P2 - Unit 2C - Challenge of resource management Flashcards
Define a resource:
Things which are useful to people, they may be classed as renewable or non-renewable.
How is energy fundamental to human development?
- it’s required to manufacture goods such as steel, clothes, cars
- HICs energy is used to support a high quality of life
- for transport most transport rely on fuel
- to power our homes to provide heat and light
How is water fundamental to human development?
- essential for survival, we need it to stay hydrated
- used to wash with, used in industrial manufacturing processes
- irrigation in farming to provide water so crops can grow
- if people have to walk to get water then they spend less time working and children may not go to school
How is food essential to human development?
- needed to fuel our bodies and malnourishment increases the likelihood of getting disease, can affect peoples development
- provides nutrients, nutrients provides energy for activity, growth and general functions of your body
- healthy balanced diets, lead to people enjoying themselves, have fewer infections, and other illnesses
- not enough food so that people don’t have enough energy to support the economy of their country
What is supply?
The availability of something to someone
What is consumption?
The using up of a resource
How is the global distribution of the world described?
It’s described as uneven
- some countries don’t have energy reserves, others have dry climates or environments that aren’t suitable for food production
- countries without resources have to import them or find technological solutions, therefore consumption of resources depend on the wealth of a country and their availability for resources
What is the consumption of resources described as in HICs?
The consumption of resources is greater in HICs
-they can afford to buy resources they need and expect for a higher standard of living
What is the consumption of resources described as in NEEs?
Consumption is described as increasing rapidly in NEEs
-industries are developing quickly and the population and wealth are also increasing
What is the consumption of resources described as in LICs?
The consumption of resources is lower in LICs
-can’t afford to exploit the resources or don’t have the money to import the resources
What happens to resource demand as the development and income of a country increases?
As the wealth increases so does the demand for resources. The demand for resources stems from the growth in population which can also lead to shortages or scarcity.
What are the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of food?
-temperature & precipitation levels can affect food production
E.g. droughts cause crops to fail, most plants grow most effectively between 20-28°C, best soil is a rich, sandy loam
-farm technology can increase the ability for more food resources
E.g. Combine harvesters
-food demand affected by social factors-due to increased disposable income and a high quality diet
-the increase in the worlds population is increasing the demand for food
What are the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of water?
- global supply of freshwater is limited and unequally distributed
- economic water scarcity is when countries have the water but don’t have the money to access the water
- some countries have water to spare
- a third of the world doesn’t have access to clean drinking water
What are the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of energy?
-energy is used worldwide however the consumption of energy varies between the developed and developing world
What’s extensive farming?
Rearing sheep in mountainous areas
What’s pastoral farming?
Leaving land under grass and rearing animals
What is mix farming?
When crops are grown and animals are reared in the same area
What’s arable farming?
The ploughing of the land and the growing of crops
What’s intensive farming?
This term is used to describe arable, pastoral and mix farming
What has changed to the food demands in the UK?
- There has been a growing demand for seasonal food all year round
- Growing demand for high value exports from LICs
- Growing demand for organic produce
How has the increase in demand for non-seasonal products had an impact on LICs? What are the good and bad points?
Good
-jobs are created in farming, packaging and transport
-jobs supply wages to local people, economy better in the country
Bad
-less land available to grow their own food
-people growing crops can be exposed to chemicals due to lack of protective clothing
How do organic farms work?
- aim to protect environment by using natural predators to control pests
- maintaining the fertility of the soil by rotating crops and using natural fertilisers
- weeds are controlled by mechanical weeding
- animals are farmed without the use of antibiotics
What’s a carbon footprint?
The measure of impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases they produce.
What are food miles?
The distance that food travels from producer to consumer
How does importing food increase the UK’s carbon footprint?
- the transport used to import food increases the UK’s carbon footprint
- some crops require more intensive treatment so the machinery used effects the carbon emissions produced to make that food
- the emissions for creating a food product in the U.K. by having to use e.g. Greenhouses can sometimes outweigh the emissions of importing it
- food transported by plane create a lot more carbon emissions than being transported by boat
What are the alternatives to importing food?
- eat seasonal produce
- only import food you can’t grow in the UK
- eat locally produced food
- growing food at home
What is agribusiness?
Agribusiness is treating food production from farms like a large industrial business. By being large scale, capital intensive(money based) and commercial activity(businesses)
Why is there a trend towards agribusiness?
It’s treating food production like a large industrial business, making it large scale, money based, commercial activity. To make more money.
What is an aquifer?
An underground reservoir of water. When tapped by wells they are important water supplies.
What is groundwater?
Water found underground in pores and cracks in the rock. This water can be transferred slowly as groundwater flow.
What is a reservoir?
A large artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
What is the change in demand for water?
The demand is increasing
- increase in wealth leads to more domestic appliances that use water
- increase in personal hygiene measures
- demand for out of season food means more water used in greenhouses
- increased industrial production, increase in population, increased leisure use
What is an area of water deficit and what is an example?
Where demand exceeds supply
E.g. South and south east
What is an area of water surplus and what is an example?
Where supply exceeds demand
E.g. North and west
What is an area of water stress?
When the demand exceeds supply at a certain time of year or when poor quality water restricts its use.
What is a water transfer scheme and what’s an example?
Water transfer schemes are when the government is proposing to establish a water grid to transfer water from areas of water surplus to areas of water deficit. E.g. Reservoirs in north wales and the Lake District have been used to provide water for liverpool and Manchester
What is some problems with large scale water movement systems?
Local communities have to be displaced
Dams on rivers disrupt the local ecology, cut off routes for migrating fish
Water has to be pumped over large distances which can increase carbon emissions
What is some benefits to large scale water movement systems?
- the design, construction and maintenance of water transfer projects will create jobs
- reservoirs can be used for recreation activities
- where dams are used to collect water before piping it out to other areas the movement of water through turbines can create hydroelectric power
What are causes of water pollution?
- Rubbish may be dumped in rivers
- pesticides and fertilisers used in farming run off into rivers
- sewage may be pumped into rivers and the sea
- hot water used in industry may be pumped into rivers
- untreated waste from industries
What are the impacts of water pollution?
- drinking water supply could be poisoned
- toxic waste can poison wildlife
- pesticides can kill important parts of the ecosystem
- increased water temperature can lead to death of wildlife and disrupted habitats
How is water quality managed in the U.K.?
Legislation-laws with clear regulations and penalties
Education campaigns-informing the public about effects of waste
Waste water treatments-local water treatment plants
Building better treatment plants-better sewers and water mains
Pollution traps-to filter out pollution
Green roofs and walls-reduces risk of flooding by reducing run off the roof
What is energy needed for?
As countries become more developed, they consume more energy.
Communication, transport, producing food, lighting and heating and cooling in the home, public unities, manufacturing.
What is energy security?
It means having access to reliable and affordable sources of energy
What’s energy insecurity?
It means having insufficient energy to meet demand
What is the global trends between energy security and insecurity in HICs and LICs?
-worlds major consumers of energy are also major producers of energy and are mainly HICs, they have the most energy security it is the opposite for LICs
Which countries have the lowest amount of energy insecurity?
Canada, Russia, Australia
Which countries have the highest amount of energy insecurity?
Sub Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America
What is the energy gap?
The difference between a countries rising demand for energy and its ability to produce that energy from its own resources.
How is economic development a reason for the rise in energy consumption?
- rise in living standards increases energy consumption
- greater wealth leads to increased personal spending
- advances in agriculture, industry and transport increases energy consumption
How is population growth a reason for the rise in energy consumption?
- more individual use
- more food production and electricity generation
How is modern technology a reason for the rise in energy consumption?
- technology is decreasing energy costs
- lower energy costs increases the affordability of energy which increases the consumption of energy
What are physical limiting factors to energy supply?
- deposits of fossil fuels only in certain areas
- large scale hydroelectric development requires specific climate
- large power stations require flat land
- solar power needs large number of days a year with strong sunlight
What are economic limiting factors to energy supply?
- costs of exploration and production some energy sources are costly to exploit
- when energy prices increase, companies increase spending on exploration and development
- onshore deposits of oil and gas are cheaper to develop than offshore deposits
What are political limiting factors to energy supply?
- HEP schemes may require permission from other countries which share the same river
- international agreements may affects the energy decisions of individual countries
- politically unstable countries aren’t used for exports of fossil fuels
How is the demand for energy changing in the U.K.?
- consume less energy than we did in 1970s
- big increase in cars on the road
- reduction of domestic use of energy can be explained by:
- introduction of energy efficient devices
- increased awareness that the public should save energy
- increased cost of energy
What’s is the UKs energy mix?
The range of energy sources of a region or country, both renewable and non-renewable.(75%non-renewable,25%renewable)
What are advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels?
Advantages -can be used in power stations, vehicles, machinery -relatively cheap to use Disadvantages -finite will run out -release carbon dioxide when burned
What are advantages and disadvantages of nuclear?
Advantages -generate electricity in power stations -doesn't produce carbon dioxide Disadvantages -finite -problem of disposing nuclear waste
What are advantages and disadvantages of renewable?
Advantages -used to create energy -doesn't produce greenhouse gases Disadvantages -expensive to develop technology
How is the UKs energy mix changing?
- traditionally UK has relied on fossil fuels for energy
- use of nuclear had increased during the 1990s
- reliance on fossil fuels will continue into the future due to the cost and unreliability of renewable energy sources
What are economic challenges and opportunities of fossil fuels?
Opportunities
-creates jobs
Challenges
-remaining coal in the U.K. is hard to access which is expensive
-costs of climate change such as increased flooding requiring flood defences
What are economic challenges and opportunities of nuclear?
Opportunities
-jobs in research and development
Challenges
-costs of building nuclear power stations are huge
-enormous costs to store and transport nuclear waste
What are economic challenges and opportunities of renewable?
Opportunities -jobs in manufacturing and research Challenges -low profitability is a concern -high set up costs of renewable energy sources
What are environmental challenges and opportunities of fossil fuels?
Opportunities
-carbon capture storage is more efficient but expensive
Challenges
-burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases
-waste heaps from coal mining create visual pollution
What are environmental challenges and opportunities of nuclear?
Opportunities
-nuclear power is considered cleaner and less polluting
Challenges
-nuclear waste must be store carefully for many years
-big problem if accident occurs
What are environmental challenges and opportunities of renewable?
Opportunities
-much lower carbon emissions
Challenges
-wind turbines affect bird migration
What’s fracking?
Fracking or hydraulic fracking is a means of extracting gas that is locked in rocks thousands of metres below the earths surface
Explain the sequence of actions used to frack for gas:
- hole is drilled into the rock
- mix of sand, water and chemicals is injected into the rock at high pressure
- this splits the rock and releases the gas
- the gas flows out of the drilled well
Which areas in the U.K. are being considered for fracking?
Yorkshire, East Midlands
What are the opportunities and challenges of fracking?
Economic-provides jobs, generates government revenue
Environmental-causes pollution of groundwater, cause low-level earthquakes
What are the environmental impacts of energy insecurity?
- if there’s a shortfall in supply of energy a country may clear forests(for biofuel)which would result in a decline of biodiversity
- hydroelectric dams land has to be flooded destroying ecosystems
What are the economic impacts of energy insecurity?
- energy prices rise
- modern agriculture requires energy if prices rise in energy then prices will also rise in food
What are the social impacts of energy insecurity?
- rise in energy cost increase cost of living
- people will be inconvenienced by power cuts
What are the political impacts of energy insecurity?
- conflict will occur between the main energy consumers
- conflict between home produced goods and imported goods
What are the advantages and disadvantages of natural gas?
Advantages
-cleanest of all fossil fuels
-provide employment for 1.2million people
Disadvantages
-dangerous if handled or transported carelessly
-pipelines are expensive to build and maintain
What’s renewable energy?
Energy that can be used again and again
What’s non-renewable energy?
Energy with finite sources
How can people reduce their individual energy use?
- turn TV off standby
- turn lights off when leaving a room
- turn down heating thermostat
What’s energy conservation?
All about minimising the wastage of energy and using it as efficiently as possible
How can you design homes and workplaces to make them more energy efficient?
Loft and wall insulation New boilers Cavity wall insulation Double or triple glazing on windows Create your own energy
How can you make transport more energy efficient?
- use public transport
- car share when commuting
- cut down the number of holidays taken abroad
Why is it difficult for Nepal to import coal and oil?
- land locked no ocean/sea ports difficult to import fossil fuels
- LIC so has limited money to import fossil fuels
Why is Nepal well suited to development of micro-hydro plants?
It’s mountainous because it’s based on the Himalayas and it has high rainfall and melting glaciers which provide a large constant supply of water and it has fast flowing rivers with big drops
How does micro-hydro plant benefit agriculture?
Agriculture is improved because animal and crop waste is no longer used as a fuel but put back on land as a fertiliser
Why is the scheme in Nepal sustainable?
It’s run and built by the local community, so the community can maintain their supply. Water won’t run out. Produces no carbon dioxide or other pollutants so that makes it sustainable.
What are the social impacts of the micro-hydro dam in Nepal?
- improved school facilities
- health care has improved because refrigeration allows storage of medicine
- reduced risk of fire because kerosene lights and candles aren’t necessary
- reduced rural to urban migration
What re the economic impacts of the micro-hydro dam in Nepal?
Business developments are made possible which creates more jobs and more money will go back into the local community.
