Resource Management

• What is a resource?

  A stock or supply of something that has a value or purpose. The three most important resources are food, energy and water. Adequate supplies are necessary for countries to develop.
• What % of water consumption is domestic?

  8%
• What % of water consumption is agricultural?

  70%
• What % of water consumption is industrial?

  22%
• What of water on earth is fresh?

  2.5%
• Of the 2.5% fresh water supply, what amount is available as groundwater?

  30%
• Of the 2.5% fresh water supply, what amount is available as surface water?


  0.3%
• Of the 2.5% fresh water supply, what amount is available in polar ice caps?

  70%
• Factors affecting access to food:

  Climate, access to education, location, income, technology
• What % of UK's food is imported

  47%
• What are food miles?

  the distance food travels from producer to consumer
• What is a carbon footprint?

  The human impact on the environment measured by the carbon emissions emitted
• Why does the UK import so much food?

  1. UK seasons

  2. High demand due to growing population

  3. Diverse cultures

  4. More disposable incomes

  5. Lack of space

  6. Ability to set up trade relationships with LIC's
• Alternatives to importing food:

  1. Eating seasonal food

  2. Eating locally sourced food

  3. Growing food at home
• Positive impact on LIC's due to exporting food:

  1. Job opportunities

  2. Provides steady income

  3. Benefits local economy

  (example: 55% of Kenya's exports are agricultural)
• Negative impact on LIC's due to exporting food:

  1. More water for irrigation = less for people

  2. Soil degradation due to overgrazing, over-planting and to much irrigation
• What is agribusiness?


  Treating food production like a large industrial business, making it a large scale, capital-intensive, commercial activity
• Benefits of buying locally sourced food:

  1. Reduces food miles

  2. Greater chance it is organic (less pesticides, less eutrophication)

  3. Benefits local economy
• Population density of London

  4000 per km squared
• Population density of Scotland

  20 per km squared
• Why do we need more water?

  1. Growing population

  2. Technology and growing industry

  3. More need for irrigation

  4. Deficit due to climate change

  5. Leisure activities increase
• Why is there a water deficit in the SE of England?

  High population density and low rainfall
• Why is there a water surplus in the N and W coast of the UK?

  High rainfall and low population density
• What is water deficit?

  When areas don't have enough water for the needs of the population
• What is water stress?

  Areas which suffer from long term water deficit will have water stress. It is when water availability is not sufficient enough for the needs of the people or is poor quality.
• How can water become polluted?

  1. Run-off from roads and motorways: oils and other pollutants damage animals and their habitats. It can be transferred to humans by fish

  2. Chemicals in pesticides and fertilisers: eutrophication

  3. Sewage spreads microbes and water bourne diseases
• How does green roofs help with water pollution?

  Naturally filter pollutants in rainwater. They are a form of sustainable water management. Reduce risk of flooding by reducing run-off and act as carbon sinks.
• Advantages of fossil fuels:

  Versatile, burnt to produce heat, efficient, make electricity
• disadvantages of fossil fuels:

  Non renewable, polluting, expensive to extract, release CO2, damage landscape and wildlife
• Advantages of nuclear energy:

  Doesn't release CO2, lasts a long time
• Disadvantages of nuclear energy:

  Finite, produces radioactive waste, expensive to build, danger of a nuclear disaster
• Advantages of renewable energy:

  Renewable, non-polluting
• Disadvantages of renewable energy:

  Expensive to develop, less energy produced, visually unattractive, don't work 100% of the time
• Reasons for reduction in UK coal consumption?

  1. Coal industry is less competitive and is cheaper to import from abroad

  2. Discoveries of cheaper energy + renewables

  3. Decline in demand e.g no steam trains

  4. Increased awareness of global warming and CO2 emissions
• What is water security?

  Having a reliable and sustainable source of enough good quality water to meet everyone's needs
• What is water insecurity?

  When there isn't a reliable supply of clean water to satisfy demand
• Where is our water sourced from?

  1. Rivers and lakes (surface water)

  2. Aquifers (ground water)

  3. Reservoirs
• Physical factors affecting water availability:

  Climate and geology
• Human factors affecting water availability:

  Over-abstraction: leading to degradation which can lead to salt water to pollute ground water

  Poor water infrastructure: can't afford facilities to guarantee water supplies

  Pollution of water supplies: contamination of limited water can also lead to disease
• How does water become unusable?

  1. Poor sewage systems

  2. Microplastics (great pacific garbage patch)

  3. Pesticides and fertilisers

  4. Domestic waste

  5. Industrial waste = toxic chemicals