Resource Management Flashcards
What can happen as a result of a lack of food?
Malnourishment
How can malnourishment affect children? [2]
- Can limit a child’s development
- Increase their liklihood of getting ill
What can happen as a result of dirty water?
Water-borne diseases start to kill people e.g. cholera
How does a lack of food, water and energy lead to a country’s development being stunted?
It can affect a person’s ability to attend school or work, which can prevent people from learning and using skills needed to help their country develop
Why is the consumption of resources high in HICs?
They can afford to buy the resources they need
Why is consumption of resources increasing in NEEs? [2]
- Industry is developing quickly, which requires a lot of energy
- Population and wealth are increasing rapidly
Why is the consumption of resources low in LICs? [2]
- Can’t afford to exploit available resources
- Can’t afford to import lacking resources
What types of food are in high demand in the UK? [3]
- High-value foods
- Seasonal produce
- Organic produce
Why have high-value foods become more popular in the UK?
People’s incomes have increased
Why has organic produce become more popular in the UK? [2]
- Increasing concern about the environmental impacts of food production
- Concern about how chemicals can affect health
What processes contribute to the carbon footprint of our food? [4]
- Growing
- Processing
- Packaging
- Transporting
What are people doing to try and combat our food’s carbon footprint?
People are buying local sources of food: farmers’ markets, farm shops and vegetable boxes
How has farming changed since the 1960s? [3]
- Farm sizes have increased
- Amount of chemicals being used has increased
- Number of workers reduced - greater use of machinery
Which parts of the UK have a water surplus?
North and West
Which parts of the UK have a water deficit?
south-east and midlands
Since 1975, the amount of water used by households in the UK has increased by how much?
70%
Why has the demand for water increased in the UK?
Increase in appliances that use water e.g. dishwashers and washing machines
How much is the UK’s population expected to be by 2040?
73 million
Why is the demand for water in the UK increasing? [2]
- Increasing population
- Increasing populations in areas with water deficits
How can the UK’s water systems be polluted? [3]
- Nitrates and phosphates from crop fertilisers washed into rivers
- Pollutants from vehicles washed into water sources through runoff when it rains
- Chemicals from factories
What strategies can be used to manage water quality? [2]
- Improving drainage systems
- Impose regulations on amount and types of fertilisers used
What is the main solution for the water supply/demand problem in the UK?
Transfer water from areas of surplus to ares of deficit
What are the problems with water transfer? [3]
- Dams and aquaducts required are very expensive
- Affects river wildlife
- Political issues
In 1970, what 2 energy sources did the UK depend on the most?
Coal and oil (91%)
By 1980, what energy source had increased in the UK?
Natural gas (22%)
What are the economic issues associated with exploiting energy sources? [4]
- Extracting fossil fuels is expensive
- North Sea oil is especially expensive to produce
- Renewable energy costs for the consumer are high
- UK has to pay to import energy from overseas
What are the environmental issues associated with exploiting energy sources? [4]
- Burning fossil fuels releases CO₂ and other greenhouse gases
- Accidents, such as oil spills, leak toxic chemicals into water sources
- Ecosystems can be damaged - tidal energy
- Visual pollution - wind farms
Define ‘energy security’
Having a reliable, uninterrupted and affordable supply of energy
What energy reserve do Iran and Saudi Arabia have?
Oil
What energy reserve do China and Australia have?
Coal
What energy reserves do the UK and Russia have? [2]
- Oil
- Gas
Why does Sudan produce little energy? [2]
- Has little money to exploit it
- Political instability
Why do wealthier countries tend to consume lots of energy? [2]
- Can afford it
- Lives revolve around energy-intensive devices (e.g. cars)
Why do poorer countries tend to consume little energy? [2]
- Can’t afford much
- Lifestyles are less dependant on high energy consumption
Explain how the rising population is increasing the global demand for energy [2 + figures]
- Global population is expected to increase to over 9 billion by 2040
- More people means that more energy is needed e.g. to heat homes
Explain how economic development is increasing the global demand for energy [3]
- Economic development causes countries to become richer
- People use this wealth to buy more material possessions, which often use lots of energy (e.g. cars)
- Industry also expands, which uses a lot of energy
Explain how technological advances are increasing the global demand for energy [2]
- New devices have been made which need energy (e.g. mobile phones)
- As these become more popular, more energy is needed to power them
Describe some physical factors which affect energy supply [3]
- The global distribution of fossil fuels is unequal - some countries have few resources and some are inaccessible
- An area’s climate may prevent it from breing able to generate renewable energy (e.g. solar)
- The liklihood of natural disasters that can damage energy infrastructure affects the type of energy that can be used
Describe some technological factors which affect energy supply [3]
- Make it possible to exploit new resources
- Make it easier to expoit existing resources
- Some countries do not have the technology or money
Describe some economic factors which affect energy supply [3]
- Remaining non-renewable energy resources are becoming more expensive
- Some LICs have potential energy sources but too little wealth to exploit them
- Building new energy infrastructure (e.g. wind farms) can be very expensive
Describe some political factors which affect energy supply [2]
- Climate change linked to burning fossil fuels has resulted in international agreements to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- Concerns over the safety of nuclear power and nuclear waste disposal have resulted in stricter regulations
What is the cost to the environment in areas of energy insecurity?
As accessible reserves are used up, more environmentally sensitive areas have to be exploited
What is the economic cost of areas with energy insecurity?
More environmentally sensitive areas have to be expoited, which costs more money
What are the costs on food production in an area with energy insecurity?
Demands for cleaner fuels, such as biofuels, take up land that could be used to grow crops - this leads to food shortages and increased food prices
What are the costs on industrial output in an area with energy insecurity?
Energy costs increase so industrial output has to be reduced or they must relocate - this threatens jobs
Describe how solar energy works
Energy from the sun is used to generate electricity using photovoltaic cells
Advantages of solar energy [2]
- Can be installed in rural villages
- Excess energy can be sold, making extra money
Disadvantages of solar energy [2]
- Photovoltaic cells are expensive
- They depend of sunlight, so are unreliable
Describe how hydroelectric power works
It is created from falling water. Water trapped by a dam is allowed to fall through tunnels. The force of the falling water turns turbines and generates electricity
Advantage of HEP
Water flow and energy output can be adjusted to meet demand and limit waste
Disadvantages of HEP [2]
- Building dams displaces habitats and people
- Dams and turbines are expensive
Describe how geothermal power works
Water is pumped into the ground and turned into steam by the heat from the Earth’s crust. The steam turns a turbine, which generates electricity
Advantages of geothermal power
Little construction is needed to harness the energy
Disadvantages of geothermal power
Cannot be harnessed everywhere - only in tectonically active areas
Describe how tidal power works
Changes in water level caused by tides are used to turn turbines and generate electricity
Advantages of tidal power
It can be reliably predicted - tidal cycles are very regular
Disadvantages of tidal power [2]
- Can’t generate constant energy
- Turbines are expensive
Describe how wave power works
Changing water level of waves drives air through turbines to generate electricity
Advantages of wave power
Usable during the winter, so works alongside solar power
Disadvantages of wave power
Expensive to build and install turbines
Describe how wind energy works
Wind turbines use wind energy to generate electricity
Advantages of wind energy
Can be built on existing farmland
Disadvantages of wind energy
Unreliable as wind is variable
Describe how biomass energy works
Wood, plants or animal waste is burnt for power or to produce biofuels
Advantages of biomass energy
Doesn’t require much technology - good option for LICs
Disadvantages of biomass energy
Only renewable if managed sustainably
How can the supply of fossil fuels be increased?
By searching for new reserves
How has new technology helped to increase the supply of fossil fuels?
It has made it possible to extract resources that were previously too difficult or costly to access
Why is nuclear energy a good option?
A large amount of energy can be generated from a small amount of fuel
Disadvantages of nuclear energy [2]
- Power stations are expensive to build
- Nuclear waste must be safely stored for 1000s of years
