resource management Flashcards
how does food affect social wellbeing
- having a good diet prevents malnutrition so ppl are healthier
- stops ppl being it’d and affecting cognitive ability
how does food affect economic wellbeing
- if more people have good health, the workforce grows stronger and get more money
- can make money from exports
- lower pressure on health care
food facts for exam
- malnutrition is an underlying cause of death of 2.6 mil children each year
- nearly 1/2 a billion adults are malnourished
how does water affect social well being
- don’t have to fetch water so spend more time in school (esp. girls)
- less malnutrition (dirty water) so pop. healthier
- good for sanitation
how does water affect economic wellbeing
- more water to use in industry which spurs economic growth
- loss of earnings from women who collect water (instead of going to work)
- sick workforce lowers GDP
water facts for exam
- 3 bil don’t have access to sanitation
- 1 bil don’t have access to clean water
- indian women spend 150 mil working hours fetching water
- in uk 75% of our water is used in industry
how does energy affect social wellbeing
- using a clean source of energy reduces harmful emissions so less respiratory issues
- having cold houses is bad for your health (esp. elderly)
how does energy affect economic wellbeing
- loss of earnings if people are sick from cold households etc.
- energy is needed to drive all industry
describe the global distribution of food
- highest levels of undernourishment tend to be found in LICs and some NEEs
- africa is the continent w/ the most undernourished countries w/ >34% of pop. being undernourished e.g. angola
- area w/ low levels of undernourishment include north america, europe and oceania
what are the areas of surplus and deficit of food
surplus:
- north america, europe and oceania
deficit:
- se asia, africa - angola
why is there an uneven distribution of food globally
- areas of surplus have a favourable growing climate - sun + water, no extreme weather
- landlocked countries - hard to trade food
- conflict - destruction of crops
what are the areas of surplus and deficit of water
surplus:
- north america, europe, oceania, south america
deficit:
> econ scarcity
- sub-saharan africa
- se asia
>phys scarcity
- middle east
- north africa
- along tropics
why is there an uneven distribution of water globally
- very dry climate causes physical water scarcity
- lack of money to invest in water infrastructure = econ. scarcity
what are the areas of surplus and deficit of energy
surplus:
- north america (US + canada)
- oceania
- scandinavia
- russia
deficit:
- sub-sharan africa
- se asia
why is there an uneven distribution of energy globally
- wealthy ppl use more energy
- countries w/ energy reserves tend to use more
- money needed for energy infrastructure so poorer places tend to use less
how well of is the uk in terms of resources
- good access to energy due to energy infrastructure + energy reserves
- good access to water due to wet climate and water infrastructure
- good access to food due to farming sector and money to trade
how has the uk’s eating habits changed
1) seasonal food all year round
2) high value foods e.g. avocados
3) organic produce
why has the uk’s eating habits changed
1) transportation of food is quicker/ easier and cheaper
2) migration
3) people have become richer
4) greater concern or awareness ab environment and use of chemicals
what are the positive impacts on LICs of us importing more food from abroad
- creates jobs in farming
- helps to grow the GDP of LICs
what are the negative impacts on LICs of us importing more food from abroad
- less land for locals to grow their own food
- increased pressure on water supplies
- exposure to chemicals (pesticides + fertilsiers
how does importing food increase the uk’s carbon footprint
- 11% of uk carbon emissions come from food transportation
- fossil fuels are used to transport food in planes/trucks etc.
- when they are burnt they release GHGs
- these gases thicken the GHGH layer
- this traps solar energy and warms the earth’s surface
- causes global warming + climate change
what are the alternatives to reduce uk’s carbon emissions from food transportation
1) growing locally sourced food
2) buying seasonal food
why is only tackling food mile not an effective way of reducing carbon emissions
- focusing only on food miles isn’t the best way to reduce carbon emissions, as transport makes up just 10% of a food’s carbon footprint, the majority (90%) comes from food production, such as farming and energy use
- e.g. tomatoes from Spain may have a lower carbon footprint than local ones grown in energy-intensive greenhouses
- a better approach is to focus on seasonal and local food to reduce both production and transport emissions.
why is there a trend in the uk towards agribusinesses
- farmers can increase their profits
- can produce more food
what are the features of an agribusiness
- large firms control all stages of the process from the productions of sets to the packaging of food
- mechanised = fewer workers
- v. large fields/hedgerows removed
- uses of chemicals
what are the negatives of an agribusiness
- loss of jobs in rural communities - pop. decline (outmigration)
- use of chemicals damages soil and waterways
- loss of hedgerows creates a loss of biodiversity
why is demand for water in the uk increasing
1) pop. growth
2) household use of water has increased e.g. a shower everyday (use up 70% since 1970s)
3) demand has risen most in the SE
what is an example of a uk water transfer scheme
elan valley water transfer scheme
where does the elan valley water transfer scheme transfer water from and to
Wales - birmingham
why was the elan valley water transfer scheme built
- pop of Birmingham grew so demand also grew
- outbreaks of typhus/cholera
- needed water
why was the elan valley a good source for this water
- elan valleys get 1800mm/yr
- valleys are v-shaped
- made of impermeable rock
- lots of rainfall
- high altitude so water could move by gravity to birmingham
what are the issues w/ building dams
1) can change the ecology of the river
2) v. expensive
3) communities are displaced
what are the causes of water pollution
1) sewage (untreated)
2) fertilisers + pesticides from farmland
3) industrial waste - chemicals
4) oil spills
what can microbacteria in untreated sewage spread
- infections and diseases which can be caught by fish/animals/humans
what do pesticides (run-off from farming) kill
important parts of the ecosystem
how can toxic waste be transferred to humans
by eating shellfish or fish who have lived in infested waters
what do more fertilisers being used in farming lead to
increased nutrients in water
if there are increased nutrients in the water what will happen
algae will grow faster which blocks sunlight from accessing plants in the water below = eutrophication
who suffers most from a lack of clean water
fishermen + workers in the tourist industry
what are the advantages of building better water treatment plants and investing in new infrastructure
- prevents spills and accidents
what are the disadvantages of building better water treatment plants and investing in new infrastructure
- v. expensive
- the london super sewer costs £5bn
- increased water bill as we are consumers to payback all the money
what are the advantages of green roofs and walls
- naturally filter out the pollutants in rainwater
- sustainable water management, decreased risk of flooding by decreased surface run-off
- increases absorption of CO2
what are the disadvantages of green roofs and walls
- has to be maintained which can be expensive
- small-scale
what are the advantages of legislation (laws that regulate what can be discharged into rivers)
- prevents water from being polluted
- puts the responsibility on those responsible for polluting
what are the disadvantages of legislation (laws that regulate what can be discharged into rivers)
- requires enforcement - strong administration
how has the uk energy mix changed
- the supply of electricity fluctuated between 1985 and 2015
- in 1985 coal was the main source used to generate electricity, supplying over 60%
- by 2015 gas and become the no.1 source used to generate electricity
- the rapid increase in the use of gas began in 1992
describe the changes in the uk’s energy mix
> in 1990, 91% of the uk’s energy was from fossil fuels
in 2020 it was 75%
- the use of natural gas has increased
- the use of oil has stayed the same
- the use of coal has decreased significantly
since 2010, renewable energy has increased
explain the changes in the uk’s energy mix
- coal has decreased due to reserves running out and an increased environmental and health concerns
- oil is reliant for transport
- gas - found gas reserves in N sea
- renewables - environmental concerns _ advances in tech
> uk is still really reliant on fossil fuels
describe the process of fracking
1) shale gas is found in shale rocks
2) drill into the shale rock and blast holes/fissures into the rock
3) pump highly pressurised water + chemicals down the pipe
4) dislodges the gas which is drawn up to the surface
=> SHALE GAS
advantages of fracking
- could significantly benefit uk’s future energy needs
- increases uk’s energy security
- provides much needed employment
- electricity can be generated w/ 1/2 the CO2 emissions of coal, and much cheaper than some renewable resources
- can make money from selling the gas
disadvantages of fracking
- possibility of contaminating groundwater
- polluted drinking water
- air pollution
- minor earth tremors
- still produces CO2 (still a fossil fuel)
which communities does fracking create conflict against
- local residents
- environmental activists
- companies/industries
- governments
why was the government pro-fracking
- releases less Co2 emissions than FFs
- increases our energy security
why is industry pro-fracking
- provides employment
- generates money for economy
- relies on cheap reliable energy
- good source one energy
why is fracking especially important in deindustrialised areas + example
e.g. south wales
- they have plentiful reserves of gas
- provides employment for those who lost mining jobs
why are residents against fracking
- disturbs their daily life w/ noise pollution
- can cause minor earthquakes
why do environmental activists not like fracking
- still a FF so releases Co2 emissions
- better to invest in renewable energy
what is the gov’s current stance on fracking
labour gov. has banned all fracking
what are some economic challenges with fossil fuels
- much of the remaining coal is in hard-to-access areas
- coal had stop be imported from countries like south africa
- expensive to clear up waste or spoil heaps
what are some economic opportunities with fossil fuels
- creation of jobs with directly in support industries and manufacture of equipment
what are some environmental challenges with fossil fuels
- burning of FFS creates GHGs which may cause climate change
- can cause visual pollution
- opencast coal mines are unsightly + create dust and noise
what are some environmental opportunities
- carbon capture storage is more efficient but expensive
what are some economic challenges with nuclear
- cost of building nuclear power stations are huge
- enormous costs to store + transport + nuclear waste
- expensive to decommission nuclear power stations
what are some economic opportunities with nuclear
- creates jobs in research + development for new tech
- after initial set up cost, energy generation is cheaper
what are some environmental challenges with nuclear
- waste must be stored safely to avoid contamination
- nuclear accidents can lead to the release of radiation into atmosphere
> affects wildlife + ppl
what are some environmental opportunities with nuclear
- nuclear power is considered cleaner + less polluting than other FFs
what are some economic challenges with renewables
- high set-up cost of renewable energy sources (esp. in remote areas)
- impact upon visual env. can affect tourism + reduce income/jobs
- low profitability is a concern
what are some economic opportunities with renewables
- many jobs created in manufacture of solar panels or wind turbines
what are sone environmental challenges with renewables
- evidence shows that wind turbines can affect bird migration patterns
- many people consider it ugly and that it visually pollutes the landscape
what are some environmental opportunities with renewables
- produces lower CO2 emissions
- land can be used for farming etc.
- offshore wind turbines can act as an artificial reef
> habitats for marine life
why do we need energy
- for industry
- cooking and heating
- transport
- to power tech
- food production
define energy security
having a reliable, uninterrupted and affordable supply of energy available
describe the pattern of energy consumption
- HICs consume more than LICs
- highest levels in N.Am, europe
> norway, russia, iceland
> canada has more than 400mil Btu/person/year - lowest levels in sub-Saharan africa and SE asia
> niger has less than 5mil btus/person/year
explain the pattern of energy consumption
- areas w/ high energy consumption are wealthy areas so
> have money to invest in energy infrastructure a
> high QoL
> tend to be countries w/ large FF reserves
=> tend to use more - areas w/ low energy consumption are poor so
> lack money to import energy
> lack money to extract FFS
> lack money to create renewables
> low QoL
> lack energy infrastructure
=> tend to use less
why is global demand for energy increasing
1) pop. growth - has increased most in NEEs + more recently in LICs
> global pop. was 2.5bn in 1950s + 8bn now
2) econ. development - increased industrial output, more intensive farming, increased transport to places, more luxurious/energy-intensive lifestyles
3) tech - use of AI
where is energy demand increasing the most
- in NEEs - growth in manufacturing
- likely to see the greatest growth in LICs - part. in sub-saharan africa
where does our energy come from
- saudi: oil + gas
- russia: gas + oil + coal
- canada: oil + gas
- us: coal + gas (shale)
- nigeria: oil + gas
- china: coal
- india:coal
what are the physical factors of energy supply
- geology: if you have FFs
- climate: determines renewable energy potential
- natural disasters
- mountains terrain/ harsh climate - can make access hard
what are the economic factors of energy supply
1) being able to afford energy imports
1) having money to extract energy and develop tech
3) cost of building energy infrastructure - w/o it ppl use less
what are the political factors of energy supply
1) war + conflict - can stop supply of energy
2) international agreements - limits/restricts use of FFs + encourages renewable energy
3) environmental pressure
4) public perception (fear of nuclear)
facts for physical (energy supply)
proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia are the largest in the world, estimated to be 268 billion barrels
facts for economic (energy supply)
- niger does not have the money to tech to turn their large stores of uranium into nuclear energy
- in 2005, hurricane katrina affected oil production and refining in the gulf of mexico. oil and petrol prices rose. 10 days later production was still only 425 of normal level.
facts for political (energy supply)
- during ukraine/russia war, exports of gas from region decreased.
- gas prices in 2022 were 10x higher than previously.
define energy insecurity
not having a reliable, uninterrupted and affordable supply of energy available
what are the economic impacts of energy insecurity
- reduced industrial output = los of jobs
- prices rise = increasing energy/food production prices
- cost of extraction increases
what are the social impacts of energy insecurity
- food prices increase
- cost-of-living crisis
- energy poverty => spend more than 10% on income on energy
- health issues (due to lack of heating etc.)
- conflict - ppl vs gov./agriculture vs industry
what are the environmental impacts of energy insecurity
- may use renewable energy
- start looking for new resources in environmentally-sensitive/hard to reach areas
- clearing forests to grow biofuels
- flooding valleys to generate HEP
what are micro hydro plants
- small HEP plants
what are the problems of energy poverty in nepal
- not able to work after dark
- unable to run machinery regularly
- have to rely on solid fuel + collect it themselves
- deforestation
what are the problems of delivering energy in nepal
- himalayas make transporting energy v. difficult
- nepal is a landlocked country
- do not have FF reserves
- lack money to build an electricity grid that covers the entire country
why is nepal well suited to the development of micro hydro plants
- mountainous
- large supply of water
what are the envrionmental benefits of micro-hydro plants
- doesn’t damage environment b/c it’s small scale
- decreases deforestation
what are the economic benefits of micro-hydro plants
- cheap to build (much cheaper than a dam and reservoir)
- provides jobs for locals
what are the social benefits of micro hydro plants
- homes aren’t flooded for reservoirs
- increased work = increased QoL
- no need to burn solid fuel so air quality improves = decreased health risks
- more energy to heat homes = decreased health issues
general facts ab micro hydro plants
- over 1000 MHPs in 52 districts
- 1/5 of the world’s pop. lives in the dark
how do micro hydro plants work
water is diverted from a stream through a series of channels which eventually turns a turbine which generates electricity
what are the direct advantages of MHPs
1) provides electricity for areas previously suffering from blackouts
2) reduced deforestation
what are the indirect advantages of MHPs
1) causes industrial development e.g. in Darbang - cement block maker
2) girls spend more time in school than fetching firewood
define sustainable developments
development that meets the needs of today w/o compromising the needs of future generations. it must be environmentally, economically and socially beneficial and it must be long-lasting
are there any limitations to the MHP scheme
- climate change may affect rainfall patterns and therefore the success of these schemes
- small-scale so you need lots
overall assessment of MHPs
- successful scheme bc its economically, socially and environmentally beneficial
