Resource Management Flashcards
What are resources?
A supply of something (e.g money or materials) that can be used. Some resources are essential for survival, whilst others are needed to maintain a
standard of living.
Name 3 resources for humans?
Food
People cannot live without food. The average person needs to consume between 2,000 and 2,500
calories per day. The actual number of calories needed depends on factors such as sex, age, height and level of activity. Eating too few calories causes weight loss and can lead to a lack of energy. People who do not have enough food to eat may find it difficult to work. If there are too many people in a country who are unable to work, this can negatively impact the wealth of the country. Consuming too many calories can cause weight gain which can also make it difficult to work.
People cannot live without water. Water makes up about two thirds of a person’s body. We need it for our body to function, e.g to absorb nutrients and get rid of waste. Each person should drink between 1.6 and 2 litres of water a day. The actual amount of water needed depends on factors such as the air temperature and the type of activity that a person undertakes each day. Water is also used to keep ourselves clean and healthy, and is also needed to grow food and for industry. In drier countries or drier seasons, irrigation enables crops to grow. Industry uses water in many ways, such as cleaning, cooling and as a
raw material in production.
Energy has many uses. It heats homes and offices, cooks our food and powers transport. Much of the energy that is used is in the form of electricity. primary energy sources, such as fossil fuels or the wind, have been used to generate it.
How is food resourced in the UK?
The UK does have food security. Around 40% of the UK’s food has been imported and much of it has been
processed.
In the past, people ate food that was in
season
, eg cabbages and leeks in the winter and tomatoes and cucumbers in the summer. Nowadays, people in wealthier nations can eat any type of food at any point in the year. Heated greenhouses allow crops to grow out of season and cold storage allows food to be transported from other parts of the world.
Trans-national corporations(TNCs) work in several different countries, processing food and exporting it across the globe.
Organic foods are grown without using any chemicals. They use natural fertilisers, such as animal manure, and natural predators instead of chemical pesticides. The consumption of organic produce has risen in the UK as fewer people are prepared to eat food that has been sprayed with harsh chemicals.
When farmland is converted to become organic, yields initially drop, but then they can improve to similar levels as non-organic crops. Organic farms are environmentally
sustainable, in that they don’t use artificial chemicals. Some people believe that organic farming is unsustainable as it can lead to a greater use of land area.
What is water insecurity?
No reliable access to adequate quantities of acceptably clean water.
What percent of the global population experience water insecurity?
80 percent
What are water transfer schemes in the UK?
Water taken from a place of surplus to a place of deficit.
How is the demand for water in the UK changing?
In the past, people used far less water. Water use has increased as more people wash cars, take longer showers and water their gardens. The average person uses around 150 litres of cleaned and treated water every day. Farming and industry also use large quantities of water.
Only a proportion of the UK’s total water use comes from within the country. Imported products, like food and cotton, use up water resources in the countries where they are grown. The UK’s
water footprint
is a measure of the total water used both within the UK and in other countries through imported products.
How is renewable energy growing in the UK?
The UK has been reliant on fossil fuels for many years. Global supplies of fossil fuels were once thought to be running out. However, as technology improves, new supplies can be discovered and accessed more easily. There are huge, barely tapped reserves in South America, Africa and the Arctic.
It is estimated that gas will last another 50 years and coal another 112 years. Around 40% of the UK’s gas supply currently comes from
domestic
supplies (the North Sea). However, UK supplies of fossil fuels could run out within just 5 years.
Renewable
fuels make up less than 10% of the UK’s energy mix. The government needs to increase this figure to 15% by 2020 to meet its
European Union
target. The UK has a lot of potential for generating renewable energy:
Over 50% of all renewable energy generated in the UK comes from
wind farms
. Most of this is from onshore
turbines
, but the number of offshore turbines is increasing.
The amount of UK electricity generated through
hydroelectric power
(HEP) has remained the same since 2012. This will not increase unless new
dams
are built.
Less than 0.01% of UK energy is generated through tidal power. The UK is an island nation and could generate around 20% of its electricity using waves and tides.
Solar panels are becoming more common, particularly on peoples’ homes. The UK government think that 4% of our electricity could come from solar power by 2020.
What is the main energy mix of the UK?
The energy mix of the UK consists mostly of gas, coal and nuclear fuel.
What is water stress?
occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use.
How does the water cycle lead to eater surplus and deficit?
There is a fixed amount of water on the planet. Some is stored in the oceans and ice caps and some circulates as the
water cycle
. The amount of water available in an area is dependent on factors such as rainfall, temperature and population.
Higher rainfall leads to more water. Some places can have too much rainfall, which leads to
flooding
.
Higher temperatures cause
evaporation
. If water evaporates, then less is available for people to use.
Higher populations use more water. This means there is less available to share around.
Areas of water surplus have more water than they need. Excess water flows along rivers and out into the sea, but can become a problem if it floods the land. Areas of water deficit have too little water.
How do different countries use Energy?
High income countries
(HICs) and
new emerging economies
(NEEs) consume a lot of energy. The people living in these countries are usually linked to a national electricity grid. They use a lot of technology in their lives and have a high
standard of living
. Factories in NEEs also use energy to manufacture products.
Low income countries
(LICs) use less energy. Many people living in LICs are not connected to an electricity grid, but rely on primary energy sources, such as fuel-wood or animal dung.
Some countries produce large supplies of energy. They may have fossil fuel reserves or access to other energy sources, such as geothermal heat. Other countries are dependent upon imported fuel. Fuel prices are set by the exporting countries and so those importing fuel often have to pay high prices.
Places that have energy security produce a high percentage of the energy that they consume. Places that have energy insecurity consume more than they produce. Energy security is determined by the balance between the amount of energy produced in that country and energy imported from abroad.
What is fracking?
Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is a technique used to get oil and gas out of the ground. Water, sand and a cocktail of chemicals are pumped deep underground at high pressure to open up cracks (or fractures) in the rock, releasing the oil or gas trapped inside.Fracked fuels can be even more damaging to the climate than regular oil and gas. The process of extracting these fuels risks causing pollution.
What factors affect the rate at which water is consumed?
Population growth, Population Density and Development.
What are the three ways water is consumed?
Agriculture,Industry and Domestic
