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 Wave Power Clean and relatively cheap to produce. Can produce large amount of energy. Negative Expensive to build and install. Can affect coastal ecosystem. Few sties available to build them. Coal Non-renewable Are being used up and cannot be replaced (finite) Positive Available in many countries. Large reserves mainly untouched. Negative Burning creates pollution - Acid Rain. Releases CO2 Global Warming. Mining is dangerous and damages environment. Air pollution created. Releases CO2 Global Warming. Danger of spills.

Solar Power

Very clean source of energy. Cheap to produce. Efficient.

Expensive to install. No electricity generated in dark or cloudy areas.

Oil

Efficient Diverse can be used cars + power stations. Transported easily tankers, pipelines, Lorries.

Wind Power

No waste or pollution. Cheap.

Lots needed to produce enough energy Unattractive and noisy

Sustainable Meeting the needs of people now without preventing future generations from meeting their needs. Positive Bio Gas Converts organic matter such as wood chips and manure into methane gas to be burnt as fuel. Materials are easy to find (especially in rural India where it is widely used. Materials can be replanted to be used again Very little pollution as small scale projects Cheap Negative Often 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 by-product can be used to grow more crops and plants).

People and the Planet Consuming Resources - 2

World Energy Use: The amount of energy people use globally is increasing. Most of this use is from MEDCs who demand high standards of living and lots of goods and industries which consume large amounts of energy. OIL: Is a finite, non-renewable resource. Consumption of oil for energy and transport has risen greatly over the last 100 years and is set to continue to rise in the future. People are worried there will not be enough to go around, especially as countries develop and economic growth continues. Peak Oil: The point at which oil production reaches its maximum level and then declines. However it is difficult to tell how long reserves of oil will last. There is uncertainty over:

Pessimistic View Scale of global population growth Future demand particularly developing countries energy demands

Optimistic View Size of undiscovered oil and gas reserves Improving efficiency in machines which use oil

Discovery of new energy technologies The scale of the possible switch to renewable energy

Much of the worlds oil reserves are found (supplied) in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iran). Most of the oil is consumed in the rich countries of W. Europe and N. America. This could lead to future problems. There could be wars and recessions caused by a lack of oil. It may also become difficult to import it as countries will want to keep what they have to help their own economies grow.

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

Malthus Resources will run out Population is growing too fast so people will use up resources and have none left. Boserup Resources will not run out. We will never run out of resources as we will keep inventing new technology to help us find new ones. New mining techniques have meant we can find more resources.

We will run out of resources soon, as our large population has used up too much. Coal will run out in 40 years. Famines and death will happen when there are no resources left. Malthus saw this as a natural check on population growth.

Combine-harvesters have improved farming techniques so we can grow more food in the same sized field now.

Limits to growth theories: Devised by a group of scientists the club of Rome. They agreed with Malthus saying that population growth and resource use was unsustainable. They also said that pollution levels would reach dangerous levels unless people started to live in more sustainable ways.

People and the Planet Consuming Resources - 2

What are the challenges for the future?

1. How can we reduce the demand for resources? Reduce: the amount of electricity you use by switching electrical good and lights off. Use energy saving light bulbs to reduce the energy consumed. Reuse: resources like plastic bags or bottles. These 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 will also end up in landfill sites. Recycle: This means that raw materials can be conserved because goods can be made into other products rather then being wasted. Invent: New technologies can help conserve energy. More efficient machinery will use less energy therefore helping to conserve it. E.g. Hydrogen fuel cell technology in cars is looking to use hydrogen instead of petrol, this is also good because the emissions will not damage the environment, it will only give off water! Eco-Footprints: The 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. E.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.) People need to reduce their eco footprints. 2. What is the potential to switch to alternative / renewable resources? Sustainable development: Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To 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) , Trans National Companies (TNCs) (by trying to use more sustainable approaches and carbon offsetting planting trees) and international organisations (by making agreements on carbon emission targets e.g. Kyoto agreement) must work together.