Energy resources are essential for any society, be it one dependent on subsistence farming or an industrialised country. There are many different sources of energy, some well-known such as coal or petroleum, others less so, such as tides or the heat inside the Earth. Is nuclear power a salvation or a nightmare? This free course, An introduction to energy resources, provides background information to each, so that you can assess them for yourself.
Overview
Syllabus
- An introduction to energy resources
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Energy use
- 1 Energy use
- 2 Energy, work, power and efficiency
- 2 Energy, work, power and efficiency
- 2.1 Some basic concepts
- 2.2 Present-day energy use
- 2.3 Global power demand
- 3 Sources of energy from the natural environment
- 3 Sources of energy from the natural environment
- 3.1 Solar radiation
- 3.2 Tides
- 3.3 The Earth's internal heat
- 4 Fossil fuels
- 4 Fossil fuels
- 4.1 Natural stores of carbon
- 4.2 The terrestrial carbon cycle
- 4.3 Photosynthesis, respiration and decay
- 4.4 The marine carbon cycle
- 4.5 Generating carbon — the legacy of volcanoes
- 4.6 The fossil fuel 'bank'
- 5 Nuclear energy
- 5 Nuclear energy
- 6 Concentrating, storing and transporting energy
- 6 Concentrating, storing and transporting energy
- 6.1 Concentrating energy
- 6.2 Storing and transporting energy
- 7 Renewable and non-renewable energy supplies
- 7 Renewable and non-renewable energy supplies
- Conclusion
- 9 Glossary
- 9 Glossary
- Acknowledgements
