Unit 8 review Flashcards
non-renewable resources
they take a long time to form and be replaced. Easy to mine and cheap to use
coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fuel
currently non-renewable resources dominate global energy
Disadvantages of coal
produces greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming
pollutes the environment
pollutants from coal can mix with water and create acid rain
the pollutants can cause health problems in humans
miners who mine coal can get a disease called black lung
disadvantages of oil
when it is burnt, it produces greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming
limited supply
expensive to mine
oil reserves are expected to run out by 2050
disadvantages of natural gas
when burnt it gives off atmospheric pollutants
limited supply
expensive to mine and access
natural gas reserves are expected to run out by 2060
disadvantages of nuclear energy
expensive to establish and run a nuclear power station
waste from a nuclear station can be very toxic
waste needs to be stored properly for hundreds of years
leaks from waste storage can affect the environment
nuclear fall can be detrimental to humans, plants and animals
energy demand varies with population size and GDP
higher populations consume more energy
higher GDPs tend to consume more energy
energy supplies vary with the energy policy of a country
if a country focuses on efficiency and sustainability the demand for renewable energy will increase
if a country focuses on industrialisation the demand for non renewable energy will increase
energy demand varies with physical factors within a country
location of deposits of fossil fuels
renewable energy sources require suitable locations
tidal power requires a large tidal range
wind power requires high average wind speed throughout the year
HEP requires high precipitation, steep valleys and impermeable rock
large power stations require flat land and geologically stable foundations
energy demand varies with economic factors
exploitation of resources
in less industrialised countries, FDI is required to access the resources
as energy prices rise, companies are more likely to increase spending on exploration and exploitation
energy demand varies with political factors
international agreements impact the way nations organise their energy
an HEP scheme that draws water form rivers that cross international borders may need agreements form other countries
governments within countries may insist that companies produce a certain proportion of their energy from renewables
resource endowment
the level of energy resources a country can exploit
those countries with a high level of endowment tend to be more prosperous than those who lack domestic energy resources and rely heavily on imports
resource curse theory
volatility of prices on the global market
decline in the competitiveness of other economic sectors
government mismanagement
weak and inefficient exploitation of resources
some LICs that have a lot of non-renewables grow more slowly due to these
development of energy technology
increases the ability to exploit resources
environmental impact of energy
those who are will informed about the environmental impact of energy sources can influence government policy
trends in the consumption of fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy in MICs and LICs
global energy consumption is rising due to power generation, strong industrial demand and increase transport control fuel consumption
trends in oil consumption
main source of energy in the Americas and Africa
makes up 50% of the energy used in the middle east
trends on coal consumption
main energy source in the Asian Pacific
Europe, Eurasia, Asian Pacific and North American have even coal reserves
China dominates coal production and consumption
trends in natural gas consumption
main source of energy in Europe and Eurasia
trends in nuclear power consumption
many European countries use nuclear as its primary energy source
China, South Korea and India are expanding production
trends in HEP consumption
China, Brazil and the USA produce 55% of the global total
trends in wind power consumption
doubles in capacity every 3 years
trends in biofuel consumption
can be made form crops like oilseed, corn and sugar
USA is the biggest producer
Ethanol fuel stations are found in Brazil
advantages of biofuels
cost benefit - increase demand could reduce costs
easy to source
renewable
reduces greenhouse gas emissions
economic security
reduce dependence on foreign oil
disadvantages of biofuels
high cost of production
use of fertiliser could cause water pollution
industrial pollution - production release pollution into the atmosphere
cost of research and installation could cause the cost of biofuels to increase
environmental degredation
the deterioration of the environment through and increase of pollutants, improper land use and natural disasters
pollution
a dominant factor of environmental degradation of land, air and water and impacts significantly on human health
there is a considerable global variation in deaths from urban air pollution
land pollution
includes rubbish dumps, spoil heaps and contaminated land
derelict land is land which has been os damaged by industrial or other development that its incapable of beneficial use without treatment
water pollution
by the discharge of waste water from industries, domestic sewage, acid drainage, toxic salts from mines, pesticides, pesticide fertilisers, farm effluents and thermal change
air pollution
the release of chemical particulates into the atmosphere
LICs pollution
dominated by agriculture and mining
industrialisation, manufacturing, energy production and transportation are the major polluters
demand for water
doubles every 20 years
750 million lack access to safe drinking water
water scarcity
a major world environmental problem threatening the put the worlds food supply in jeopardy, limit economic and social development and create conflict between neighbouring drainage basin countries
many of the largest rivers are drying up due to over use and climate change
climate change risk to rivers
there is a direct relationship between the global temperature and the rate of evaporation from rivers. as temperature increases so does evaporation
due to climate changes, even the rainfall patterns are becoming too unpredictable prolonging droughts
agriculture risk to rivers
70% of fresh water is used by agriculture activities globally. more agriculture will demand more water
with the increasing population and demand for products this can be a reason fro dried up rivers
population growth risk to rivers
water usage will only continue to increase
energy conflicts
HEP dams are built on shared rivers and divert water around sections of the river leaving them dry. it can get worse by alternating between unnatural drought and flood conditions
rivers are therefore ar risk
physical water scarcity
water is not abundant enough to meet all demands
demand for water is greater than the regions ability to provide water
associated with arid and semi arid areas that experience high temperatures and evapotranspiration rates as well as low precipitation
climate change can result in some areas experiencing drought
also occurs where water seems abundant but is being over utilised through energy generation, irrigation and hydraulic infrastructure
economic water scarcity
lack of investment or capacity in water infrastructure
occurs when the population does not have the funds to utilise the available water resources
lack of investment in water infrastructure
investing will help reduce powering and increase LIC productivity
will also improve health conditions
institutional water scarcity
rights are not defined or clear
virtual water
the amount of water used to produce other products and is embedded within the item
how to improve the water quality of streams
control farm contaminants by applying mitigation tools
plant trees on hills and near streams to reduce land run off
remove or mitigate possible limiting factors which prevent natural recovery of the area in the short and long term
manage stock more efficiently
take care when applying fertilisers and pesticides
be aware of water table depth and avoid overusing water in dry seasons
careful planning of urban growth and subdivision so they have minimal impact on neighbouring waterways
continued control or removal of invasive species or pests
why have rural areas been rapidly degraded
overpopulation
policy failure
rural inequalities
resource imbalances
unsustainable technologies
trade relationships
large scale capital intensive farming has increased
large scale agriculture in many LICs are controlled by TNCs
large agricultural industries need to increase their market share and reduce costs to be more competitive
impacts of rapid urbanisation
loss of agricultural land
loss of habitat
loss of biodiversity
decrease in groundwater supply
change in local climates
constraints to managing a decreases environment
rural urban migration
poo management at a local or national government level
civil war
lack of finances
protection of environments at risk
needs are strategies that need to be implemented to reduce environmental degradation
measures are policies and practices that can be implemented to achieve these outcomes
outcomes are measures of success of the strategies
managing populations that have to support large populations
ensure sustainable agriculture practices
promote land reforms so local people have greater land security
create action plan for sustainable agriculture
integrate pest management and sustainable technology
