resources Flashcards
what is a resource
things that people use and some resources are essential for survival e.g. food, energy and water
3 resources people need
food
energy
water
what is undernutrition
a poorly balanced diet lacking in vitamins and minerals
how does food affect wellbeing (positive and negative)
negative:
-undernutrition —> leads to illness —> illness means inability to work
positive:
-food means people live for longer as health is better —> this makes they work longer —> more taxes are paid
which continent has the most undernourished people
africa
why is water such an important resource
-drinking
-agriculture
-industry
how does water affect economic and social (negative)
economic - woman and girls walk miles to collect water each day —> can’t go to school or work —> won’t earn much
social —> drinking dirty water can impact health —> diarrhoea and cholera which means life expectancy is short —> people unable to go to school etc
how does energy affect economic and social wellbeing (positive and negative)
economic —> having energy resources such as oil means that countries can sell it to make money —> creates jobs
social —> burning fossil fuels leads to air pollution which has health impacts —> shorter quality of life
leads to global warming —> sea levels rising due to melting ice caps —> flooding in coastal areas
why is there likely to be a water imbalance in the future
variations in climate and rainfall
water scarcity
lack of clean water supply to meet demand
in HICs which sector uses the greatest proportion of water
industry
in LICs which sector uses the greatest proportion of water
agriculture
region with little or no water scarcity
north america
europe
region with physical water scarcity
middle east
why is world energy consumption increasing
countries are developing leading to increased demand in industry e.g homes
which groups of countries are seeing the fastest increase in the demand for energy
new emerging economies (NEEs)
why does the UK import so much food
-cheap from abroad
-demand for seasonal produce all year
-demand for more choice
-UK climate unsuitable for some foods e.g. bananas
food miles
distance food has to travel before it reaches the consumer
what is a carbon footprint
the measure of carbon dioxide produced by certain activities
how does food generate a carbon footprint
-producing, processing and packaging food releases CO2
-food needs transporting which releases emissions
how is the UK reducing carbon footprint
-encouraging people to buy locally
-subsistence farming (growing own food)
-limit UK food imports
-agribusiness
what is food security
having enough food to feed a population
what is agribusiness
application of business skills to agriculture
what is organic produce
food grown without the use of chemicals (fertilisers and pesticides)
why will demand for water in the UK continue to increase
-increasing population
-more houses being built —> more water intensive appliances are being used e.g. washing machines
what is meant by a water surplus
where the supply of water exceeds demand
water deficit
where demand for water exceeds supply
where in the UK is there a water surplus
the north and west
where in the UK is there a water deficit
the south and east
3 ways that water can be saved
using recycled water
more efficient use of household appliances e.g. washing machines
household water meters
what is grey water
water that has already been used within a household
how can grey water be used again
watering plants
flushing toilets
energy mix
range of energy sources of a region or country, both renewable and non renewable
food industry before and after
before —> grown locally
after —> 47% of UKs food supply was imported in 2013
positives of importing food
-jobs created in farming, packaging and transport
-taxes are created for the government
negatives of importing food
crops need huge amounts of water
what are water transfer schemes
water is moved from an area of surplus to an area of deficit using underground pipes
why do people oppose water transfer schemes
-damage habitats
-expensive
-release greenhouse gases when pumping water over long distances
how does environment agency manage water quality
monitoring river water quality
removing sediment from water
restricting recreational uses so it’s not contaminated
what causes groundwater pollution
• Chemicals from mines
• Industrial sites
• Fertilisers from farms runoff into water
• Warm water from power stations
Why has demand for energy in the UK declined in recent years?
• Decline of heavy industry
• More energy being conserved e.g. low energy appliances, efficient cars
How has the Uk’s energy mix changed?
• In the past - more reliance on coal
• Now - less coal used. Gas and renewables form a large proportion of energy mix.
energy security
When a country generates enough of its own energy without relying on imports
Coal use has declined over time but why will fossil fuels remain important to the UK?
• Still plenty of coal reserves left
• It is cheap to import
what is fracking
The process of extracting shale gas from under the ground
how does fracking work
High pressure liquids are pumped underground to release gas trapped within sedimentary
rock.
Why is fracking controversial?
• Drilling can trigger earthquakes
• Can pollute underground water sources
• Expensive process
What are the economic impacts (+ and -) of nuclear power?
- Expensive to build
- Costs a lot to produce the electricity
- Expensive to shut down when complete
+ Building —> jobs
What are the environmental impacts (+ and -) of nuclear power
- Radioactive waste needs to be carefully stored.
- Warm waste water can harm ecosystems
What are the economic impacts (+ and -) of wind farms?
- cost a lot to build
- unattractive so less people spending money in local economy
+ some wind farms attract tourists
What are the environmental impacts (+ and -) of wind farms?
+ Reduced gas emissions
- Some noise pollution from the turbines
- Construction can harm the environment
