resource management

• resources


  a stock or supply of something that has value or a purpose

  • 3 most important resources are food, water, energy
• food 


  - your health is affected by how much you eat and the food's nutritional value

  - over 1 billion people fall below the level of the right amount of calories per day, so they are malnourished

  - a further 2 billion suffer from unnutrition, meaning they have a poorlybalanced diet lacking in minerals and vitamins

  - can have effect on the economy, as people need to be well fed to be productive at work and contribute to economic development
• water 


  - people need clean, safe water for drinking, cooking and washing

  - without proper sanitation, water sources get polluted by raw sewage

  - this can result in water-bourne diseases e.g. cholera

  - water is needed to produce food, clothes and many other products, so it has a big impact on people's lifestyle
• energy


  - countries need energy for industry and transport, as well as use in homes

  - energy consumption is increasing as theworld becomes more developed and demand is increasing

  - as NEE's vecome more industrialised, the demand for energy will increase and patterns of energy trading will change
• food in UK


  - by 2037, populaton of UK is expected t rise to 73 million, which wil increase future demand for food

  - Uk is not self-sufficient for food supplies, as the UK imports about 40% of the total food consumed

  - the UK imports so much food because:

  • a demand for greater choices and more exotic foods
  • a demand for seasonal products all year round, instead of the only time they are available e.g. srawberries
  • UK climate unsuitable for some foods e.g. cocoa, tea
  • cheaper food abroad
• impact of importing food in UK

  - food miles is the distance food is transported. more food miles means more CO2 produced and adds to our carbon footprint

  - a larger carbon footprint will increase global warming

  - farmers that make the imported food only earn a fraction of the actual price

  • people are becoming more aware of the impacts caused be transporting food, and are encouraged to look for local sources of food e.g. farmers' market
• water in the UK

  - main water sources come from resevoirs and rivers

  - UK currently recieves enough rain to supply demand, but rain doesn't always fall where it is most needed e.g.

  • the north and west side has a water surplus - supply exceeds demand as there is high rainfall
  • the south and east has a water deficit - demand exceeds supply as there is low rainfall

  - water stress is experienced in more than half of England
• managing water in UK

  water can be saved by:

  - the use of domestic water metres

  - increasing the use of recycled water

  - more efficient domestic appliances

  - waste from people's homes can be recycled and put to good use

  WATER TRANSFER

  - one solution is to transfer water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit

  problems:

  - expensive to do

  - effect on wildlife and the land

  - greenhouse gases produced in the process of pumping water over long distances
• managing water quality in UK

  environment agency manages water quality by:

  • monitoring quality of water
  • filtering and removing sediment from water
  • purifying water by adding chlorine
  • imposing strict regulationson uses of water

  however, some groundwater sources have deteriorated as a reult of pollution due to:

  • discharge from industrial sites
  • runoff from chemical fertilisrs usd on farmland
  • leaching from old underground mine workings
  • water used for cooling in power stations releasd back into rivers
• enery in UK


  - despite increasing demand for electricity in UK, energy consumption has fallen in recent years, mainly due to improved energy conservation
• UK's energy mix


  - in 1990, almost 3/4 of energy came from fossil fuels (coal and oil)

  - by 2007, there as an equal mix of coal, gas, and nuclear - non-renewable resources

  - by 2014, renewable resources e.g. wind and solar energy, had become more important.
• how and why UK's eergy mix changed

  - UK is no longer self-sufficient in energy. the UK's energy security is affected as it becomes increasingly dependent on imported energy

  - 2/3 of UK gas reserves remain, but about 75% of oil and natural gas reserves have been exhausted

  - the major change in the energy mix has been the decline of coal. between 1990 and 2007, there was a steady decline as there were concerns about greenhouse gas emissions
• fracking 


  - UK's reserve of natural gas is trapped deep underground an shale rocks

  - to extract gas, high-pressure liquids are introduced to fracture and release the gas (fracking)

  - fracking has become very controversial. people are concerned about;

  • possibility of earthquakes
  • pollution of underground water sources
  • the cost (expensive)
• economic impacts of energy exploitation

  - extracting fossil fuels can be expensive

  - high construction cost for renewable energy recources

  - UK has to pay and import energy from other countries to meet demand
• environmental impacts of energy exploitation

  - burning of fossil fuels release greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming

  - fracking may pollute groundwater and can cause mini earthquakes

  - ecosystems can be damaged by renewable energy generators e.g. large wind farms

  - accidents e.g. oil spills, nuclear disasters

  - power stations and wind farms are often considered an eyesore
• energy security 


  having a reliable and affordable supply of energy

  - a country's enery depends on the supplies available, the size of the population, and the amount of energy a person uses

  • an energy surplus is if supply exceeds demand
  • an energy deficit is if demand exceeds supply, and so the country suffers from energy insecurity
• energy consumption 


  - unevenly distributed

  • energy consumption per person is very high is countries like USA, Canada, Australia, and much of Europe
  • it is low across most of Africa, and parts of south-east asia

  - from this, we can conclude that wealthy, develped countries tend to consume more energy per person as they can affor it, and have a higher standard of living

  - wheras poorer, less developed countries consume less energy per person
• energy production


  - unevenly distributed

  • some countries produce lots of energy as they have large energy reserves, and the money to exploit them
  • other sountries produce little energy as they have fewer resources and little money to exploit them
• factors affecting energy supply

  PHYSICAL

  • global distribution of fossil fuels is unequal
  • fossil fuels are non-renewable, so they will run out eventually
  • location of fossil fuels - oil and gas is trapped in rocks

  TECNOLOGY

  • technological advances makes it possible to exploit new and existing resources e.g. extraction of gas can be reached through fracking
  • some countries cannot afford new technologyto exploit their energy resources
• factors affecting energy supply

  POLITICAL

  • political instability in countries with large energy reserves can affect their ability to export resources
  • concerns about safety of nuclear power and waste disposal results in strict regulations
  • agreements from countries to reduce their CO2 emissions
• energy demand is increasing

  RISING POPULATION

  • by 2040, it was expected the population to rise to 9 billion. more people means more energy needed

  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  • as countries develop, their demand for energy supply rises

  TECNOLOGY

  • increasing use of technology means a greater demand for energy
  • as QoL improves, demand for vehicles, lighting, heating increases
• impacts of energy insecurity

  ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS

  • as fossil fuels used up, reserves are less accessible and more environmentally sensitive areas are exploited
  • this increases the cost of producing energy and damage to the environment

  FOOD PRODUCTION

  • energy insecurity can limit how many agricultural machines can be used
  • demand for cleaner, cheaper energy sources increases demand for biofuels
  • growing more biofuel takes up more land, which could of been used to produce more food
• impacts of energy insecurity

  INDUSTRY

  • energy is essential for industry
  • energy shortages and higher energy costs reduce industrial output
  • higher costs are often passed onto consumer, as producers are forced to raise their prices

  POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT

  • potential for political instability when demand exceeds supply
  • this can cause conflict between countries with an energy surplus, and countries with an energy deficit
• strategies to increase energy supply

  • increasing the use of renewable sources of energy e.g. wind, solar, hydroelectric power
  • continue to exploit non-renewable fossil fuels and develop the use f nuclear power
• advantages of extracting natural gas

  • less risk of environmental accidents than oil
  • provides employment
  • gas releases half the amount of CO2 emissions than the other fossil fuels
  • technology has already been made and tested to extract gas
  • fracking is cheaper than some renewable energy sources
• disadvantages of extracting natural gas

  • gas is a non-renewable energy source
  • fracking risks polluting groundwater and can cost alot to extract. small earthquakes could happen
  • some gas reserves are in countries that are politically unstable
  • contribtes to global warming
  • pipelines expensive to build
• sustainable energy

  provides energy without preventing future generations from meeting their energy needs

  - balancing supply and demand

  • to increase energy supply, renewable sources can be developed. fossil fuels can be exploited more efficiently
  • energy demand can be reduced by increasing energy conservation, and designing more energy-efficient homes and workplaces
• carbon footprint 


  a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases and individual activities produce
• ways to reduce energy demand

  • financial incentives
  • raising awareness
  • greater use of off-peak energy tarrifs
  • using less hot water for domestic appliances
• technology - increase efficiency for fossil fuels

  • the development of electric and hybrid cars will increase the efficient use of fossil fuels
  • the development of biofuel technology in car engines can reduce the use of oil

  - Brazil has reduced its petrol consumption by 40% since 1993