3.7: Environmental Risks of Economic Development (Paper 1)

Question 1

Explain the threats that economic activity imposes on the natural environment and people: (4)

Answer 1

• Soil Erosion (1)
• Desertification (1)
• Enhanced global warming (1)
• Pollution (1)

Question 2

Explain the management that is taken place to reduce soil erosion and desertification: (4)

Answer 2

• Education: sustainable farming methods including agroforestry and crop rotation, which help to keep the soil healthy and family planning to reduce population growth. (1)
• Agroforestry: this combines agriculture with forestry, which means some trees remain, which
  decreases deforestation, provides shade as well as increasing infiltration and interception, which reduces soil erosion and provides organic matter from the trees and adds nutrients to the soil. (1)
• Afforestation: The roots help to bind the soil together reducing soil erosion, the canopy offers shade helping to prevent the soil from drying out and also reducing soil erosion from rainfall landing directly on the soil, nutrients in the soil are replaced by falling leaves and branches, the trees increase animal and insect activity which helps improve soil quality. (1)
• Contour stones and terraces: These help to reduce soil erosion by preventing the soil from being blown or washed away, increasing infiltration of water and reducing overland flow and ensuring that dead organic matter stays in one place and can decompose adding nutrients to the soil. (1)

Question 3

Explain the management that has taken place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: (7)

Answer 3

• Reducing deforestation (1)
• Increasing afforestation (1)
• Improving energy efficiency in industry and domestic appliances. (1)
• Reducing emissions from industry. (1)
• Improving public transport. (1)
• Electric vehicles. (1)
• Use of renewable energy and nuclear power. (1)

Question 4

Explain the different conservation methods: (9)

Answer 4

• Recycling and reuse of resources such as clothing or glass and plastics. (1)
• Using energy efficient appliances - these use less energy to power them and less water. (1)
• Stewardship of protected areas - National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
  Greater use of, and investment in renewable energies (1)
• Quotas on resources used - rising quotas to ensure the fish population is not overfished (1)
• Protection of particular ecosystems - Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Antarctica Treaty which includes agreements about the exploitation of Antarctica (1)
• Reducing deforestation (1)
• Laws to protect resources and areas (1)
• Fines for people/organisatiions/companies that damage the environment (1)
• Reducing use of or rationing of resources (1)

Question 5

Define the term pollution: (3)

Answer 5

Contamination of the environment. (1) It can take many forms. (1) These can be air, water, soil, noise visual and others. (1)

Question 6

Define the term prevailing winds: (1)

Answer 6

The major direction of winds in a region. (1)

Question 7

Define the term externalities: (1)

Answer 7

The side effects, positive and negative, of an economic activity that are experienced beyond its site. (1)

Question 8

Define the term enhanced greenhouse effect: (1)

Answer 8

Large-scale pollution of the atmosphere by economic activities. (1)

Question 9

Define the term deforestation: (1)

Answer 9

The loss of forested lands for a number of reasons including the clearing of land for agricultural use, for timber and for other activities such as mining. (1)

Question 10

Define the term overgrazing: (1)

Answer 10

The grazing of natiral pastures at stocking intensities above the livestock carrying capacity. (1)

Question 11

Define the term desertification: (1)

Answer 11

The gradual transformation of habitable land into desert. (1)

Question 12

Define the term dust storm: (1)

Answer 12

A sever windstorm that sweeps clouds of dust across an extensive area, especially in an arid region. (1)

Question 13

Define the term resource management: (1)

Answer 13

The control of the exploitation and use of resources in relation to environmental and economic costs. (1)

Question 14

Define the term sustainable development: (1)

Answer 14

A carefully calculated system of resource management which ensures that the current level of exploitation does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (1)

Question 15

Define the term environmental impact statement: (1)

Answer 15

A document required by law detailing all the impacts on the environment of an energy or other project above a certain size. (1)

Question 16

Define the term conservation of resources: (1)

Answer 16

The management of human use of natural resources to provide the maximum benefit to current generations while maintaining capacity to meet the needs of future generations. (1)

Question 17

Define the following terms: (2)

• Recycle (1)
• Reuse (1)

Answer 17

• Recycle: the concentration of used or waste materials, their reprocessing, and their subsequent use in place of new materials. (1)
• Reuse: Extending the life of a product beyond what was the norm in the past, or putting a product to a new use and extending its life in this way. (1)

Question 18

Define the term quotas: (1)

Answer 18

Involving agreement between countries to take only a predetermined amount of a resource. (1)

Question 19

Define the term rationing: (1)

Answer 19

A last resort management strategy when demand is massively out of proportion to supply. (1)

Question 20

Define the term subsidies: (1)

Answer 20

Financial aid supplied by the government to an industry for reasons of public welfare. (1)

Question 21

Define the following terms: (2)

• Carbon credit (1)
• Carbon trading (1)

Answer 21

• Carbon credit: A permit that allows an organization to emit a specified amount of greenhouse gases. (1)
• Carbon trading: A company that does not use up the level of emissions it is entitled to can sell the remainder of its entitlement to another company. (1)

Question 22

Define the term community energy: (1)

Answer 22

Energy produced close to the point of consumption. (1)

Question 23

Define the term microgeneration: (1)

Answer 23

Generators producing electricity with an output of less than 50KW. (1)