AQA GCSE Geography Paper 2

• Global significance of food

  -We need 2000 calories for growth and health
• Global significance of water

  -vital for drinking -producing crops -energy
• Global significance of energy

  -required for economic development -powers machinery -traded worldwide
• Global inequalities of food

  -over a billion people are undernourished (not eating enough) -two billion are malnourished (under/over nutrition) -obesity is an increasing problem in HICs
• Global inequalities of water

  -climate and rainfall variations affect water supply -rainwater capture -storage (reservoirs) and extraction (underground aquifers) is expensive therefore easier in HICs
• Global inequalities of energy

  -the world's richest countries use far more energy than poorer countries -as NEEs become more industrialised, demand will increase
• Food in the UK

  Half grown, half imported
• Demand for food has changed as people seek:

  -greater variety (exotic) -year round availability (out-of-season produce) -healthier options (organic produce)
• Importing foods has environmental costs in terms of food miles and its carbon footprint. This leads to:

  -modern, technological, highly specialised, mechanised, intensive, commercial agribusiness maximise production using agrochemicals and economies of scale -locally sourced food goes directly to the public through farm shops, farmers markets and 'pick your own'
• Water in UK

  may exceed supply by 2034, as population increases, there are more houses and domestic appliance and more agriculture irrigation
• as climate changes matching supply and demand is a growing challenge:


  deficit: demand exceeds supply, surplus: supply exceeds demand, pipeline water transfer schemes aim to resolve mismatches
• Managing water quality - pollution from

  agriculture: agrochemical residues and farm waste

  housing: leaking sewers and detergents

  industry: toxic effluent from manufacturing and chemical processes
• Energy mix in the UK


  Changed significantly since the 1990s
• Main use of energy


  Electricity generation
• Non-renewable


  domination has declined markedly in favour of renewables
• Energy consumption has fallen due to


  Increased energy efficiency
• UK is no longer self-sufficient


  75% oil and gas reserves exhausted 1/3 of its energy is now imported
• Due to no guarantee on energy security, there are future decisions on:


  fracking - EQ, groundwater pollution, climate change

  nuclear - expensive, produces radioactive waste

  coal - contrasts greenhouse gas emission targets

  wind farms - eye sores NIMBY
• Countries where energy consumption increasing

  USA, Canada, Australia, much of Europe (growing demand for industry, transport and domestic use)
• Reasons for increasing energy consumption


  Economic development: as development increases demand increases to supply economic growth (India)

  Population growth: more people means more demand

  Technology: increasing use means more electricity
• Factors affecting energy supply (technology)

  Technological developments allow exploitation of energy in remote environments

  New fracking technology allows the extraction of shale gas

  Renewable energy exploitation is becoming efficient
• Factors affecting energy supply (Cost of exploitation)

  Determines whether energy reserves can be exploited

  Most energy sources are expensive to develop

  Costs fluctuate according to supply and demand
• Factors affecting energy supply (Political)

  Energy insecurity has contributed to conflicts

  Conflicts can disrupt energy supplies

  Fears arisen that Iran might hide non-peaceful motivations in developing nuclear power
• Factors affecting energy supply (Physical)

  Geology determines location of fossil fuels

  Mountainous areas with high rainfall have HEP potential

  Geothermal energy is produced in areas of tectonic activity
• Impacts of energy security (exploration)

  countries look for new sources of energy in challenging and environmentally-sensitive areas
• Impacts of energy security (economic and environmental costs)

  exploitation is costly and can lead to catastrophes such as oil spills
• Impacts of energy security (food production)

  modern large-scale agriculture requires large amounts of energy
• Impacts of energy security (industrial output)

  energy is required for power and as a raw material (oil used in manufacturing chemicals)

  shortages and fluctuating prices impact production
• Impacts of energy security (potential for energy conflict)

  difficult decisions regarding prioritising agricultural, industrial or domestic consumers

  threats of sabotage on energy pipelines

  wars in fear of oil shortages and rising prices
• Increasing energy supplies (Fossil fuels)

  Reserves remain

  Important for electricity generation

  Carbon capture technology could help offset high CO2 emissions
• Increasing energy supplies (biomass and geothermal)

  Renewable, but have issues

  Biomass can be burned (polluting) or processed into biofuel

  Geothermal is expensive to install and restricted to tectonically active areas
• Increasing energy supplies (wind and solar)

  increasingly dominant

  turbines are now proven but visually controversial NIMBY and weather dependent

  Solar photovoltaic cells are improving in efficiency but expensive and need land and sunlight
• Increasing energy supplies (HEP, tidal and wave)

  renewable but expensive and controversial

  HEP dams and reservoirs flood valuable land and displace landowners

  Tidal barrages have environmental impacts (ecosystems)

  Wave power farms are wind and weather dependent
• Increasing energy supplies (nuclear power)

  safe, efficient, low-carbon technology

  very expensive to develop and concerns persist over radioactive waste disposal

  fear of future accidents
• CASE STUDY Natural Gas (Advantages)

  Lower CO2 emissions than coal or oil

  Lower risk of environmental accidents

  Easy to transport by pipeline or tankers
• CASE STUDY Natural Gas (Disadvantages)

  Some reserves are in politically unstable countries

  Contributes to global warming by producing CO2 and methane

  Fracking is highly controversial NIMBY
• Sustainable approaches (Energy conservation)

  Reducing individual energy use and carbon footprint

  Designing new homes and workplaces for sustainablility
• Sustainable approaches (transport)

  electric trams and 'green buses'

  car-sharing or buying electric cars
• Sustainable approaches (reducing energy demand)

  government incentives or grants for energy-efficient home improvements

  use of smart electricity meters and raising public energy awareness
• Sustainable approaches (technology to increase fossil fuel efficiency)

  energy-efficient home appliances and cars

  carbon capture and storage