Module Identifier GG30620  
Module Title ENERGY RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT  
Academic Year 2000/2001  
Co-ordinator Dr Aled Rowlands  
Semester Intended For Use In Future Years  
Next year offered N/A  
Next semester offered N/A  
Mutually Exclusive DA30620  
Course delivery Lecture   22 Hours 11 x 2 hours  
  Seminars / Tutorials   4 Hours 4 x 1 hour  
  Practical   7 Hours 7 x 1 hour  
Assessment Exam   2 Hours Written examination.   50%  
  Project work   3000 word project.   30%  
  Presentation   Presentation of project work to the class.   20%  
  Resit assessment   2 hour written examination (50%). Resubmit failed in-course assessment.    

Module Outline (Lecture Themes)
The module addresses the subject of Energy Resources and their Exploitation and places significant emphasis on the environmental consequences of meeting our energy demands. We will discuss what is meant by "Energy", how it is used, how these needs have changed and how energy demands are met. A spectrum of different energy resources (fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable) will be considered in order to develop an appreciation of the relative advantages and disadvantages of each. Central to this will be an understanding of the sensitivity of energy resource development to society and the environment. Case studies of energy resources in Wales will be extensively used to illustrate these themes.

The use of fossil fuels will be discussed with the aim of understanding their distribution, the history of the industry and current themes. Consideration will be given to the nuclear industry, the issues relating to the subject in the UK and the problem of storage. The final section will focus on renewable energy, including solar, wind, wave and biomass. As part of this section a brief introduction will be given to earth's energy balance and the impact of energy use on global climate change.

Module Aims
The principle aim is to introduce the topic of Energy Resources and their Exploitation to both Physical and Human Geographers with emphasis on the environmental consequences of meeting our energy demands. A fundamental aim is to inform students of what is meant by "Energy", how it is used, how these needs have changed and how energy demands are met. Students are expected to acquire a clear understanding of the contemporary issues in energy resources through the study of fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable resources, developing an appreciation of the relative advantages and disadvantages of each. Central to this will be an understanding of the sensitivity of energy resource development to society and the environment. Energy resources in Wales will be extensively used to demonstrate these themes.

Module objectives / Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will be have knowledge of numerous energy resources, their history, how they are exploited and likely future patterns of use. They will be able to critically assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of these energy resources and will be able to make informed judgements on the likely environmental and human impact of planned future developments.

General and Transferable Skills: Students will improve their report writing and presentation skills and develop the ability to locate relevant sources of information on the World Wide Web and traditional sources.

Reading Lists
Books
Gore, A.. (1992) Earth in the Balance. Earthscan Publications Ltd.
Boyle, G. ed.. (1996) Renewable energy : power for a sustainable future. Oxford University Press
Brown, G.C. and Skipsey, E.. (1986) Energy resources : geology, supply and demand. Open University Press