3.1.5 Energy
Content
- Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
- How global development processes affect resource availability and consumption
- Geographic knowledge and understanding
- An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of: energy, including the relative and changing importance of hydrocarbons, nuclear power, renewables, new sources of modern energy
- Case study or detailed examples
- Neither required by the syllabus
- Aims of this lesson
- Be able to describe global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of energy
- Be able to describe and explain the relative and changing importance of:
- hydrocarbons
- nuclear power
- renewables
- new sources of modern energy
Base knowledge and understanding
News article
‘People are wrestling with the burden’: Japan pivots to focus on nuclear power ‘maximisation’ alongside renewables
Post-Fukushima nuclear closures of dozens of reactors forced the country to rely heavily on imported fossil fuels
The Guardian · 31 December 2025
Key terms
- Energy grid
- An energy grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents.
- Fossil fuel
- Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal, fuel oil or natural gas, formed from the remains of dead plants and animals.
- Low carbon power
- Low-carbon power is electricity produced with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil fuel power generation.
- Modern energy
- The definition of modern energy services includes both access to electricity and to clean cooking facilities (e.g., fuels and stoves that do not cause air pollution in houses).
Log in or subscribe to continueUnlock the full lesson — the teaching content, lesson resources, and the complete Notion version.
Review
- Suggest one reason why the relative importance of nuclear power varies between countries. [2]
- Outline one trend in the global consumption of renewable energy over the past two decades. [2]
- Explain two reasons why some countries remain heavily dependent on hydrocarbons for their energy supply. [4]
- Technological innovation will always prevent a global resource crisis. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
- The increasing demand for energy is the most significant threat to a sustainable future. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]