Resource security Flashcards
What does the EIA do?
Process of evaluating the environmental and human consequences of a project and modifying the project to reduce impacts
Why do places use the EIA?
- Legal requirement (EU directive)
- TNCs, better reputation
What are 6 stages of EIA?
1) Outline development
2) Describe environment
3) Assess impacts (Leopold Matrix)
4) Consider modifications
5) Publish environmental statement
6) Decision made and monitored
Give an example of where EIA was used
Grasberg mine:
- check air/noise pollution
- dereliction
- aesthetic problems
What 3 physical factors affect water supply?
- Climate
- Geology
- Drainage basin
How does geology affect water supply?
Impermeable rock - higher quantity, worse quality
Permeable rock - lower quantity, better quality as filtered through percolation (aquifers)
Some rock type contain salt and minerals making not potable
How does climate affect water supply?
Precipitation - can be unpredictable (Monsoon)
Evaporation- loss of water
How does drainage basin affect water supply?
Larger drainage basin > collect more water
What human factors affect water supply?
- Urbanisation
- Agriculture
- Population growth
- Climate change
How does urbanisation affect water supply?
Impermeable surface - aquifers won’t recharge and sewer overflow
How does agriculture affect water supply?
Eutrophication - leeching form excess minerals
How does population growth affect water supply?
Increase demand :
- Mexico 73% of water from groundwater so are reliant
- Overabstartion means being depleted faster than recharge
How does climate change affect water supply?
Areas reliant on snowmelt will not receive enough due to lack of snow build up
What is OPEC?
13 member countries which produce 40% of the world’s crude oil but control 72% of its reserves.
How has OPEC impacted on global energy supply?
- 1973 oil shock - in response to US support for Israel during the Yom Kippur war OPEC stopped oil supply to countries supporting Israel
- Oil prices rose from $25.97 (1973) > $46.65 (1974) > $70.62 (2018)
Give two reasons why the effectiveness of OPEC is limited?
- Member aren’t always united (Saudi Arabia and Kuwait)
- Non OPEC countries (Russia) have a strong impact on the market
- Growing development of resources outside of OPEC (US) > reduces OPEC control
- Prices fell due to new production (fracking) > OPEC attempted to undercut US oil ment was more costly to produce
How has the pipeline between Russia and Ukraine affected the politics of the EU?
- Reliance on Russian gas (Gazprom halting supplies to Ukraine and Europe for political changes)
- Ukraine controls amount of gas that reaches the rest of Europe
- Increasing dependence on renewables may reduce dependence on Russian gas
What are the 2 case studies for ore extraction and water transfer?
- Grasberg mine (Indonesia)
- South to North water transfer (China)
What are the negative impacts of Grasberg extraction?
- Deforestation, for land use (1 mile of forest left)
- Acid rock drainage, leaching kills vegetation and gets in ground water supplies
- Tailorings dumped into Ajkwa river > acidification (not stable habitat)
- Bioaccumulation, plants take up copper which affects food chain
- Road construction for transportation (vehicles enhance greenhouse gas effect)
What is the problem with a growing population of ore extraction?
- Higher demand > take from lower grade ores > Antarctica in future (2048 review)
How can ore extraction be sustainable in Grasberg mine?
- Tailorings: holding lagoons (remove suspended solids), filter through limestone
- - Baffle mounds (reduce noise pollution)
- Dust spray (reduce dust pollution)
- EIA
What alternative methods can be used to abstract copper and ores?
- Bioleaching (bacteria take copper from waste)
- Phytomining (plants take copper from waste)
- Deep sea exploration (reduce mining in other areas)
- Restoration plants (Island copper mine)
What are the negative impacts of South to North water transfer?
- Reduction in sediment downstream > coastal erosion
- Delta region dry out
- Decreased velocity of water: algae blooms
saltwater intrusion
schistosomiasis - EQ on tibetan plate from weight of dams
How can water water become sustainable in South to North water transfer?
- Reduce over abstraction in Beijing (less subsidence)
- Coastal defences (Yangtze but didn’t work)
- Grey water usage instead
