Resource security revision session

Question 1

What is a reserve?

Answer 1

The part of the resource that is available/viable to extract under existing economic, political and technological conditions.

Question 2

What is a resource?

Answer 2

Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs - useful (material source of wealth) or necessary.

Question 3

What is an environmental impact assessment?

Answer 3

Anticipate the likely impacts of a resource extraction on the environment and humans and then modify the project to minimise the negative impacts.

Question 4

What are the aims of EIA?

Answer 4

assess impacts of/quantifies changing land use on environment;

environmental/economic factors equally important;

enables decision makers with full knowledge of environmental consequences;

suggest modifications/alternatives.

Question 5

What are the six main stages of an EIA?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is a resource peak?

Answer 6

Point of maximum production rate of a resource before production declines.

Dynamic - changes with economic and technological developments and exploration discovering new reserves.

Often point when resource is cheaper > as supplies decline sellers can increase prices/extraction becomes more expensive as most accessible parts of the resource exhausted.

First used 1950s - Hubbert (bell-shaped curve) for conventional oil; peak oil.

Question 7

What is a resource frontier?

Answer 7

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).

Therefore often natural environments with little human development - source of conflict.

Increasing demand is increasing the economic viability of many resource frontiers.

Question 8

How does geology affect water supply?

Answer 8

Impermeable rock required for surface water supplies

Permeable rock e.g. Sandstone > formation of aquifers

Some rock types contain salt/minerals that dissolve into water making it unsuitable without treatment

BUT groundwater storage due to geology generally means that water quality is more assured > as filtered when percolating

Question 9

How does climate affect water supply?

Answer 9

Intense low pressure systems in tropical areas result in large amounts of overland flow rather than infiltration (prolonged rainfall influence)

Requirement of high rainfall and low evaporation - dry climates e.g. SE England average rainfall below 700mm and ⅔ lost to evaporation

Variability of rainfall

Question 10

How does the drainage system affect water supply?

Answer 10

Large drainage systems can collect greater levels of overland flow/infiltration > increasing river discharge and water supply

Question 11

How do human factors affect water supply?

Answer 11

Increasing demand > depletion beyond recharge rates > particularly depletion of groundwater supplies e.g. Mexico City where groundwater supplies 73% of water but is being depleted faster than recharged.

Impact on water quality - farming (runoff of pesticides and fertilisers > eutrophication/algal blooms) or industrial runoff

Question 12

How does geology affect energy supply?

Oil

Answer 12

Oil: Reservoirs found where an impermeable cap rock overlies a permeable reservoir rock to allow build up of oil/natural gas

Formation> hydrocarbons of organic origin on sea bed > sedimentation > kerogen > 110C + forms oil/gas

Accessibility of reserve > large shallow reserves are more accessible and economically viable vs unconventional resources

Question 13

How does geology affect energy supply?

Coal

Answer 13

Anaerobic decomposition in swamp conditions of organic material > coalification

Quality of coal depends on carbon content: Anthracite 86-98% > Lignite 65-70%

Question 14

How does climate affect energy supply?

Answer 14

Impact of climate on renewables: Solar sufficient sunlight
Wind: wind speed between 10-80 mph.
HEP: sufficient flow; topography (height/long/narrow/steep sided valley)

Affects the economic availability of resources > e.g. if found under permafrost in Arctic Circle = less accessible reducing economic viability vs warmer climate of Middle East

Question 15

What human factors affect energy supply?

Answer 15

Technological advances are allowing for increasing economic viability of previously inaccessible resources

Unstable governments > discourage investment from TNCs/reduce ability to drill for oil (Venezuela)

Economic scarcity: difficulty affording significant investment in renewables or unconventional oil

Question 16

Where is Grasberg mine located?

Answer 16

embagapura, province of Papua, Indonesia.

Near headwaters of Aghawagon-Otomono-Ajkwa river system.

Question 17

What are the environmental impacts of mine construction/ore extraction?

Answer 17

Land Use

Flooding

Acid rock drainage

pollution

Question 18

What are the environmental impacts of land Use at Grasberg mine?

Answer 18

approx 1 mile wide > loss of biodiversity

Question 19

What are the environmental impacts of Flooding at Grasberg mine?

Answer 19

High discharge of tailings into the Ajkwa river > reduce capacity > increasing flood risk.

Waste rock dump in Lake Wanagan > poor stability of dumps can cause fatal landslides

Question 20

What are the environmental impacts of acid rock drainage at Grasberg mine?

Answer 20

copper deposits contain metal sulphides which when crushed and exposed to air became unstable and form strong acids (PH3) and copper leaching

> kills surround vegetation and enters groundwater supplies > implications for local people and marine fauna.

Question 21

What are the environmental impacts of pollution at Grasberg mine?

Answer 21

Tailings (sludge left following ore extraction from rock) dumped into the Ajkwa River (approx 700, 000 tonnes per day

Tailings contaminate surrounding land

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (including copper) as plants grown in tailings store them in tissues affecting food chain.

Question 22

What are the mine’s distribution networks?

Answer 22

Three pipelines transport slurry containing copper-gold concentrate to Amampare a port town in Papua, Indonesia where it is filtered and shipped to smelters (approx. 63 miles).

Some road networks for distribution of solid material

Question 23

What are the environmental impacts of the mine’s distribution networks?

Answer 23

Construction of infrastructure - habitat destruction and road construction encourages further deforestation

Transportation of slurry requires concentrate ore to be mixed with water > creation of waste water

Vehicles used for transportation > enhanced greenhouse effect/acid rain

Question 24

What can be done to reduce the environmental impact of activities?

Answer 24

Restoration plans reduce impact of land take/habitat loss e.g. The Island Copper Mine

Holding lagoons help remove suspended solids before water enters rivers

Drainage using pipes at base of spoil heaps to reduce waterlogging/landslide risks

Question 25

Where is Prudhoe bay located?

Answer 25

Northern Alaska, coast of Arctic Ocean

Question 26

What are the environmental impacts of oil production in Prudhoe bay?

Answer 26

Fragile tundra habitats destroyed

Noise pollution from offshore drilling disturbs marine species

Groundwater use -> removing water from lakes casuing them to freeze over in the winter > kills marine life

Question 27

What are the environmental impacts of oil distribution networks in Prudhoe bay?

Answer 27

Leaking pipe lines -> 2001 270000 litres leaked

Oil spills from ships Exxon Valdez over 50 million

Road transport

• standing water attracts mosquitoes
• dust blown up from roads damages surrounding vegetation

Question 28

Where is the South-North Water Transfer located?

Answer 28

3 routes diverting water from the Yangtze to the yellow river basin.

Question 29

What are the environmental impacts of the water supply scheme South-North?

1

Answer 29

Height of Danjiangkou dam raised by 15 meters to increase water storage
- land flooded -> destruction of habitats

Decreased velocity of river downstream,-> increased algal blooms which prevent light from penetrating the surface > river plants die> oxygen shortages in water

Decreased flow downstream on Yangtze due to diversion

• reduced fresh water flow -> intrusion
• Reduction in sediment downstream is accelerating coastal erosion along the Changing River

Question 30

What are environmental impacts of the water supply scheme South-North

2

Answer 30

Water is transfers through industrial regions> pollution from factories along eastern Route

Will reduce over-abstraction of groundwater in north

Droughts in south- means no water to send to north

Potential for landslides and slope failure induced by the construction of dams for the western route in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Question 31

What is OPEC?

Answer 31

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting countries

13 members which produce 40% of world’s crude oil but control approx 72% of its reserves.

Question 32

How had OPEC impacted on global energy supply?

Answer 32

1973 oil shock - in response to US support for Isreal during the Yom Kippur war OPEC stopped oil suplly to countries supporting Israel.

Prices rose from $25.97 per barrel to $46.65 (1974)

Question 33

Give 2 reasons why the effectiveness of OPEC is limited?

Answer 33

members external geopolitics aren’t always united

non OPEC counties have strong impact on the market

Growing development of resources outside of OPEC.

Fall In price due to unconventional sources.

Question 34

How has the pipeline between Russia and Ukraine affected the politics of the EU?

Answer 34

reliance on Russian gas - ability to influence European politics.
eg. Russian gas monopoly halting supplies to Ukrain and Europe as a whole to encourage political changes

But some power to Ukraine as controls amount of gas that reaches the rest of Europe.

increasing dependence on renewables may reduce dependence on Russian gas

Question 35

Give three technological development which will help improve sustainability of water supply.

Answer 35

Sand Dams:
Constructed on seasonal rivers to trap water making it available all year round - simple, low cost, low maintenance tech

Electrodialysis:
a less energy intensive method of desalination

Saltwater greenhouse technology:
similar to above: low cost: low energy use: small scale: suitable for use in remote locations

Question 36

How will economic developments affect water supply and demand:

Answer 36

increasing development and standard of living > increased consumption per person> demand increases

Increased development > more able to afford water efficient tech and infrastructure

Increase in water trade > water shipping, water trade and water diversion

Question 37

How will environmental changes affect water supply and demand:

Answer 37

Climate change> management strategies need to account for this

need for further integrated catchment management to consider all parts of river catchment

increased water consumption by humans will impact aquatic ecosystem

Question 38

Give three technological advances which will increase energy supply.

Answer 38

Improvements to renewables

Development of secondary and tertiary oil extraction methods

Development of Ocean thermal energy conversion

Question 39

Give three economic changes expected to affect energy supplies.

Answer 39

Energy demand to move away from OPEC counties

Energy TNCs have growing importance fro exploration, production and distribution of energy

growing trade of natural gas - LNG and pipelines - Western Europe increasing reliant on Russian suppliers

Question 40

How might environmental futures impact on energy supply?

Answer 40

Increasing environmental awareness many put put pressure on governments and TnCs to develop and use more environmental friendly energy sources

increasing international agreements to limit fossil fuels usage eg. Paris agreement

Increasing use of measures such as carbon capture and sequestration

Question 41

How might geopolitics impact on future energy supply?

Answer 41

Increasing influence of TNCs fro the development of resources as monopolies skills

increasing source of conflict

increasing instability and conflict in areas with conventional supplies

increasing political pressure to develop resources in areas of environmental interest

Question 42

How might technological advances affect mineral ore supplies?

Answer 42

Increasing deep sea exploration

increasing tech advances to improve exploration methods

increasing extraction methods for low grade ores