Unit 6 - Part 2 Flashcards
What’s this unit about?
How the Arctic Biome can be used sustainably
What is meant by sustainability?
defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs
(environmental, social and economic)
What are the three threats to the Arctic Biome?
- Climate change
- Mineral extraction
- Tourism in the Arctic
How much of the Arctic sea ice that was present in the 1970’s was lost by 2010?
40%
When was the first time on record when both North East and North West passages had ice free conditions?
2008
What will happen in 2100, if sea ice loss continues at current rates?
75% of sea ice will be gone
What does the (IPCC) Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change predict will happen to temps in the Arctic by 2090?
could increase by more than 10 degrees, if anthropogenic greenhouse gasses continue to rise at present rates
What are some of the direct impacts of Arctic sea ice shrinking at increasing rates?
- loss of apex predator = polar bears
- rapid spike in Caribou, indigenous can’t control
- indigenous people lose their way of life
- loss of biodiversity = only 48 mammal species in arctic, need to conserve
What are some of the direct impacts of the treeline (the point at which trees cannot grow) moving north?
Climax communities in the Arctic are affected
- invasive species impact on biodiversity
- affects indigenous again they lose food sources + way of life
How has the permafrost in the Arctic been affected by climate change?
(continued to warm and thaw)
- depth of the active layer increasing
- degrading affecting wetlands, could lead to widespread disappearance of wetlands
Why does melting permafrost lead to loss of lakes and wetlands?
due to increased infiltration rates in the soil, and can lead to depletion of surface stores as more is infiltrating the soils
What are the indirect environmental impacts of climate change affecting the Arctic region? (all - )
-> very few species, has significant impacts on them
-> thawing of permafrost releases gases such as CO2 AND CH4 = positive feedback loop
-> changes in ocean currents = change in global weather patterns
What are the indirect ecological impacts of climate change affecting the Arctic region? (all - but one +)
-> changes in climatic regions means habitat’s of some species are being lost or reduced
-> melting ice sheets will mean injection of fresh water into the sea, changes the density of water could disrupt currents such as the North Atlantic Drift
+in other parts of arctic ocean with temps increase biodiversity may flourish
What are the indirect socio-economic impacts of climate change affecting the Arctic Region? (+ and -)
+ shrinking sea ice = new shipping routes
+ natural resources exploited = fish/oil
+ gas reserves easier to extract
- conflict between countries over access to resources
- thawing permafrost = damage to infrastructure
What is an example of an indigenous people in the Arctic?
The Inuit Northern Canada
What in ANWR?
Arctic National Wildlife Refugee
Alaska, USA
What are some of the minerals available for extraction within the Arctic circle?
- major oil and gas reserves
- minerals include = iron ore, copper, nickel and diamonds
When did the political controversy over ANWR begin in the USA?
1977
In 1980 what was the act called that was created by congress to make ANWR the largest protected wilderness in the US?
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Jan 20th 2021, what did Joe Biden do in ANWR?
issues an executive order for a temporary moratorium on drilling activity in ANWR
21st March 2025 what did Trump do in ANWR?
Trump opened the area in ANWR to drill lease, in the region that Joe Biden closed
What are Trumps current plans for ANWR?
build a pipeline across the state of Alaska, including ANWR
What are the economic advantages of drilling in ANWR?
- oil prices rising = economic opportunity
- could produce 1 million barrels of oil a day
What are the social advantages of drilling in ANWR?
- 75% of Alaskans support the refuge exploitation
- 4/5 native groups support the pipeline as long as they’re compensated (money, housing, healthcare)
What are the political advantages of drilling in ANWR?
- Political strength USA energy independence - less reliance on unstable countries such as Russia
What are the environmental disadvantages of drilling in ANWR?
- catastrophic oil spills e.g. Exxon Valdez
- fragile ecosystem, if pipe built along 19.6 million acre refuge, severe impacts
- pipeline production would permanently change the permafrost
How many oil spills are there annually in Alaska?
400 annually
What is meant by a stakeholder?
the different people involved within an issue (e.g. what to do with ANWR)
What would the opinion of oil and gas companies be on drilling in ANWR and why?
- they will economically benefit
- Alaska oil and gas association (1970) design, build and operate + maintain the Trans-Alaskan pipeline
- which has successfully transported 17 billion barrels
What would the opinion of the indigenous people living in the area be on drilling in ANWR and why?
4/5 of the native people support the pipeline as long as they’re compensated
What would the opinion of the environmental lobbyists be on drilling in ANWR and why?
disagree with drilling, due to detrimental affect on the tundra ecosystem
What would the opinion of the USA and Canadian Government be on drilling in ANWR and why?
-> Biden wants to conserve
-> Trump wants to exploit
-> Canadian gov = biggest consumer of gas from the USA they are FOR drilling in ANWR
What are the different conflicts between stakeholders? (haven’t written explanation because its obvious)
- Oil and gas companies x indigenous people = (minimal conflict)
- Oil and gas companies x environmental lobbyists = (lots of conflict)
- Oil and gas companies x Governments = (basically agree)
- Indigenous people x governments = (high conflict)
- Environmental lobbyists x Governments = (high and low depending on president)
How effective are the strategies to manage ANWR and why?
-> Joe Biden, first day in office put a temporary moratorium
-> trump wants to exploit = will cause irreversible damage to the fragile ecosystem
What is the case study for tourism in the Arctic?
Tourism in Svalbard, Norway
Since when has tourism been increasing in Svalbard, Norway?
1990s
How many people visit Longyearbyen directly (village in Svalbard)?
30,000 annually
and another 30,000 from cruise ships
What campaign did the government of Svalbard create to deal with plastic pollution?
‘Clean Up Svalbard’
-> due to litter being washed up on the shore from fishermen and ocean plastic pollution
(cruise operators encourage guests to bring rubbish back to ship for proper disposal
What did the Svalbard authorities introduce for all visitors to Svalbard in 2014?
an ‘environmental fee’ that is £15 pp
In 2014, how much did the environmental protection fund in Svalbard have to allocate?
£1.5 million
What are the threats that tourists pose?
- Erosion of Tundra
- Litter
- Pollution
- Disturbance
How do tourist’s eroding the tundra threaten the Arctic?
(tundra soil and vegetation very fragile)
when tourists walk on tundra, they compact the sparse vegetation and soil
once the soil loses its thin vegetation cover it can be open to erosion by rainwater and meltwater, and to frost action
How do tourists littering threaten the Arctic?
can be dropped in wilderness areas
litter can be unsightly, but also eaten by animals and birds, sometimes with fatal results
How does pollution from tourists threaten the Arctic?
- cruise ships are a source of pollution in an area where there are little other sources of emissions
- release CO2, soot and ash from their funnels
- vessels can leak oil
- noise from vehicles will drive away wildlife e.g. fish
How does disturbance from the tourists threaten the Arctic?
- five people have been killed by polar bears in Svalbard since 1970 and over 120 bears shot in self defence
- 1996 = 63 sites for tourists to visit
- 2013 = 172 sites for tourists
By what % has the cruise ship industry grown over the past decade in the Arcitc?
60%
Where are the Nunavut communities located?
Northern Canada territory
What are the positive consequences of tourism in the Nunavut communities?
- the cruise’s bring more than 1000 passengers
- left more than 100,000 in the community
- in 2015, 200,000 people visited the Northern Canada area
What % of Svalbard’s land is protected by law (national parks/reserves)?
65%, which helps manage tourism
What is the AECO, and what is their aim?
Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators
aim = manage responsible, environmentally friendly and safe cruise operations in the Arctic
How have AECO minimised unwanted impacts from Arctic tourism?
created ‘Guidelines for visitors to the Arctic’
e.g. don’t leave any lasting signs of your visit
e.g. do not disturb animals or birds
vessels typically do not contain more than 500 passengers
Questions for evaluation
- how effective is the management
- how sustainable is tourism in svalbard
How socially sustainable is tourism in Svalbard?
- indigenous people may suffer socially and economically
- disturbs their daily lives and are not protected
- education provided from cruise ships to tourists (raises awareness)
How environmentally sustainable is tourism in Svalbard?
- law protects 65% of the area
- some sites are prohibited
How economically sustainable is tourism in Svalbard?
- tourists charged £15 when visiting
- economic gain, to help it be more sustainable
What else can be done to increase sustainability of tourism in Svalbard?
- prohibited areas has now gone up to 43 sites
- new proposal (2024) not allowing drones closer than 500m to bird cliff
- general ban in breaking fast ice (doesn’t apply to motor vehicles)
