Resource security

Question 1

Resource

Answer 1

Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs.

Question 2

Resource security:

Answer 2

The ability of a country to safeguard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources to maintain living standards of its population while ensuring ongoing economic and social development.

Question 3

Reserve

Answer 3

The part of the resource that is available/viable to extract under existing economic, political and technological conditions.

Question 4

Primary energy

Answer 4

Resources used in their natural form to produce power - e.g. crude oil, HEP, wood

Question 5

Secondary energy

Answer 5

Resources from converting a primary energy source into a new form - e.g. petrol, electricity, charcoal

Question 6

Possible resources

Answer 6

Thought to exist but not sampled

Question 7

Inferred resources

Answer 7

Identified (e.g. from limited samples of local geology) but not measured

Question 8

Measured resources

Answer 8

Size measured and known accurately, grade, quality known to allow to determine as proven reserves

Question 9

Indicated resources

Answer 9

Size of the reserve partly measured and the extent estimated

Question 10

What three factors does resource security involve

Answer 10

Physical; economic and geopolitical

Question 11

Stock resources

Answer 11

Non-renewable; finite supply can be permanently expendings; quantity in absolute amounts; compound deposits e.g. fossil fuels

Question 12

Flow resources

Answer 12

Renewable; can be replaced in a sufficiently short time to be relevant to decision makers; annual rates e.g. freshwater; solar

Question 13

Critical flow resources

Answer 13

Flows that are only renewable if human use remains at or below their capacity to reproduce/regenerate e.g. timber

Question 14

Recoverable reserve

Answer 14

Amount of resources likely to be extracted for commercial use within a certain time period and at a certain level of extraction.

Question 15

Possible reserve

Answer 15

Deposits thought to exist because geological terrain is similar to other areas that have yielded deposits but no exploration yet

Question 16

What are the five stages when developing a resource?

Answer 16

1) Exploration
2) Exploitation
3) Depletion
4) Development
5) Exhaustion

Question 17

resource frontier

Answer 17

A place with abundant natural resources exploited for the first time.
Often previously unexplored as geographically remote (Artic) or difficult to access (deep sea mining)

Question 18

How does resource frontiers link to the core-periphery model?

Answer 18

Often in the periphery areas as largely undeveloped/unexplored; discovery of resource prompts a rush of investment to the area/job creation etc. as resource extracted for use in the core (wealthier area/advantages investment)

Question 19

resource peak

Answer 19

Point of maximum production rate of a resource before production declines.
Dynamic - changes with economic and technological developments and exploration discovering new reserves.

Question 20

Why might a second resource peak occur?

Answer 20

Developments in technology can result in the creation of a second peak or the slowing of depletion as hard to reach reserves can now be exploited e.g. hydraulic fracturing has allowed exploitation of unconventional oil reserves in shale.

Question 21

peak oil

Answer 21

1950s- referred to the US Oil forecast that production would peak in the late 1960s and then decline as despite increasing value of oil/tech advances resources would be unavailable.

Question 22

Give an argument is support of and against peak oil.

Answer 22

Discover of new oil resources peaked in 1962, has since declined
Devastating impact of small drops in production
Dependence on oil for industrial and agricultural processes
Rising demand is not met by rising supply.
Discovery of unconventional resources may make up for shortfall e.g. shale (Permian Basin of West Texas & New Mexico) and Tar sands (Athabasca, Canada); Kerogen (Colorado).
Environmental/political concerns may have a greater impact on depletion than supply side necessity. (Russia/Ukraine; PEP Antarctica; OPEC)
Not all resources are economically viable to recover but exist.

Question 23

Why has ANWR not been exploited?

Answer 23

Hard to access/expensive as offshore Arctic circle/permafrost; little existing infrastructure; legally protected through a drilling ban since 1980.

Question 24

Why is ANWR now under threat?

Answer 24

In 2017 the Republican Senate included a provision to allow 1002 area within ANWR to be drilled (within tax legislation).
Construction of Trans-Alaskan pipeline improves economic/technological viability.

Question 25

What area near ANWR has been exploited?

Answer 25

Prudhoe bay

Question 26

How can depletion of a resource be reduced sustaonably?

Answer 26

Use less of each resource (e.g. improve fuel efficiency)
Increase rates of reuse and recycling
Increase exploration of new reserves/technological developments to improve extraction.

Question 27

How can environmental impacts be minimised with resource development?

Answer 27

Technological advances e.g. catalytic converters; flue-gas desulphurisation plant and carbon capture storage

Question 28

Give two supply side management strategies for sustainable resource development

Answer 28

Seeking methods to increase supply
Increasing exploitation of existing non-renewable resources
Increasing research efforts to develop

Question 29

When does the International Energy Agency predict peak oil to occur?

Answer 29

2030

Question 30

Give three demand side management strategies

Answer 30

Reduce consumption of resources
Changing individual behaviour and lifestyle to discourage wasteful and/or extravagant use of resources
Developing technology to enable more efficient use of resources
Recycling after use

Question 31

Define environmental Impact assessment

Answer 31

Anticipate the likely impacts of a resource extraction on the environment and humans and then modify the project to minimise the negative impacts.

Question 32

What are the six main stages of an EIA?

Answer 32

1) Outline development
2) Describe existing environment
3) Assess likely impacts- use Leopold Matrix
4) Propose modifications to reduce impacts
5) Publish environmental statement - communicate to planning authority/public
6) Decision made; decide conditions under which the plan can go ahead.
7) Monitoring developments impacts

Question 33

Recharge

Answer 33

a hydrological process involving the downward movement of water by infiltration and percolation causing the replenishment of natural groundwater.

Question 34

Abstraction

Answer 34

removal of water available in the environment - either permanently or temporarily

Question 35

Virtual water

Answer 35

hidden flow of water if food or other commodities are traded from one place to another

Question 36

Give five examples of the type of issues identified by EIAs in Resource Development projects.

Answer 36

Disturbance of land (progressive revegetation)
Contamination of surface water from spillage etc. > control direct water run-off; store water until dust settles
Seepage into groundwater supplies from tailings and waste rock dumps
Road traffic > greenhouse gases; noise and dust pollution > control idling of engines
Radiation levels from heavy metals