global resources Flashcards
bio capacity
the land and water to provide resources for humanity
ecological footprint
hypothetical area of land required by a society, a group or an individual to fulfil all their resource needs and assimilate all their waste
it is measured in global hectares (gha)
energy security
access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy resources for cooking, heating, lighting, communications and productive uses
food security
the “availability and access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO)
nexus
the interrelationship, interdependence and interactions between water, food and energy
virtual (or embedded) water
the way in which water is transferred from one country to another through its exports
water security
continuing accès to safe drinking water and sanitation
changes in the middle class
vietnam case study
- since 1990 economic growth in Vietnam has averaged 6% per year
- developed from one of poorest countries into middle income country (MIC)
- one of main reasons for success proximity to China which gives a competitive advantage –> as wages in china have risen, firms have relocated to low cost Vietnam
- young population (median age 30 whereas China’s is 36)
- 6.3% of GDP invested in education (around 2% more than most LICs and MICs)
- member of TransPacific Partnerships(TPP), a 12 country trade bloc that includes USA and Japan
- has a free trade agreement with Korea and is negotiating one with the EU
country profile of Vietnam
population 92.5 million
average annual growth rate 2009-2014: 5.9%
structure of employment:
- agriculture 46.8%
- industry 21.2%
- services 32%
trade/principal exports ($bn):
- telephones and mobile phones 23.6
- textiles and garments 20.9
- computers and electronic products 11.4
- footwear 10.3
total 150.1
principal imports ($bn):
- machinery and equipment 22.4
- electronics, computers and parts 18.7
- telephones and mobile phones 9.4
- textiles 8.5
total (inc.other) 149.3
main export destinations (%of total)
USA 20
China 10.4
Japan 10.3
South Korea 5
main origins of import (% of total)
China 30.3
South Korea 15
Japan 8.9
Thailand 4.9
p471 Ecological footprints - why are they useful?
- can act as a model for monitoring environmental impact
- can also allow for direct comparisons between groups and individuals, such as comparing LICs and HICs
- can highlight sustainable and unsustainable lifestyles ex populations with a larger footprint than their land area are living beyond sustainable limits
P472 How do countries increase their ecological footprint?
- by relying heavily on fossil fuels
- increasing its use of technology and therefore energy
- high level of imported resources
- large per capita production of carbon waste
- large per capita consumption food
- having a meat-rich diet
carrying capacity
the maximum tourist population that the area can sustain without damaging the environment
renewable resources
naturally occurring substances that can be replenished over time. These resources are integral to environmental sustainability, as they offer alternatives to finite, non-renewable resources.
non renewable resources
are finite and deplete over time. They are extracted faster than they can replenish, leading to eventual exhaustion.
embedded/virtual water
Refers to the way in which water is transferred from one country to another through its exports. These exports may be foods, flowers or manufactured goods, for example.
It allows countries with limited water resources to “outsource” their water from countries that have no more water resources. It also allows a country to reduce the use of its own water resources by importing goods.
ex: Mexico imports maize, and thereby saves 12 billion cubic meters of water each year
how is water used differently in NICs, LICs and HICs
–> industrial uses off water increases with GNI, rising from about 10% for LICs to about 60% for HICs
–> more water will be required to produce water for the world’s growing population, partly because of changes in diet. Many industries, in particular the food, textiles, drinks and pharmaceuticals industries, need large quantities of water for their products, which will increase demand for water over the coming decades. Much of the growth will be in LICs, many of which are already experiencing water stress
Why is there an increasing need to manage water more efficiently? What are the main factors?
- population growth: set to reach 9 billion by 2050
- growing middle class: increasing affluence leads to greater water consumption ex showers, baths, gardening
- growth of tourism and recreation, for example golf courses, water parks, swimming pools
- urbanisation: urban areas require significant investment in water and sanitation facilities to get water to people and remove waste products hygienically
- climate change: no one is precisely sure how this will influence the water supply but there will be winners and losers in the supply of fresh water
Which countries are most likely to struggle with water accessibility in the future?
–> water is unevenly distributed around the world, and over 780 million people do not have access to clean water
–> water availability is likely to decrease in many regions. For example, 300 million people in sub saharan Africa live in a water scarce environment and climate change increases water stress in many areas. Central and Southern Europe are predicted to get drier as a result of climate change
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what is poverty
Poverty is defined as the lack of access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare
what is poverty reduction
Poverty reduction refers to efforts aimed at reducing or eradicating poverty
what factors is the complex issue of poverty influenced by
economic, social, and political structures, and inequalities
what are approaches to poverty reduction
Providing direct assistance (e.g. cash transfers, food aid)
Creating job opportunities
Improving access to education and healthcare
Promoting economic growth and development
Poverty reduction not only reduces or eradicates poverty; it also:
Has positive impacts on other areas, including health, education, and gender equality
Can be on a small or large scale
Including initiatives from governments and international organisations
what does poverty reduction dress
systemic issues such as social exclusion, discrimination and equality
poverty reduction requires collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders, which may include:
Governments
Civil society organisations
Private sector
poverty stats regarding the progress towards the UNs ‘ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 is to ‘End poverty in all forms’ by 2030
- over one billion people have moved out of extreme poverty
- The percentage of the world population living in extreme poverty has decreased from 46% in 1968 to 8.5% in 2019
- The number of people living in extreme poverty has decreased over the same period, from 2 billion to 660 million
Between 2020 and 2021, there was an increase in people living in extreme poverty to 750 million
This was due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
why despite progress made is the goal of ending poverty by 2030 unlikely to achieved
Globally, almost 1 in 10 people still experience extreme poverty
why has poverty reduction occurred
due to increased incomes
what has poverty reduction led to
The new global middle class (NGMC) - approximately 2.5 billion people
Fragile middle class - approximately 4 billion people
There are many suggested reasons for the global decrease in poverty including:
- The rapid development of countries in Asia
- Globalisation and trade
- Increased participation of China, India and Eastern Europe in the global economy
- Reduced colonial and neo-colonial influence in some countries
Despite the decrease in levels of extreme poverty, there has also been an increase in wealth inequality
The wealthiest 1% own almost 45% of the world’s financial assets
how has wealth inequality evolved since 2020
The wealthiest 1% own almost 45% of the world’s financial assets
- There has also been an increase in relative poverty in many regions
- As the wealthiest become richer the gap between them and those on lower incomes increases
the middle class is a phrase
which was used to describe people between working class and upper class
the new global middle class (NGMC)
refers to individuals or households attaining a certain level of income and consumption
characteristics of the NGMC
Typically, their wealth is above poverty levels but below the wealthiest segments of society
The NGMC do not yet have the affluence of the ‘middle class’ living in high-income countries
The definition of NGMC varies and can include people who:
Spend or earn more than US$12 a day
Earn more than US$10,000
Earn between US$3,650 and US$36,500
how many people can now be categorised as NGMC
2.5 billion
what does increased wealth mean
that people have more disposable income and can buy more goods and services
Factors driving the growth of the NGMC include:
Economic growth
Urbanisation
Technological advances
The size and characteristics of the NGMC vary across regions and countries, some countries experience more rapid growth than others
India and China have experienced rapid growth of their middle class population
The middle class populations in these two countries account for almost 50% of the NGMC consumption
the growth of the middle class affects
Consumer behaviour
Global trade and investment
Social and political dynamics
The growth of the middle class has also been linked to several challenges, including:
Environmental degradation - increased consumption and waste lead to more pressure on the environment
Resource depletion - increased consumption means more resources are used
Rising inequality - within and between countries
Increasing numbers of the middle class have also led to:
Implications for businesses and industries which operate on a global scale
Opportunities to address poverty and promote sustainable development
Middle-class customers may demand more sustainable and socially responsible products and services
The emergence of new markets and consumer preferences
Debates and discussions regarding the affordability and accessibility of goods and services
Consideration of the role of government in ensuring the well-being of citizens and in promoting equality
Global resource consumption is increasing due to:
Economic development
Population growth
estimates of the Earths carrying capacity
Most studies estimate between 8 and 16 billion people
The higher the average consumption of resources, the lower the carrying capacity becomes
If everyone consumed resources at the rate of the average American, the carrying capacity would be much lower than if everyone consumed only what they need
The UN predicts that resource use in 2050 will be 71% higher per person than in 2022
renewable resources
are those which can be naturally replenished to keep pace with the speed they are used
non renewable resources
are resources which cannot be replenished at the speed at which they are used
what is the ecological footprint measured in
acres or hectares
the calculation of ecological footprint considers
Bioproductive land, which refers to grazing land, gardens, forests, farmland for food and materials, etc
Bioproductive sea, referring mostly to fishing grounds
Built environment, needed for road and settlement construction, etc
Energy resources, such as land, are needed to produce renewable energy
Biodiverse land for non-human species
Non-productive land, e.g deserts
what is not considered what calculating an ecological footprint
Other factors, such as species extinction, toxic pollution of air, water and other non-renewable energy resource
what is an individual’s ecological footprint
a measure of their impact on the environment
how is an individual’s ecological footprint measured
by measuring the amount of resources the individual consumes, including:
Food
Water
Energy
Materials
It also includes the amount of waste individuals produce
individual footprints in different countries
Higher in wealthier countries, where people consume more material goods and energy
Lower in low-income countries where people consume fewer material goods and energy
what is a national footprint
a measure of a country’s ecological impact
how is a nations footprint calculated
by measuring the amount of resources a country consumes, such as:
Fossil fuels
Forests
Fisheries
It also includes the amount of waste it generates
how does the national ecological footprint vary significantly between countries
with wealthier countries usually having larger footprints due to their higher levels of consumption and industrial activity
examples of countries national ecological footprints
Qatar has the highest ecological footprint at around 12.6 hectares per capita
Haiti and Malawi have footprints of less than 1 hectare per capita
what is an ecological creditor
is a country with an ecological footprint lower than their carrying capacity
what is an ecological debtor
is a country with an ecological footprint greater than their carrying capacity
what is a global footprint
a measure of humanity’s impact on the environment
how is a global footprint calculated
by adding up the ecological footprints of all countries and expressing the total in global hectares
what is the global footprint used for
to estimate the overall sustainability of human activities on the planet
The global ecological footprint has more than trebled since 1961. This is due to:
Population growth
Increasing consumption
Increased production levels
The Global Footprint Network estimates that humanity first went into ecological overshoot in the 1970s and has been doing so ever since. What does this mean?
This means that our ecological footprint is larger than the earth’s capacity to regenerate its resources
how is the Earths Overhsoot Day calculated
as the day each year when humans have used the resources the Earth has the annual capacity to regenerate
In 2022, it was estimated that the world’s population used 1.7 Earth’s worth of resources
what are the consequences of the human population causing an ecological overshoot?
major global environmental problems, which include:
Biodiversity loss
Climate change
Resource depletion
what are challenges associated with calculating ecological footprints
–> involves analysing various interconnected systems and processes which can be a challenge to accurately measure and account for these
–> doesn’t give the full environmental impacts of a product
–> based on simples principles which can be difficult to apply to complex situations
–> different methods of calculations provide different results and are dependent on assumptions and data used
–> predicting future consumption patters, technological advancements, and their associated impacts can be challenging
In the final exam you may be asked to describe trends shown in graphs. It is important to ensure that you:
Identify the main trends
Is there an increase or decrease?
Is the rate of change slow or rapid?
Use figures from the graph to support your answer
What are the highest and lowest figures?
What is the range?
Identify any anomalies
what percentage of the Earths water is freshwater
2.5%
approximately 1.6% is locked away
what is the percentage of freshwater held away in the cryo-sphere as ice
68.6%
what remaining percentage of the Earths water is groundwater
30.1%
in total what is the percentage of the earths total freshwater is accessible to humans
0.9%
physical factors affecting global water distribution
The uneven spread of land to sea
Geology, which enable aquifers to form
Climatic differences: temperature and rate of precipitation
Altitude and latitude—ice and glaciers
Wetlands, lakes and river size
Soil type: groundwater store
human factors affecting water distribution
Level of economic development
Rate of abstraction
Use of water
Embedded water
Population numbers
Affordability
Contaminated water
what do global climate differences create varying amounts of
ground water, surface water, and precipitation levels
what may the availability of freshwater be affected by
population levels and wealth
the distribution of human population doe snot match the distribution of water - what does this create?
areas that do not have adequate local water supplies
since 2000 how many people have gained access to basic drinking water Services
1.8 billion
According to the World Bank, inequality in access to water is the greatest threat to:
Economic progress
The eradication of poverty
Sustainable development
It is the poorest and most vulnerable that suffer the most
demand for safe water is increasing due to
Economic development
Population growth
Increased use of renewable energy
At present, HICs have some of the highest levels of consumption due to:
Modern appliances
Swimming pools
Internal bathrooms
Production of food and manufactured goods
MICs are increasing their consumption and demand for water; what is much of this increase due to?
industrialisation
which out of HICs, MICs, and LICs have the smallest water footprint
LICs
what percentage of agricultural production of food,, fibres, livestock and industrial crop does global groundwater withdrawals account for
70%
by 2050 what will be the the estimated percentage of increase in demand for food?
50% increase
percentage of total water withdrawals used for industrial purposes
approx 17%
Freshwater use in industry includes:
Dilution
Steam generation
Washing and cooling of manufacturing equipment and goods
