The challenge of resource management Flashcards
What three resources do people need?
Food, water and energy
What happens if people don’t get food, water or energy?
It can affect a person’s ability to attend school or work. This can prevent people from learning and using skills to help their country’s economic development
How are the global resources uneven?
Some countries don’t have energy reserves
Others have dry climates that can’t grow crops or have water
What problems does wanting food from other countries create?
Exotic food, spices and coffee from LICs have gotten more popular so they need to be imported from LICs
Seasonal food (strawberries and mangos) are only available in the months that it grows but are wanted all year round
People are worried about how the chemicals in organic produce affect their health so food has to be produced naturally
How is the carbon footprint of our food growing?
The growing, processing and packing produces CO2
Up to 10% of UK carbon emissions came from agriculture
Transporting food releases carbon - more miles, more carbon
People are becoming aware of the carbon footprint and so are buying locally instead
What is ‘agribusiness’?
Large-scale, industrial farming where everything is controlled by large firms
What does agribusiness mean for the UK?
Farm sizes have increased - small farms have been taken over
The amount of chemicals in food has increased to produce more and animals are given special feed to encourage growth
The employment rate in agriculture feel to 1.1% of total employment as more machines are being used
What is the difference between the north and south of the UK in terms of water?
The north gets lots of water but has low population so has more supply than demand
The south gets little water but has a higher population so the demand is greater than the supply
Why is the demand of water increasing in the UK?
The amount of water households use has increased by 70% due to more appliances like dishwashers using water
Population increase is causing more houses to be built in the south - where there is already a water deficit
Why does water pollution need to be managed in the UK?
Polluted water limits the amount of clean water, putting pressure on the supply
80% of water comes from groundwater and pollutants are affecting 50% of groundwater used - many facilities have closed or are expensive to maintain now
How is water getting polluted in the UK?
Crop fertilisers are leaking into the groundwater and rivers
Pollutants from vehicles are caught in the runoff when it rains
Chemical and oil spills from factories polluted local water sources
How can water transfers help maintain supplies of water?
Transferring from a surplus area (Wales) to areas of deficit (Birmingham) would solve the supply and demand issue
What’s challenging about transfer of water?
The dams needed to collect it are expensive and cost around £300 million
It can affect the wildlife around and in the rivers
People might not want their water transferred to another area
How has the UK’s energy mix changed?
In 1970 91% was coal and oil
In 1980, the discovery of gas in the North Sea meant 22% of UK was gas
In 2014, 19% of energy is renewable (wind and bio energy)
All coal power stations are due to close by 2025
What economic issues come with burning fossil fuels?
It’s expensive to dig up and as it becomes less in supply, the cost goes up
North Sea oil is the most expensive and could be sold for less than they produced it for
It is cheaper for the consumer than renewable energy sources
Not enough in the UK, so we have to pay for people to import it
What environmental issues come with burning fossil fuels?
Burning produces CO2, aiding climate change
Fracking could pollute groundwater and cause mini earthquakes
Accident like oil spills can leak toxic chemicals
Natural ecosystems can be damaged by large wind farms or hydroelectric dams
Wind farms are considered to be eyesores
Why is global food supply uneven?
Different climates produce different amounts of food (Africa is dry so can’t grow a lot - Asia produces lots of food as it is wet)
Different countries eat more - HICs eat a lot and want a variety of food whereas LICs eat less as it’s unaffordable and less available
What is ‘food security’ and ‘food insecurity’?
Food security - When people are able to eat enough to stay healthy and active
Food insecurity - when people can’t get enough food to stay healthy as they can’t grow enough or afford to import anything
Why is global food consumption increasing?
There is a rising population (expected to reach 9 billion by 2040)
Economic development means countries have more disposable income to spend on food.
They buy a variety and greater amounts of food than they need
HICs can import food all year round so people no longer only eat things that are seasonally available
Industrialisation means countries can produce more food cheaper.
How is food supply affected by environmental factors?
Climate - too dry or cold to grow crops. Weather hazards destroy crops
Water stress - little rainfall or not enough water
Pests and diseases - locust swarms and other pests can destroy crops
Diseases can spread through animals and crops, destroying them
How is food supply affected by human factors?
Poverty - they don’t have land to grow crops and can’t buy fertilisers - also can’t afford to import food
Tech- machines make farming more efficient and increase the yields and help protect plants from disease
Conflict - fighting damages land and access to food becomes difficult to those running. Trade routes are disputed and political relationships break down so they can’t import
What are the negative impacts of food insecurity?
Famine - starvation and death due to a serious lack of food
Under nutrition - not having a balanced diet, could cause stunted growth.
Soil erosion - people who don’t get enough food might not use effective agricultural practices, which reduces plant cover leaving soil vulnerable to wind and rain
Rising prices - less food means demand is higher, so prices go up, rising prices damage an LIC even further
Social unrest - lack of food can cause riots and civil wars
What are examples of technologies that can increase food supply?
Irrigation - artificially watering the land
Hydroponics and Aeroponics - methods of growing plants without soil
Biotech - genetically engineering crops crops to improve production
New green method - increasing yields by sustainable methods
What are the three main types of irrigation?
Gravity flow - digging ditches to transport ground water to fields
Sprinklers - spraying water across fields
Drip systems - dripping water from small holes in pipes directly into the soil around the roots of the plant
How do hydroponics and aeroponics work?
In hydroponics, plants grow in a nutrient solution, supported by minerals like gravel
In aeroponics, plants are suspended in air, water containing nutrients is sprayed on the roots, the water drains off the roots and is used again
Plants are monitored closely and nutrients adjusted to maximise crop yield
Less water is required than plants grown in soil
Very expensive so these methods are only used for high value crops
What are the pros and cons of Biotech?
Higher yields
Resistance to drought, disease and pests
Higher nutritional value
Reduce biodiversity because fewer varieties of crops are planted
GM plants could interbreed with other plants, disrupting ecosystems
Give examples of green revolution ideas for growing crops
GM crops - need fewer resources and have less environmental damage whilst being cheaper
Traditional farming methods with nutrient recycling, crop rotation and using predators to control pests
Why is appropriate tech good for LICs?
High tech methods like GM crops can be expensive
Appropriate tech is suited to their climate and gives the skills and knowledge to the people in the area
Example:
individual wells with mechanical pumps are easier to maintain than diesel powered ones
A drip irrigation system is easier to maintain than a sprinkler system
Planting seeds that can cope with the environment
What is an example of how irrigation helps farming?
An LIC in west Africa called Burkina Furso
Several dams have been built to provide a reliable water supply for irrigation
Canals were built to transport water from the dam to the irrigation systems
The gravity based irrigation systems worked, however it only watered 10% of the area they had expected it to
What are the two challenges for making food supplies sustainable?
Growing enough to feed a rising population
Making sure the environment isn’t damaged so food can continue to grow
