Geography Resource Management Jan 2019

Question 1

What are resources?

Answer 1

Resources are a supply of something that has value or a purpose.

Question 2

How is the demand for food in the UK changing?

Answer 2

• From 2015 - 2037 population expected to rise by 9mil
• Increase future food demand
• UK is not self-sufficient for food supplies
• UK imports 40% of total food and this is increasing

Question 3

Why does the UK import food?

Answer 3

• UK produced food can be expensive due to poor harvests
• Demand for exotic food
• Demand for seasonal food all year round
• UK climate is unsuitable for production of some foods
• Food from abroad is cheaper for supermarkets to buy

Question 4

What impact does importing food have?

Answer 4

This increases the food miles of the product - this can add to our carbon footprint.

Question 5

What is an energy surplus? Energy deficit?

Answer 5

Energy surplus - When there are is more energy produced than energy used.

Energy deficit - When there is more energy used than energy produced.

Question 6

What countries/areas have energy surpluses or deficits?

Answer 6

Surplus:

• Russia and Eastern Europe
• Middle East

Deficit:

• Western Europe
• North America
• Asia
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Question 7

What are the physical and political factors of energy supply

Answer 7

Physical:
- Geology determines availability of fossil fuels

Political:

• Political instability (Middle East)
• Western countries want to stop Iran producing nuclear power, they think it will be used for non-peaceful uses
• German government is planning to stop production of nuclear power by 2020
• UK government has decided to cut subsides for renewable energy.

Question 8

Why is energy consumption increasing?

Answer 8

• Due to LIC’s and NEE’s going through industrialisation, there wealth is increasing and allowing for better electronics which in turn increases energy demand.
• The rising population in expected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and all these extra people will use more energy.

Question 9

What are some renewable energy sources?

Answer 9

Biomass = Energy produced from organic matter.

Wind = Turbines turned by the wind. (Land or Sea)

Hydro (HEP) = Turbines turned by water. (In dams)

Tidal = Turbines turned by water due to rising and falling tides. (In barrages/dams)

Geothermal = Turbines turned by steam. (Water heated underground)

Wave = Turbines turned by air/wind. (Waves force air into chamber with turbines)

Solar = Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into energy.

Question 10

What are the advantages of extracting natural gas?

Answer 10

• Cleanest of the fossil fuels with 45% less CO2 and less toxic chemicals such as NO and SO2.
• Lower risk of environmental accidents.
• Provides employment for 1.2 million people.
• Can be transported in many ways such as pipelines or tankers over land and sea.
• Relatively abundant compared to other fuels. Makes the extraction of shale gas more economic.

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of extracting natural gas?

Answer 11

• Dangerous if handled or transported carelessly.
• Some reserves are in politically corrupt countries which could use it as a weapon.
• `Contributes to global warming due to CO2 and CH4 emissions.
• Pipelines are expensive to build and maintain.
• Fracking is controversial as it uses water. Wastewater and chemicals can pollute ground water.
• Minor earthquakes could occur.