A Reality Check on Renewables (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) How renewable energy made Britain a great empire.
B) The practicalities of using solely renewable energy.
C) The importance of coal to today's society.
D) The reasons that renewable energy is superior to coal.


2) According to the lecture, what are two motivations for extricating ourselves from fossil fuels? (Choose two answers)

A) Climate change
B) Cost
C) Limited supply
D) Health effects from pollution


3) At 01:27, the lecturer says, "And when people talk about life after fossil fuels and climate change action, I think there's a lot of fluff, a lot of greenwash, a lot of misleading advertising. . . And I feel a duty as a physicist to try to guide people around the claptrap and help people understand the actions that really make a difference and to focus on ideas that do add up."

What does he mean when he says, "I think there's a lot of fluff, a lot of greenwash, a lot of misleading advertising"?

A) He believes that not many of the promises made about renewable energy will be kept.
B) He believes that advertisers supporting climate change don't always tell the truth.
C) He believes that physicists often mislead people so that they can sell more products.
D) He believes that there is an abundance of essential information about fossil fuels and climate change that people too frequently ignore.


4) Which of the following is a fundamental problem with renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuels?

A) There is not enough room beside roads to grow the crops.
B) Cars will not be able to drive faster than 60 miles per hour.
C) Most countries currently consume more energy than they produce.
D) The area of land required to match energy consumption is too large.


5) Arrange the following power sources in terms of energy produced per square meter from greatest to least: 

1) biofuels
2) solar panels
3) nuclear stations
4) wind farms

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6) Which of the following is NOT a solution that can reduce energy consumption?

A) Insulating houses better.
B) Using more alternative sources of fuel.
C) Monitoring your energy use at home.
D) Using more efficient transportation.


7) How does the speaker probably feel about renewable energy?

A) It is not a viable option for the future.
B) We need to be realistic but it will be essential in the future.
C) Renewable energy can meet most of our needs today.
D) It will only work for Britain if other countries help.