Geography: Challenges for the Planet

Question 1

How has the climate changed since the last ice age?

Answer 1

• Earth was historically warmer
• Antartica and Greenland were not icecaps before, they were rainforests
• Global tempertature change over the last 10,000 years
• More specifically, the most change has happened in the last 1,00 years
• Temperature naturally flucctuates (gets warmer and colder)
• Not until the 19th century did humans have a bigger impact
• Industrialisation contributed to greenhouse gases
• Climate change factors in orbit, output of sun, catastrophic events in past
• Since year 2000 + temp has risen 4 degrees (Unnatural increase in temp)

Question 2

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors.

Answer 2

1. Orbital Geometry
2. Solar Output
3. Milankovitch mechanism

Question 3

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Orbital geometry.

Answer 3

• The shape of the orbit can affect climate
• Circular => Colder
• Elliptical => Warmer
• This occurs every 95000 years

Question 4

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Solar Output

Answer 4

• If there is decreased energy from the sun (around -0.1%), there will be a general temperature rise or fall from 0.5 degrees to 1.0 degree.

Question 5

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Milankovitch mechanism.

Answer 5

• wobbles on axis
• angle of titlt varies
• orbits on slightly variable orbits
• these variations known as Milankovitch mechanism
• main reasons for ice age
• this affects amount of energy received by as much as + or - one percent

Question 6

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors.

Answer 6

1. Volcanic Activity

2. Surface reflection

Question 7

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors. Volcanic Activity

Answer 7

• The volcano acts as a clock: it reduces solar energy when needed.
• The eruption releases sulfur dioxide and ash into the atmosphere.

Question 8

Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors. Surface Reflection.

Answer 8

• White reflects heat.

- Bigger area of snow (ice caps) mean more heat is reflected.

Question 9

Human causes of Climate Change?

Answer 9

• Over farming.
• Fossil Fuels
• Over breeding of Live stock

Question 10

Issue with Bolivia?

Answer 10

Industrialized countries buy credits off Bolivia to log in Noel Kempff national Park.

Question 11

Issues Ecuador?

Answer 11

Oil extraction, Amazon rain forest. Oil companies taken to court by locals.

Question 12

Issues Madagascar?

Answer 12

Rain forest used by Swiss fragrance company, Givadan for aromas.

Question 13

Issues Costa Rica?

Answer 13

Eco-tourism and another fragrance Company, Merck USA

Question 14

Issues Malaysia?

Answer 14

Coal fired power station plans rejected at Silam, Borneo. Government decided not to develop coal and gold reserves.

Question 15

How the forest is managed?: Bolivia?

Answer 15

£25 million worth of credits have been sold for this area. Money straight to communities decreases need for logging.

Question 16

How the forest is managed?: Ecuador?

Answer 16

Maxus Energy built underground pipeline and provided schools for local kids. $60mn gone to environmental protection. Texaco paid $40mn for clean-up

Question 17

How the forest is managed?: Madagascar?

Answer 17

Profits shared with local communities via conservation and development initiatives.

Question 18

How the forest is managed?: Costa Rica?

Answer 18

Nature trails and zip wires are popular with tourists and both rely on the environment to be preserved, to retain appeal.

Question 19

How the forest is managed?: Malaysia?

Answer 19

World-class diving and the biologically diverse tropical rain forest is promoted (home of the orang-utan through ecotourism.

Question 20

Samsung - Transport?

Answer 20

• By 2010 Samsung were able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations by 45 percent from 2001 levels. Materials sourced from closer to factory’s.
• Lithium is sourced from mines in China rather then in La Paz in Bolivia. Going to have a smaller carbon footprint.

Question 21

Samsung - e-waste?

Answer 21

• leading company for recycling of e-waste.
• 37,000 tonnes of e-waste are recycled approximately 83 percent of it into valued re-sources including scrap iron, plastic and non ferrous metals.

Question 22

Samsung - recycling programs?

Answer 22

• Most extensive mobile phone recycling programs.
• 32 countries
• USA 406 million pounds of e-waste through ‘samsung Recycle Direct’
• The metals and parts are recycled
• People get money of a new Samsung phone.

Question 23

Samsung - packaging?

Answer 23

• 99% is now from recycled sources. Less trees need to be chopped down and less hydrocarbons burnt.
• Now making DDR3 RAM cards that are computer components that use 50% less power.
• Low energy fridge freezers that don’t use harsh chemicals.

Question 24

Effects of resource extraction Ecuador?

Answer 24

• Endangerment of animals and plants, ecuador, periwinkle plant use to cure leukemia is now endangered.

Question 25

Effects of resource extraction Brazil?

Answer 25

Pollution of water courses by chemicals associated with extraction. e.g. mercury poising of 90% fish along River Tapajos Brazil.

Question 26

Effects of resource extraction Ecuador oil pollution?

Answer 26

Stomach cancer and boils common in humans who drink polluted water. e.g. oil pollution in Ecuador due to oil leaks.

Question 27

Effects of resource extraction Cameroon?

Answer 27

Deforestation and disruption to ecosystem/habitats, e.g. illegal hunting of elephants, gorillas and chimps.

Question 28

Effects of resource extraction General?

Answer 28

• Impacts on planets climate and global warming as less CO2 absorbed by plants and animals.
• Positive effects on the economy through selling resources.

Question 29

Samsung - Offices?

Answer 29

• Decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses produced at there offices.
• using energy saving light bulbs
• Decrease the amount of paper used
• People use electronic tablets instead

Question 30

Two advantages of using GIS compared to looking at the maps separately?

Answer 30

Advantage 1: Maps lay on top of each other

Advantage 2: It is easier to pick out correlations and relationships between the data.

Question 31

Data for increase in CO2 emissions?

Answer 31

China now manufactures 75% of electric through Fossil fuels. Worlds largest ratio.
Delhi in India have had car number increases from half a million in 1970 to 5 million in 2008.

Question 32

How can the internet can be used to investigate flood risk?

Answer 32

Internet:
• Past records in written archive, newspapers
• Other local records
• BBC news, YouTube may also be useful archive

Question 33

How can GIS be used to investigate the risks of flooding?

Answer 33

GIS
• Environment Agency flood risk maps from website
• Other layers of information such as deprivation maps
(which may be linked to impacts – poorer communities
more vulnerable as lower insurance cover).
• Use software: Google Earth, ArcGIS, AEGIS etc to get
answers – use of layers

Question 34

how can people change there homes to be more efficient?

Answer 34

could save 350 pounds a year
35% insulation lost through walls
25% loss through roof
10% lost through windows.

Question 35

Negative effects of global warming on south america?

Answer 35

600 million effected by rising sea levels
Bolivia lose 60% of water by 2027
Capital of Argentina, heaviest rainfall in 100 years. 2007 first snowfall in 90 years.