sustainability and the environment

Question 1

what is a finite resource?

Answer 1

not sustainable
will eventually run out
e.g oil, gas, coal

Question 2

what is a non finite resource?

Answer 2

sustainable
won’t run out
e.g solar energy, wind energy

Question 3

what are the ways to reduce waste and make a product more sustainable?

Answer 3

-Recycling schemes
-Returning electronic products to companies for disposal.
-Creating products with re-usable or replaceable parts.
-Encouraging the use of renewable power sources.
-encouraging refillable products.
-Using more recycled materials.

-Sourcing local materials or reducing transport
-Reducing parts.
-Labelling for recycling.

Question 4

what are the three main types of fossil fuels?

Answer 4

-coal
-gas
-oil

Question 5

what are the two advantages of fossil fuels?

Answer 5

-A small amount of fuel creates large amounts of energy.
-Fuel is very safe and stable to transport and use.

Question 6

what are the 2 disadvantages of fossil fuels?

Answer 6

-CO2 is produced when fossil fuels are burned which causes pollution and can contribute to global warming.
-The supply of fossil fuels is limited and as demand is increasing we will eventually run out.

Question 7

how does nuclear power work?

Answer 7

-A high energy source of heat is created.
-This heats water into steam.
-The steam drives a turbine.
-The turbine then generates electricity.

Question 8

what are the 3 advantages of nuclear power?

Answer 8

-The process is clean and efficient.
-Power plants don’t need a lot of space.
-it is a reliable source of energy.

Question 9

what are the 2 disadvantages of nuclear power?

Answer 9

-releases radioactive waste which is harmful to the environment
-if the reactor explodes then it can have a disastrous affect on the environment

Question 10

what are the 5 main renewable energy sources?

Answer 10

Wind.
Solar.
Tidal.
Hydro-electrical.
Biomass.

Question 11

how do wind turbines work?

Answer 11

Wind turbines use a generator to convert movement from the wind into electricity.

Question 12

what are the 4 disadvantages of wind power?

Answer 12

-only work in windy conditions
-make a noise
-they can disturb or harm wildlife
-they are large and some people don’t like how they look

Question 13

how does solar power work?

Answer 13

Photovoltaic cells convert energy from the sun’s rays into electricity.

Question 14

what are the 3 disadvantages of solar power?

Answer 14

-only work in sunny conditions
-They need to be angled towards the sun’s rays.
-they can’t store energy

Question 15

how does tidal power work?

Answer 15

the movement of turbines in the water use a generator to convert movement from the tide or waves into electricity.

Question 16

what are the 4 disadvantages of tidal power?

Answer 16

-expensive
-Difficult to access for maintenance and repair.
- disturb or harm sea life.
-They can change the movement of water and this could lead to erosion of coastlines.

Question 17

how does hydro-electrical power work?

Answer 17

hydro-dams:
water flows from a higher reservoir into a lower reservoir and turns a turbine, which turns a generator. the water from the lower reservoir can be pumped back to the higher reservoir and repeat the process

Question 18

what are the 3 disadvantages of hydro-electrical power?

Answer 18

-It can disturb or harm wildlife.
-Expensive to build.
-Destroys the natural environment.

Question 19

how does biomass work?

Answer 19

decay from dead plants or animals is burned to generate heat and turn turbines to generate electricity

Question 20

what are the 2 disadvantages of biomass?

Answer 20

-creates carbon emmissions
-needs areas of land=deforestation which can disturb or harm wildlife

Question 21

what is a life cycle assessment (LCA)?

Answer 21

analysing a products life and it’s impact on the environment

Question 22

what are the 5 main stages of a life cycle assessment?

Answer 22

-Extraction of raw materials.
-Manufacture and assembly.
-Transportation.
-Use.
-Disposal

Question 23

what are batteries?

Answer 23

electrochemical cells that convert chemical energy into electricity.

Question 24

how is cotton harming the environment?

Answer 24

-growing cotton needs lots of chemical fertilisers + insecticides- can harm workers health and uses large quantities of water that may be needed for drinking water

-fertilisers and insecticides may also pollute waterways

-intensive farming and deforestation of land for cotton crops causes changes to landscape and destroys habitats

Question 25

what are the environmental effects of transporting textile material?

Answer 25

transporting textiles from where they were made to the country where they are sold uses fuel and puts pressure on transport systems.

Question 26

how does textile waste affect the environment?

Answer 26

takes up a lot of landfill and toxic chemicals can leach into surrounding land and waterways.

Question 27

how does the use of colouring processes and chemical finishes affect the environment?

Answer 27

-colouring processes use a lot of chemicals and water, and their effluent can pollute waterways -chemical finishes e.g flame retardancy can also cause pollution of waterways and land if waste is not disposed of properly.

Question 28

what is global warming?

Answer 28

increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere and oceans

Question 29

when does global warming occur?

Answer 29

when carbon dioxide collects in the earths atmosphere the gases absorb the sunlight reflecting off the earth and trap heat which is unable to escape

Question 30

what two things could designers do to prevent deforestation?

Answer 30

-introduce a zero-deforestation policy -set targets to maximise the use of recycled materials

Question 31

how is textile waste bad for the environment?

Answer 31

textile waste takes up lots of landfill space and toxic chemicals can leak out into water supplies

Question 32

how can you reduce environmental factors when dyeing cotton?

Answer 32

you can grow cotton fibres already coloured, which reduces the need to use water and chemical dyes.

Question 33

what are the 6rs?

Answer 33

-reduce -reuse -recycle -rethink -repair -refuse

Question 34

what does reduce mean?

Answer 34

reduce- reduce the number of products created and used which saves waste being sent to landfill

Question 35

what does reuse mean?

Answer 35

reuse products rather than buying new ones- saves waste being sent into landfill

Question 36

what does recycle mean?

Answer 36

some products or materials can be reused to have another purpose

Question 37

what does rethink mean?

Answer 37

consumers have more choice and knowledge about buying environmentally friendly products. designers and manufactures have to rethink their design choices.

Question 38

what does repair mean?

Answer 38

repair a product if it is damaged to avoid buying a new one. this reduces waste going into landfill

Question 39

what are the 2 pros and 2 cons of rechargeable batteries?

Answer 39

cons: -more expensive -limited lifespan pros: -are rechargable -more economical in the long term

Question 40

what is fair trade?

Answer 40

ensuring that the workers who are manufacturing the products have fair conditions such as: -minimum pay -the access to safety wear -not working long hours for little pay -sick pay ect