Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

A level Geography - Human > Global Commons > Flashcards

Global Commons Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards World Geography flashcards
1
Q

Define global commons

A

Resource domains or areas that lie outside of the political reach of any one nation-state

An area that is owned or used jointly by a community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Give 4 examples of the world’s global commons

A

Oceans
Atmosphere
Space
Antarctica

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the Pros and Cons of global commons

A

PROS

  • Provides multiple responsibilities to its care
  • Unspoilt (in theory)

CONS

  • Conflict over who has power over them
  • Political disputes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does tragedy of the commons mean

A

AN economic theory of a situation within a shared-resource system where individual users acting indapenandtly according to their own self-interest, behaving contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling that resource through collective action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

The Southern Ocean was recognised in 2000 as the……………..in the world with the average depth being….m

A

Largest

4000m

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the Min circumpolar current

A

Largest current in the world

Helps redistribute the heat and influences temperature and rainfall patterns = helps bring nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the Antarctic Convergence

A

Zone where there is the mixing of waters of different temperatures and densities - causing turbulence, allowing ocean nutrients to rise from the depths to the surface, helping the growth of plantation and the marine ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the maximum sustainable yield

A

Amount of resource harvested without affecting the original population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Annual melt……the size of Antarctica

A

Halves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Define whaling

A

The hunting of whales, mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date back to 3000BC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are some arguments pro-whaling in Japan

A

Tradition

Whales helped keep Japanese citizens fed during and after ww2

Whale meat made up half of all animal protein in 1947

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the impact of krill fishing

A

100,000 tonnes caught per year

Concern that it could negatively affect the entire marine ecosystem as krill is a major food source for whales, fish, seals and birds

Fishing vessels operate in the immediate proximity of penguin colonies and whale feeding grounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Krill biomass has increased by…% because of the reduction in whales

A

17

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the impact of fishing the Patagonian Toothfish

A

High level of IUU fishing

Longline fishing can result in bycatch of bird species such as albatrosses and Petrels which are caught and drowned in the lines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How do the vast majority of tourists travel to Antarctica

A

By boat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

No tourists…..on Antarctica

A

Stay

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Give 6 impacts tourism can have on Antarctica

A

Disruption to animal species + breeding patterns

Mineral exploitation

Invasive species

Litter

Trampling + ice erosion

Oil spills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Explain disruption to animal species + breeding patterns

A

More tourists = more global warming = melting ice = bredding patterns altered (penguins)

Boats may scare marine life + tourists may frighten other animals

Boat noise disrupts mating calls of humpback whales

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How do tourists influence mineral exploitation

A

Not economically viable + banned by Madrid review

But as technology increases and the Madrid Review comes up for renewal in 2048, it could pose a real threat

Would need infrastructure to be built on Antarctica + pollution

20
Q

What is the impact of invasive species

A

Damaging biodiversity through new diseases introduced or more dominant species interrupting the food chain

21
Q

What is the impact of litter in Antarctica

A

Tourists bring supplies which could include materials like plastics that do not biodegrade

Swallowed by animals

Uninhabited, so any dropped litter is unlikely to be picked up

22
Q

What is the impact of ice erosion/trampling

A

Exploration into new areas could cause the ice to become thinner and breakaway

23
Q

What is the impact of oil spills from boats in Antarctica

A

Oil spills can reduce the sunlight from reaching oceanic environments which can seriously impact producers, and thus, the entire food chain of an ecosystem

Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals - exposing these creatures to the harsh elements.

Without the ability to repel water + insulated from cold water, birds and mammals will die from hyperthermia

Whales can ingest oil, damaging lungs + immune system

24
Q

Antarctica is one of the planets last………………, under threat from mankind’s insatiable……………..for harvesting the seas

A

Unspoilt ecosystems

Appetite

25
Q

What is suction harvesting

A

Gathers up vast quantities of krill to meet the increased demand

It threatens not just krill, but the entire ecosystem that depends on them

26
Q

How do krill reduce global warming

A

Remove CO2 by eating carbon-rich food near the surface and excreting it when they sink lower, to colder waters to escape predators

27
Q

Average Batarctic peninsula temperatures have risen by…ºC in last 50 years

A

2.5

28
Q

Krill are thought to ‘sequester’ carbon equivalent to the emissions of………………………….per year

A

35 million cars

29
Q

How many tourists visited Antarctica 2018-19

A

55,489

Up 14% from the previous year

30
Q

What is happening to East Antarctica and why

A

The ice sheet is thickening, as is the interior

Likely to be increased snowfall

Thickening due to warmer seas which increase evaporation to condense into cloud droplets and fall as extra snow in the frozen interior

This slows sea-level rise by 1/10 mm per year

31
Q

What is happening to the Peninsula and why

A

Increased rainfall

Collapse of ice shelves around this area

Reduction of sea ice

Increased melting of low-lying snow + overall snow cover

Most sensitive to climate change

Past 60 years, temperature has risen by 0.5ºC per decade = 5x faster than rest of the world

32
Q

What is happening to West Antarctica and why

A

Ice sheet = smaller and more vulnerable

Most of the ice = ‘warm based’ - more likely to fall into the sea which could raise global sea levels by 5m

33
Q

What is the IWC

A

Inter-governmental Organisation whose purpose is the conservation of whales and the management of whaling

34
Q

Give the pros of the IWC

A
  • Protects over 80 species of cetaceans
  • Works to address a wide range of conservation issues including bycatch, entanglements, ocean noise, pollution collision between ships and whales and sustainable whale catching
  • Any country can join
  • Countries are given expert advice so they are properly equipped
35
Q

How many members are there of the IWC

A

89 - works on a global scale

36
Q

The IWC is……….therefore not backed by any treaty. Therefore the IWC has substantial practical……….to its authority

A

Voluntary

37
Q

Give the cons of the IWC

A

Not everyone does join - Japan and Canada pulled out of the agreement

Any member may opt-out of any specific IWC regulations by lodging a formal objection to it within 90 days of the regulation coming into force. This is because it is preferable to have parties to remain with some agreement than opt-out altogether

No ability to enforce any of its decisions through penalties

38
Q

What is an NGO

A

Non-governmental organisation - means it’s not bound or controlled by any government power

Their influence can be varied and require sufficient funding

39
Q

Give 4 NGO’s

A

WWF

ASOC - Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

AOA - Antarctic Ocean Alliance

SCAR - Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

40
Q

What does SCAR do

A

Charged with initiating, developing and coordinating scientific research in the Antarctic region

Provides independent scientific advice to organisations and governments on the issues of protection and conservation management in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean

41
Q

WWF influence in Antarctica

A

Campaigns against actions that will threaten Antarctic wildlife

Saw new regulations that stopped vessels using/carrying heavy fule in ANtarctic waters come into force

Spills of lighter-weight fuels could still happen, but at least it will evaporate and disperse more easily, posing less of a threat to wildlife

42
Q

What is ASCO

A

Whose mission is to “protect the ANtarctic and SOuthern Oceans unique and vulnerable ecosystems”.

Monitors all issues that impact Antarctica including climate change, tourism, over-fishing (human causes)

43
Q

What is the AOA

A

Worked to support the creation of a network of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica

After years of negotiations, world leaders agreed to protect the Ross Sea. This historic agreement set aside 2 million square km’s of ocean (size of Mexico) as a sanctuary for Antarctica’s unique marine life

44
Q

What is the Antarctic Treaty

A

1961 - recognised as one of the most successful international agreements

Treaty sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, establishes freedom of scientific investigation and bans military activity

45
Q

Give some points from the Antarctic Treaty

A

No military

Complete freedom for scientific investigation

Different nations will exchange scientific research

All territorial claims are put aside

Nuclear activity = banned

46
Q

What is the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

A

SIgned in Madrid in 1991

Designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”

Prohibits all activities related to Antarctic mineral resources, except for scientific research

47
Q

What is UNEP

A

Aims to protect the global environment

Regularly reports activity in Antarctica back to the UN

A level Geography - Human (14 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions