People and the Planet Consuming

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Consuming Resources
1. How and why does resource consumption vary in different parts of the world
Renewable "ill 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. !egative $xpensive to build and install. Can affect coastal ecosystem. %ew sties available to build them. Coal !on-renewable #re being used up and cannot be replaced (finite) Positive #vailable in many countries. &arge reserves mainly untouched. !egative 'urning creates pollution - #cid ain. eleases C(! )lobal "arming. *ining is dangerous and damages environment. #ir pollution created. eleases C(! )lobal "arming. .anger of spills.

#olar Power

+ery clean source of energy. Cheap to produce. $fficient. ,o waste or pollution. Cheap.

$xpensive to install. ,o electricity generated in daror cloudy areas.

$il

$fficient .iverse can be used cars / power stations. 0ransported easily tan-ers, pipelines, &orries.

"ind Power

&ots needed to produce enough energy 1nattractive and noisy

#ustainable *eeting the needs of people now without preventing future generations from meeting their needs. Positive Bio %as Converts organic matter such as wood chips and manure into methane gas to be burnt as fuel. *aterials are easy to find (especially in rural India where it is widely used. *aterials can be replanted to be used again +ery little pollution as small scale pro2ects Cheap !egative (ften small scale so would not offer enough energy to power a large city.

Bio-gas is a sustainable form of producing energy because It beneficial to the local people, (it is cheap, small scale and uses available resources). It is also not harmful to the environment, (it does not cause visual pollution, the carbon monoxide produced is very little and the fertiliser produced as a byproduct can be used to grow more crops

People and the Planet Consuming

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"orld &nergy 'se3 0he amount of energy people use globally is increasing. *ost of this use is from *$.C4s who demand high standards of living and lots of goods and industries which consume large amounts of energy. $()* Is a 5finite4, non-renewable resource. Consumption of oil for energy and transport has risen greatly over the last 677 years and is set to continue to rise in the future. 8eople are worried there will not be enough to go around, especially as countries develop and economic growth continues. 8ea- (il3 0he point at which oil production reaches its maximum level and then declines. 9owever it is difficult to tell how long reserves of oil will last. 0here is uncertainty over3 Pessimistic +iew :cale of global population growth $ptimistic +iew

"orld &nergy 'se3 0he amount of energy :i;e of undiscovered oil and gas reserves people use globally is increasing. *ost of this use isefficiency from *$.C4s who demand high of %uture demand particularly developing countries4 Improving in machines which usestandards oil living and lots of goods and industries which energy demands consume large amounts of energy. .iscovery of new energy technologies $()* Is a 5finite4, non-renewable resource. 0he scale of the possible switch to renewable Consumption of oil for energy and transport has energy risen greatly over the last 677 years and is set to continue to rise in the future. 8eople are worried there will not be enough to go around, especially *uch of the world4s oil reserves are found (supplied) in the ,iddle &ast (:audi #rabia, Iran). *ost as countries develop and economic growth of the oil is consumed in the rich countries of ". &urope and !. -merica. 0his could lead to future continues. problems. 0here could be wars and recessions caused by a lac- of oil. It may also become difficult to import it as countries will want to -eep what they have to help their (il own economies grow. oil production 8ea3 0he point at which
reaches its maximum level and then declines. 9owever it is difficult to tell how long reserves of oil will last. 0here is uncertainty over3
Pessimistic +iew :cale of global population growth %uture demand particularly developing countries4 energy demands $ptimistic +iew :i;e of undiscovered oil and gas reserves Improving efficiency in machines which use oil

*uch of the world4s oil reserves are found (supplied) in the ,iddle &ast (:audi #rabia, Iran). *ost of the oil is consumed in the rich countries of ". &urope and !. -merica. 0his could lead to future problems. 0here could be wars and recessions caused by a lac- of oil. It may also become difficult to import it as countries will want to -eep what they have to help their own economies grow.

.iscovery of new energy technologies 0he scale of the possible switch to renewable energy

People and the Planet Consuming

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

,althus esources will run out 8opulation is growing too fast so people will use up resources and have none left. "e will run out of resources soon, as our large population has used up too much. Coal will run out in <7 years. %amines and death will happen when there are no resources left. *althus saw this as a 5natural chec-4 on population growth. Boserup esources will not run out. "e will never run out of resources as we will -eep inventing new technology to help us find new ones. ,ew mining techni=ues have meant we can find more resources. Combine-harvesters have improved farming techni=ues so we can grow more food in the same si;ed field now.

)imits to growth theories* .evised by a group of scientists 5the club of ome4. 0hey agreed with *althus saying that population growth and resource use was unsustainable. 0hey also said that pollution levels would reach dangerous levels unless people started to live in more sustainable ways.

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"hat are the challenges for the future

6. 9ow can we reduce the demand for resources> educe3 the amount of electricity you use by switching electrical good and lights off. 1se energy saving light bulbs to reduce the energy consumed. euse3 resources li-e plastic bags or bottles. 0hese goods are made from products containing oil (finite resource). eusing them means less have to be produced so oil is conserved. #lso less bottles and bags will also end up in landfill sites. ecycle3 0his means that raw materials can be conserved because goods can be made into other products rather then being wasted.

Invent3 ,ew technologies can help conserve energy. *ore efficient machinery will 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 will not damage the environment, it will only give off water? $co-%ootprints3 0he area of land and sea that supplies all of the things you need to survive. It is the impact your lifestyle has on the planet. $.g. by the way you travel places, the electricity you consume, the food you buy (food miles if you food has been imported from around the world it has a large impact because of the pollution caused by transporting it.) 8eople need to reduce their eco footprints. !. "hat is the potential to switch to alternative @ renewable resources> :ustainable development3 *eets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 0o do this individuals (by reducing, recycling), governments (by introducing laws and emissions taxes), charities (by pressuring the government and educating people), the media (by informing people of why and how to help) , 0rans ,ational Companies (0,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 wor- together.

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