Superpowers - EQ2 - 7.6 Flashcards
As the world population increases so does the …….
…………& …………. place the greatest demands on resources and have the largest environmental ………….
- As the world population increases so does the demand on resources
- Superpowers and emerging superpowers place the greatest demands on resources and have the largest environmental footprint
Explain different aspects of environmental degredation
-landscape scarring
- Open cast mining (valuable minerals)
- Contaminated groundwater
- UK mines reopened as global price of tungsten increased
Explain different aspects of environmental degredation
-air pollution
- About 90% of the global population experienced unhealthy air quality
- In 2019 7 of the 10 most polluted cities were in India
Explain different aspects of environmental degredation
-oil pollution
- e.g Deepwater Horizon (Gulf of Mexico) – 450 million litres of oil released
- Remedial chemicals also damaged marine life
Explain different aspects of environmental degredation
-deforestation for food
- Brazil’s food production increased 30% 2002-2012
- Estimated that 15% of the Amazon has been cut down for agriculture
Define NDC
- Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC):
- The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs.
In what ways have covid been scapegoated to avoid emissions targets established by Paris
- Some nations have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic may delay submitting their updated or enhanced NDCs
- While many presented plans in 2020 as scheduled, some countriesmay only do so this year (2021) ahead of COP26
- The information does not reflect these possible delays
Define Strengthened or added GHG target
- Whether the NDC adopts strengthened or added new GHG target compared to previous submission
How many people suffer from water scarcity for a month per year
2.7 billion people
Both India and China are suffering increasing water scarcity due to….
- Increasing industry and agricultural demand
- Increasing population
- Pollution of fresh water sources by industry, agricultural and domestic waste water
- Uneven water supply, the highest demand in China is in the north-east whereas the highest supply is in the south
- Increasing drought
Why does the demand for food increase
- Population increase
- Increased calorie intake
Why do country’s energy requirements increase as they develop
- More energy is used in factories and industry
- Domestic demand increases as people have more technology - washing machines, TVs, fridges etc
Many emerging countries rely on fossil fuels as they are….
cheaper and they may have their own reserves of fossil fuels
In Indonesia ….% of electricity is generated by fossil fuels
81
Give different ways inwhich minerals are used
- Energy - fossil fuels used to produce energy, components for renewable energy (solar panels, turbines)
- Industry - all products from mobile phones to cars use minerals in their manufacture from oil to copper
- Construction - materials to make concrete, bricks
- Metals
What is the projected demand for minerals
- projected to continue to increase, with particularly demand for minerals such as graphite and lithium which are used in batteries and renewable energy
Explain different aspects of environmental degredation
soil degredation
- The UN estimates 40% of the world’s land is degraded
- Growing food becomes more difficult as soils become infertile, leading to food shortages and reducing food production by up to 12% by 2050
- The regeneration of 2.5cm of topsoil can take hundreds of years
Who are the largest emitters of CO^2
Superpowers or emerging superpowers
What are 3 countries which emmit the biggest % amounts of global GHG emissions
- China emits over 30% of all global greenhouse emissions,
- followed by the USA (13%)
- and the EU (8%)
- and India (8%)
The UN reported in 2019 that the group of … major economies (….) are responsible for …% of greenhouse gas emissions
The UN reported in 2019 that the group of 20 major economies (G20) are responsible for 78% of greenhouse gas emissions
What is the positive and negative role of environemntal degradation of developed countries
- It is important to remember that developed countries are making greater progress within the country at reducing emissions, improving air quality and reducing soil degradation
- However, it is often their demands for resources and products that is leading to decreasing environmental quality in emerging and developing countries
There are significant differences between nations in their …………. to act to reduce carbon emissions and reach global agreements
willingness
Variation in Willingness to Act on Environmental Issues
In 2016 China’s NDC pledged to reach a peak of CO2 emissions in ……… and to be carbon neutral in …..
2030
2060
Describe Russias positive willingness to act on the Paris Agrrement
- Russia and the EU also signed the Paris Agreement of 2015
- Russia agreed to reduce emissions to 70% relative to the 1990 level by 2030
Describe Russias negative willingness to act on the Paris Agrrement
- 2018 Russia had not yet ratified its agreement - a second step that commits governments to meeting the targets they agreed in 2015.
- Unlike Russia, nearly 200 countries have ratified their agreements;
- Russia’s very powerful oil and gas companies may be part of the reason for Russia’s delay here
Describe the EUs willingness to act on the Paris Agrrement
- The EU has pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2050 and reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels
- The EU has passed laws to increase the share of energy production from renewable sources and has set its member countries targets to increase energy efficiency (for example, home insulation).
- New cars and vans made in the EU must also hit new targets for lower COz emissions.
Global consumption has increased due to ………………….. particularly in ………… countries which leads to increased ……………
Global consumption has increased due to growing wealth particularly in emerging countries which leads to increased disposable income
It is estimated that by 2050 global demand for:
Water will be …… times greater
Energy will be……… times greater
Mineral resources will be more than … times greater
- 1.6
- 1.8
- 2
- The global middle class is increasing and is predicted to reach ………… by 2030
- The population in Asia will account for almost ..% of this increase
- Over …% of the global middle class will live in either India or China
5.3 billion
90%
43%
Middle c;ass spending is expectd to teach …………. by 2030
$64 trillion
The increased wealth will be spent on products such as washing machines, phones, cars, wider variety of food. In turn this will increase the demand for:
- Energy for industry and domestic use
- Water for agriculture
- Rare minerals for making the products
Increased demand or resources will cause..
- Rising prices
- Reduced availability as supplies of non-renewable supplies are used up
Explain how just as attitudes to issues such as trade and globalisation differ between countries, so do attitudes to the environment.
- The EU has shown itself willing to act to reduce the global warming threat,
- but this is less true of the USA and even less so of the emerging powers (China, Russia),
- which tend to prioritise economic development over environmental protection
Continued economic development in emerging powers is also likely to lead to …………………………. This will translate into ……………….., especially in …………………
local environmental degradation
health problems
densely populated cities
What are the percentage of people agreeing that climate change is a very serious problem on diifferent continents
74% - Latin America
61% - Africa
54% - Europe (= global median)
Europe has been the most willing to act to try and reduce emissions since 1990.
45% - Asia/Pacific
38% - Middle East
The very high level of concern in Africa and Latin America is interesting, since….
- Both regions have little impact on global warming as their emissions are low
- They could be severely affected by climate change as both have many farmers that depend directly on rainfall for water supply, and crops for food
Suggest how the US are less willing to act on climate change
- 45% USA
- In the USA concern is quite low, due to a long-standing ‘climate scepticism’
Suggest how the US are less willing to act on climate change
- 18% China
- China’s focus is largely on economic development not environmental issues
Over the next 30 or 40 years resource demand in the USA and EU is likely to remain ………… as….
- static
- most people are already wealthy and their demand for additional resources will be met by increasingly efficient use of existing resources
explain the imapct of rising middle class increasing demands for rare earths
- 80-90% of global rare earth production is in China
- this raises the possibility of shortages due to resource nationalism
- rare earth metals (e.g. Scandium, Yttrium and Terbium) are widely used in electronic, medical and laser devices.
explain the imapct of rising middle class increasing demands for food
as China and India develop there will be increased demand for stable grains (wheat, rice). Demand for meat, dairy products and sugar will also rise as these countries transition to ‘Western’ diets
How many chinese people now own a mobile ohone
1 billion
what is the enviornmental impact of 1 billion people owning a phoen in china
- Metals used in mobiles include copper, gold, nickel and zinc (nickel is already a shortage mineral)
- Phone batteries include toxic and rare compounds (lead acid) – they are toxic to the environmental if buried in a landfill
- Displays on smart phones are made using plastic, glass, liquid crystalline and mercury (non renewables)
Give stats on China’s food consumption
Foodstuffs – cereal consumption up by 364%, meat by 99%, fruits and nuts by 98% and coffee and tea by 71%
China accounts for ….% of the world’s coal consumption but only has ….%of the world’s population
- 50
- 19
Describe the impact of trump pulling out the paris agreement in 2017 & 2025
- says that it would be bad for the US economy and for US jobs
- Although President Trump stated his belief that climate change was happening, he was not convinced that human activity is responsible or that the change will not naturally reverse itself —> climate skepicism
- Widespread international criticism
- several US states formed their own US Climate Alliance to commit individual states to meeting Paris Agreement objectives
how is China going to achieve its climate goals
- China is investing billions into renewable power generation with the aim of making renewable energy 20% of all energy production
- offsetting carbon emissions with an enormous programme of tree planting.
