AP Environmental Science Unit 6 - Energy Resources & Consumption

AP Environmental Science Energy Review

Here's an organized outline for AP Environmental Science Unit 6 reviews. This outline has been adapted from the 2019 Course Description published by College Board. You can use this to build an AP Enviro Unit 6 study guide.

Human Energy Use

Humans use of energy sources have created a large and lasting impact on the environment. 

• The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Hydrologic fracturing (fracking) can cause groundwater to become contaminated.
• Nuclear energy using Uranium-235 that remains radioactive for a long time and is difficult to dispose of in a way that will not contaminate groundwater.

⚡ Watch: AP Environmental Science - 🎥 Fossil Fuels

Energy sources can be classified as renewable and nonrenewable.

• Nonrenewable energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount (fossil fuels).
• Renewable energy sources are those that can be replenished at or near the rate of consumption (wind, hydroelectric and solar).

⚡ Read: AP Environmental Science - Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources 

The amount of energy consumed and subsequent impact, differs greatly from one community to another. 

• As developing countries increase their use of combustion engines, their reliance on fossil fuels for energy increases.  Typically developing countries do not have the technological or financial access to renewable energy sources. 
• Countries that are still developing economically use less energy than industrialized countries.
• Often times wood is used for fuel in developing countries because it is easily accessible or free to harvest. This results in the deforestation of ecosystems.

The distribution of natural energy is dependent on the region’s geologic history.

• Fossil fuels including coal and oil, formed from the remains of living organisms.
• Humans use a variety of methods including mining, fracking and drilling to extract fossil fuels from the Earth.
• Based on the geologic history of the land, some communities have access to large reserves of fossil fuels while others do not. 

Renewable Energy

There have been major technological developments in the use of clean and renewable energies. 

• The use of nuclear power is a nonrenewable energy source because there is a set amount of uranium available, however it is considered a cleaner energy because there are no air pollutants created.
• Ethanol can be used as a substitute for gasoline, because it must be grown in order to burn, it does not introduce additional carbon into the atmosphere.
• Photovoltaic solar cells capture light energy from the sun and transform it directly into electrical energy.
• Hydroelectric power can be generated with the use of dams or tidal energy.
• Geothermal energy is obtained by using the heat stored in the Earth’s interior.
• Hydrogen fuel cells are an alternative to nonrenewable fuel sources.
• Wind energy, made by spinning a turbine is a renewable, clean source of energy.

⚡ Watch: AP Environmental Science - 🎥 Renewable Energy (I) and Renewable Energy (II)

Unit 6 Vocab

• Biomass
• Developed countries
• Developing countries
• Energy conservation
• Fossil fuels
• Geothermal energy
• Global distribution of energy
• Half-life
• Hydroelectric power
• Hydrogen fuel cells
• Hydrologic fracturing
• Industrialization
• Nonrenewable energy sources
• Nuclear power generation
• Processes of power generation
• Renewable energy sources
• Solar energy
• Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima
• Wind energy