Unit 3: Global resource and consumption Flashcards
How can a country increase their ecological footprint?
By relying heavily on fossil fuels;
Large per capital consumption of food;
Having a meat-rich diet
How can a country decrease their ecological footprint?
Reducing the amount of resources that are used;
Recycling, reusing resources;
Transporting waste to other countries
What are factors taken into account when calculating ecological footprint?
- they measure the amount of net carbon released
Bioproductive land- land used for food and materials (gardens, farmlands)
Bioproductive sea- sea that is used to meet the needs of humans.
Biodiversity land- land to support all animals.
Non-productive land- Land such as deserts.
Energy land- land required to support renewable energy sources
Why has energy insecurity risen?
Reserves are being used up;
An increased demand of supply from NICs;
Geopolitical developments- nations such as Russia have been able to flex their economic muscles to the Middle East (reducing resources);
Global warming and natural disasters;
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia (Syria)
What do the countries that rely on oil from certain regions have to do?
They must ensure/maintain good political relations/ political stability with the Middle East;
Involve the Middle East in economic cooperation’s
Advantages of Fossil fuels
Technologies for extraction and measure of pollution have been established;
Cheap and plentiful;
Produce the most energy
Disadvantage of Fossil fuels
Can become dangerous to extract the more we use;
The more we use, the more environmental taxes that will be used to compensate will make prices rise;
Contribute heavily to Climate Change
Advantages of Nuclear power
Produce a lot of energy from one power plant;
Technology is readily available;
Does not emit Carbon Dioxide, thus does not contribute to Global Warming
Disadvantage of Nuclear power
Radioactive waste from these plants remains for thousands of years;
The more power plants built, the higher the risk of a disaster.
Energy source: URANIUM
Disadvantage of hydroelectric power
Areas may be flooded, damage to habitats;
Large flow of water contributes to increased erosion rates;
Advantage of hydroelectric power
Cheap to run when built;
Can be turned on whenever
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar energy
ADV: Cheap to use for heating than fossil fuels
DIS: Expensive to use when using for manufacturing
Usefulness is limited in Northern countries
Disadvantage of Wind turbines
Their placement is critical as when there is no wind- no energy can be generated
Disadvantage of Landfills
Living near them increases the risk of heart problems and birth defects.
They need to be close to people (the source of the waste)
Decomposing releases methane, contributes to global warming.
Benefits of incineration
Electricity can be produced
They reduce the volume of the waste by 80%-90%
Can dispose certain hazardous waste safely
