KEY LEARNING:

We learned about our countries reliance on energy from fossil fuels.

Electricity comes from coal, oil or gas. Our transportation runs on petrol, kerosene, diesel or lpg. Our heating comes from natural gas and plastics are polyehthene, PVC and polyurethane.

We also learned about just how finite these resources are with many estimates stating that many of these will run out before the end of my own lifetime with just a view lasting longer than that. Oil is expected to last 45 years, gas is 72 years, and coal is 252 years.

We discussed the alternatives to these fuels. Such as using wind-power to generate electricity or using biofules such as bioethanol to power our cars.

 

IMPACT ON MY VIEWS/LIFESTYLE/PRACTICE:

I believe that most people are well aware of the shortage we are facing in terms of fossil fuels- however I did not know how short the estimates were. That shocked we a little bit as I think I believed it would never run out in my lifetime but the reality is that it very well could. This will definitely impact my choices/ lifestyle as i am not aware of the need to preserve as much as we can. To do this i will be mindful of my energy use and use public transport where possible.

 

AREAS OF INTEREST TO EXPLORE FURTHER/DEVELOP: 

I am already quite aware of renewable energy and bio fuels from doing higher biology and chemistry so i would not explore these concepts much further but I am definitely going to explore the depletion of our natural resources further to see how I can try and help the situation and the sustainability of our planet.