Resource security Flashcards
Resource
Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs.
Resource security:
The ability of a country to safeguard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources to maintain living standards of its population while ensuring ongoing economic and social development.
Reserve
The part of the resource that is available/viable to extract under existing economic, political and technological conditions.
Primary energy
Resources used in their natural form to produce power - e.g. crude oil, HEP, wood
Secondary energy
Resources from converting a primary energy source into a new form - e.g. petrol, electricity, charcoal
Possible resources
Thought to exist but not sampled
Inferred resources
Identified (e.g. from limited samples of local geology) but not measured
Measured resources
Size measured and known accurately, grade, quality known to allow to determine as proven reserves
Indicated resources
Size of the reserve partly measured and the extent estimated
What three factors does resource security involve
Physical; economic and geopolitical
Stock resources
Non-renewable; finite supply can be permanently expendings; quantity in absolute amounts; compound deposits e.g. fossil fuels
Flow resources
Renewable; can be replaced in a sufficiently short time to be relevant to decision makers; annual rates e.g. freshwater; solar
Critical flow resources
Flows that are only renewable if human use remains at or below their capacity to reproduce/regenerate e.g. timber
Recoverable reserve
Amount of resources likely to be extracted for commercial use within a certain time period and at a certain level of extraction.
Possible reserve
Deposits thought to exist because geological terrain is similar to other areas that have yielded deposits but no exploration yet
What are the five stages when developing a resource?
1) Exploration
2) Exploitation
3) Depletion
4) Development
5) Exhaustion
resource frontier
A place with abundant natural resources exploited for the first time.
Often previously unexplored as geographically remote (Artic) or difficult to access (deep sea mining)
How does resource frontiers link to the core-periphery model?
Often in the periphery areas as largely undeveloped/unexplored; discovery of resource prompts a rush of investment to the area/job creation etc. as resource extracted for use in the core (wealthier area/advantages investment)
resource peak
Point of maximum production rate of a resource before production declines.
Dynamic - changes with economic and technological developments and exploration discovering new reserves.
Why might a second resource peak occur?
Developments in technology can result in the creation of a second peak or the slowing of depletion as hard to reach reserves can now be exploited e.g. hydraulic fracturing has allowed exploitation of unconventional oil reserves in shale.
peak oil
1950s- referred to the US Oil forecast that production would peak in the late 1960s and then decline as despite increasing value of oil/tech advances resources would be unavailable.
Give an argument is support of and against peak oil.
Discover of new oil resources peaked in 1962, has since declined
Devastating impact of small drops in production
Dependence on oil for industrial and agricultural processes
Rising demand is not met by rising supply.
Discovery of unconventional resources may make up for shortfall e.g. shale (Permian Basin of West Texas & New Mexico) and Tar sands (Athabasca, Canada); Kerogen (Colorado).
Environmental/political concerns may have a greater impact on depletion than supply side necessity. (Russia/Ukraine; PEP Antarctica; OPEC)
Not all resources are economically viable to recover but exist.
Why has ANWR not been exploited?
Hard to access/expensive as offshore Arctic circle/permafrost; little existing infrastructure; legally protected through a drilling ban since 1980.
Why is ANWR now under threat?
In 2017 the Republican Senate included a provision to allow 1002 area within ANWR to be drilled (within tax legislation).
Construction of Trans-Alaskan pipeline improves economic/technological viability.
What area near ANWR has been exploited?
Prudhoe bay
How can depletion of a resource be reduced sustaonably?
Use less of each resource (e.g. improve fuel efficiency)
Increase rates of reuse and recycling
Increase exploration of new reserves/technological developments to improve extraction.
How can environmental impacts be minimised with resource development?
Technological advances e.g. catalytic converters; flue-gas desulphurisation plant and carbon capture storage
Give two supply side management strategies for sustainable resource development
Seeking methods to increase supply
Increasing exploitation of existing non-renewable resources
Increasing research efforts to develop
When does the International Energy Agency predict peak oil to occur?
2030
Give three demand side management strategies
Reduce consumption of resources
Changing individual behaviour and lifestyle to discourage wasteful and/or extravagant use of resources
Developing technology to enable more efficient use of resources
Recycling after use
Define environmental Impact assessment
Anticipate the likely impacts of a resource extraction on the environment and humans and then modify the project to minimise the negative impacts.
What are the six main stages of an EIA?
1) Outline development
2) Describe existing environment
3) Assess likely impacts- use Leopold Matrix
4) Propose modifications to reduce impacts
5) Publish environmental statement - communicate to planning authority/public
6) Decision made; decide conditions under which the plan can go ahead.
7) Monitoring developments impacts
Recharge
a hydrological process involving the downward movement of water by infiltration and percolation causing the replenishment of natural groundwater.
Abstraction
removal of water available in the environment - either permanently or temporarily
Virtual water
hidden flow of water if food or other commodities are traded from one place to another
Give five examples of the type of issues identified by EIAs in Resource Development projects.
Disturbance of land (progressive revegetation)
Contamination of surface water from spillage etc. > control direct water run-off; store water until dust settles
Seepage into groundwater supplies from tailings and waste rock dumps
Road traffic > greenhouse gases; noise and dust pollution > control idling of engines
Radiation levels from heavy metals
