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Chapter 5 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is food security?

A

When all people at all times have the physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

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2
Q

How does population growth cause food insecurity?

A

Increases demand for food beyond sustainable production capacity, straining resources.

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3
Q

How does unsustainable production threaten food security?

A

Depletes soil, water, and biodiversity, reducing long-term agricultural output.

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4
Q

Why does increase in global food supply homogeneity threaten food security?

A

Reduces genetic diversity, making crops vulnerable to diseases/climate shocks.

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5
Q

How does price setting cause food insecurity?

A

Volatile or inflated prices make food unaffordable for low-income populations.

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6
Q

How does land degradation threaten food security?

A

Reduces arable land quality, lowering crop yields.

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7
Q

How do agricultural diseases threaten food security?

A

Destroy crops/livestock, reducing available food supply.

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8
Q

How does diverting crops for biofuels threaten food security?

A

Reduces land/food crops available for human consumption.

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9
Q

How does climate change threaten food security?

A

Alters growing conditions (droughts/floods), reduces crop yields, and disrupts supply chains.

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10
Q

How do water shortages cause food insecurity?

A

Irrigation becomes limited, reducing agricultural productivity.

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11
Q

How does poverty cause food insecurity?

A

Limits access to food due to lack of purchasing power or resources for production.

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12
Q

Impact: Regional food scarcity

A

Localized shortages lead to hunger and reliance on imports.

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13
Q

Impact: Nutritional deficiency and malnutrition

A

Causes stunted growth, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases.

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14
Q

Impact: Poverty

A

Cyclical—food insecurity reduces productivity, perpetuating poverty.

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15
Q

Impact: Forced migration

A

Populations move to areas with better food access, straining resources elsewhere.

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16
Q

Impact: Conflict

A

Competition over scarce resources can trigger violence.

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17
Q

Impact: Famine

A

Large-scale starvation due to prolonged food shortages.

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18
Q

Impact: Death

A

Extreme food insecurity leads to mortality, especially among children.

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19
Q

How does subsistence agriculture improve food security?

A

Provides direct food supply for families/local communities, reducing reliance on markets.

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20
Q

How does intensification increase food production?

A

Boosts yields per unit area (e.g., fertilizers, irrigation).

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21
Q

How does aquaculture improve food security?

A

Provides sustainable protein source (fish/seafood) with high efficiency.

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21
Q

How does extensification increase food production?

A

Expands agricultural land, but risks deforestation/ecosystem loss.

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22
Q

How does hydroponics improve food security?

A

Enables soil-less farming in urban/arid areas, saving water/space.

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23
Q

How does selective breeding improve food security?

A

Develops higher-yielding, disease-resistant crops/livestock.

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24
How do GM crops improve food security?
Enhance yields/nutrition and resist pests/droughts (e.g., Golden Rice).
25
How does reducing livestock improve food security?
Frees up crops for human consumption (livestock use ~30% of global farmland).
26
How does large-scale food stockpiling help?
Stabilizes supply during shortages/price spikes.
27
How does improving food transportation help?
Reduces spoilage and expands market access.
28
Why is protecting pollinating insects critical?
75% of crops rely on pollinators; their loss threatens food supply.
29
How does the World Food Programme (WFP) aid food security?
Provides emergency food aid and long-term resilience programs.
30
How does rationing manage food security?
Ensures equitable distribution during shortages (e.g., wartime).
31
Advantages of biofuels?
Renewable; reduces reliance on fossil fuels; can be produced locally.
32
Disadvantages of biofuels?
Competes with food crops for land (e.g., corn ethanol); can cause deforestation.
33
What is the advantage of geothermal energy?
Low greenhouse gas emissions; reliable baseload power (24/7 supply).
34
What is the disadvantage of geothermal energy?
Limited to tectonically active regions (e.g., Iceland, USA); high upfront costs.
35
What is the advantage of hydroelectric dams?
Renewable; large-scale energy storage (reservoirs); low operational costs.
36
What is the disadvantage of hydroelectric dams?
Disrupts ecosystems (fish migration); displaces communities; droughts reduce output.
37
What is the disadvantage of tidal energy?
High initial costs; limited to coastal areas; potential harm to marine life.
38
What is the advantage of tidal energy?
Predictable (tides are consistent); low emissions; long lifespan.
39
What is the advantage of wave energy?
Abundant in coastal regions; low emissions; high energy density.
40
What is the disadvantage of wave energy?
Unproven at large scale; saltwater corrosion; disrupts marine ecosystems.
41
What is the advantage of solar energy?
Renewable; scalable (rooftops to farms); no fuel costs; silent.
42
What is the disadvantage of solar energy?
Intermittent (needs sunlight/batteries); land use conflicts; panel production has carbon footprint.
43
What is the advantage of wind energy?
Clean; low operational costs; works on land/offshore.
44
What is the disadvantage of wind energy?
Intermittent (needs wind); visual/noise pollution; bird/bat mortality.
45
What is the advantage of oil?
High energy density; easy to transport; existing infrastructure.
46
What is the disadvantage of oil?
Non-renewable; air pollution/CO₂ emissions; price volatility; geopolitical conflicts.
47
What is the advantage of natural gas?
Cleaner than coal/oil; flexible (electricity/heat); abundant supply.
48
What is the disadvantage of natural gas?
Still emits CO₂; fracking risks (water pollution); methane leaks (potent GHG).
49
What is the advantage of coal?
Cheap; abundant; reliable baseload power.
50
What is the disadvantage of coal?
Highest CO₂ emissions; air pollution (mercury, SO₂); mining damages ecosystems.
51
What is the advantage of nuclear energy?
Zero CO₂ emissions during operation; high energy output; small land footprint.
52
What is the disadvantage of nuclear energy?
Radioactive waste storage risks; high upfront costs; public opposition.
53
How does fossil fuel depletion cause energy insecurity?
Finite resources lead to price spikes and supply shortages.
54
How does inequality in global energy resources cause insecurity?
Some countries lack domestic energy, relying on unstable imports.
55
How does population growth cause energy insecurity?
Increases demand beyond supply capacity.
56
How do differing energy needs by income groups cause insecurity?
LICs lack infrastructure; HICs overconsume, straining global supply.
57
How does climate change cause energy insecurity?
Disrupts hydropower (droughts) and thermal plants (water cooling shortages).
58
How do supply disruptions (natural disasters/piracy) cause insecurity?
Damages infrastructure (e.g., pipelines) or blocks shipping routes.
59
Impact: Disrupted electricity supply
Blackouts harm homes/hospitals/industry.
60
Impact: Increasing energy prices
Raises living costs and business expenses.
61
Impact: Job losses/recession
Industries cut jobs due to high energy costs.
62
Impact: Increased poverty
Poor households spend higher % of income on energy.
63
Impact: Reliance on imports
Trade deficits; vulnerability to geopolitical conflicts.
64
Impact: Civil disruption/conflict
Protests over energy prices (e.g., Yellow Vests in France).
65
Strategy: Increasing energy efficiency
Reduces demand (e.g., LED bulbs, insulation).
66
Strategy: Increasing energy production
Invest in renewables/nuclear to diversify supply.
67
Reducing fossil fuel reliance
Avoids price shocks and lowers emissions.
68
Strategy: Investing in renewables/carbon-neutral fuels
E.g., green hydrogen; sustainable biofuels.
69
Alternative energy technologies
Research fusion, advanced batteries, or smart grids.
70
Strategy: Local energy projects
Community solar/wind reduces transmission losses.
71
Strategy: Rationing
Limits use during shortages (e.g., wartime).
72
Method: Landfill sites
Burying waste; cheap but causes methane emissions/leachate.
73
Method: Incineration
Burns waste for energy; reduces volume but emits toxins (dioxins).
74
Method: Storage
Holds hazardous waste (e.g., nuclear) until safe disposal.
75
Method: Disposal at sea
Banned globally (UN Convention); harms marine life.
76
Method: Recycling
Converts waste into new products; saves resources but costly to sort.
77
Method: Exporting waste
Ships waste to other countries; exploits LICs (e.g., e-waste to Ghana).
78
Effect: Soil/water contamination
Leachate from landfills poisons groundwater.
79
Effect: Greenhouse gas emissions
Landfills emit methane; incineration releases CO₂.
80
Effect: Visual/noise/odor pollution
Lowers quality of life near waste sites.
81
Effect: Spread of disease
Mosquitoes/rats breed in open waste (e.g., malaria).
82
Effect: Toxic substances
Heavy metals (e.g., mercury) accumulate in food chains.
83
Effect: Bioaccumulation/biomagnification
Toxins concentrate up food chains (e.g., mercury in fish).
84
Effect: Ocean plastics/microplastics
Kills marine life; enters human diets via seafood.
85
Strategy: Reduce, reuse, recycle
Minimizes waste generation (most sustainable).
86
Strategy: Biodegradable plastics
Breaks down naturally but requires industrial composting.
87
Strategy: Food waste for animal feed
Diverts organic waste from landfills (e.g., pig farms).
88
Strategy: Composting
Turns organic waste into fertilizer; reduces methane.
89
Strategy: Fermentation
Creates biogas (methane) from organic waste for energy.
90
Strategy: Waste-to-energy
Incineration generates electricity but risks air pollution.
91
Strategy: Education
Teaches public/industries to reduce waste.
92
Strategy: Financial incentives/legislation
Taxes landfills; subsidies for recycling (e.g., bottle deposits).

Environmental (13 decks)

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