The challenge of resource management

Question 1

What three resources do people need?

Answer 1

Food, water and energy

Question 2

What happens if people don’t get food, water or energy?

Answer 2

It can affect a person’s ability to attend school or work. This can prevent people from learning and using skills to help their country’s economic development

Question 3

How are the global resources uneven?

Answer 3

Some countries don’t have energy reserves

Others have dry climates that can’t grow crops or have water

Question 4

What problems does wanting food from other countries create?

Answer 4

Exotic food, spices and coffee from LICs have gotten more popular so they need to be imported from LICs

Seasonal food (strawberries and mangos) are only available in the months that it grows but are wanted all year round

People are worried about how the chemicals in organic produce affect their health so food has to be produced naturally

Question 5

How is the carbon footprint of our food growing?

Answer 5

The growing, processing and packing produces CO2
Up to 10% of UK carbon emissions came from agriculture

Transporting food releases carbon - more miles, more carbon

People are becoming aware of the carbon footprint and so are buying locally instead

Question 6

What is ‘agribusiness’?

Answer 6

Large-scale, industrial farming where everything is controlled by large firms

Question 7

What does agribusiness mean for the UK?

Answer 7

Farm sizes have increased - small farms have been taken over

The amount of chemicals in food has increased to produce more and animals are given special feed to encourage growth

The employment rate in agriculture feel to 1.1% of total employment as more machines are being used

Question 8

What is the difference between the north and south of the UK in terms of water?

Answer 8

The north gets lots of water but has low population so has more supply than demand

The south gets little water but has a higher population so the demand is greater than the supply

Question 9

Why is the demand of water increasing in the UK?

Answer 9

The amount of water households use has increased by 70% due to more appliances like dishwashers using water

Population increase is causing more houses to be built in the south - where there is already a water deficit

Question 10

Why does water pollution need to be managed in the UK?

Answer 10

Polluted water limits the amount of clean water, putting pressure on the supply

80% of water comes from groundwater and pollutants are affecting 50% of groundwater used - many facilities have closed or are expensive to maintain now

Question 11

How is water getting polluted in the UK?

Answer 11

Crop fertilisers are leaking into the groundwater and rivers

Pollutants from vehicles are caught in the runoff when it rains

Chemical and oil spills from factories polluted local water sources

Question 12

How can water transfers help maintain supplies of water?

Answer 12

Transferring from a surplus area (Wales) to areas of deficit (Birmingham) would solve the supply and demand issue

Question 13

What’s challenging about transfer of water?

Answer 13

The dams needed to collect it are expensive and cost around £300 million

It can affect the wildlife around and in the rivers

People might not want their water transferred to another area

Question 14

How has the UK’s energy mix changed?

Answer 14

In 1970 91% was coal and oil

In 1980, the discovery of gas in the North Sea meant 22% of UK was gas

In 2014, 19% of energy is renewable (wind and bio energy)

All coal power stations are due to close by 2025

Question 15

What economic issues come with burning fossil fuels?

Answer 15

It’s expensive to dig up and as it becomes less in supply, the cost goes up

North Sea oil is the most expensive and could be sold for less than they produced it for

It is cheaper for the consumer than renewable energy sources

Not enough in the UK, so we have to pay for people to import it

Question 16

What environmental issues come with burning fossil fuels?

Answer 16

Burning produces CO2, aiding climate change

Fracking could pollute groundwater and cause mini earthquakes

Accident like oil spills can leak toxic chemicals

Natural ecosystems can be damaged by large wind farms or hydroelectric dams

Wind farms are considered to be eyesores

Question 17

Why is global food supply uneven?

Answer 17

Different climates produce different amounts of food (Africa is dry so can’t grow a lot - Asia produces lots of food as it is wet)

Different countries eat more - HICs eat a lot and want a variety of food whereas LICs eat less as it’s unaffordable and less available

Question 18

What is ‘food security’ and ‘food insecurity’?

Answer 18

Food security - When people are able to eat enough to stay healthy and active

Food insecurity - when people can’t get enough food to stay healthy as they can’t grow enough or afford to import anything

Question 19

Why is global food consumption increasing?

Answer 19

There is a rising population (expected to reach 9 billion by 2040)

Economic development means countries have more disposable income to spend on food.
They buy a variety and greater amounts of food than they need

HICs can import food all year round so people no longer only eat things that are seasonally available

Industrialisation means countries can produce more food cheaper.

Question 20

How is food supply affected by environmental factors?

Answer 20

Climate - too dry or cold to grow crops. Weather hazards destroy crops

Water stress - little rainfall or not enough water

Pests and diseases - locust swarms and other pests can destroy crops
Diseases can spread through animals and crops, destroying them

Question 21

How is food supply affected by human factors?

Answer 21

Poverty - they don’t have land to grow crops and can’t buy fertilisers - also can’t afford to import food

Tech- machines make farming more efficient and increase the yields and help protect plants from disease

Conflict - fighting damages land and access to food becomes difficult to those running. Trade routes are disputed and political relationships break down so they can’t import

Question 22

What are the negative impacts of food insecurity?

Answer 22

Famine - starvation and death due to a serious lack of food

Under nutrition - not having a balanced diet, could cause stunted growth.

Soil erosion - people who don’t get enough food might not use effective agricultural practices, which reduces plant cover leaving soil vulnerable to wind and rain

Rising prices - less food means demand is higher, so prices go up, rising prices damage an LIC even further

Social unrest - lack of food can cause riots and civil wars

Question 23

What are examples of technologies that can increase food supply?

Answer 23

Irrigation - artificially watering the land

Hydroponics and Aeroponics - methods of growing plants without soil

Biotech - genetically engineering crops crops to improve production

New green method - increasing yields by sustainable methods

Question 24

What are the three main types of irrigation?

Answer 24

Gravity flow - digging ditches to transport ground water to fields

Sprinklers - spraying water across fields

Drip systems - dripping water from small holes in pipes directly into the soil around the roots of the plant

Question 25

How do hydroponics and aeroponics work?

Answer 25

In hydroponics, plants grow in a nutrient solution, supported by minerals like gravel In aeroponics, plants are suspended in air, water containing nutrients is sprayed on the roots, the water drains off the roots and is used again Plants are monitored closely and nutrients adjusted to maximise crop yield Less water is required than plants grown in soil Very expensive so these methods are only used for high value crops

Question 26

What are the pros and cons of Biotech?

Answer 26

Higher yields Resistance to drought, disease and pests Higher nutritional value Reduce biodiversity because fewer varieties of crops are planted GM plants could interbreed with other plants, disrupting ecosystems

Question 27

Give examples of green revolution ideas for growing crops

Answer 27

GM crops - need fewer resources and have less environmental damage whilst being cheaper Traditional farming methods with nutrient recycling, crop rotation and using predators to control pests

Question 28

Why is appropriate tech good for LICs?

Answer 28

High tech methods like GM crops can be expensive Appropriate tech is suited to their climate and gives the skills and knowledge to the people in the area Example: individual wells with mechanical pumps are easier to maintain than diesel powered ones A drip irrigation system is easier to maintain than a sprinkler system Planting seeds that can cope with the environment

Question 29

What is an example of how irrigation helps farming?

Answer 29

An LIC in west Africa called Burkina Furso Several dams have been built to provide a reliable water supply for irrigation Canals were built to transport water from the dam to the irrigation systems The gravity based irrigation systems worked, however it only watered 10% of the area they had expected it to

Question 30

What are the two challenges for making food supplies sustainable?

Answer 30

Growing enough to feed a rising population Making sure the environment isn’t damaged so food can continue to grow

Question 31

Why is industrial agriculture bad for the environment?

Answer 31

Uses 70% of the world’s fresh water supply Relies on chemicals and pesticides Can make soil less productive by permanently taking away nutrients

Question 32

What are some ways of sustainable farming?

Answer 32

Organic farming - natural processes Permaculture - recreates natural ecosystems Urban farming initiatives - use empty land, balconies and rooftops

Question 33

How is organic farming sustainable?

Answer 33

Uses natural processes to return nutrients to the soil Natural fertilisers used Pesticides are restricted and animals aren’t given supplements Farmers sell close to where they produce, reducing carbon footprint

Question 34

How is permaculture sustainable?

Answer 34

Food production is low maintenance as it’s a natural ecosystem Natural predators reduce need for pesticides Plants of different types and heights are grown, making more space

Question 35

How is urban farming initiative sustainable?

Answer 35

Can make food locally available reducing carbon footprint This means it is cheaper and more nutritious - securing food security for poor people Adds greenery to the city

Question 36

How is fishing becoming more sustainable?

Answer 36

Catch quotas limit the amount of fish available to take Fishing methods are less harmful to the environment Labelling allows consumers to choose fish that has been caught sustainably

Question 37

How can meat production be more sustainable?

Answer 37

Feeding animals locally sourced feed so carbon footprint is reduced Making sure all edible parts of an animal is eaten Adding a small amount of seaweed to the feed reduces carbon emissions

Question 38

Why is importing food not sustainable?

Answer 38

Transporting food leaves carbon emissions | People can stop this by eating seasonally from a local area

Question 39

How does reducing waste make agriculture more sustainable?

Answer 39

If people don’t waste food, there doesn’t have to be so much grown and they can use more sustainable methods of farming

Question 40

What do they do in Mali to have a sustainable food supply?

Answer 40

Mali is very dry and farming is causing desertification Farmers have put nitrogen-fixing plants in between trees This provides nitrogen to the soil, adds shade and prevents soil erosion. The nutrients in the soil allow the soil to hold more water

Question 41

What is water surplus and deficit?

Answer 41

Too much water and not enough

Question 42

What is water stress?

Answer 42

When demand for water exceeds the supply of water or when water is not high enough quality to use

Question 43

Why is the global demand for water rising?

Answer 43

Rising population - more people require food (irrigation) and water for drinking or washing Water use increases as development increases Manufacturing consumes water Water can be used for energy Higher standard of living means more people need showers, toilets and other appliances

Question 44

What physical factors affect water availability?

Answer 44

Climate - rainfall gives water. In dry places, the water evaporates. Climate change is increasing the risk of droughts and making more countries too hot Geology - when rain falls on permeable rocks, it is added to groundwater - this can be crucial to hot countries that evaporate all their surface water

Question 45

What economic and social factors affect water availability?

Answer 45

Over-abstraction - when more water is used than replaced. This happens with population growth, development or when it’s holiday season Polluted water sources - liable in NEEs as they industrialise quickly Limited plumbing could mean that sewage can pollute the water supply Poverty - water providers charge a fee for supplying water to homes

Question 46

What effects can water insecurity have?

Answer 46

Pollution and disease - people who are desperate may have to drink polluted water, giving them diseases like cholera Reduced food production - no irrigation can lead to starvation Reduced industrial output - manufacturing needs water so they could lose money Conflict - desperate people will fight over water (unfair sharing of water)

Question 47

How can water supply be increased?

Answer 47

Dams - unpredictable and can cause droughts at times in the year but increases storage The dams are expensive though and could flood agricultural land Water diversion - a dam is built to raise a river and divert it to a chosen location - less disruptive than a storage dam This can be used to irrigate Water transfer - move water from surplus to deficit Desalination - removing the salt from seawater Wealthy desert countries use it as it’s expensive because energy is needed to heat the saltwater

Question 48

How and why is China transferring water from south to north?

Answer 48

There’s deficit in the north and surplus in the south so they built a transfer along three routes from China’s rivers to areas of deficits via various pumping stations and tunnels

Question 49

What is the advantage to the water transfer in China?

Answer 49

Provides clean water to deficit areas Industrial development can continue in the north Farmland can be irrigated It should help over-abstraction in the north and stop land subsidence

Question 50

What are the disadvantages of the water transfer in China?

Answer 50

Late areas have been flooded and habitats lost. The construction work is damaging the ecosystems Diverting so much water will create stress in the south and reduce farm yields During the construction, 345 million people had to move due to a flood and many received no compensation It’s very expensive

Question 51

What are some examples of water conversation?

Answer 51

Fixing leaks in water pipes and damns to stop waste - 20% of water in UK was lost before it got to consumers Having smaller flushes and shorter showers Buying efficient washing machines and only using them in a full load Installing water meters

Question 52

Give some examples of groundwater management

Answer 52

The amount of groundwater being extracted can be monitored to ensure there’s no over-abstraction Farmers are encouraged to use little pesticides to stop groundwater pollution and companies that dump toxic waste are fined Groundwater supplies can be shared between counties if agreed to use it sustainably and fairly

Question 53

How does recycled water work?

Answer 53

Water from homes go to water treatment plants where it is made safe to reuse It becomes more sustainable because less water needs extracting

Question 54

How can grey water be used?

Answer 54

Its a type of recycled water that is used without being treated Because it is still relatively clean, it’s used for irrigation, washing cars and flushing toilets However grey water systems can be expensive and grey water needs to be used quickly as to not grow bacteria

Question 55

What has Kenya done to create a sustainable water supply?

Answer 55

A low dam is built across a river During the rainy season, sand is trapped behind the dam Water gets trapped between the sand The sand prevents the water from being evaporated When the river is evaporated, water can be extracted by digging a well and piping water through it

Question 56

What is energy security?

Answer 56

Means having a reliable, uninterrupted and affordable energy source of energy

Question 57

What does energy security depend on?

Answer 57

The supplies available, size of population and how much each person uses

Question 58

What is the connection between energy consumption and wealth?

Answer 58

Wealthy countries use more energy per person because people have a higher standard of living and can afford it Poorer countries use less as people can’t afford it and lifestyles are less dependent on it

Question 59

Why is the global demand for energy increasing?

Answer 59

Rising population means more energy is needed Development has increased, meaning more people use energy as they develop more tech Technological advances have created more devices that use energy Some advances make energy more affordable so people use more energy

Question 60

What physical factors affect energy supply?

Answer 60

The global distribution of fossil fuels Fossil fuels will run out eventually Some fossil fuels are hard to extract and so either cost more money or can’t be extracted An area’s climate affects its potential for renewable energy

Question 61

What technological factors affect the energy supply?

Answer 61

Technological advances mean it’s possible to exploit new resources (e.g fracking) Machines make it easier to extract existing minerals by autonomous machines and can reach into risky areas However this can be too expensive for some countries

Question 62

What economic factors affect energy supply?

Answer 62

Remaining fossil fuels are becoming more expensive and harder to reach Cost of fossil fuels can vary drastically Some LICs have lots of fossil fuels but not enough money to extract them

Question 63

What political factors affect energy supply?

Answer 63

Political instability can affect their ability to export resources Climate change has made governments make deals to reduce fossil fuels combustion Concerns over safety from nuclear power stations have made rules more restrictive

Question 64

What impacts does energy insecurity have?

Answer 64

As fossil fuels are used up, desperate people attempt to exploit fuels in risky areas, leading to deaths Limits how many machines can be used for farming limiting food Less manufacturing can produce less and lose people jobs as well as heightening the prices for the consumers Can cause conflict politically or with other countries that have energy

Question 65

Give examples of renewable energy sources

Answer 65

``` Solar Hydro Geothermal Tidal Wave Wind Biomass ```

Question 66

What are the pros and cons for most renewable energy sources?

Answer 66

No carbon footprint Is sustainable Expensive to build Not reliable (depending on climate) Don’t generate as much electricity as fossil fuels

Question 67

What are some ways to increase energy supplies from non-renewable sources?

Answer 67

As technology develops, fossil fuels can be extracted from more dangerous places Nuclear technology can be developed to improve the efficiency of nuclear reactors, extracting more energy

Question 68

What is fracking?

Answer 68

A way of extracting shale gas Liquid is pumped into the rock at high pressure. This cracks the rock, releasing the gas which is then collected

Question 69

What are the pros and cons of fracking?

Answer 69

Increases Britain’s energy security Gas is less polluting than other fossil fuels Fracking is cheaper than renewable energy Gas is not sustainable and released CO2 It risks polluting groundwater It uses lots of water which is a limited resource Causes small earthquakes

Question 70

What are direct carbon emissions?

Answer 70

Produced from things that use energy: Having the heating on, using electrical appliances, commuting

Question 71

What are indirect emissions of carbon?

Answer 71

Produced when making the things we buy: Food or clothing

Question 72

How can energy be conserved?

Answer 72

Sustainable design Demand reduction Using technology to increase efficiency

Question 73

Give examples of sustainable design

Answer 73

Insulation means less energy is needed to heat homes More efficient boilers Solar panels on roofs Switching to electric (cars, trains, vans) Using biofuel

Question 74

Give examples of demand reduction?

Answer 74

Giving people incentives to lower their energy use (tax) Improving public transport and encouraging walking or cycling Traffic congestion charges Smart energy meters in people’s homes to make them realise how much they’re using

Question 75

Give examples of using technology to increase efficiency

Answer 75

Energy saving light bulbs Hybrid cars (electric and diesel) Regenerative braking (conserving the energy lost when braking)

Question 76

What do they do in Bihar to generate sustainable power?

Answer 76

85% of people are not connected to the power grid Rice husks (a waste product) are used to generate electricity in a small power plant This is very efficient as the power plants are local so there are no carbon footprints