2C: The Challenge of Resource Management Flashcards

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1
Q

why is food significant to our well being?

A

1) Need food to work and contribute toward economic growth

2) the no. of calories per day affects your health (malnutrition and obesity)

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2
Q

why is water significant to our well being?

A

1) Needed for industrial processes and to support economic growth
2) drinking, washing, food production, waste disposal
3) In LICS, access to water enables female children to go to school

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3
Q

why is energy significant to our well being?

A

1) Needed for industrial processes and to support economic growth
2) needed for heating, domestic power, transportation, food production

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4
Q

give an overview of the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of food

A

1) UK consume 3200 calories per person per day
2) Somalia 1600 calories per person per day
3) Areas of greatest population growth have highest levels of undernourishment
4) Demand depends on changing diets and increasing population
5) Supply depends on climate, soil and level of technology

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5
Q

give an overview of the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of water

A

1) Fresh water is unequally distributed
2) Water footprint is the amount of water used per
3) Bangladesh uses 900 l per day and the USA is 2500 l per day
4) Water scarcity can be physical or economic
5) 1 in 5 people live in areas of water scarcity and 1 in 3 people have no access to clean drinking water

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6
Q

give an overview of the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of energy

A

1) Richest billion people use 50% of the energy
2) Poorest billion people use 4% of the energy
3) Countries import and export energy
4) Some countries do not have their own sources of energy

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7
Q

what percentage of its food does the UK import?

A

47%

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8
Q

why does the UK import so much food?

A

1) it is cheaper to produce food abroad in LICs
2) there is a growing demand for high value products (e.g. manuka honey)
3) customers want year round food

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9
Q

what is food miles?

A

the distance that food travels to reach its customer

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10
Q

what are the pros and cons of LICs producing food for the UK?

A

PROS: LICs benefit from the jobs and money through taxes that exporting food provides
CONS: places pressure on water supply and means exposure to chemicals

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11
Q

what are high value products?

A

products valued at 5 times the price of similar products

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12
Q

what is the total food miles of UK food imports?

A

18.8 billion miles

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13
Q

how much does food contribute to the UK’s carbon emissions?

A

17%

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14
Q

what percentage of UK food imports come from the EU?

A

68%

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15
Q

what is the argument for importing food to the UK from abroad?

A

Other countries’ climates are better suited (tomatoes have less of a carbon footprint being imported from Spain that being grown in the UK)

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16
Q

what makes food organic?

A

if it does not use pesticides and fertilisers

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17
Q

what is the trend in demand for organic food in the UK?

A

Since the 1990s there has been an increase in demand as people think it is healthier (even though it tends to be more expensive because yields are lower)

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18
Q

what is agribusiness?

A

industrialised agriculture on a large scale

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19
Q

where is there a lot of agribusiness in the UK?

A

in East Anglia

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20
Q

what are the concerns with agribusiness?

A

1) Farms are large, leading to loss of hedgerows to allow machinery to operate
2) Less people are employed in farming. 3) Big impacts on the environment as often heavy use of pesticides and fertilisers

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21
Q

what are ‘Eat local’ and ‘Eat seasonal’?

A

movements to encourage a reduction in the carbon footprint

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22
Q

how much has the amount of water used by the average household in the UK increased by since 1985?

A

70%

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23
Q

why has water demand in the UK increased?

A

1) Population growth
2) Wealth so have more water-intensive appliances (eg. dishwashers)
3) Demand of out of season food needs irrigation
4) Leisure use (esp. golf courses)
5) Increased personal hygiene (power showers)
6) Increasing industrial use

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24
Q

how is water quality managed in the UK?

A

1) strict laws on discharge from farms and industry
2) education campaigns not to dispose waste in water
3) waste water treatment
4) building better treatment plants
5) investing in infrastructure (sewers)

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25
Q

what are the main water pollutants?

A

1) fertilisers
2) pesticides
3) acid rain
4) oil from roads

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26
Q

why is water pollution a problem?

A

1) Fertilisers cause eutrophication which kills fish
2) Toxic chemicals can enter food chain eg through shellfish
3) Contaminated water

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27
Q

describe the supply and demand of water in the UK

A

Highest population is in the South East (area of water deficit) and highest rainfall is in the north and west (water surplus)

28
Q

what is an area with lots of water called?

A

area of water surplus/security

29
Q

what is an area of water shortage called?

A

area of water deficit/insecurity

30
Q

what percentage of Southern England relies on groundwater?

A

80%

31
Q

how does the Lake Vyrnwy scheme help maintain supply of water to areas in need?

A

1) moves water from Wales (sparsely populated area of water surplus) to Liverpool (densely populated area of water deficit)
2) dam and reservoir built
3) water transferred 68 miles via pipeline

32
Q

where are areas of energy surplus?

A

mainly HICs as although they are the largest consumers of every they are also the largest producers

33
Q

where are areas of energy defecit?

A

mainly LICs

34
Q

name countries in the world with the high levels of energy security?

A

Canada, Russia and the Middle East

35
Q

what are the reasons for increasing energy consumption?

A

1) economic development - rise in living standards in NEEs means growing domestic and industrial demand)
2) population growth
3) technology -means lower energy costs and increasing demand

36
Q

what are the physical factors affecting energy supply?

A

1) Geology – determines if people can access fossil fuels and how long they will last
2) Climate – determines access to solar and wind power
3) Environmental Conditions – in some environments (e.g. Arctic) it will be very difficult to extract energy and therefore more expensive

37
Q

what are the human factors affecting energy supply?

A

1) Costs of exploitation and production – a rise in energy price will encourage energy producers to exploit more difficult/more expensive energy sources & vice versa
2) Technology – advances in technology to exploit inaccessible sources of energy e.g. Fracking
3) Political factors – Politically unstable countries can impact the energy supply e.g. Libya (Civil War)

38
Q

what are the environmental impacts of energy insecurity?

A

1) Clearing rainforests to grow biofuels
2) Drilling for oil and gas in environmentally sensitive areas e.g. Alaska
3) Flooding valleys to generate HEP, displacing people e.g. 3 Gorges Dam
4) Building wind/solar farms in areas of outstanding beauty

39
Q

what are the economic impacts of energy insecurity?

A

1) Farming and food production are vulnerable to rises in energy prices by foreign energy suppliers
2) Industrial output is even more vulnerable to price rises. Can lead to power cuts and rationing (1970’s UK)

40
Q

what are the social impacts of energy insecurity?

A

1) A rise in price of energy will increase living costs – home, food, travel
2) Jobs may be put at risk as sales of goods and services fall
3) People may suffer from power cuts

41
Q

what are the potential conflicts that may arise from energy insecurity?

A

1) Conflict may occur between consumers, (people, agriculture, industry, transport) and push up prices
2) Price rises of domestic goods, will put them at conflict from foreign goods where energy costs are lower
3) Conflict between energy suppliers and consumers (price disputes) e.g. Russia and Ukraine 2006/2009

42
Q

what are the economic and environmental issues with using fossil fuels as an energy source?

A

ECONOMIC:
1) non-renewable so will run out (not sustainable)
2) miners get sick so healthcare costs
ENVIRONMENTAL:
1) carbon dioxide released leads to acid rain and climate change

43
Q

what are the economic and environmental issues with fracking?

A
ECONOMIC:
1) expensive equipment required
ENVIRONMENTAL:
1) uses millions of litres of water which becomes contaminated as a result
2) can cause ground water pollution
44
Q

what are the economic and environmental issues of using nuclear energy?

A

ECONOMIC:
1) expensive to build reactors but raw materials are cheap
2) cost to transport and store waste is very high
ENVIRONMENTAL:
1) waste is radioactive for 100 years
2) nuclear accidents have long term impacts on wildlife and people

45
Q

what are the environmental disadvantages of using renewable energy sources?

A

1) Considered ugly and ruin views
2) Wind turbines can affect bird migration
3) HEP dams flood land upstream and affects ecology of water
4) Biomass reduces biodiversity as only one crop is grown (eg. sugar cane)
5) Deforestation caused by biomass

46
Q

what are the economic disadvantages of using renewable energy sources?

A

1) High set up costs
2) Biomass means land not used for food production so may increase costs of food
3) Tourism declines as visual appeal is damaged
4) Low profitability

47
Q

what percentage of its energy did the UK get from coal and oil in 1970 and 2015?

A

1970: 91%
2015: 31%

48
Q

what percentage of its energy did the UK get from renewable sources in 2015?

A

22%

49
Q

why is the significance of renewables as an energy fuel growing in the UK?

A

the government is investing in renewable energy (e.g. subsidies for solar panels given by the government)

50
Q

describe how the domestic supply of oil, coal and gas have reduced

A

1) In 1980 North Sea oil and gas was discovered
2) Now have decreasing reserves of fossil fuels
3) EU regulations on emissions has meant decrease in fossil fuel use

51
Q

what are the advantages of extracting natural gas as a fuel?

A

1) 45% less carbon emissions than coal
2) Doesn’t produce waste e.g. coal ash
3) Lighter than air, so disperses quickly in case of leaks
4) Can be used for many purposes e.g. heating, electricity
5) More abundant than other fossil fuels
6) Produces competitively priced electricity
7) Can be transported as a liquid (LNG) as well as a gas.

52
Q

what are the disadvantages of extracting natural gas as a fuel?

A

1) it uses huge amounts of water that must be transported to the fracking site, at significant environmental cost.
2) Potentially carcinogenic chemicals used may escape and contaminate groundwater around the fracking site.
3) There are also worries that the fracking process can cause small earth tremors.
4) Environmental campaigners say that fracking is simply distracting energy firms and governments from investing in renewable sources of energy, and encouraging continued reliance on fossil fuels.
5) Odourless and leaks can’t be detected unless odorant is added
6) Infrastructure for extraction and distribution is expensive

53
Q

what percentage of the world’s energy supply is provided by natural gas?

A

24%

54
Q

how is natural gas formed?

A

from decaying animal and plant matter

55
Q

why is Nepal in need of alternative energy sources?

A

1) Nepal has no significant deposits of coal, oil or gas
2) Nepal is landlocked and mountainous, so importing fossil fuels is difficult.
3) Power cuts are therefore common (published in a timetable)

56
Q

why were micro hydro plants used in Nepal?

A

1) Micro-hydro plants are sustainable
2) Do not need to dam river, as they divert water from the river, which is channelled through a turbine (that generates electricity), before returning to the river
3) By not requiring an expensive dam, they are a cheap source of power which also avoid the damaging environmental and social effects that larger HEP schemes causes, including flooding

57
Q

how has a micro hydro plant affected the village of Darbang?

A

1) Ruma Khola micro-hydro power plant (2009) supplies 51KW electricity to 700 households in five villages, including Darbang
2) Darbang now has furniture maker, cement maker, noodle factory, poultry & dairy farms

58
Q

how many micro hydro plants have been built across Nepal?

A

1,000

59
Q

what is the name of the micro hydro power plant which supplies energy to Darbang?

A

Ruma Khola micro hydro plant

60
Q

how many households does the Ruma Khola micro-hydro plant supply energy to?

A

700

61
Q

how much power does the Ruma Khola micro hydro plant provide?

A

51 KW

62
Q

how can energy be conserved?

A

1) Switch off lights, use energy efficient light bulbs, only use dishwasher on full load, turn down central heating, walk and cycle more, use public transport, car share, don’t fly, keep thermostats to 19C spend less time on the internet.
2) Make homes/businesses more energy efficient – loft insulation, double glazing, cavity wall insulation, automated lighting that turns off
3) Reduce energy demand – financial incentives, off peak energy tariffs

63
Q

suggest why some countries have a low risk to their energy security

A

1) high income countries can buy energy no matter how high the price
2) plentiful supplies of fossil fuels such as shale gas in North America means that countries can control their own energy
3) some countries control the energy companies so even if the supply is not in their country they can secure supplies from wherever it is being found

64
Q

suggest one reason for the development of fracking in the UK

A

1) recent massive discoveries of shale gas reserves underground
2) exhaustion of other energy sources (North Sea)
3) fracking may reduce the need for expensive imports
4) realisation that renewables are insufficient to meet demand (1)
5) US developments have been successful

65
Q

what are the social impacts of increased energy use?

A

1) Power plants / wind farms / cooling towers are unsightly so people may object
2) Nuclear power has safety risks so people will be frightened of its use
3) Energy becomes expensive as demand increases so some may experience fuel poverty

66
Q

what are the economic impacts of increased energy use?

A

1) Countries with large energy reserves get richer because other countries have to buy from them
2) Increased cost of energy because there is more competition for decreasing reserves which leads to more fuel poverty for individuals
3) job creation in renewable technology / power generation.