Theme C - Managing Our Resources

Question 1

What is a carbon footprint?

Answer 1

Using any resource has an impact on the environment. If we eat cornflakes for breakfast we have to consider the power used to plough the soil, harvest the cereal crop, chemicals used in pest control, power used in cornflake factory, energy used in growing and felling trees and producing the cardboard packaging, transport to the factory and then to the supermarket and our homes.

The fuel burned in vehicles and power stations produces carbon dioxide, contributing to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as well as the depletion of our reserves of fossil fuels. The chemicals used in farming may pollute the soil and nearby streams and potentially harm wildlife.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all the greenhouse gases that we each produce, converted into the equivalent weight of co2 produced so that they can be compared.

Research has shown richer people have larger carbon footprints. This is because people with more money travel abroad more frequently, have bigger cars and eat exotic food.

Question 2

What is a renewable energy source?

Answer 2

Coal, oil and natural gas are non renewable/finite energy resources. The more of them are extracted from the earth and used the fewer energy reserves are left for future generations. This is unsustainable. Burning them also contributes to climate change damaging the environment.

Using renewable energy sources which will not run out is sustainable. There is a uk govt target of generating 15% of all electricity with renewable methods by 2015

E.g
Wind power - wind turns a turbine generating electricity
Solar power - the Suns energy causes chemical reactions which generate electricity
Biofuels - plants such as willow trees, maize or sugar are burnt to create energy

Question 3

Explain waste managements and problems with it

Answer 3

Waste management is how litter and other waste is dealt with.
Waste in Northern Ireland mostly goes to landfill sites where it is simply buried underground in old quarries of natural dips in the ground. Problems with this include:
- shortage of landfill sites, Lord are full already and people don’t like new ones near where they live
- environmental and health concerns, people worry that the chemicals from the waste will poison groundwater and spread disease
- they need to meet govt targets, the EU will fine countries who don’t reach them! By 2020 the UK aims to have less than a third of waste going to landfill

Question 4

What is the waste hierarchy?

Answer 4

The waste hierarchy lists ways of dealing with waste from most sustainable to least sustainable at the bottom

1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recycle
4. Dispose

Question 5

Why has tourism grown globally since the 1960s?

Answer 5

In the 1960s a typical family would feel fortunate to spend a week on a holiday in a seaside town in this country. Since then there has been an increase in the number of holidays taken per year and distance travelled. Reasons for this are:

• increased leisure time. Workers now get more days annual holidays so may take short break holidays as well as summer holidays. People with flexible wording hours can arrange a long weekend.
• increased disposable income. The income of workers has grown faster than the cost of living. Most people can afford to travel much further afield that in the past.
• cheaper travel. Low cost airlines like easy jet and Ryanair have dramatically reduced the cost of flying. This makes weekend breaks to foreign cities more affordable and has encouraged people to buy second homes in foreign countries and visit several times a year.
• increased health and wealth of pensioners. Older people are able to travel more than in the past as they are living longer and in better health. They are not restricted to popular school holiday times so can take advantage of cheaper off peak holiday prices. If they have saved for retirement they can often afford several holidays a year.

Question 6

Impacts of tourism

Answer 6

Economic impacts
Positive
- jobs created in hotels, restaurants, taxis and souvenir shops
- people employed in tourism spend their income in local shops and services, boosting local economy

Negative
- money earned from tourism often lost to local economy e.g hotel profits are sent to owner overseas, if tourism uses migrant workers they may send money home

Environmental impacts
Positive
- new airports and better roads aimed to benefit tourists actually improve environment for everyone
- local councils often take better care of historic building and scenic countryside when they know these attract tourists

Negative

• water is used in vast quantities for swimming pools and golf courses and may leave shortage for farmers and local people
• wildlife and ecosystems can be endangered by litter, sewage and other pollution created by tourists

Cultural
Positive
- both visitors and local people get the chance to learn from one another’s culture
Negative
- local young people can become involved in drunkenness and crime associated with tourist resorts
- traditional costumes and dancing become detached from genuine culture and devalued when performed to earn money from visitors

Question 7

What is a resource?

Answer 7

A resource is something that we use such as water, farmland, fuel, housing.
Resources such as coal, oil and natural gas are finite or non-renewable as they will run out one day.
Renewable resources are either continuous like wind and solar power or can renew themselves naturally if not abused like trees.
If a country earns money from tourism then an unspoiled coastline or rich culture are also important resources.