Resource Management - Paper 2 Flashcards
What 3 other things is water needed for other than to sustain life?
-Dispose of waste
-Grow and process food
-Manufacture industrial products
What % of water is used for industry, domestic purposes and agriculture in the UK?
-75% used in industry
-22% for domestic purposes
-3% for agriculture
Each person in the UK uses how much water per day?
About 150 litres.
Global energy consumption is heavily dominated by the use of what?
Fossil fuels.
Why is there a food surplus in much of Europe, Asia, and North and South America?
Due to moderate climate, fertile soils and advanced technology.
Why is food production less reliable in Africa?
Physical conditions are more hostile, and, together with low levels of technology and political instability, food production is less reliable.
What 2 things might many people suffer from in Africa regarding food?
Undernourishment and undernutrition.
What areas are prone to water shortages and drought?
Africa and parts of the Middle East.
What did availability of coal in the past in Europe have a huge influence over?
Early economic development and improving people’s social wellbeing.
What type of energy is more evenly distributed?
Renewable energy in the form of wind, solar and water.
Why have many poorer countries been unable to tap into renewable sources?
Due to the high cost of development.
How well off is the UK in terms of food resources?
The UK has a moderate climate with plenty of rainfall and mild temperatures. Benefitting from the generally fertile soils, gentle relief and advanced technologies, the UK is one of the world’s most efficient producers of food.
How well off is the UK in terms of water resources?
Despite an imbalance of supply and demand within the UK (surplus: north and west, deficit: south and east), water supply is rarely an issue.
How well off is the UK in terms of energy resources?
The UK has large resources of fossil fuels (coal in the past, now oil and gas), several nuclear power plants (using imported uranium) and the potential for a range of renewable energies (wind, solar and hydro-electric power).
In 2019, what % of the UK’s food supply was imported to meet demand?
45%
Why is there a demand for high value food exports?
It can still be cheaper for food to be grown in low income countries and transported to the UK, despite the increased food miles.
Give 2 ways low income countries are benefitted from exporting food to the UK:
-Wages for locals working in farming, packaging and transport
-Taxes raised, which fund facilities such as schools and hospitals
Give 3 ways low income countries are NOT benefitted from exporting food to the UK:
-Less land for locals to grow their own food
-Increased pressure on water supply
-Farmers exposed to chemical pesticides without protective clothing
Give 2 reasons why there is a demand for organic produce:
Consumers choose food that reduce the negative impact on the environment and are healthier to eat.
Give 4 ways how organic produce is grown:
-Natural predators to control pests
-Natural fertilisers
-Crops are rotated to maintain fertility
-Animals are not fed drugs such as growth hormones.
Why is organic produce more expensive?
Because yields tend to be lower.
Identify 3 ways in which the demand for food is changing in the UK?
-Demand for high-value food exports
-All-year demand for seasonal food
-Demand for organic produce
In the UK, how far does food travel every year?
Over 30 billion km.
What % of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions does food contribute to?
At least 17%, of which 11% is due to the transport of imported food.
What does food production and transport increase?
The UK’s carbon footprint.
Compare the emissions of planes to boats:
Planes generate emissions around 100 times greater than boats.
Why are boats typically not used when transporting foods?
As they are slower so food can perish quicker.
Give 4 local food-sourcing methods that reduce carbon emissions:
-Home-growing food
-Eating locally produced food
-Importing only foods that cannot be grown in the UK
-Eating seasonal UK produce
How many people now grow their own fruit and vegetables?
A third of people.
what is agribusiness?
Agribusinesses package and transport the food.
Give 3 ways agribusinesses increase food productions:
-Removing hedgerows, combining smaller farms
-Greater use of mechanisation
-Greater use of chemicals
How has the amount of water used by the average household in the UK changed?
It has risen by 70% since 1985.
How much water does the average person in the UK use per day?
150 litres.
Give 6 reasons why the growing demand for water is due to an increase in:
-UK population
-Wealth, with more water-intensive appliances
-Showers/baths taken each week
-Demand for out-of-season food requiring watering in greenhouses
-Industrial production
-Leisure use (eg maintaining grass at golf courses)
Where in the UK has the greatest annual rainfall?
West of the country.
Where in the UK has the lowest annual rainfall?
East of the country.
How much of the UK’s population lives in the Southeast?
One third.
Where has water surplus and why?
Areas in the west of the UK as they have the most rainfall but lower population densities.
Where has water deficit and why?
Areas in the east of the UK as they have the least rainfall but higher population density.
When does water stress occur?
When the water availability is not sufficient to meet the needs of the population or is of poor quality.
What did the UK government suggest to help even out the areas of water surplus and deficit?
A national water grid so water could flow through pipes from areas of surplus such as Wales to areas of deficit such as London.
The national water grid consideration had not been put into place due to what economic concern?
Enormous costs to install the national water grid.
The national water grid consideration had not been put into place due to what social concern?
Local communities would need to be displaced.
The national water grid consideration had not been put into place due to what 2 environmental concerns?
-Dams and reservoirs may disrupt ecology and block migrating species
-Increased carbon emissions pumping water over long distances
Give an example of a small scale water transfer in the UK:
The Kielder Dam in Northumberland pumps water into the North Tyne River which is then transferred to 3 other major rivers to supply Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
Who manages water quality in the UK?
The Environment Agency.
What % of water in the UK is classified as ‘good status’ under who?
Only 27%, under the EU Water Framework Directive.
Give 6 ways rivers, lakes and coastal waters are polluted:
-Chemical pesticides and fertilisers running from farm land
-Hot water from cooling processes in industry pumped into rivers
-Oil from boats and ships
-Sewage containing bacteria pumped into rivers and sea
-Inappropriate items (eg engine oil) put down drains
-Oil, heavy metals from vehicles exhausts and road-gritting salt runoff from roads
Give 7 effects (both environmental and social) of water pollution in the UK:
-Pesticides kill aquatic life
-Fertilisers can lead to eutrophication
-Increased water temperature can lead to death of wildlife
-Toxic waste poisons wildlife, which can be transferred to humans if they eat contaminated fish, this can lead to birth defects or cancer
-Drinking water can be poisoned
-Microbacteria in sewage spread infectious disease in aquatic life and humans
-Fishermen and the tourist industry, depending on clear water, suffer economic losses
Give 6 ways water quality and pollution levels are managed in the UK:
-Legislation in the UK and EU means strict laws limit the amount and type of discharge factories and farms can put into rivers
-Education campaigns inform the public about what is appropriate and what not to dispose of in sewage systems
-Waste water treatment plants remove waste solids, bacteria, algae and chemicals so water is then safe for drinking
-Investing in sewers and water mains reduces overflow of current sewers, spills and accidents
-Pollution traps such as reed beds catch and filter out pollutants
-Green roofs on buildings filter out pollutants in rainwater, reduce flooding and combat climate change by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere
Describe how the UK’s energy demand has changed overall:
The UK consumes less energy than it did in 1970, even though there are 9.1 million more people living in the UK.
Describe how the UK’s energy demand has changed within households:
The average household uses 12% less energy.
Describe how the UK’s energy demand has changed within heavy industry:
It uses 60% less due to its decline in the UK.
Describe how the UK’s energy demand has changed within transport:
Transport has increased its demand for energy since the 1970s due to its dramatic increase.
Describe the majority of the UK’s energy mix in 2017:
The majority was fossil fuels (coal 13.5%, gas 41.4%)
Nuclear power provides what % of the UK’s energy mix?
11%
Renewable energy sources provide how much of the UK’s energy mix?
Almost a third (29.4%)
What kind of energy reserves have declined in the UK?
Oil and gas reserves.
What is there an increased reliance on following the decline of oil and gas reserves?
Imported fossil fuels.
When did the use of coal increase in the UK recently and why?
In 2011, as older power stations worked to full capacity, as they were soon to be closed in 2025 due to European Union regulations on emissions.
Describe the change in nuclear energy in the UK:
It has fallen slightly since the 1990s (25% in the late 1990s to around 18% today).
When are existing nuclear power stations going to close?
By 2023.
When will new generation nuclear power plants be built and working by?
By 2025.
Give 2 reasons why the British government encourages the use of renewables:
-To reduce carbon emissions
-To reduce reliance on imports
Give 3 economic issues regarding fossil fuels:
-Non-renewable so unsustainable, eventually the cost will be too high or they’ll run out
-Miners offer suffer job-related diseases, which incur costs to the health service
-Costs increase to deal with the effect of climate change and adaptation to it
Give 4 environmental issues regarding fossil fuels:
-Carbon dioxide is released, which contributes to climate change and acid rain
-Oil spills can devastate wildlife and sea life
-There is visual pollution from coal waste heaps and unsightly opencast coal mines
-Fracking for shale gas can cause groundwater pollution and earthquakes
Give 2 economic issues regarding nuclear energy:
-Plants are expensive to build and decommission, but the raw material (uranium) is cheap as such small amounts are used
-Cost to transport and store nuclear waste is high
Give 2 environmental issues regarding nuclear energy:
-Waste remain radioactive for over 100 years and has to be stored safely to avoid contamination
-Despite a good safety record, nuclear accidents release radiation into the atmosphere, which has long-term impacts on wildlife and people
Give 4 economic issues regarding renewable energy sources:
-It has high set-up costs such as wind turbines and solar farms etc. Costs are higher in remote areas
-Biomass means land not used for food production may increase the cost of food
-Tourism declines as environments lose their visual appeal; results in job and income loss
-Low profitability is a concern
Give 5 environmental issues regarding renewable energy sources:
-Many renewables are considered ugly and ruin the views in both the countryside and on the coast
-Wind turbines can affect bird migration and bat life
-Hydro-electric dams flood land upstream of the dam, changing the landscape and wildlife. Water behind the dam changes temperature, affecting the ecology. Sediment is trapped behind dams
-Biomass reduces biodiversity as only one crop is grown eg sugar cane
-Geothermal energy is limited to tectonically active countries such as the USA and Iceland
