Global Commons Flashcards
What are global commons? What are the 4 main global commons? - Global Commons
Global commons are areas not owned or controlled by any single country or organisation. They belong to all.
The main 4 global commons are the high seas, Antarcica, the Atmosphere and Outer Space.
What is the tragedy of the commons? - Global Commons
The tragedy of the commons is where shared and collective resources are likely to be exploited in the event that individuals act independently in their own self-interest. This will cause these shared resources to eventually become depleted.
What pressures exist on global commons? - Global Commons
Global commons are threatened by increased resource demand due to industrialisation and development, the impacts of waste disposal on these commons and the ability to access areas that were previously inaccessible without technology.
What environmental and ecological problems face the global commons as a result of pressures on these areas? - Global Commons
Overfishing threatens the food chain and damages environments when fishing becomes unsustainable, atmospheric pollution causes climate change, increased CO2 presence causes the acidification of the oceans.
What balance must be created by the protection of global commons? - Global Commons
Global commons are protected to balance the need for development with a need for protection.
What is required for development to be sustainable in relation to global commons? What body is this achieved through? - Global Commons
For development of global commons to be sustainable, this requires global cooperation. This is made possible by multilateral bodies such as the UN.
How large is Antarctica in relation to the UK? - Global Commons
Antarctica is 60 times the size of the UK.
What is Antarctica? What is the Antarctic Circle? - Global Commons
Antarctica is the continent surrounding the South Pole. The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line around the world running parallel to the Equator at 66°S.
What is the South Pole? What is the Antarctic Convergence? - Global Commons
The South Pole is the furthest point south on Earth. The Antarctic Convergence is the point at which cold Antarctic water meets the warmer water to the north.
What are ice shelves? What are the 2 ice shelves in Antarctica known as? - Global Commons
Ice shelves are sheets of ice which float on the ocean but are attached to land. Antarctica has 2 ice shelves: the Ronne Ice Shelf and the Ross Ice Shelf.
What are the 3 main regions of Antarctica? - Global Commons
Antarctica’s 3 main regions are East Antarctica, West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula (a stretch of land attached to West Antarctica).
What is the name of Antarctica’s tallest mountain? Where is this located? How tall is this? - Global Commons
Antarctica’s tallest mountain is Vinson Massif, located in West Antarctica. This is 4897m tall.
What is the average temperature in Antarctica? How much rainfall is there annually? - Global Commons
Average temperatures in Antarctica are -49°C. There is 166 mm of rainfall annually.
What % of the Earth’s ice is stored at Antarctica? How much of the Earth’s freshwater is stored in Antarctica? - Global Commons
90% of the Earth’s ice is stored in Antarctica. 70% of the Earth’s freshwater is stored in Antarctica.
Describe Antarctica’s wildlife in terms of plants and animals - Global Commons
Plants: only specifically adapted plants can survive in Antarctica, while there are only 2 species of flowering plants here. Lichens and mosses can grow.
Animals: animal life above the ocean restricted to insects and mites, although surronding ocean home to rich marine life eg. penguins, seals.
Explain why Antarctica’s environment and ecology is fragile - Global Commons
Antarctica’s lack of warmth, water and sunlight means only very limited species may survive. Vulnerable to climactic change. Marine environment also very vulnerable, with ecosystem changes potentially having significant ramifications.
What is the environmental significance of the Antarctic Convergence? - Global Commons
At the Antarctic Convergence, upwelling of cold water occurs, which is nutrient rich, allowing the creation of an environmentally productive environment for plants and animals.
How is Antarctica’s temperature impacted by latitude and altitude respectively? - Global Commons
Latitude: the further an area is from the equator, the colder it will be as solar energy is dispersed over a wider area.
Altitude: locations at higher altitudes have lower temperatures, with temperatures decreasing by 1°C for every 100m gained in altitude.
How is Antarctica’s temperature impacted by the distance from the sea and the wind chill factor? - Global Commons
Distance from sea: oceans change their temperature much more slowly than land does, meaning cooler summers and warmer winters at the coast.
Wind chill factor: the stronger the wind, the faster the cooling of an object is, moving heat away from an object and making surrounding air feel colder than it is.
Explain how fishing and whaling is a threat to Antarctica - Global Commons
19th Century saw Antarctic whales killed for oil and whalebone due to reduced whale populations elsewhere. The overfishing of this population threatens ecosystems here.
What protections exist against fishing and whaling in Antarctica? What limitations are there to these? - Global Commons
The Intl. Whaling Commission has been established, ending most whaling by 1985. This body later established the Southern Ocean Whaling Sanctuary, which banned commercial whaling. However, Japan, Norway and Iceland were not signatories to this, while fishing has continued to increase, damaging habitats.
Explain how climate change is a threat to Antarctica - Global Commons
Although ice is accumulating in the East due to snow, the West is losing ice dramatically, threatening landscapes. 3mm sea level rise/year. Has caused penguin and krill populations to fall without their habitat being sustained. Weddell Sea/Ross Sea Ice Shelves melting.
Explain how mineral extraction is threatening Antarctica. What current protections exist against this? - Global Commons
Future resource demand may lead to Antarctica, rich in resources (in Transantarctic Mountains, oil under Southern Ocean), being mined for minerals. Currently, this area is protected by the Antarctic Treaty from any mining, but this may be put under pressure.
Explain how tourism and research is a threat to Antarctica - Global Commons
Transport, technology and clothing advancements have made Antarctica more accessible than previously before. This, combined with the attraction of landscapes and heritage sites have threatened the destabilisation of habitats and interruption of nature (non-native species introduced potentially/breeding disrupted).
