sustainability and the environment Flashcards
what is a finite resource?
not sustainable
will eventually run out
e.g oil, gas, coal
what is a non finite resource?
sustainable
won’t run out
e.g solar energy, wind energy
what are the ways to reduce waste and make a product more sustainable?
-Recycling schemes
-Returning electronic products to companies for disposal.
-Creating products with re-usable or replaceable parts.
-Encouraging the use of renewable power sources.
-encouraging refillable products.
-Using more recycled materials.
-Sourcing local materials or reducing transport
-Reducing parts.
-Labelling for recycling.
what are the three main types of fossil fuels?
-coal
-gas
-oil
what are the two advantages of fossil fuels?
-A small amount of fuel creates large amounts of energy.
-Fuel is very safe and stable to transport and use.
what are the 2 disadvantages of fossil fuels?
-CO2 is produced when fossil fuels are burned which causes pollution and can contribute to global warming.
-The supply of fossil fuels is limited and as demand is increasing we will eventually run out.
how does nuclear power work?
-A high energy source of heat is created.
-This heats water into steam.
-The steam drives a turbine.
-The turbine then generates electricity.
what are the 3 advantages of nuclear power?
-The process is clean and efficient.
-Power plants don’t need a lot of space.
-it is a reliable source of energy.
what are the 2 disadvantages of nuclear power?
-releases radioactive waste which is harmful to the environment
-if the reactor explodes then it can have a disastrous affect on the environment
what are the 5 main renewable energy sources?
Wind.
Solar.
Tidal.
Hydro-electrical.
Biomass.
how do wind turbines work?
Wind turbines use a generator to convert movement from the wind into electricity.
what are the 4 disadvantages of wind power?
-only work in windy conditions
-make a noise
-they can disturb or harm wildlife
-they are large and some people don’t like how they look
how does solar power work?
Photovoltaic cells convert energy from the sun’s rays into electricity.
what are the 3 disadvantages of solar power?
-only work in sunny conditions
-They need to be angled towards the sun’s rays.
-they can’t store energy
how does tidal power work?
the movement of turbines in the water use a generator to convert movement from the tide or waves into electricity.
what are the 4 disadvantages of tidal power?
-expensive
-Difficult to access for maintenance and repair.
- disturb or harm sea life.
-They can change the movement of water and this could lead to erosion of coastlines.
how does hydro-electrical power work?
hydro-dams:
water flows from a higher reservoir into a lower reservoir and turns a turbine, which turns a generator. the water from the lower reservoir can be pumped back to the higher reservoir and repeat the process
what are the 3 disadvantages of hydro-electrical power?
-It can disturb or harm wildlife.
-Expensive to build.
-Destroys the natural environment.
how does biomass work?
decay from dead plants or animals is burned to generate heat and turn turbines to generate electricity
what are the 2 disadvantages of biomass?
-creates carbon emmissions
-needs areas of land=deforestation which can disturb or harm wildlife
what is a life cycle assessment (LCA)?
analysing a products life and it’s impact on the environment
what are the 5 main stages of a life cycle assessment?
-Extraction of raw materials.
-Manufacture and assembly.
-Transportation.
-Use.
-Disposal
what are batteries?
electrochemical cells that convert chemical energy into electricity.
how is cotton harming the environment?
-growing cotton needs lots of chemical fertilisers + insecticides- can harm workers health and uses large quantities of water that may be needed for drinking water
-fertilisers and insecticides may also pollute waterways
-intensive farming and deforestation of land for cotton crops causes changes to landscape and destroys habitats
what are the environmental effects of transporting textile material?
transporting textiles from where they were made to the country where they are sold uses fuel and puts pressure on transport systems.
how does textile waste affect the environment?
takes up a lot of landfill and toxic chemicals can leach into surrounding land and waterways.
how does the use of colouring processes and chemical finishes affect the environment?
-colouring processes use a lot of chemicals and water, and their effluent can pollute waterways
-chemical finishes e.g flame retardancy can also cause pollution of waterways and land if waste is not disposed of properly.
what is global warming?
increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere and oceans
when does global warming occur?
when carbon dioxide collects in the earths atmosphere
the gases absorb the sunlight reflecting off the earth and trap heat which is unable to escape
what two things could designers do to prevent deforestation?
-introduce a zero-deforestation policy
-set targets to maximise the use of recycled materials
how is textile waste bad for the environment?
textile waste takes up lots of landfill space and toxic chemicals can leak out into water supplies
how can you reduce environmental factors when dyeing cotton?
you can grow cotton fibres already coloured, which reduces the need to use water and chemical dyes.
what are the 6rs?
-reduce
-reuse
-recycle
-rethink
-repair
-refuse
what does reduce mean?
reduce- reduce the number of products created and used which saves waste being sent to landfill
what does reuse mean?
reuse products rather than buying new ones- saves waste being sent into landfill
what does recycle mean?
some products or materials can be reused to have another purpose
what does rethink mean?
consumers have more choice and knowledge about buying environmentally friendly products. designers and manufactures have to rethink their design choices.
what does repair mean?
repair a product if it is damaged to avoid buying a new one. this reduces waste going into landfill
what are the 2 pros and 2 cons of rechargeable batteries?
cons:
-more expensive
-limited lifespan
pros:
-are rechargable
-more economical in the long term
what is fair trade?
ensuring that the workers who are manufacturing the products have fair conditions such as:
-minimum pay
-the access to safety wear
-not working long hours for little pay
-sick pay ect
