resource reliance Flashcards
(87 cards)
1
Q
What is needed for basic human development?
A
- Resources such as food, energy and water are needed for basic human development
2
Q
Why is food a necessity for basic human development?
A
- Without enough nutritious food, people can become malnourished
- This makes them more likely to get ill, and may stop them from working or doing well at school
3
Q
Why is energy a necessity for basic human development?
A
- Energy - a good supply of energy is needed for a basic standard of living
e.g. to provide lighting ad heat for cooking. It’s also essential for industry and transport
4
Q
Why is water a necessity for basic human development?
A
- Water - people need a constant supply of clean, safe water for drinking coking and washing.
- Water is also needed to produced food, clothes and lots of other products
5
Q
What are the two main reasons for the increase in food, water, and energy consumption?
A
- Rising population
- Economic development
6
Q
How does rising population increase food, water, and energy consumption?
A
- The global population is increasing - in 2011 it was just over 7 billion and it’s expected to reach 9 billion by 2040.
- This means more people require more resources
- Increased demand for one resource can increased demand for another
e.g. more people means that more food needs to be grown, which increases demand for water
7
Q
How does economic development increase food, water, and energy consumption?
A
- Economic development means that people are getting wealthier, especially in emerging ad developing countries
- Wealthier people have more disposable income which affects their resource consumption
- They have more money to spend on food and they often buy more than they need
- They can afford cars, fridges, televisions - all of which use energy to run them also uses a lot of water
- More people can afford flushing toilets, showers dishwashers etc. - this increases water use
8
Q
What are the factors that limit the supplies meaning that it can’t meet demand?
A
- Climate
- Geogoly
- Conflict
- Poverty
- Natural hazards
9
Q
How does climate limit supplies?
A
- Some countries have very low rainfall, so water supplies are limited,
- This also limits how much food they can grow. Climate change may change rainfall patterns, affecting water availability and crop growth
10
Q
How does geology limit supplies?
A
- Some countries don’t have reserves of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and may not have a suitable landscape for generating renewable energy from
e.g. wind or hydro power - Geology can also limit water supply - when rain falls on permeable rock,
e.g. sandstone, it flows into the rock and can form underground water stores that are hard to get to
11
Q
How does conflict limit supplies?
A
- War can disrupt transport of resources e.g. by damaging roads, water pipes or power lines
12
Q
How does poverty limit supplies?
A
- Some countries can’t afford the technology to exploit the natural resources that are available
e.g. agricultural machinery, nuclear power plants
13
Q
How do natural hazards limit supplies?
A
- Events such as tropical storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can damage agricultural land and destroy infrastructure such as water pipes and power lines
14
Q
How has large-scale industrial farming changed overtime?
A
Since the 1960s, there has been a growth in large-scale, industrial farming where processes are increasingly done by machines
e.g. tractors and combine harvesters, rather than people.
15
Q
What are the positive impacts of large-scale industrial farming?
A
*Industrial farming can increase the amount of food that can be produced, because processes such as milking, ploughing and harvesting can be done more quickly.
16
Q
What are the negative environmental impacts of large-scale industrial farming?
A
Changes to farms have had impacts on ecosystems and the environment:
* Field sizes have increased so that food can be produced more cheaply. Removal of hedgerows has led to a decline in biodiversity.
* The amount of chemicals used in food production has been increasing - large quantities of artificial fertilisers and pesticides are applied to crops, and animals are given special feed to encourage growth. If they enter water courses (e.g. rivers), these chemicals can harm or kill organisms.
* Increased use of heavy machinery, e.g. in planting and harvesting, can cause soil erosion
17
Q
Is the global demand for fish increase or decreasing?
A
- Global demand for fish is increasing.
18
Q
How are most fish and seafood provided?
A
- Most fish and seafood is provided by commercial fishing methods - these include trawling (towing huge nets behind boats) and dredging (dragging a metal frame along the seabed to harvest shellfish such as oysters and scallops).
19
Q
How has fishing methods changed over time?
A
* Since the 1950s, fishing has become increasingly mechanised - this means that boats can now carry bigger nets and haul in bigger catches than used to be possible, helping to meet demand for fish.
* Fish farms (aquaculture) are also being used to breed fish and shellfish in contained spaces.
20
Q
What are the negative environmental impacts of commercial fishing?
A
Commercial fishing is having a number of impacts on ecosystems and the environment:
*Over-fishing of some fish (e.g. cod) means that some species are now endangered. Decreasing the number of one species in an ecosystem can have knock-on impacts on other species (see p.57).
* Dredging can damage seafloor habitats and disturb organisms such as sea urchins and starfish.
* Fish farms are often overcrowded, and the large number of fish produce a lot of waste. If this waste is released into the natural environment, it can cause large blooms of algae. The algae absorb a lot of oxygen from the water, causing other plants and animals to die
21
Q
Define deforestation
A
* Deforestation is the removal of trees from forests.
22
Q
What is the relationship between increasing energy demand and deforestation?
A
- Increasing energy demand increases deforestation - trees are burnt as fuel or cleared to make way for power stations.
23
Q
Give an example where deforestation is occurring to meet energy demands
A
- In some countries where a large river runs through an area of forest (e.g. the Amazon River in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil), forest is being destroyed to make way for hydroelectric power (HEP) stations.
- HEP provides renewable energy that will help us meet our increasing energy needs.
- However, the initial construction of HEP stations involves building a dam, which floods large areas of forest.
24
Q
What are the negative environmental impacts of deforestation?
A
- Trees remove CO2, from the atmosphere, and burning vegetation to clear forest releases CO, So deforestation means more CO2, in the atmosphere, which adds to global warming
- Forests provide an important habitat - around 70% of all land-based plant and animal species live in forests. If the forests are cut down, these habitats are lost and species may die out.
- Removing trees exposes the soil and makes it easier to erode - eroded soil can enter rivers and streams, damaging the habitats of fish and other freshwater organisms.
- Trees intercept rainfall, so removing them makes flooding more likely - this can damage habitats.
25
What are fossil fuels?
* Fossil fuels, e.g. coal, gas and oil, are a major source of energy
26
How are fossil fuels removed from the ground?
* They are removed from the ground by mining.
i.e. surface mining, sub-surface mining, fracking
27
What is surface mining?
* Surface mining is where large areas of vegetation, soil and rock are stripped away so that miners can reach the materials they want.
28
What is sub-surface mining?
* Sub-surface mining involves digging deep shafts below the ground surface.
29
What is fracking and how does it work?
* Recently, a technique called fracking has been developed to extract shale gas - natural gas that is trapped underground in shale rock.
* Liquid is pumped into the rock at high pressure. This causes the rock to crack (fracture), releasing the gas, which is then collected as it comes out of the production well.
30
What are the negative environmental impacts of mining?
* Waste from mines can pollute soil, groundwater, drinking water and air. Pollutants include mercury and lead, which are very toxic to plants, animals and péople.
* Habitats are destroyed to make way for mines, leading to loss of biodiversity.
* Mining uses a huge amount of water (a limited resource).
* Coal, oil and gas are not sustainable energy sources.
* They're non-renewable, and release CO, when they're burned - - this contributes to global warming
31
What can seasonal variations in rainfall or unpredictable rainfall cause?
* Seasonal variations in rainfall or unpredictable rainfall can cause a water shortage at certain times of year. However, dams and reservoirs have environmental impacts:
32
What is a way of coping with water shortages due to unpredictable rainfall/ seasonal variation in rainfall?
* Building a dam across a river traps a large amount of water behind the dam, creating a reservoir
* This provides a reliable source of water all year.
33
What are the negative environmental impacts of reservoirs?
* Reservoirs flood large amounts of land, destroying habitats and agricultural land.
* Reservoirs impact local ecosystems. Water is often released through the dam at regular intervals making the river flow much more uniform - this often reduces species diversity.
* Dams also act as a barrier to species' movements, e.g. salmon that migrate upstream to lay their eggs.
* The natural flow of sediment downstream is disrupted, reducing the fertility of areas downstream.
* Reservoirs create new aquatic environments, which can become home to non-native species.
34
How can water be transported to an area where it is most needed?
* Water is often not where it is most needed. E.g. the south and east of the UK is much drier than the north and west, and has a higher population density, so there isn't always enough water to go round.
* Water transfers use canals and pipes to move water from a river that has surplus water to a river that has a water shortage.
35
What are the negative impacts of water transfer schemes?
* Large-scale engineering works are needed to create new channels. These can damage ecosystems.
* There may be water shortages in areas where the water is coming from, particularly in dry years - this can put pressure on local ecosystems.
* Lots of energy is needed to pump the water over long distances if there isn't a natural downhill route. This can release greenhouse gases, adding to climate change
* Water transfer schemes often involve building dams and reservoirs
36
Define food security
* Food security is when people have access to enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active.
* Countries that produce a lot of food or are rich enough to import the food they need have food security.
37
Define food insecurity
* Food insecurity is when people aren't able to get enough food to stay healthy or lead an active life.
* Countries that don't grow enough to feed their population and can't afford to import the food they need have food insecurity.
38
Name the physical factors that can affect food security
* Climate
* Extreme weather events
* Water stress
* Pests and diseases
39
How can climate affect food security?
* Countries with climates that are too cold or have too little rainfall can't grow much food.
40
How can extreme weather events affect food security?
* Floods and droughts can affect food supply.
41
How can water stress affect food security?
* Crops and livestock need water to survive,
* Areas that have low rainfall or where water for irrigation is scarce struggle to grow enough food.
42
How can pests and diseases affect food security?
* Pests reduce yields by consuming crops, e.g. rats cause big problems by eating stored grain, and huge locust swarms eat all the vegetation in their path. * Diseases affect most crops and livestock and can cause a lot of damage if they spread through crops and herds, e.g. 37% of the world's wheat crops are under threat from a disease called wheat rust.
43
Name the human factors that can affect food security
* Poverty
* Technology
* Conflict
* Over-farming
* Food prices
44
How can poverty affect food security?
* People living in poverty often can't afford to buy food and often don't have their own land where they can grow food.
* Poverty also affects people's ability to farm the land effectively e.g. they may not be able to buy the fertilisers or pesticides they need.
* At a global scale, poverty means that countries which can't grow enough can't afford to import food from countries with a surplus.
45
How can new technology affect food security?
* The mechanisation of farm equipment increases the amount of food that can be grown by making the process more efficient.
* New technologies (e.g. genetic engineering ) can protect plants from disease and increase their yields.
46
How can conflict affect food security?
* Fighting may damage agricultural land or make it unsafe, making it difficult to grow enough food. Access to food becomes difficult for people who are forced to flee their homes.
* Conflicts also make it difficult to import food because trade routes are disrupted and political relationships with supply countries may break down.
47
How can over-farming affect food security?
* Grazing too much livestock can decrease vegetation cover and cause soil erosion
* Intensive arable farming can use up soil nutrients and make the land infertile.
* The land can no longer be used to produce food, unless it's given enough time to recover.
48
How can food prices affect food security?
* The prices of certain foods change depending on supply and demand.
* If the price of basics such as corn and rice increases too much, poorer people can't afford them and go hungry.
49
What does a country's access to food depend on?
* A country's access to food depends on how much it can grow and how much it can afford to import.
* Generally, richer countries have better access to food - if they can't grow it themselves, they can buy it.
50
What are the ways of showing how access to food varies globally?
* The daily calorie intake of people in different countries
* The Global Hunger Index
51
What does the daily calorie intake of people show?
* Shows the amount that people eat.
52
What does the Global Hunger Index show?
* Shows how many people are suffering from hunger or illness caused by lack of food.
* The index gives a value for each country from 0 (no hunger) to 100 (extreme hunger).
* Countries are divided into categories depending on the severity of the problem.
53
What patterns does the Global Hunger Index and daily calorie intake show?
* More developed areas like Europe and North America eat a lot.
* Less developed areas like Africa, Central America and parts of Asia consume less food per person, and more people suffer from hunger and hunger-related illnesses.
* EDCs are eating more and hunger is decreasing as wealth increases, e.g. China.
54
What does the Global Hunger Index and daily calorie intake not show?
* Neither method shows up variations within countries - even in a country with a high calorie intake and a low score on the world hunger index, some people may have limited access to food.
55
Who is Thomas Malthus?
* Thomas Malthus was an 18th-century economist.
56
Explain Malthus's Theory
* He thought that population would increase faster than food supply.
* This would mean that eventually there would be too many people for the food available.
* He believed that, when this happened, people would be killed by catastrophes such as famine, illness and war, and the population would return to a level that could be supported by the food available.
57
Who is Ester Boserup?
* Ester Boserup was a 20th-century economist.
58
Explain Boserup's theory
* Her theory was that however big the world's population grew, people would always produce sufficient food to meet their needs.
* She thought that, if food supplies became limited, people would come up with new ways to increase production (e.g. by making technological advances) in order to avoid hunger.
59
Has either theory been proven right?
* Neither theory has been proved completely right or completely wrong.
* There have been famines in some areas, but on a global scale, food production has so far kept up with population growth.
60
What are the ways that food production can be increased to help achieve food security?
There are lots of ways that food production can be increased to help achieve food security.
They can be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable:
61
What does environmental sustainability mean?
* Environmental sustainability means keeping the environment in a healthy state in the long-term
62
What does economic sustainability mean?
* Economic sustainability means making sure the wealth of individuals and countries continues to grow.
63
What does social sustainability mean?
* Social sustainability means maintaining a high quality of life for everyone indefinitely.
64
What is organic farming?
* Organic farming uses natural processes to return nutrients to the soil, so that soil stays fertile and food can continue to be produced.
E.g. natural products are used instead of artificial chemicals, cow manure is used instead of artificial, and animals aren't given vaccinations.
65
What are the pros of organic farming?
* Limiting artificial chemical use helps to protect natural ecosystems and preserve biodiversity this makes organic farming more environmentally sustainable than conventional farming.
66
What are the cons of organic farming?
* Organic food is more expensive than non-organic food, so not everyone can afford it
* This limits its social sustainability.
67
What is intensive farming?
* Intensive farming aims to produce as much food as possible in as small a space as possible.
* Farmers often use large quantities of fertilisers and
pesticides to maximise crop yields.
* They may also keep animals inside in small spaces and give them food with added antibiotics and growth hormones to prevent disease and encourage growth
68
What are the cons of intensive farming?
* Artificial chemicals (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides and antibiotics) can make their way into natural ecosystems and disrupt their balance - i.e. harming some species and favouring others.
* This reduces the environmental sustainability of intensive farming.
* These chemicals are also expensive and have to be applied year after year to maintain crop yields this increases the cost of food production, so it becomes less economically sustainable.
69
What are the pros of GM crops?
* Genetically modified (GM) crops allow more food to be grown in smaller areas with fewer resources.
* For example, GM crops can be designed to have higher yields, resistance to drought, disease or pests (increasing yields and reducing the need for pesticides) or higher nutritional values.
* Increasing yields and growing more nutritious food increases food security, which makes GM crops more socially sustainable.
* Decreased use of artificial chemicals means that the cost of food production decreases, so GM crops may be economically sustainable for poorer farmers.
70
What are the cons of GM crops?
There are environmental concerns about GM crops, which reduce their sustainability:
* They may reduce biodiversity because fewer varieties of crops are planted.
* GM plants may interbreed with wild plants and pass on their genes or disrupt ecosystems.
71
What is hydroponics?
* Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil
72
What are the pros of hydroponics?
* Plants are grown in a nutrient solution, and are monitored to make sure they get the right amount of nutrients. This maximises crop yield.
* Less water is required than for plants grown in soil, and reduced risk of disease and pests means less need for pesticides. This increases their environmental sustainability.
73
What are the cons of hydroponics
* Hydroponics is very expensive, so it is currently only used for high-value crops.
* Not everyone can afford to buy these crops, which makes them less socially sustainable.
74
Define ethical consumerism
* Ethical consumerism means choosing to buy goods that have been produced with minimal harm to people and the environment.
* It's also about how we use goods
e.g. whether we throw lots of food away.
75
How can ethical consumerism help to increase food security and sustainability?
* Reducing damage to agricultural land caused by food production, so land remains fertile, making food production profitable, so farmers can afford to carry on producing it.
* Paying more money to poorer countries for goods, so poverty decreases.
* Reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by transport and waste disposal. This may help to limit climate change and therefore prevent decreases in food production
76
How can we make food consumption more ethical and sustainable?
* Buy fair trade products
* Reduce waste
* Buy local and seasonal food
* Buy food with less packaging
77
Why is food produced under fair trade schemes ethical and sustainable?
* Companies who want to sell products labelled as 'fair trade' have to pay farmers a fair price - this helps farmers in poorer countries make enough to improve their quality of life.
* Buyers pay extra on top of the fair price to help develop the area where the goods come from, e.g. to build schools or health centres. This makes buying fair trade products more socially sustainable Only producers that treat their employees well can take part in the scheme, e.g. all employees must have a safe working environment. This improves the workers' quality of life.
* There are rules about how fair trade food is grown - farmers must use environmentally friendly methods that e.g. protect biodiversity, limit greenhouse gas emissions and preserve soil health. .
78
How does reducing waste help increase food security and sustainability?
* Globally, 1/3 of food that is produced is wasted - reducing this will make more food available, so less needs to be grown to feed people. This will increase environmental and social sustainability.
* Schemes such as 'Think, Eat. Save' and 'Love Food Hate Waste' encourage individuals, businesses and governments to be less wasteful with food. E.g. by helping people plan their meals better and sharing recipe ideas for using up leftovers. They also encourage people to compost waste rather than putting it in the bin (food in landfill sites produces methane, which is a greenhouse gas
79
How can buying local and seasonal food help increase food security and sustainability?
* In many wealthy countries, people expect to buy the foods they like all year round. This means that foods have to be imported for all or part of the year.
* Consumers can choose to eat more food that has been produced locally (eg. choosing potatoes that have been grown on a nearby farm). They can also eat seasonally - this means eating foods that grow locally at that time of year (e.g. only eating strawberries in summer, when they are grown in the UK).
* Local and seasonal consumption reduces the amount of food that is imported, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transport. This makes it more environmentally sustainable.
80
How does choosing food with less packaging increase sustainability?
* Reduces the amount of resources that are used, and means that less plastic etc. goes into landfill, increasing environmental sustainability.
81
What is permaculture?
* Permaculture is all about sustainable food production and consumption.
82
What are the pros of permaculture?
* People are encouraged to grow their own food and change their eating habits - eating fewer animal products and more fruit and vegetables, and buying local, organic or fair trade food wherever possible.
* Food is grown in a way that recreates natural ecosystems - this protects the soil and wildlife, so it's environmentally sustainable. It also means that the growing site is low maintenance, so food can be grown with less time and effort - this increases its social sustainability.
* Food production is designed to keep soils healthy so that crops can continue to grow. For example, mixed cropping is used, which involves having plants of different heights and different types in one area. This means the available space and light are used better, there are fewer pests and diseases and less watering is required. Using few resources increases environmental sustainability.
83
What are the purpose of urban gardens?
* Urban gardens make food locally available, reducing the need to transport food long distances.
84
What are the pros of urban gardens?
* Because food doesn't have to travel long distances, this means it is often fresher and more nutritious and can also be cheaper - improving the food security of poorer residents.
* Urban gardens use spaces such as empty land, roof tops and balconies in towns and cities to grow food.
* Many urban gardens are community projects, where people work together to grow food and improve their environment.
85
What makes urban gardens sustainable?
* They add greenery to cities, making them healthier and more attractive places to live, so they're socially sustainable.
* It also makes urban areas less dependent on buying food produced by large-scale agriculture - this can help make it economically and environmentally sustainable.
86
What are allotments?
* Allotments are areas of land in villages, towns or cities that are divided into plots and rented to individuals or small groups of people to grow plants, including fruit and vegetables.
87
What makes allotments sustainable?
* Many people in towns and cities have little or no garden, so an allotment lets them grow food.
* Like urban gardens, allotments are environmentally and socially sustainable because they allow people to grow cheap, healthy food close to home.
