Environmental Risks of Economic Development Flashcards
What are the 6 most common pollutants?
Carbon monoxide Nitrogen dioxide Lead Sulphur dioxide Particulate matter Ground-level ozone
Where is most of the pollution coming from?
Fossil fuel combustion Metal production Cement production Gold production Chor-alkali chemical industry Waste incineration
What is pollution?
The contamination of the environment which can take many forms (air, water, soil, noise, visual)
What are the three methods of exposure to pollutants?
Inhalation: breathing in chemical vapours and dust
Ingestion: drinking or eating the chemical
Absorption: absorbing the chemical through the skin
What are the effects of air pollution?
Air pollution has the most widespread effects on human health and the environment
Carbon monoxide comes from the incomplete combustion of carbon and is poisonous gas that prevents oxygen from being carried in the blood
Sulphur dioxide comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and causes respiratory problems and acid rain
Nitrogen dioxide is formed when nitrogen and oxygen react in hot environments and produces acid rain
Lead oxide-damages nervous system, especially in children
It causes global warming and the deterioration of the ozone layer
What are the causes of soil erosion?
Deforestation
High population pressure
Land shortages
Overgrazing
What are the effects of soil erosion?
Desertification
Food shortages
Infertile soils for growing crops
Eroded soil is washed into rivers and pollutes drinking water
How does global warming occur?
Infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere and some is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules. This has a warming effect on the Earth.
What are the effects of global warming?
Melting ice sheets Rising sea levels Increase in storms Plants and wildlife may not be able to adjust (extinction) More extreme weather
What are greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide-combustion
Methane-decomposing organic matter
Chlorofluorocarbons-aerosols, air conditioning
Nitrous oxide-car exhausts, power stations
What is noise pollution?
Disturbing/excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human/animal life
Why is noise pollution increasing?
Increase in air traffic, runways and flights
What is light pollution?
Excessive or obtrusive artificial light which is an externality of a developed society
What are the impacts of light pollution?
Human health
Fatigue
Loss of sleep
Headaches
What are the reasons for water pollution?
Soil in rivers due to soil erosion
Nitrates from fertilisers and phosphates from manure cause eutrophication
Oil spilling into the sea
Acid rain lowers the pH of water bodies-kills fish and aquatic plants
What are the impacts of water pollution in China?
300 million people drink polluted water
In some places, cancer rate is 30x the national average
Polluted rivers and water ways
30,000 children die of diahorrea or other water borne diseases every year
What is incidental pollution?
One-off pollution incident
What is sustained pollution?
Longer term pollution
What has happened as the scale of economic activity has increased?
The impact on the natural environment has become more obvious at a range of scales
What is sustainable development?
A carefully calculated system of resource management which ensures that the current level of exploitation does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What is resource management?
The control of the exploitation and use of resources in relation to environmental and economic costs
What is CAP?
Common Agricultural Policy
Generous incentives for farmers encouraged by high levels of production and farming of marginal lands
Have had to take greater account of environment
What is the Common Fisheries Policy?
EU have equal access to fishing grounds but UK fishermen have exclusive fishing rights up to 6 miles off the UK coast
Quotas due to overfishing so fishermen are only allowed to catch a certain amount of fish
Fishing boats were decommissioned-owners were paid a sum of money to scrap their boats and give up fishing licenses
30% reduction in active fishing vessels in Scotland
What is the link between GDP and pollution?
As the GDP of a country rises, at first environmental degradation increases (pre industrial stage)
As the GDP increases the environmental degradation peaks and this the the turning point (tipping point)
As the GDP increases even more, we are able to protect the environment so pollution decreases (post industrial economies)
What is resource conservation?
The management of the human use of natural resources to provide the maximum benefit to current generations while maintaining capacity to meet the needs of future generations.
What are examples of resource conservation?
Recycling
Product stewardship (environmental responsibility of countries)
Energy efficiency: use of renewable resources, carbon credits
Substitution: use of common and less rare resources such as substitution of aluminium for copper
Why is resource conservation so important?
Reduces landfill
We live in a world of finite resources
Reduce pollution
To not use up all resources so that future generations have access to them
