People and the Planet Consuming Resources - 2

Consuming Resources
1. How and why does resource consumption vary in different parts of the world?
Renewable Will never run out and can be used over and over again Positive ave Power Clean and relatively cheap to produce. Can produce large amount of energy. Negative !pensive to build and install. Can affect coastal ecosystem. "e# sties available to build them. Coal Non-renewable Are being used up and cannot be replaced (finite) Positive Available in many countries. $arge reserves mainly untouched. Negative %urning creates pollution - Acid Rain. Releases C&2 'lobal Warming. (ining is dangerous and damages environment. Air pollution created. Releases C&2 'lobal Warming. ,anger of spills.

!olar Power

)ery clean source of energy. Cheap to produce. fficient. *o #aste or pollution. Cheap.

!pensive to install. *o electricity generated in dar+ or cloudy areas.

"il

fficient ,iverse can be used cars - po#er stations. .ransported easily tan+ers/ pipelines/ $orries.

ind Power

$ots needed to produce enough energy 0nattractive and noisy

!ustainable (eeting the needs of people no# #ithout preventing future generations from meeting their needs. Positive #io $as Converts organic matter such as #ood chips and manure into methane gas to be burnt as fuel. (aterials are easy to find (especially in rural 1ndia #here it is #idely used. (aterials can be replanted to be used again )ery little pollution as small scale pro2ects Cheap Negative &ften small scale so #ould not offer enough energy to po#er a large city.

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#io-gas is a sustainable form of producing energy because 1t beneficial to the local people/ (it is cheap/ small scale and uses available resources). 1t is also not harmful to the environment/ (it does not cause visual pollution/ the carbon mono!ide produced is very little and the fertiliser produced as a byproduct can be used to gro# more crops

orld %nergy &se3 .he amount of energy

people use globally is increasing. (ost of this use is from ( ,C4s #ho demand high standards of living and lots of goods and industries #hich consume large amounts of energy. orld %nergy &se3 .he amount of energy people use globally is increasing. (ost of this use is from ( ,C4s #ho demand high standards of living and lots of goods and industries #hich consume large "'() 1s a 5finite4/ non-rene#able resource. amounts of energy. Consumption of oil for energy and transport has greatly over the lasthas 677risen years and is set to "'() 1s a 5finite4/ non-rene#able resource. Consumption of oil risen for energy and transport continue to rise in the future. 8eople greatly over the last 677 years and is set to continue to rise in the future. 8eople are #orried there are #ill #orried there #ill not be enough to go around/ especially not be enough to go around/ especially as countries develop and economic gro#th continues. as countries develop and economic gro#th continues. 8ea+ &il3 .he point at #hich oil production reaches its ma!imum level and then declines. 8ea+ &il3 .he point at #hich oil production 9o#ever it is difficult to tell ho# long reserves of oil #ill last. .here is uncertainty over3 reaches its ma!imum level and then declines. Pessimistic *iew "ptimistic *iew 9o#ever it is difficult to tell ho# long reserves of :cale of global population gro#th :i;e of undiscovered oil and reserves oil #ill last. .here is gas uncertainty over3 "uture demand particularly developing countries4 energy demands 1mproving efficiency in *iew machines #hich use oil *iew Pessimistic "ptimistic
:cale of global population :i;e of undiscovered oil and gro#th gas reserves ,iscovery of ne# energy technologies "uture demand particularly efficiency in .he scale of the possible s#itch to1mproving rene#able developing countries4 machines #hich use oil energy energy demands

(uch of the #orld4s oil reserves are found (supplied) in the +iddle %ast (:audi technologies (uch of the #orld4s oil reserves are found (supplied) in the +iddle %ast (:audi Arabia/ 1ran). (ost Arabia/ 1ran). (ost of the oil is consumed in the rich countries of . %urope of the oil is consumed in the rich countries of . %urope and N. ,merica. .his could lead to future .he scale of the possible and N. ,merica. .his could lead to future problems. .here could be wars and s#itch to rene#able energy recessions caused by a lac+ of oil. 1t may also become difficult to import it as countries #ill #ant to +eep #hat they have to help their o#n economies gro#.

,iscovery of ne# energy

People and the Planet Consuming Resources - 2

problems. .here could be wars and recessions caused by a lac+ of oil. 1t may also become difficult to import it as countries #ill #ant to +eep #hat they have to help their o#n economies gro#.

.. How sustainable is the current pattern of resource supply and consumption?

+althus Resources will run out 8opulation is gro#ing too fast so people #ill use up resources and have none left. We #ill run out of resources soon/ as our large population has used up too much. Coal #ill run out in <7 years. "amines and death #ill happen #hen there are no resources left. (althus sa# this as a 5natural chec+4 on population gro#th. #oserup Resources will not run out. We #ill never run out of resources as #e #ill +eep inventing ne# technology to help us find ne# ones. *e# mining techni=ues have meant #e can find more resources. Combine-harvesters have improved farming techni=ues so #e can gro# more food in the same si;ed field no#.

(imits to growth theories) ,evised by a group of scientists 5the club of Rome4. .hey agreed #ith (althus saying that population gro#th and resource use #as unsustainable. .hey also said that pollution levels #ould reach dangerous levels unless people started to live in more sustainable #ays.

hat are the challenges for the future?

6. 9o# can #e reduce the demand for resources> Reduce3 the amount of electricity you use by s#itching electrical good and lights off. 0se energy saving light bulbs to reduce the energy consumed. Reuse3 resources li+e plastic bags or bottles. .hese goods are made from products containing oil (finite resource). Reusing them means less have to be produced so oil is conserved. Also less bottles and bags #ill also end up in landfill sites. Recycle3 .his means that ra# materials can be conserved because goods can be made into other products rather then being #asted. 1nvent3 *e# technologies can help conserve energy. (ore efficient machinery #ill use less energy therefore helping to conserve it. .g. 9ydrogen fuel cell technology in cars is loo+ing to use hydrogen instead of petrol/ this is also good because the emissions #ill not damage the environment/ it #ill only give off #ater? co-"ootprints3 .he area of land and sea that supplies all of the things you need to survive. 1t is the impact your lifestyle has on the planet. .g. by the #ay you travel places/ the electricity you consume/ the food you buy (food miles if you food has been imported

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from around the #orld it has a large impact because of the pollution caused by transporting it.) 8eople need to reduce their eco footprints. 2. What is the potential to s#itch to alternative @ rene#able resources> :ustainable development3 (eets the needs of the present #ithout compromising the ability of future generations to meet their o#n needs. .o do this individuals (by reducing/ recycling)/ governments (by introducing la#s and emissions ta!es)/ charities (by pressuring the government and educating people)/ the media (by informing people of #hy and ho# to help) / .rans *ational Companies (.*C4s) (by trying to use more sustainable approaches and carbon offsetting planting trees) and international organisations (by ma+ing agreements on carbon emission targets e.g. Ayoto agreement) must #or+ together.