Resource Security from notes Flashcards
What is a resource?
Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs.
What is an example of a resource?
Fossil fuels
minerals
Water supplies
Renewables
What is Resource Security?
The ability of a country to safe guard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources maintain living standards of its population while ensuring ongoing economic and social development.
What is a stock?
non-renewable, finite supply, can be permanently expended ;measured in absolute amounts not rates
What is a flow?
Renewable: replaced with sufficiently short time span ; measured in annual rates generated.
What is primary Energy?
One that is used directly from the natural sources.
What is secondary Energy?
When a primary source transformed to make it suitable.
What are the positives of Natural gas?
Cleanest fossil fuel
Flexible (easy to use)
Increasing number of reserves
What are the negatives of Natural gas?
remote (offshore)
Difficult to transport -> investment in pipelines needed
What are the positives of oil?
Dependent on it for transport
Leading trading good (profitable)
Flexible
What are the negatives of Oil?
Volatile price
Environmental impacts - oil spills
geopolitical tensions
What are the positives of Coal?
Wider geographical distribution
Stable proce
New tech- less environmental impacts
What are the negatives of Coals?
Finite
Carbon particulates spoil heaps
Enhanced green house effect
What are the positives of Nuclear energy?
less atmospheric pollution
Energy efficient
Low maintenance costs
Predictable energy resource
What are the negatives of Nuclear energy?
high cost to build
Disposal of nuclear waste
Nuclear disasters (chenobel)
What are the positives of Wind Energy?
Cost effective
Clean source of fuel
sustainable
What are the negatives of Wind energy?
Best location are remote and away from where needed
Visual pollution
What are the positives of Biomass?
Widely available
carbon Neutral
Less expensive
Less garbage in landfill
What are the negatives of Biomass?
Less efficient
Produces Methane
Can lead to deforestation
requires a lot of space
What are the positives of Geothermal?
No emissions reliable renewable High efficiency little maintenance
What are the negatives of Geothermal?
Leas to release of greenhouse gases
High investment cost
Needs space to build
What are the positives of Solar?
Renewable
Low maintenance costa
Constantly improving
What are the negatives of Solar?
High investment costs
Wether dependant
expense to store
uses lots of space
What are the positives of Hydroelectric?
Renewable
Guaranteed energy and stable price
No emissions
What are the negatives of Hydroelectric?
Effects environments (building of dam ect )
Needs state levels of water
High investment cost
What is a reserve?
Economically, legally and technologically available
What is a critical resource?
That requires effective management to be renewable - control usage/pollution
Virtual water-
Give an example-
Water embedded in food and commodities
land trapping
Saudi Arabia 2008, cut wheat by 12% and loans to companies to buy land in other countries. eg Mali and Senegal
Abstraction-
removal of water for use- from ground water / rivers
Recharge-
downward movement of water replenish ground water.
