4.3 What can be done?

4.34.3 What can be done?What can be done?

What are the solutions to China’s

‘power’ problems?

What can be done to solve China’s ‘power’ problems?What can be done to solve China’s ‘power’ problems?

The following ways can help solve China’s ‘power’ problems:

A Slow down the increase in the demand for power resources

B Increase the supply

C Ease the environmental problems

D Attract foreign capital to develop the power industry

A. Slow down the increase in the demand for power resources


Here are two major ways to achieve this goal.

Factories and power plants are two big consumers of energy. If they can use energy in a more efficient way, more power resources can be saved.

This will increase the energy prices. People will use power resources in a more economical way.

How can they help in slowing down the increasing in demand?

B. Increase the supply


Huge reserves found underground in the north-west

According to the Chinese government, huge reserves of power resources in the north-west have not yet been exploited:

1 coal reserve of 300,900 million tonnes (about 30% of the national total);

2 oil reserve reaches 510 million tonnes (about 23% of the total national ground reserve);

3 natural gas reserve of over 400,000 cubic metres (nearly 60% of total national ground reserve).

What can we do with these reserves?



We can also develop renewable power resources in order to increase energy supply, such as:

Wind power

Renewable power resources in China

Limitations of using

alternative power resources

Solar power

Geothermal power

Wave and tidal power

HEP

C. Ease the environmental problems


The measures mentioned before help to ease the environmental problems:

Developing renewable power resources

Reduce China’s reliance on coal, thus improve China’s air quality

Reduce China’s reliance on coal, thus improve China’s air quality

More efficient use of power

Cut down the actual amount of power resources used

Cut down the actual amount of power resources used

D. Attracting foreign capital to develop the power industry


The Yacheng 13-1 gas field off Hainan in China is jointly exploited by China and international companies. Since 1995 China has exported the natural gas produced from this gas field to Hong Kong through a submarine pipeline.

How do foreign companies help in developing the power industry in China?

Distribution of renewable power resources in China


What are the limitations of using alternative power resources?What are the limitations of using alternative power resources?

Technical problem

Not all places are suitable for building solar, wind, HEP and geothermal power plants.

Environmental problem

Wind farms produce noise pollution; building HEP plants results in flooding of the surrounding areas.$$

Economical problem

Huge investment in capital and technology is needed for developing renewable power resources.



Unit 4.3The End

4.44.4 Is nuclear power a possible way oIs nuclear power a possible way out?ut?

July

Two accidents occurred within three days this week in a nuclear power plant in Japan. A small amount of radioactive oil leaked, but the leakage is now under control.

Series of nuclear accidents raised doubts in using nuclear power...

A. Is nuclear power a good source of energy?A. Is nuclear power a good source of energy?

What is nuclear power?

- Nuclear power is the energy produced by splitting uranium atoms.- Enormous amount of energy is used to heat the water in the power plant.- The water turns into steam to generate electricity.

Nuclear

What are the advantages of nuclear power?

Nuclear power plants produce very little environmental pollution if they are run properly.

Nuclear power VS Coal-fired powerNuclear power VS Coal-fired power

Can you spot the different effects caused by these two types of power on the environment?

Can you spot the different effects caused by these two types of power on the environment?

CoalOnly a small amount of uranium is needed

No smokestacks; no pollutants

Radioactive wastes A large amount of coal is

needed. Opencast mining of coal causes land destruction

Heaps of ash from coal burning

Global warming

CO2

Acid rain Other pollutants


What are the disadvantages of nuclear power?

1 Risk of accidents

Uranium is a radioactive element. Radiation is harmful to plants, animals and people.

RadiationRadiation

Radioactive elements can be spread by wind and affect living things far away. Moreover, the damage may last for many years.



2 Problem of waste disposal

Nuclear power also produce dangerous radioactive waste. There is no safe way of disposing of such waste.

Would you like to live near a nuclear power plant or disposal sites of radioactive wastes?



3 High cost

The high cost of developing nuclear power plants include:

4 the increasing costs caused by increasing safety standards for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

4 the increasing costs caused by increasing safety standards for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

1 high construction cost;1 high construction cost;

2 high cleanup and repair costs;2 high cleanup and repair costs;

3 high demolition cost of a closed power plant;3 high demolition cost of a closed power plant;



4 Thermal pollutionThe hot water, which is passed from nuclear power plants into nearby rivers or seas, may cause thermal pollution. Aquatic life will be affected.

Hot water affects the aquatic life


B. Should China develop nuclear power?B. Should China develop nuclear power?

China is facing a number of ‘power’ problems. Develop nuclear power is one of the ways to solve the problem. However, we have to consider the following points:

Economic Economic viewpointviewpoint

EnvironmentalEnvironmentalviewpointviewpoint

If you were a government official, If you were a government official, what would your decision be?what would your decision be?

Distribution of nuclear power plants in ChinaDistribution of nuclear power plants in China

B. Should China develop nuclear power?B. Should China develop nuclear power?

Unit 4.4The End

4.3 What can be done?

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