GLOBAL ISSUES Flashcards
The physical causes of climate change
CHANGES IN OCEANIC CIRCULATION: periodic warming (el Nino) cooling (la Nina) areas of tropical Pacific Ocean
MELTING PERMAFROST: release c02 in atmosphere in polar regions
VARIATIONS ON SOLAR ENERGY: sun spot activity raises global temperatures
CHANGES IN EARTHS ORBIT: 25% of earths climate change. More energy focused at equator than poles.
VOLCANIC AND PLATE TECTONICS
Eruptions - cooling effect however scientists argue that lava releases GHG’s and traps energy in planet. Sulphuric acid is also emitted
Explain the solutions to climate change
WINDFARMS: power of wind - 25% of Europes wind resource
❗️loud noises and visual impact to Scenic areas
HYDROELECTRIC- clean and no by-product.
❗️Reservoirs flood land and may damage natural wildlife.
SOLAR ENERGY: photovoltaic panels capture Suns energy
✅homes become energy neutral very quickly
❗️very expensive
GEOTHERMAL- extraction of heat from ground
✅accessed anywhere in the world
❗️very expensive and green house gasses realised by accident
BIOMASS - burning waste products
✅reduction in land fill capacity
❗️can reduce food production increases food prices
Explain the human causes of climate change
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS: fridges and aerosols deplete ozone layer and put harmful uv light into atmosphere adds to green house effect
DEFORESTATION: 19% loss of Amazon rainforest in last 50 years
Burnt for fuel= rotting vegetation and wasteland realises co2. Cows also release vegetation
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: 30% increase in acidification. Affects oceans ability to act as a sink. Affects marine life (urchins plankton and coral) 1bn people defend on fishing industry
ATOMIC BOMB TESTING: release of radiation into atmosphere adds to green house effect
Explain the effectiveness of composite indicators such as PQLI AND HDI
HDI (TRADING AND SOCIAL): wealth ( income per capita and purchasing power)
❗️extreme wealth only accessed by minority not true representation
Health (life expectancy at birth)
❗️Develop substance abuse = reduced expectancy
Education (years at school and literacy rates)
❗️different countries have different standards
PQLI (SOCIAL)
Life expectancy
❗️develop different diseases, endemics substance abuse
Literacy rates
❗️different standards and may wish to keep statistics private
Infant mortality
❗️hard to collect all data so not so accurate
Explain the factors which affect development
NATURAL DISASTERS
Indonesia floods -179,000 people killed
Destroyed farm land and infrastructure
CLIMATE
dry and arid climate (Chad and Mali) = difficult to grow crops and desertification prone
Nepal ( location Himalayas)
NATURAL RESOURCE
Saudi Arabia = oil reserves. Trade and make more money. However this money is only accessed by small minority of people
POLITICAL INSTABILITY
Civil war in Sudan = money spent on military rather than education and health.
Large groups of people depend on foreign aid. Lack of investment in country.
INDUSTRIALISATION
South Korea and China develop electronic boom due to cheap labour and good entrepreneurial spirit.
Money made spent on improving education and health care
Explain the reasons why PHC is suited to ELDC’s
BAREFOOT DOCTORS
cheap medicine with traditional methods
Can treat common ailments and illnesses and prevents villagers from travelling to hospital
Reduction of burden of health care system. Only serious cases go to hospital.
ORAL REHYDRATION THERAPY
Prevents diarrhoea and dehydration
Increases survival chances for young children
PROGRAMMES
Health schemes set up to educate communities and children about good diet, hygiene and health
PREVENTION OF AIDS
Advice on safe sex
Family planning
Treatments
Free condoms
Explain the physical factors that put people at risk of contracting malaria.
1) Global warming : Europe could potentially be affected due to raised temperatures and female anopheles mosquito carrying virus can survive
2) TEMPERATURE: 15-40 degreesC provided optimum breeding sites.
= allows female anopheles mosquito to develop and spread.
3) LOCATION: areas of still and stagnant water : provides breeding site for mosquito eggs.
4) VEGETATION: Provides shelter and shade and rest for nearby mosquitos. Rest = increased chance of survival
5) MOSQUITO TYPE: presence of female anopheles mosquito only carries malaria.
Human factors which cause malaria to spread
1) increased air travel will result in the disease to be spread to other parts of the world
2) RESISTANCE TO DRUGS- mosquitos become more resistant to drugs and means is very difficult to control/ eradicate malaria
3) INFECTED HUMANS- mosquitos bite infected humans as they require a blood reservoir to survive and then mosquitos bite other non infected humans and this passes on the disease.
4) LOCATION: people who choose to live near reservoirs or stagnant areas of water increase their chance of catching malaria as water is used for breeding grounds.
Explain how malaria can be controlled and comment on the effectiveness of these strategies.
EDUCTATION= covering skin at dusk and using repellents reducing risks of being bitten and getting malaria.
✅verbal communication/ signs and tv adverts spreads message easily especially with low literacy rates
INSECTICIDES : DDT and malathion are sprayed on fields and grasses
❌expensive to do on large scale
❌ DDT= toxic
BED NETS: insecticide treated bed nets
✅ very effective if correctly used
✅ relatively inexpensive
❌must fix holes to be completely effective.
EGG WHITES: sprayed in water creating a film on surface (drowns eggs and blocks breathing tubes)
❌ can go off very quickly particularly in heat
❌ needs to be repeated every 4 days to be effective.
DRUGS: chloroquine and malarone used to help prevent malaria
❌very expensive
❌ mosquitos have become resistant to medicine in many locations
Explain how eradication / control over malaria can benefit ELDC’s
REDUCTION IN DEATHS = increase in working age = more money
EDUCATION = children can attend school = benefits economy and provides better quality of life
AFRICAS GPD = $100 billion greater if malaria eradicated 36 years ago
BUSINESS INVESTMENTS: companies more likely to invest due to less vulnerable workforce. = increase in tourists and more financial stability.
FARMERS : get best out of their crops as unable to Harvest as it co-insides with “peak biting season” = farmers revive greater profits and better quality of life.
EXTRA MONEY: $2 billion extra in Africa as less money spent on eradication and treatments = would increase development opportunities and health and education rates.
