Managing Our Environment Flashcards
Greenhouse effect
A natural process where heat from the sun is trapped in our atmosphere by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane
Carbon footprint
A measurement of the amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person, organisations or activity in a given time such as a year. All the greenhouse gases contribute to global warming
Effects of climate change
Environment; The Artic could lose all sea ice, rising sea levels could cause floods in low lying areas, 20-30% of all species have gone extinct
People; Access to water will drop significantly, fish population is decreasing causing fisheries to collapse, agricultural production is declining
RRR
Reduce means to produce less waste, for example buying less or choosing products that have less packaging
Reuse means you can use an item again as it is, such as passing things onto a friend
Recycle means an item can be turned into something else. This uses energy so it’s not quite as sustainable as other options
Solar power evaluation
Benefits; Non polluting, once established it’s cheap to run, minimal maintenance
Drawbacks; Can’t be used in countries with little sunlight, only 20% of sunlight is used for energy, production can be reduced by bad weather
Paris agreement evaluation
Positives; This is the first time all world leaders have agreed to create any limit to global warming, world leaders also agreed to policies aiming for zero emissions in the 2nd half of the 21st century, this is the first agreement to slow down the impacts to global warming
Negatives; Agreement is non binding, many pledges took years to take effect, many activists are critical of the deal as they claim it’s not doing enough
Impacts of mass tourism
Cultural; Allows the culture of the area to be opened up to other cultures so people can learn about it, local people can take pride in their culture and the culture can be preserved. However tourists may challenge and mock the culture, drunken people can have disturbing behaviour and paint the area in a bad light, young locals may copy the visitor’s behaviour resulting in social conflict
Economic; Can create employment and bring money into the area. However if controlled by larger companies then most of the money will go to outside the area, also tourist jobs may be low paying
Environmental; Money earned can be spent on bettering water reserves and preserving natural habitats. However tourism expends a lot of water, on average tourists may use up to 685 litres of water per day. Resorts may contribute to pollution
Responsible tourism
Social responsibility; Remember you are a guest and be respectful of the local customs, ask before taking photographs and be polite
Economic responsibility; Try local food in local restaurants, use local transport where possible, buy locally produced goods and services
Environmental responsibility; Be careful with your use of resources such as water, don’t litter, don’t buy products from endangered plants or animal species
Ecotourism
Ecotourism tries to combine conservation, communities and sustainable travel
