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Resources
An increasing global population needs more resources. At a basic level there we need uncontaminated food and water supplies, shelter, clothing and good health. Resources are also required to make all the things that we use in our daily lives.
The demand for resources
A shopper in Greenwich, London
When people use something, it becomes a resource.
People in
MEDCs
need lots of resources to sustain their high levels of consumption. Whereas, people in
LEDCs
sometimes have limited access to basic resources such as food and water. People in LEDCs also often have rich natural resources, such as large forests and deep deposits of valuable metals and minerals. To help them out of poverty, LEDCs can extract and sell resources to MEDCs.
This system creates a dependency that has serious implications for the environment. The more resources that MEDCs buy from LEDCs, the more money there is for LEDCs to improve living standards, but the greater the impact on the environment.
A water pump in Lulimba, DR Congo
There is an increasing demand for goods and services from a growing global population, especially those in MEDCs. The world’s resources are being used up more quickly. The consumption of resources is spread unequally between MEDCs, who use more resources, and LEDCs, who use less.
Consequences of resource exploitation
Socio-economic consequences
Higher energy prices as sources are depleted, eg increase in petrol prices and domestic fuel bills in the UK. This can have the result of leaving the elderly and those on low incomes in fuel poverty.
The gap between rich and poor becomes more evident.
Funding needed for research into alternative energy, and increased costs for exploration
and extraction of existing energy sources.
Environmental consequences
Cooling towers in York
Increased carbon emissions cause global warming with consequences including climate change and sea levels rising due to melting ice caps.
Air pollution from factories as countries industrialise and exploit resources. The economic miracle in China is exploiting resources at a rapid rate and making Chinese cities, such as Beijing, some of the most polluted in the world.
Ecosystems such as rainforests are under threat from exploitation as countries eg Brazil, exploit their resources for development.
Political consequences
Global agreements such as the
Kyoto
Protocol
to reduce carbon emissions, and a need for international cooperation.
Loss of public support for governments from as domestic fuel bills and petrol prices rise.
People are forced to change their lifestyle, which is unpopular.
Case study: consequences of resource exploitation
The inequality in the use of resources between MEDCs and LEDCs is shown by their carbon emissions. Countries that use a lot of
fossil
fuels
to produce energy to power industry and electricity and heat for homes, also produce a lot of carbon gasses, as an unwanted by-product. Carbon dioxide (CO2), in particular, is given off when fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, are burnt.
Plants and trees need CO2 and use it up. However, if there is too much CO2 due to factories and power stations, combined with a reduction in the number of trees, through deforestation, CO2builds up in the atmosphere.
This build up of CO2 is believed to contribute to
global
warming
through the
greenhouse
effect.
This is why CO2 is called a greenhouse gas.
The biggest producers of CO2 in the world are the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Mexico.
The largest producers by far are the USA and China.
The diagram below the countries that contribute the biggest percentage of the world’s carbon emissions.
Countries contributing to carbon emissions
Sustainable use of resources
A recycling point in Eastbourne, Sussex
The world’s natural resources have conflicting demands upon them and can be difficult to manage:
The environment should be preserved.
Resources need to be retained for future generations to enjoy.
Humans need to continue to make and do the things that allow them to live comfortably.
LEDCs need to develop, through exploiting their resources.
There should be a better balance between the consumption of those resources between
LEDCs and MEDCs.
Wind Turbines on Ovenden Moor, West Yorkshire
To conserve natural resources for future generations,
sustainable
management of the natural environment is necessary. Alternative resources might be developed in order to ease the strain on finite
resources.
However, alternative resources can be expensive and take time to develop. Existing resources could be used more efficiently, to prevent finite resources being used up so quickly.
Ways to limit the damage caused by humans to the environment include:
Tents at a music festival in Gloucestershie
Sustainable
resource management can help ensure that the use of resources does not cause an imbalance in the environment. Increasingly, sustainable practices are being encouraged to preserve animal and plant life for the benefit of future generations. An example of sustainable development is eco-tourism. Tourists are able to enjoy areas of natural beauty without requiring over-development that might harm the environment.
Recycling
resources reduces waste. Used cans, bottles, paper and cardboard can be
recycled and reduces the need to use extra resources.
Limiting carbon emissions generated from industrial and domestic use of fuels can assist in reducing pollution levels and limit environmental problems such as
global warming
and acid
rain.
Some governments, including the UK, signed the
Kyoto Protocol
to say they will try to reduce carbon emissions.
Resource
substitution
is
another sustainable way in which resources can be managed.
Renewable
resources can be used instead of finite resources. Electric power can be produced with a renewable energy resource such as tidal, wind or solar power instead of fossil
fuels.
All life on earth is sustained by energy from the sun. Plants and animals can store energy and some of this energy remains with them when they die. It is the remains of these ancient animals and plants that make up
fossil
fuels.
Energy sources
Fossil fuels are
non–renewable
energy sources and will one day run-out. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases and relying on them for energy generation is
unsustainable.
Hence the need to find more renewable, sustainable ways of generating energy. Renewable or infinite
energy resources are sources of power that quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again.
Some resources can be thought of as both renewable and non-renewable.
Wood can be used for fuel and is renewable if trees are replanted.
Biomass, which is material from living things, can be renewable if plants are replanted.
Over the last 200 years an ever-increasing proportion of our energy has come from non-
renewable sources such as oil and coal.
Non-renewable energy resources
Type of Where it is from Advantages Disadvantages fuel
Coal Formed from
Ready-made When burnt coal gives
(fossil fossilised plants and fuel. off atmospheric pollutants, fuel) consisting of carbon with It is relatively including
greenhouse gases.
various organic and some cheap to mine and to inorganic compounds. convert into energy.
Mined from seams of Coal supplies coal, found sandwiched will last longer than between layers of rock in the oil or gas.
earth.
Burnt to provide heat
or electricity.
Oil (fossil A carbon-based liquid Oil is a ready- When burnt, it gives fuel) formed from fossilised made fuel. off atmospheric pollutants, animals. Relatively including greenhouse gases.
Lakes of oil are cheap to extract and Only a limited supply.
sandwiched between seams to convert into of rock in the earth. energy.
Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out.
Widely used in
industry and transport.
Natural Methane and some Gas is a When burnt, it gives gas (fossil other gases trapped between ready-made fuel. off atmospheric pollutants, fuel) seams of rock under the It is a including greenhouse gases. earth’s surface. relatively cheap form Only limited supply of Pipes are sunk into of energy. gas.
the ground to release the gas. It’s a slightly
Often used in houses cleaner fuel than for heating and cooking. coal and oil.
Nuclear Radioactive minerals A small Nuclear reactors are such as uranium are mined. amount of expensive to run.
Electricity is radioactive material Nuclear waste is highly generated from the energy produces a lot of toxic, and needs to be safely that is released when the energy. stored for hundereds or atoms of these minerals are Raw thousands of years (storage is split (fission) or joined materials are extremely expensive).
Type of Where it is from Advantages Disadvantages
fuel
together (fusion) in nuclear
relatively cheap and Leakage of nuclear
reactors. can last quite a long materials can have a
time. devastating impact on people
It doesn’t and the environment. The give off atmospheric worst nuclear reactor accident
pollutants. was at Chernobyl, Ukraine in
1986.
Biomass Biomass energy is It is a cheap When burnt, it gives generated from decaying and readily available off atmospheric pollutants, plant or animal waste. source of energy. including greenhouse gases. If
It can also be an If the crops crops are not replanted, organic material which is are replaced, biomass is a non-renewable burnt to provide energy, eg biomass can be a resource.
heat, or electricity. long-term,
An example of sustainable energy biomass energy is oilseed source.
rape (yellow flowers you see
in the UK in summer), which produces oil.
After treatment with chemicals it can be used as a fuel in diesel engines.
Wood Obtained from felling A cheap and When burnt it gives off trees, burnt to generate heat readily available atmospheric pollutants,
and light. source of energy. including greenhouse gases.
If the trees If trees are not
are replaced, wood replanted wood is a non- burning can be a renewable resource.
long-term,
sustainable energy source.
How long will fossil fuels last?
Estimates from international organisations suggest that if the world’s demand for energy from fossil fuels continues at the present rate that oil and gas reserves may run out within some of our lifetimes. Coal is expected to last longer.
Estimated length of time left for fossil fuels
Fossil fuel | Time left |
Oil |
50 years |
Natural gas |
70 years |
Coal |
250 years |
Renewable energy sources
Renewable energy sources quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again. For this reason they are sometimes called infinite energy resources.
The advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources.
Type of energy Where it is from Advantages Disadvantages
Solar Energy from sunlight is captured in solar panels and converted into electricity.
Wind Wind turbines
(modern windmills) turn wind energy into electricity.
Tidal The movement of tides drives turbines.
A tidal barrage (a kind of dam) is built across estuaries, forcing water through gaps.
In future underwater turbines may be possible out at sea and without dams.
Wave The movement of
seawater in and out of a cavity on the shore compresses trapped air, driving a turbine.
Geothermal In volcanic regions it is possible to use the natural heat of the earth.
Cold water is pumped under ground and comes out as steam.
Steam can be used for heating or to power turbines creating electricity.
Potentially infinite energy supply.
Single dwellings can have own electricity supply.
Can be found singularly, but usually many together in wind farms.
Potentially infinite energy supply.
Ideal for an island such as the UK.
Potential to generate a lot of energy.
Tidal barrage can double as a bridge, and help prevent flooding.
Ideal for an island country.
More likely to be small local operations, rather than done on a national scale.
Potentially infinite energy supply.
Used successfully in some countries, such as New Zealand and Iceland.
Manufacture and implementation of solar panels can be costly.
Manufacture and implementation of wind farms can be costly.
Some local people object to on- shore wind farms, arguing that it spoils the countryside.
Construction of barrage is very costly.
Only a few estuaries are suitable.
Opposed by some environmental groups as having a negative impact on wildlife.
May reduce tidal flow and impede flow of sewage out to sea.
Construction can be costly.
May be opposed
by local or environmental groups.
Can be expensive to set up and only works in areas of volcanic activity.
Geothermal and volcanic activity might calm down, leaving power stations redundant.
Dangerous
elements found underground must be disposed of carefully.
Hydrological or Energy harnessed Creates water Costly to build.
Hydroelectric from the movement of reserves as well as Can cause the
Power (HEP) water through rivers, energy supplies. flooding of surrounding
lakes and dams. communities and
landscapes.
Type of energy Where it is from Advantages Disadvantages
Biomass Decaying plant or animal waste.
An organic material, which can be burnt to provide energy, eg heat, or electricity.
An example of biomass energy is oilseed rape (the fields of yellow flowers you see in the UK in summer), which produces oil.
After treatment with chemicals it can be used as a fuel in diesel engines.
Wood Obtained from felling trees, burnt to generate heat and light.
Exam tip
It is a cheap and readily available source of energy.
If replaced, biomass can be a long- term, sustainable energy source.
A cheap and readily available source of energy.
If the trees are replaced, wood burning can be a long- term, sustainable energy source
Dams have major ecological impacts on local hydrology.
When burnt, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.
Biomass is only a renewable resource if crops are replanted.
When burnt it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.
If trees are not replanted then wood is a non-renewable resource.
Make sure you know what types of energy are
renewable
and
non–renewable.
It is important to remember that biomass and wood are only renewable if the trees and crops are replanted. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that bio means renewable – it doesn’t!
Case study: wind power
Wind power is a controversial commodity. Although it is renewable, and goes some way towards solving the problem of scarce fossil fuels for energy, not everyone is in favour of windfarms. Those who live close to wind farms claim that they are unsightly and noisy.
Burbo Bank Wind Farm – Liverpool Bay
A wind farm off Crosby beach
The wind farm has been fully operational by summer 2007, and consists of 25 turbines, which will produce enough energy to supply 80000 homes. The wind conditions in this part of the Mersey estuary are perfect for harnessing wind energy.
During the installation noise could be heard from nearby residents as the turbines were fixed into the seabed.
Some people living along the Sefton Coast have since had their view of Snowdonia blighted by the windmills.
Case study: changing energy use in UK
The UK government wants to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, get more of its energy from renewable sources. It has committed itself to a number of targets:
UK energy targets
The UK has set itself a goal of deriving 10% of UK electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
The UK government has committed itself to reducing
greenhouse gases
by 12.5% relative to
1990 levels by 2012. This promise was made when Britain signed the
Kyoto Protocol
in 1997.
The UK government has also set a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20% of 1990 levels by 2010. CO2 accounts for the greatest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.
Rising energy demand
Rising energy demand and changes in energy generation are making it very hard to meet these targets. For example:
Switching power generation from coal to gas and nuclear, has helped reduce CO2 emissions.
However Britain is using more and more electricity, and is reducing the number of nuclear
power plants it builds. So unless we use alternative sources for making electricity, such as wind power, CO2 emissions will start to rise again.
Regulations have forced vehicles to become more energy-efficient and give off less
atmospheric pollution. The government has also continued to increase fuel and road taxes.
Even so, the use of transport is rising so fast that the amount of CO2 given off by transport vehicles continues to rise.
Meeting the targets
Wind turbines in Thurstone, Yorkshire
There are some hopeful signs. UK power companies are now investing £100s of millions in renewable power:
Many wind farms have been set up, particularly in Scotland and Wales. Some plans for large wind farms have been blocked by planners.
Wave power provides electricity to about 400 houses on the Island of Islay in Scotland, and
could be used much more widely.
Proposals are being considered to put a huge tidal barrage across the Severn Estuary.
UK energy companies are making a very small amount of electricity from biomass. This could
be expanded.
Energy generation from fossil fuels produces a build-up of gases – principally carbon dioxide and methane – which is thought to be a major cause of global warming.
Impacts of energy demand: global warming
The greenhouse effect
When fossil fuels are burnt – by industry, in power stations and in vehicles and planes – the gases enter the atmosphere.
Although these gases have always been present in the world’s atmosphere, their concentration is gradually increasing as more and more fossil fuels are burnt.
Scientists believe that the build-up of these so-called
greenhouse gases
in
the atmosphere acts like a blanket or greenhouse around the planet; heat is trapped inside the Earth’s atmosphere. This is the greenhouse effect, and the resulting increase in global temperatures is called global warming.
How the greenhouse effect works
It’s thought that the build-up of greenhouse gases impacts on global temperature in two ways:
- The gases allow more of the sun’s rays to enter the atmosphere. Some
solar
radiation
is
still reflected back into space by the outer parts of the atmosphere, but it’s believed the amount reflected back is gradually reducing. - At the same time, the greenhouse gases absorb more of the solar radiation that is reflected
back from the Earth’s surface – trapping heat and keeping it in the atmosphere. The ability of the atmosphere to capture the sun’s warmth is essential for life on earth. But if significantly MORE warmth is being captured, this is bad news for the planet.
The greenhouse effect
Another group of greenhouse gases includes the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs for short). CFCs have been responsible for depleting the ozone layer as they attack and destroy ozone molecules.
The ozone layer is a high level layer of gas in the stratosphere. The ozone helps to keep out harmful ultra-violet rays, which cause sunburn on human skin and damage plants.
The resulting ozone holes let harmful ultra-violet radiation in and add to the greenhouse effect.
CFCs can be used in aerosols, such as hairspray cans, fridges and in making foam plastics.
CFCs were banned in many countries in the mid-1990s after it was found that they were
breaking up the Earth’s ozone.
Scientists say the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica could disappear within 50 years
Implications of global warming
Scientists, politicians and industrialists continue to debate the causes of global warming, with some arguing that it is a natural process that’s been going on for centuries. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – established by the United Nations in 1988 – has stated the evidence suggests that human activity does affect global warming, in particular through the release of greenhouses gases and the use of
aerosols.
There is also debate over how quickly the earth is warming up. Some scientists estimate that atmospheric temperatures could rise by 1.4° – 5.8°C in the next 100 years. Others believe that they will rise more slowly.
Global carbon emissions
Whatever the causes and timescale, the implications of global warming are very serious.
The map above shows which countries are responsible for the most emissions. LEDCs want to develop and to catch up with MEDCs and this normally means using more energy and burning more fuel. So global warming could threaten development.
Global warming could melt the world’s ice caps and glaciers, leading to an increase in sea levels. Some scientists estimate that over the next hundred years sea levels could rise by between 10cm and 90cm – making many coastal areas around the world uninhabitable.
Global warming could also affect the weather patterns, leading to more droughts, flooding and extreme weather, such as
hurricanes.
In Britain we are largely unaffected by the dangerous weather of the
tropics,
such as hurricanes or severe droughts. But some climatologists argue that the UK climate is changing as a result of global warming – with the possibility of more frequent floods, water shortages, and extreme weather conditions
Carbon credits
The carbon credits scheme is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is based on the “polluter pays principle”according to how much pollution they generate. The idea is that people are encouraged to pollute less, as it will cost them less in carbon taxes.
Case study: London Congestion Charge
Drivers are charged for driving in the congestion charge zone in central London. The aim is to discourage drivers from using the zone during peak hours and use public transport instead, thereby reducing congestion, the time spent in queues, the pollution generated and the cost to the economy. The money generated is used to improve public transport, eg older London buses which generate more pollution have been removed from service.
The results
Traffic congestion, accidents, and pollution levels have all been reduced.
There has been increased investment in public transport.
Bus services are more reliable.
Retail sales inside the congestion charging zone have increased.
Sustainable energy resources
To meet the increasing global demand for energy, while reducing the risk of damage to the environment or contributing to
global
warming,
it is important that:
Traffic jam on the A2 in London
Countries find new types of energy, whilst developing and expanding existing sources that are more
sustainable
than
fossil
fuels.
Industry and domestic users of energy use it more efficiently (ie stop wasting it).
MEDCs
start to switch from fossil fuels to alternative sources.
As
LEDCs
start to use more energy they are encouraged to develop more sustainable
sources of energy.
The purpose of sustainability is to manage resources or run projects or industries, so future generations can use the resources too.
International concern has led many countries to try to reduce their use and consumption of carbon-based fossil fuels. Many governments signed the
Kyoto
Protocol,
committing them to reducing
greenhouse gas
emissions.
Energy efficiency
Energy efficient bus
With energy consumption rising, it is important that industry, transportation and consumers in their homes use energy more efficiently, so that less is wasted. This will also save money on fuel bills. We can all help by making changes to our lifestyles and our houses – for example by:
Walking, cycling, or using public transport rather than fossil-fuel powered cars.
Using smaller more energy-efficient cars.
Reducing the number of aircraft journeys taken (especially short-haul flights).
Switching off lights, power sockets, phone chargers and TVs when not in use.
Using energy-efficient light-bulbs and rechargeable batteries.
Recycling and reusing plastics and oil-based products.
Insulating house roofs, blocking drafts, using double-glazing and more efficient heating
systems.
Considering introducing solar panels, or switching to an electricity supplier that supplies
The energy debate
The energy question affects us all deeply, but there is no ‘right’ view on it. You need to consider
the different solutions proposed, and ask yourself what is at stake for the different interest groups
(for example consumers, politicians,
LEDCs
and MEDCs).
Here are some of the arguments:
Many scientists, governments and international bodies (but not all) accept the greenhouse
effect and global warming theories. Some argue that the greenhouse effect, and the extent to which greenhouse gases contribute to it, have both been exaggerated. Some argue that the predicted rises in atmospheric temperatures and sea levels are overestimated.
Environmental campaigners argue that oil companies have contributed to environmental
problems. Some activists even claim that wars in the Middle East were influenced by
Western governments and oil companies’ plans to get access to oil reserves.
Vidraru Dam, Vidra, Romania
On the other hand, many representatives of oil companies and industries that use a lot of energy argue that environmentalists have exaggerated the extent to which fossil fuels pollute the atmosphere, and the impact this will have on the environment.
Most governments have promised to reduce greenhouse gasses by signing up to the
Kyoto
Protocol.
But the United States – the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter – refuses to ratify the treaty.
Some groups – environmentalists included – campaign against certain types of alternative energy generation. For example, dams built to produce hydroelectric power flood large areas – impacting on local people, wildlife, vegetation and hydrology. Tidal barrages could alter the look, behaviour and ecology of estuaries, such as the Severn, and might cause pollution problems. Some people oppose wind farms on the grounds that they are ugly and noisy and a hazard to wild birds.
Exam tips
- Make sure you know about the renewable energy sources and what people can do in order to become more energy-efficient.
- Be aware that different interest groups see the advantages and disadvantages of energy
types very differently. If you are asked to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources, make sure you explore everyone’s point of view.
- Make sure you know what the term
sustainable
means – it comes up a lot in the exam.
Think about examples of sustainability in the context of energy production, economic activity, and development.
