Module 8 Flashcards
What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable? Provide an example for each
Renewable resources can be used more than once and can be recycled for different uses. Eg: O2, wood, food.
Non-renewable resources can’t be used again they can only be used once. eg: coal, oil.
Location of agriculture resources: Terrestrial
Wheat and grain farming - Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria (Wheat Belt, Murray-Darling Basin)
Cotton - Southern Queensland and New South Wales
Cattle farms - Queensland (largest beef-producing state), Northern NSW
Location of agriculture resources: Aquatic
Salmon farms - Off the coast of southeast tasmainia,
Oysters and muscles - Off the coast north of Sydney (Hawkesbury River)
Prawns - Sydney (Botany bay), Northern Queensland (Cairns, Far North)
Location of Australian Water Sources
Murray- Darling River system - Extends across four states and covers most of NSW
Great Artesian Basin - beneath Queensland, parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia, and New South Wales
Location of Australian Energy Resources
Hydro (Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme) - Southern NSW (Kosciuszko National Park along the Victoria border)
Wind power - Southern Australia where
strong prevailing winds provide ideal conditions
Solar power - Darwin Solar Farm, Sunshine State Solar Farm (Queensland)
Open pit mining (Environmental effect + MItigation strategy + Rehabilitation)
Environmental effect:
Air pollution/dust → health concerns
Sound production → due to blasting
Ground vibration → travel long distances, dangerous for man-made structures etc
Water pollution → drainage/ ground water
Loss of forest and ecology
Rehabilitation → holes in ground can fill with water and become contaminated
Loss of soil fertility → due to acidic water from mine drainage, mixing of soil and overburden during reclamation
Mitigation strategy:
Air pollution/dust → spray with water
Sound → purchase surrounding properties
Water pollution → walls constructed, impermeable layers of clay/plastic
Loss of forest and ecology → replanting of vegetation
Rehabilitation → use collected water as a place for the community/park
Loss of soil fertility → treat soil and replant
Rehabilitation:
Voids (holes) fill with water to become lakes
Covered with clay to prevent acid drainage or passive neutralisation
Underground mining (Environmental effect + Mitigation strategy + Rehabilitation)
Environmental effect:
Air pollution/dust → health concerns
Sound production → due to blasting
Water pollution → drainage/ ground water
Loss of biodiversity
Subsidence
Mitigation:
Air pollution/dust → spray with water
Sound → purchase surrounding properties
Water pollution → walls constructed, impermeable layers of clay/plastic
Protect and manage surrounding habitats and wildlife
Subsidence → Regularly monitor ground stability
Rehabilitation:
Entries covered with clay to prevent acid drainage or passive neutralisation
Areas of subsidence risk must be fenced off
Offshore and onshore drilling (Environmental effects + Rehabilitation)
(smallest footprint of any mining method)
Environmental effects:
Land degradation/Habitat distruction
Groundwater contamination
Oil spills
Rehabilitation:
Offshore - Involves plugging the drill hole (with cement, clay, concrete and plugging devices such as bridge plugs) + removing structures
Onshore - Soil is placed over the shaped landform + native species introduced
Effect of mining on Aboriginal cultural sites + Involvement of traditional owners
- Most Australian mines are located near Indigenous communities
- Mining companies that damage cultural sites are subject to legal action and penalties
- In 2011, MCG Quarries in QLD fined $80,000 for damage
- Protected by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974
CASE STUDY: Rio tinto 2020 at Juukan Gorge
A sacred rock shelter in the Pilbara region of Western Australia was legally blasted and destroyed
Case study of an important Australian renewable or non-renewable resource (Coal)
How is the resource found + extracted?
How is it used?
Can it be extracted sustainably?
Past, Present, and Future Use and Importance
- How is the resource found + extracted?
Through sedimentary rock in underground deposits across QLD, NSW, SA, TAS and WA
Openpit and underground mining methods - How is it used?
Fuel for energy
In the production of steal and cement
Residential heating - Can it be extracted sustainably?
No - produces greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and habitat destruction - Past, Present, and Future Use and Importance
Past - Industrial Revolution power factories + steam engines
Present - Major energy source + a large export
Future - the world may invest in renewable energy
Importance - significant role in energy security and industrial processes
Paper and cardboard - Waste management options
Recycling:
How → pulped and de-inked to make new paper
- Pro: Conserves resources and takes much less energy than making new paper
- Con: if the recycling process is not efficient, it can also generate waste
Composting:
How → shred into small pieces, moisten lightly, and layer in a compost bin
Pro: Returns nutrients to the soil and reduces landfill waste
Con: Requires space and proper management
Landfilling:
Pro: Simple disposal method
Con: Takes up space in landfills + produces methane
Incineration:
Pro: Reduces the volume of waste
Con: Can release harmful emissions
Glass - Waste management options
Recycling:
How → sorted by colour, and then melted and manufactured or if type of plastic cant melt used in construction as a substitute for sand
Pro: Indefinitely recyclable without loss of quality. Can erode into sediment easily
Con: Requires energy and transportation costs for recycling
Landfilling:
Pro: Simple disposal method.
Con: Takes up space and does not decompose
Plastics - Waste management options
- Plastic can only be recycled two or three times
- Landfill
- Reduction → minimize use through product design changes
- Incineration
Recycling:
How → Mechanical Recycling: Collecting, sorting,
cleaning, and shredding plastic waste to
produce recycled plastic pellets for new
products.
Chemical Recycling: Breaking down plastics
into their chemical building blocks to produce
new plastics or fuels.
Closed-Loop Recycling: Recycling plastics into
the same product type (e.g., recycling PET
bottles into new PET bottles Pro: Conserves resources and reduces landfill waste Con: Not all plastics are recyclable, and contamination can hinder recycling efforts + can only be recycled two or three times
Landfilling:
Pro: Simple disposal method
Con: Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, causing long-term environmental issues
Incineration:
Pro: Reduces waste volume
Con: Releases toxic fumes and contributes to air pollution
Organics - Waste management options
Landfilling:
Pro: Simple disposal method.
Con: Produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Composting:
Pro: Produces nutrient-rich soil
Con: Requires space and may attract pests if not managed properly
Animal Feed:
Pro: Utilizes food scraps to feed livestock, reducing waste
Con: Must ensure food safety and proper nutritional balance
Biofuel Production:
Pro: Converts organic waste into renewable energy sources
Con: Requires investment in technology and infrastructure
E-waste - Waste management options
Recycling:
How → items are disassembled, shredded and sorted and then raw materials are used to manufacture new batteries
Pro: Recovers valuable materials and prevents pollution
Con: Can be costly and requires proper facilities
Refurbishment/Reuse: (+)
Pro: Extends the life of electronics and reduces waste
Con: Requires repair costs and expertise
Landfilling: (-)
Pro: Simple disposal method.
Con: Can leach toxic substances into the environment.
Incineration: (-)
Pro: Reduces waste volume
Con: Releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere
What is sustainability?
“Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.”
United Nations Word Commission
on Environment and Development, Our Common
Future (1987)
Overharvesting
Harvesting a renewable resource beyond the point that it is unable to replenish the harvested mass.
Eg; fishing methods for canned tuna fish at maximum sustainable capacity due to demand for the product
Water pollution
Raw sewerage and industrial liquid waste runs into surface and groundwater ways which are generally drinking water sources for humans and other terrestrial animals → waterborne diseases + causes eutrophication
Eg; plastic water pollution and microplastics suffocating wildlife
Habitat removal or destruction
Takes the form of tree-clearing and
deforestation for livestock → decreases biodiversity
Eg; Koalas are threatened by continued habitat destruction, and their specified diet and lifestyle make them particularly vulnerable
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resource management
- Human activity such as digging in sacred ground or cutting down a sacred tree is thought to disturb ancestral spirits (cultural traditions)
- Their knowledge is used for fire management. Eg; The fish river Fire project in the Northern Territory reduced the area of land burned in late fires from 69% to 3%
- Indigenous areas are protected by the government and National World heritage listing
- In NSW, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 protects some aspects of Aboriginal cultural heritage
Local sustainability Initiatives
This includes:
-local community gardens (eg, concord community garden)
-free electronics recycling drop offs
- FOGO bins NSW (Food organics and garden organics)
