sustainability

• natural resources come from...

  the earth, sea and air
• how can natural resources be improved by man-made processes?

  by enhancing their activity, selectivity, stability, and bioavailability, as well as by creating novel compounds and overcoming limitations in natural production through techniques like chemical modification
• how can agriculture practices enhance natural resources?

  by improving soil health, promoting biodiversity, reducing water pollution, and enhancing water-holding capacity
• renewable sources


  any natural resource that can replenish itself in a relatively short period of time, usually at a similar rate to, or faster than, we use them
• renewable sources examples


  biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar
• non-renewable sources


  a resource that cannot be replaced at the same rate it is being used at
• non-renewable sources examples


  fossil fuels, nuclear fuels and minerals and metals found in ores
• what do many finite resources undergo after extraction?

  man-made processes, e.g. crude oil goes through fractional distillation to produce protein=ducts such as petrol and metal ores can be reduced to produce pure metals
• what factors need to be considered when extracting finite sources?

  social, economic and environmental
• sustainability


  meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• why may extracting resources be unsustainable?

  due to the amount of energy used and waste produced
• reducing the usage of finite resources will...

  also reduce the use of anything needed to produce them
• alternatives to stopping the use of finite resources all together

  processes that are developed and adapted that lower the amounts of finite resources used and reduce damage to the environment
• copper-rich ores are...


  in short supply - copper is a finite resource
• low-grade ores


  contain lesser amounts of particular minerals
• bioleaching


  bacteria are used to convert copper compounds in the ore into soluble copper compounds, separating out the copper from the ore in the process. the leachate (the solution produced by the process) contains copper ions, which can be extracted by electrolysis or displacement with a more reactive metal
• bioleaching pros and cons

  + cheap and cost-effective

  + does not require high temperatures

  
  

  - slow extraction rate

  - produces toxic substances, including sulphuric acid, which damage the environment
• phytomining


  involves growing plants in soil that contains copper ions - the plants can't use or get rid of the copper so it eventually builds up in the leaves. the plants can't use be harvested, dried and burned in a furnace and the ash contains soluble copper compounds from which copper can be extracted by electrolysis or displacement with a more reactive metal
• phytomining pros and cons

  + reduced mining waste

  + environmentally friendly

  
  

  - slow extraction rate

  - seasonal/weather dependant
• recycling


  the separation, collection, processing, marketing, and reuse of unwanted material
• recycling metals uses much less energy than...

  is needed to mine and extract new metal, conserves the finite amount of each metal in the earth and cuts down on the amount of waste getting sent to landfill
• how are metals recycled?

  by melting them and then casting them into the shape of the new product
• the amount of separation required for recyclable metals can change depending on...

  what the metal will be used for after recycling
• recycling glass uses much less energy than...

  is needed to make new glass products and reduces the waste created when glass is thrown away
• how is glass recycled?

  crushed down and melted to be reshaped can also be reused
• the glass is usually separated by ... before being recycled

  colour and chemical composition
• impacts of recycling


  - reduces the amount of energy used

  - reduced the amount of damage to the environment

  - reduces the amount of waste produced
• life cycle assessments (LCA)

  used to assess the environmental impact of a product by including the carbon footprint, energy usage, air impact, and water contamination profile
• life cycle assessment stages

  - extracting and processing raw materials

  - manufacturing and packaging

  - use and operation during its lifetime

  - disposal and the end of its useful life
• extracting and processing raw materials for the product

  - extracting raw materials needed for a product can damage the local environment

  - raw materials often need to be processed to extract the desired materials and this often requires large amounts of energy
• manufacturing and packaging of a product

  - manufacturing products, their packaging and delivery can use a lot of energy resources and can also cause pollution

  - the disposal of any waste products produced must also be considered (some can be turned into other useful chemicals, reducing the amount that ends up polluting the environment)
• use and operation during a product's lifetime

  - the use of a product can damage the environment

  - how long a product is used for or how many uses it gets is also a factor as products that needs lot of energy to produce but are used for a long time means less waste in the long run
• disposal and the end of a product's useful life

  - products are often disposed of in landfill sites, which takes yo space and pollutes land and water

  - energy is used to transport waste to landfill, which causes pollutants to be released into the air

  - products might be incinerated, which causes air pollution
• life cycle assessment pros and cons

  + enables businesses to identify opportunities for improvement

  + opportunities to optimise resource efficiency, reduce waste, and make informed decisions

  + could be used to enhance brand reputation

  
  

  - energy and resource usage and the certain types of waste produced cannot easily be quantified

  - subject as it takes into account the values of the person carrying out the assessment

  - may be biased as some can be written to deliberately support the claims of a company in order to for them to receive positive advertising

  - selective LCAs can only show some of the impacts of a product on the environment