associated wind energy
space, compete with other industry sectors such infrastructure may have localised
as agriculture, wildlife habitats, aquaculture environmental/health impacts
● Infrastructure costs - construction and ● Still requires resource use → production &
maintenance costly despite providing more installation of wind turbines still require steel,
employed jobs to individuals, would raise concrete, rare earth metals → extracting and
concerns about affordability of electricity, if costs processing have social/ethical concerns
are passed onto consumers
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Society Environment
Positive ● Future development/applications - drives ● Low greenhouse gas emissions - effective tool for
technological advancements (ie materials combatting climate change = reducing carbon
science, radiation protection, nuclear medicine, footprint of energy sector, stable, low carbon
benefits society beyond electricity generation) source of electricity
● Long fuel cycle - small amount of fuel can ● No air pollution emitted such as sulfur dioxide,
produce power for several years, reduces nitrogen oxides, particulate matter common in
frequency of fuel procurement and waste fossil fuel power plants
disposal ● Conserves natural resources (only requires small
● reliable/stable stable energy supply → consistent amount of uranium to produce a large amount of
energy supply, nuclear reactors can operate electricity, reducing overall environmental impact
continuously for extended periods (18-24 of mining on fuel extraction
months) without restocking ● Reduced land use compared to wind/solar,
reduces pressure on natural habitats and
ecosystems helping to preserve biodiversity
● Reduced ocean acidification - reduces demand for
ocean cooling water compared to power plants,
mitigating ocean acidification
Analyse the effects of TWO alternative energy systems on society and the environment
(wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen)
WIND ENERGY
Society Environment
Positive ● Job creation: provides job opportunities in ● Reduced greenhouse gas emissions & water
manufacturing, installation, maintenance, conservation- produces clean energy without
research and development, reduce without direct greenhouse gas emissions,
unemployment rates displaces fossil fuels in electricity, reduce CO2
● Local economic benefits = lease payments to emissions = mitigates climate change, lack of
landowners and local communities → boost local water needed for turbine cooling (unlike
economies in rural areas, building essential conventional power plants) conserves water in
services (ie schools) scarce/drought locations
● Energy independence = reduces country’s ● Air quality improvement - decrease in air pollution,
reliance on fossil fuels/foreign energy sources = improves air quality, benefits humans by reducing
reduces vulnerability to supply disruptions → incidence of respiratory diseases/health related
enhances energy reliability and reduces risks healthcare costs
associated with energy price fluctuations ● Low lifecycle carbon emissions - lower than fossil
● Improved air and water quality, wind energy fuel based power generation
● Manufacturing to decommissioning = smaller
carbon footprint, as energy sector becomes
cleaner and more efficient
● Long term = resource renewability
● Doesn’t contribute to water pollution
● Energy security
● Reduced land use compared to other alternatives
● Wildlife preservation
Negative ● Aesthetic impact → can change aesthetics of the ● Habitat disruption = construction and operation,
landscape, opposition and impacts on tourism, disrupt local ecosystems and wildlife habitats →
particularly in countries known for natural rural changes in behavior, migration patterns,
landscapes displacement
, JOCELYN MAR - YEAR 12 2023
● Noise concerns = disturb nearby residents, ● Wildlife collisions - bird/bat populations high, could
remains source of concern for some lead to injury or mortality → need for proper siting
communities, despite modern turbines being and mitigation strategies to reduce impacts, but
designed to be quieter → could remain source of can still happen
concern in some communities ● Electromagnetic fields → generated by power
● Land use competition = significant land/offshore lines/transformers associated wind energy
space, compete with other industry sectors such infrastructure may have localised
as agriculture, wildlife habitats, aquaculture environmental/health impacts
● Infrastructure costs - construction and ● Still requires resource use → production &
maintenance costly despite providing more installation of wind turbines still require steel,
employed jobs to individuals, would raise concrete, rare earth metals → extracting and
concerns about affordability of electricity, if costs processing have social/ethical concerns
are passed onto consumers
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Society Environment
Positive ● Future development/applications - drives ● Low greenhouse gas emissions - effective tool for
technological advancements (ie materials combatting climate change = reducing carbon
science, radiation protection, nuclear medicine, footprint of energy sector, stable, low carbon
benefits society beyond electricity generation) source of electricity
● Long fuel cycle - small amount of fuel can ● No air pollution emitted such as sulfur dioxide,
produce power for several years, reduces nitrogen oxides, particulate matter common in
frequency of fuel procurement and waste fossil fuel power plants
disposal ● Conserves natural resources (only requires small
● reliable/stable stable energy supply → consistent amount of uranium to produce a large amount of
energy supply, nuclear reactors can operate electricity, reducing overall environmental impact
continuously for extended periods (18-24 of mining on fuel extraction
months) without restocking ● Reduced land use compared to wind/solar,
reduces pressure on natural habitats and
ecosystems helping to preserve biodiversity
● Reduced ocean acidification - reduces demand for
ocean cooling water compared to power plants,
mitigating ocean acidification
