U2: Resources

• Food miles


  How far a piece of food has travelled to get to your plate.
• Ecological footprint

  A measure of the impact that a persons resource use has on the planet.
• Resources:

  • Water
  • Food
  • Energy
• Carbon footprint


  The amount of carbon attached to an individual, country or continent.
• Juicy Facts:

  • 0.07% of Earth's water is potable.
  • 2 million residents in Mexico City have no piped water.
  • The ice on Kilimanjaro has shrunk 85% in 100 years.
  • 1.2 billion people have no access to clean water.
• Water surplus

  Supply exceeds demand.
• Water deficit

  Demand exceeds supply.
• Water insecurity


  Where water demand exceeds the supply of 'acceptable' water.
• Over abstraction


  Where we take too much water to the point that we risk water depletion.
• Strategies to increase water supply:

  Water diversion:

  • Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Unsustainable
  • Wasteful
  • Leaky pipes

  Building dams and reservoirs:

  • Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Eye-sore
  • Flooding

  Desalination:

  • Cons:
  • Very expensive (lots in Middle East)
• Aquifer


  A body of permeable rock that could contain groundwater
• Sustainable management stratergies:


  • Grey water
  • Water conservation
  • Groundwater management