8) Resource Reliance Flashcards
3 basic resources we all need
Food
Water
Energy
Why do we need food?
Without nourishing food, we become ill, which can impact education and therefore future job
Why do we need energy? 2
Basic standard of living - lighting and heat for cooking
Essential for industry and transport
Why do we need water? 4
Cooking, drinking, production and washing
Two reasons for increasing consumption
Increasing population
Economic development
Why has the increasing population meant we need more resources?
More people means more food needs to be grown = more water used growing crops
What is economic development?
People, especially in EDCs, re getting wealthier
Why does economic development mean we need more resources?
We have a higher standard of living
Why does economic development mean we need more food?
We have more money to spend on food
We often buy more than we need
Why does economic development mean we need more water?
More people can afford waters, dishwashers etc which uses water
water used in production of electrical appliances
Why does economic development mean we need more energy?
We can afford appliances which use energy
5 factors limiting supplies
Climate Geology Natural hazards Conflict Poverty
Why does the climate limit supplies?
Some countries have low rainfall which affects crops they can grow
Why does geology impact supplies?
Some countries don’t have the right geology for fossil fuels or renewable sources of energy, which limits what they can produce
Why does conflict impact on supplies?
War can disrupt transport of resources
Why does poverty impact supplies?
Countries don’t have the money to exploit the resources available
Why do natural hazards impact supplies?
Can damage agricultural land and infrastructure
What is happening to farming?
Mechanised
Why is industrial farming so good?
Can increase yield because processes can be done faster
Environmental impacts of changes to farming 3
Increased field sizes = cutting down of hedgerows = less biodiversity
Use of heavy machinery erodes soil
Increased use of chemicals, which can harm organisms
Why is industrial fishing good?
Fishermen use bigger nets so more fish can be caught to feed growing population
Environmental impacts of industrial fishing 3
Over fishing endangers species, which affects multiple food chains
Dredging can damage sea habitats
Fish farms are crowded and lots of fish produce lots of waste. This causes large amounts of algae, which remove oxygen from the water so other plants die
Why is deforestation increasing?
Increased energy demand (trees burned for fuel or to make space for power stations)
Problems with hydroelectric power
Involves building a damn, which floods large areas of forest
Environmental impacts of deforestation 4
Releases Co2 - global warming
The habitats are lost - extinction of species
Exposes soil for easier erosion, which can enter the rivers and impact other organisms
Trees intercept rainfall, which makes flooding more likely
How are fossil fuels extracted?
Mining
What is surface mining?
Vegetation is stripped away so miners can reach what they really want
What is sub surface mining
Digging deep shafts to extract rock
What is fracking?
Liquid is pumped into ground which cracks rocks and releases gases and oil
Environmental impacts of mining 4
Waste causes pollution
Habitats are destroyed, reducing biodiversity
Lot of water is used, which is a limited resource
Non- renewable energy supplies extracted
What is a reservoir and why is it used?
When water supplies are low, a damn is built the river which traps a large amount of water so we have a reliable source of water all year round
Environmental impacts of reservoirs 4
Floods land, destroying agricultural land and habitats
Disrupts flow of sediment so downstream areas are infertile
Introduction of non-native species in the new aquatic ecosystems
Stop species moving around by acting as a barrier
How do water transfers work?
Canals and pipes are used to move water from an area with surplus water to an area with minimal water
Environmental problems of water transfers 3
Involves building dams
Lots of energy needed to transport water long distances - greenhouse gases enhance climate change
Large scale machinery needed to transport water, damaging ecosystems
What is food security?
When people have enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active
When do countries have food security?
When they have enough money to import the food they need
What is food insecurity?
When people don’t have enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active
When do countries have food insecurity?
When countries don’t have enough food to feed populations and can’t afford to import it
What are the two things that affect food security?
Physical factors
Human factors
Physical factors impacting food security 3
Climate
Water stress
Pests and diseases
How does the climate of a country impact food security?
Countries that are too cold or too hot can’t grow much food
Extreme weather events also impact food supply
How can water stress impact food security?
Crops and animals need water to survive
How can pests and diseases impact food security?
Pests reduce yield by eating crops
Diseases affect animals and plants and can spread quickly
5 human factors affecting food security
Poverty Technology Conflict Over farming Food prices
How can poverty impact food security?
People can’t afford to buy food or the pesticides and fertilisers needed to grow crops efficiently
How can technology impact food security? 2
Mechanisation of farms increases yield
Genetic engineering
How can conflict affect food security? 3
Damage agricultural land or make it difficult to reach foo supplies
Political trading relationships may be damaged
How can over-farming impact food security? 2
Grazing too much livestock decreases vegetation cover and causes soil erosion
Uses up soil nutrients
Both make land infertile
How can food prices impact food security?
If prices rise, people can’t afford it and go hungry
Two ways of showing how access to food varies
Daily calorie intake map
Global Hunger Index
What does the daily calorie map show?
The number of calories people in each country eat each day on average
What does the World Hunger Index show?
How many people are suffering from hunger or illness caused by lack of food
Gives a value for each country where 0 = no hunger and 100 = extreme hunger
What do the two maps showing how access to food varies globally agree on? 3
More developed areas like Europe and N. America eat a lot
Less developed areas are eating less and this causes hunger related illnesses
EDCs are eating more and hunger is decreasing
Problem with the two maps
Neither shows variation within countries
What was Malthus’s Theory on the access to food?
He thought that the population would increase faster than food supply
When this happened, he believed many people would be killed by famine illness and war and so the population would return to a level where everyone had food
What was Boserup’s Theory on access to food?
However big the population grew, people would always produce sufficient food
If food supplies became limited, people would invent new ways to increase production to avoid hunger
4 attempts to sustainably increase food security
Organic farming
Intensive farming
Genetic modification
Hydroponics
How is hydroponics increasing food security? 2
Plants are grown in a nutrients solution, which maximises yield
Less water is needed to grow plants, and so the risk of pests decreases = less use of pesticide
It is environmentally sustainable
Problems with hydroponics
Very expensive so only used for high value crops
Not everyone can buy these crops so it is less socially sustainable
What is social sustainability?
Maintaining a high quality of life for everyone indefinitely
What is economic sustainability?
Making sure the wealth of both individuals and countries continues to grow
What is environmental sustainability?
Keeping the environment in a healthy state long-term
How is genetic modification improving food security?
Food can be grown in smaller areas with fewer resources
Increased yields and nutritional value = social sustainability
Decreased use of chemicals = environmental and economic sustainability
Concerns about GM crops 2
Reduce biodiversity because fewer species of plants are planted
May interbreed with other plants and their genes may disrupt ecosystems
How is intensive farming improving food security?
We are getting bigger yields
What is intensive farming?
When the maximum amount of food is produced in a minimal space
This is done by using fertilisers and pesticide to maximise yields
Problems with intensive farming
Chemicals such as pesticides can damage ecosystems, reducing its environmental sustainability
They are also expensive, which makes them less economically sustainable
What is organic farming?
It uses natural processes to return nutrients to the soil so it stays fertile and food can continue to be produced
Natural products are used instead of chemicals
How is organic farming improving food security? 1
Limited chemicals protects ecosystems and preserves biodiversity - environmentally sustainable
Problems with organic farming 1
Limited social sustainability - very expensive
What is ethical consumerism?
Choosing to buy goods that have been produced with minimal harm to people and the environment
How can ethical consumerism help to improve food security? 4
Reduces damage to agricultural land so it remains fertile
Makes food production profitable so farmers businesses’ cam continue
Paying more money to poorer countries for their food so poverty decreases
Reducing the greenhouse gases emitted by transport and waste disposal. This prevents climate change and so changes in food production
3 ways of making food consumption more ethical
Reducing waste
Fair-trade products
Buy local and seasonal products
How can buying fair-trade products make food consumption more ethical? 3
Buyers pay extra on top of normal prices to give the farmer and their area a better way of life - socially sustainable
Producers that are fair-trade give their employees good working conditions so it helps them grow and expand
There are rules about how food is grown - environmentally methods must be used
How can reducing waste make food consumption more ethical? 3
Less food wasted = more food available so less needs to be grown, increasing environmental and social sustainability
Government schemes encourage people not to waste food but to compost it instead, reducing methane emisions
Less packaging decreases resources used and means less goes to landfill = environmental sustainability
how can buying local and seasonal food make food consumption more ethical? 1
Food is imported into wealthy countries
By eating locally and seasonally, it reduces the amount of food transported, so greenhouse gases are minimised = environmentally sustainable
What is small-scale food production?
Where individuals and communities grow food rather than large-scale organisations
How can small-scale food production increase food security? 4
Grown in gardens/balconies etc so overall food production increases
People can grow what they want rather than wasting what they don’t
Methods are organic - keeps land fertile
Less reliant on imported food
What are allotments?
Areas of land in villages that are divided into plots and bought so people can grow food
How are allotments making food supplies more sustainable?
They allow people to grow cheap, easy food close to home - environmentally and socially sustainable
What are urban gardens?
Spaces such as empty land, balconies or rooftops are used to grow food in towns and cities. People often work together to grow food and improve environment
How are urban gardens making food supplies more sustainable? 2
Add greenery to cities which makes them more attractive - socially sustainable
Makes fresh food locally available - it is cheaper, fresher, more nutritious and less transport is used
What is permaculture?
People are encouraged to grow their own food and change their eating habits (e.g. eat more fruit and vegetables)
Why is permaculture making food supplies more sustainable? 3
Food is grown in a way that recreates natural ecosystems which protects the soil and wildlife - environmentally sustainable
It is low maintenance - socially sustainable
Mixed cropping is used (where plants of different heights are grown together) so space and light are used better - fewer resources are needed which increases environmental sustainability
Why is demand for food energy and water outstripping supply? 3
Consumerism - higher standard of living
Population increase
Technology
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of species that can be supported
What did Malthus suggest about food security?
If the population is not managed, it will outstrip food supply. Negative consequences such as famine and drought will follow to bring down the population
What did Boserup suggest about food security?
We will always find ways to allow population growth to keep up with the production of food
Factors affecting food security 3
Climate change, natural disasters, population growth
What was the Green Revolution?
Seeds, such as miracle rice, equipment and advice were given to farmers in LIDCs
Problems with the Green Revolution
Farmers couldn’t afford the investment of the pesticides and space etc that the crops needed
What was the goat cycle?
Oxfam supplied families in LIDCS with goats to breed and sell
Problems with the goat cycle
Animals add to the increasing demand for water that supplies can’t meet
