Consuming Resources

Resource consumption is a major concern globally. There are different views as to how sustainable our consumption is as

supplies of many resources, such as oil are finite. There is also concern over the ‘two speed’ world, with developed countries consuming over 80% of the resources but only containing 20%

of the population.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy_resources/what_resources_video.shtml

You need to know:

2.1 How and why does resource consumption vary in different parts of the world?

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

Key terms:Key term Definition

Alternative energy Energy sources that provide an alternative to fossil fuels

Boserupian Theory Ester Boserup (a Danish economist) argued that in times of pressure, people will find ways to increase the production of food by increasing workforce, machinery, fertilizers. ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’.

Carbon Footprint A measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce

Consumption The using up of something

Ecological Footprint The area needed to supply resources to an individual or a group of people to maintain their lifestyle.

Food insecurity When it is difficult to obtain sufficent food. This can range from hunger to full blown famine

Food Security The ability to obtain sufficent food on a day to day basis.

Fossil Fuel Oil, coal and gas – Non renewable energy

Key term DefinitionFinite resource A resource that is restricted or limited

Human resource The skills and abilities of the population

Malthusian Theory Thomas Malthus argued that eventually population would outstrip food supply and at this point population would decrease through starvation and other natural checks like war, disease and morality.

Natural Resource A resource that is naturally occuring like water, minerals that can be turned into something in its own right or made into something else.

Non renewable resource

Resources that are being used up and cannot be replaced

Peak oil The point at which oil production reaches a maximum level and then declines

Key term Definition

Recyclable resource Resources, such as wood, that can be renewed if we act to replace them as we use them.

Sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising (limiting) the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable resource A resource that is used up at the same speed that it is renewed.

Key Idea 1: Energy resources – what are their advantages & disadvantages?

Coal

(South West

Australia)

Oil & natural gas –

North Sea (UK)

Nuclear Energy

(France)

Fuel-wood -

Mozambique

Hydro-electric

Katse Dam -

Lesotho

Geo -thermal energy

(Iceland)

Wind

(Californnia -USA)

Solar-power

(Greece)

Wave / tidal

energy (St Malo

France)

Biogas

(India)

Coal currently provides a large amount of the world energy.

Oil & gas are cheaper than coal.

Most transport runs off oil

Very few materials needed

Nuclear power is very efficient and produces a lot of electricity

It does not produce any CO2

Cheap & readily available

Easy source of fuel to use for people in developing countries

Trees are renewable if managed properly

Produces very little pollution

Once built, it is renewable and cheap to produce.

Reservoirs created can reduce water shortages.

Does not produce CO2

Once it is built it produces energy cheaply

It produces very little pollution or CO2

renewable and will provide a constant source of energy

Does not produce any air pollution

Does not produce any CO2

Once built they produce electricity very cheaply

Wind farms could generate 20% of UK’s energy needs.

It is renewable / there is an unlimited supply

Does not produce any air pollution

Or CO2

Very good for small scale energy needs such as houses and villages in developing countries

Does not produce any air pollution

Does not produce any CO2

Bio-gas plants are very cheap to build & maintain

Very good at providing energy for small scale needs such as a village or house

It uses renewable materials such as food waste and animal dung

The less coal there is the more expensive it becomes to mine

Deep mining can be very dangerous

Open cast mines look very ugly

Burning coal produces large amounts of CO2

Dust from coal can cause breathing problems

Reserves might only last another 50 years

New oil & gas fields are difficult to find

Oil & gas are easy to transport by pipeline

Oil spills harm the environment

Gas and oil refineries can look ugly

Nuclear accidents can be extremely dangerous

Nuclear plants can look ugly and are very expensive to build

Nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of

Breaking down old nuclear power stations is very expensive

Cutting down trees causes soil erosion

In developing countries trees are rarely re-planted

Can cause heavy deforestation

Dams are very expensive to build

Large areas of land often have to be flooded

Building geo-thermal energy plants is very expensive

Very limited choice of places where the plants can be built

Wind turbines can look ugly and can be noisy

Wind does not always blow – so does not always produce electricity

Needs lots of sunshine, so would not work all year round and in all countries.

Solar panels are very expensive to build

Tidal stations are very expensive to build

Can interfere with wildlife e.g. stop breeding fish from swimming up-stream in rivers

It produces methane which is a greenhouse gas.

Key Idea 2: Why are there global inequalities in the supply and consumption of resources.

Oil consumption per person by country

Oil production

GDP by country

Richer countries tend to be found in the northern hemisphere for example in North America and Western Europe.

These countries tend to consume more energy because their citizens have more goods such cars and large houses which use lots of electricity.

If a country has lots of resources it does not always mean it will be rich. Saudi Arabia has lots of oil and is very wealthy. This is because it sells lots of its oil to the rest of the world for a high price.

On the other hand several African countries have lots of oil but are still extremely poor. This is because the wealth from this oil goes into the hands of very few of people and often to corrupt governments that don’t look after their people properly.

There are also examples of countries that have no resources but are very wealthy. For example Japan. This is because it generates its wealth in other ways such as through developing new technologies and providing financial services. They can therefore afford to import all of the energy they need.

Benefits:There are about 300billion barrels of oil in the tar sands (equivalent to Saudi Arabian oil reserves)Tar oil extraction would make profits for the major oil companiesThere would be tax benefits for countries with tar sandsDependence on the unstable middle eastern countries would be reduced.Continued production of oil would avoid the costs of switching to other fuels, such as hydrogen.

Consumption benefits

Disadvantages:Heavy Oils like this produce up to three times more CO2 than light oils Tar oil extraction uses vast quantities of water – up to six barrels for each barrel of oilAncient spruce forests will need to be removed to scape away the oil sands and the pollution of ground water and rivers is inevitable300 billion barrels is only about 5 years supply so only delays the inevitable search for alternatives.

Benefits:Wind is a renewable energy resource and there are no fuel costs. No harmful polluting gases are produced.Wind is unlimitedNew Wind turbines are being developed which are much more efficent

Disadvantages:It is relatively expensive and huge amounts of wind turbines are needed to generate significant amounts of energyWind farms are noisy and may spoil the view for people living near them. The amount of electricity generated depends on the strength of the wind - if there is no wind, there is no electricity.

Named study 1 : Renewable V’s Non Renwable Energy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84zIj_EdQdM&safe=active

Tar Sands Oilhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNHYwPdg0Fw

Wind PowerThese are enormous reserves of Tar Sands in Canada

The London Array is an off-shore wind farm in the Thames Estuary

Key idea 3: How does using energy impact on the environment?.

MEDC’s produce the most pollution and CO2 but it is LEDC ‘s that suffer the most from pollution - watch this clip to help you understand why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghfirMLNfNA&safe=active

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ - work out your ecological footprint. How many planets will we need to support your lifestyle?

Key Idea 4: How much Oil is there?

Uneven patterns of oil supply and demand

Current production is focused in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. However many of these countries have reached ‘peak oil’ (production of relatively cheaply obtained oil has reached its maximum so there is now a fall in production).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt3dGOTyGaE&safe=active

Oil is used in a great many ways in modern society. It fuels cars, heats buildings and provides electricity and makes the plastic we use in everyday life. Oil is a finite resource and one day it will run out.

Peak oil is the point at which oil reaches a maximum level and will start to decline as this means oil will be harder to access. This means oil will become more expensive and will lead to a global recession as goods become more expensive to produce and transport. This in turn could lead to more global conflicts and war.

Key ideas 5: Future pressures on both supply and consumption of this resource in view of recent global economic growth

China and India are continuing to grow rapidly with a combined population of 1,400 million using 71 million cars. In most cases as the population grows the demand for cars will increase as the hope to get ‘the American Dream’. To achieve this Tata Motors based in India has begun production a car priced at £1500, this increasing the demand for oil and adding to C02 emissions.

Consumption is largely related to the wealth of a country and its reliance on cars. 70% of the world’s oil is used transporting goods and people within and between countries.

The USA has less than 5% of the population but uses 25% of the oil mainly due to:- Lack of public transport systems- Low density urban settlements so need long journeys to work, school etc- History of low petrol prices

Energy Security – The Facts Energy supply, demand and security•There are many energy sources that can be classified in different ways (flows of renewable sources, stocks of non-renewable and recyclable sources) and that have different environmental costs.•Access to and consumption of energy resources, both renewable and non-renewable, is not evenly distributed, and depends on physical factors, cost, technology and public perception. Some areas suffer from energy poverty, while others have a surplus.•Demand for energy is growing globally, and at regional and local scales, especially in developed and emergent economies such as China and India.•Energy security depends on resource availability (domestic and foreign) and security of supply, which can be affected by geopolitics, and is a key issue for many economies.

The impacts of energy insecurity•Energy pathways, between producers and consumers, are complex and show increasing levels of risk e.g. the trans-Siberian gas pipeline into Western Europe, or Middle Eastern supplies.•There are real risks, in economic and political terms, if energy supplies are disrupted.•Increasing energy insecurity has stimulated exploration of technically difficult and environmentally sensitive areas, such as the Arctic circle, the West Shetland field and Canadian oil shales, which may incur environmental costs.•Energy TNCs, OPEC countries and other large producers are increasingly powerful players in the global supply of energy.

Energy security and the future•There is uncertainty over both global energy supply in terms of reserves (eg peak oil and gas) and demand (economic growth rates, conservation of resources, a switch to renewable sources).•There are different responses to increasing energy demands – such as ‘business as usual’ reliance on fossil fuels or the adoption of alternative sources such as nuclear, or wind power. Each has costs and benefits, such as future climate change, and local opposition.•Energy insecurity may lead to increased geopolitical tension and the potential for conflict, eg in the Middle East, or between gas consumers in Europe and producers in Russia, as consumers attempt to secure supplies.•Meeting future energy needs in developing, emergent and developed economies while avoiding serious environmental degradation requires up-scaling of radical new approaches (conservation, recyling, reliance on renewables, carbon credits and ‘green’ taxation) involving difficult choices.

Named Example 2: OPEC – Controlling Oil prices

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

It stands for the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.They try to preserve oil preserves for longer than those that are not within OPEC.It is an intergovernmental organistation of developing countries which have oil.It works in determining production and prices of oil.It is not as influential in controling the price of oil as it used to be due to large supplies in Russia and the Gulf of Mexico. It has been in effect since 1961

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMxTZQgespU&safe=active

Why might countries like the UK, USA and Germany be critical of OPEC and their policies?

Key Idea 6: Investigate the differences between Malthusian and Boserupian theories about the relationship between population and resources.

Malthus Theory (1766-1834)- Population increases faster than food supply so there would come a time when the world could not cope.- Population increases geometrically (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16)- Food supply increases arithmetically (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)- Population would outgrow the amount of food available leading to famine, war and diseaseMalthus argued that there were ways to prevent population from extending beyond the food supplies necessary to support it (optimum population). This includes a combination of 1.‘Negative’: Methods people choose to reduce human fertility e.g. China’s one child policy, sterilisation2. Positives’: Anything which increases mortality: e.g. low living standards, disease

Malthus argued that this would kept the carrying capacity in check (the number of plants, animals or human which can be adequately supported (carried) by the land)

Boserup Theory 1965- Population growth has a positive impact on people as it forces them to invent a way out of a problem when resources start to run out e.g. GM crops- Overpopulation leads to innovation and higher productivity in use of land (irrigation, weeding, crop intensification, better seeds) and labour (tools, better techniques) e.g. GM Crops and the Green Revolution

Key idea 8: How well do these theories stand up to current global resource supply and demand?

Malthus predictions turned out to be wrong as food production has increased rapidly. In the 19th and 20th Century the population increased but alongside the quality of life and living standards rose across the globe. Neo-Malthusians suggest that the theory has some truth due to the high levels of famine in the world today.

Scan in Map page 168 Green Text Book

Named Example 3: UK Government Energy Policy

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change

• Supporting international action on climate change• Increasing the use of low carbon technologies• Helping households to cut their energy bills• Reducing the demand for energy in business, industry and the public sector• Maintaining UK energy security• Regulating and licensing UK energy industries and infrastructure• Managing the use and disposal of radioactive materials and waste

TARGETS:• Reduce UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050• 20% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020

Named Example 4: Local Government policies to reduce resource consumption

Recycling helps as materials are reused and resources saved.Cycle lanes help with the reduction of C02 emissions.Installing electric car charging points help to reduce CO2 emissions as people use less cars.Congestion charging helps with reducing C02 emissionsParking charges help with reducing car use.Car share schemes help with reducing car use.Bus lanes help with reducing car use.Promoting farmers markets help with supporting local farmers and reduces cost of transporting food.

http://www.merton.gov.uk/

Key idea 9: Technological fix

Consuming Resources – past questions In the future it may be difficult for countries to provide enough energy. Explain the problems that countries may face. (4)Define the term renewable energy resources. (2) Name one example of a renewable energy source. (1) Define the term non-renewable energy. (2) Identify a developing country with a rapidly rising demand for resources. (1) Suggest two reasons why resource consumption is low in some countries. (2) Give two reasons why resource consumption is high in developed countries. (2) Suggest two reasons for changes in global oil production. (2) Outline why the demand for one named resource is increasing. (2) Explain the pressure on energy supplies that could result from future economic growth and changing international relations (4) NewSuggest two reasons why the consumption of a named resource might fall in the future. (2) Explain one reason why global oil production may fall after 2015. (2)Identify two reasons for changes in global production of non-renewable energy (2) NewFor a named resource, describe the inequalities in its consumption. (4) Outline one way in which a non-renewable resource can be replaced by renewable resources. (2) Other than recycling, describe two ways in which resource consumption can be made more sustainable (4) NewSuggest two reasons why some people do not recycle their household waste (2) NewExplain how national and local government policies can help reduce resource consumption (6) NewExplain why countries using electricity may need to switch to renewable energy resources in the future. (2) Explain the problems of switching from non-renewable resources, such as oil, to renewable resources. (4) Explain one reason why oil may become less important as an energy source in the future. (2) Describe Malthus’s theory about population growth and resources. (2) Explain the relationship between population and food supply outlined by Malthus (4) NewDescribe how technology might solve the problem of resource shortages. (4) Explain why Boserup suggests that population growth might be a good thing. (4) Explain the differences in the theories of Malthus and Boserup about the relationship between population and resources (6) NewExplain one reason why population growth might be a good thing for a country. (2) Explain one reason why population growth might be good for a country. (2)

Consuming Resources

Good Luck