Section C: the challenge of resource management

how has food demand changed in UK, what are food miles and carbon footprint, pros and cons of organic food

more food is imported abroad due to the demand for seasonal food year round and foods that can’t be grown in Uk because of climate
food miles-how far the food is from
carbon footprint- emission of greenhouse gas

organic food: +healthier, no chemicals, good for water systems
-expensive, inefficient, slow growth, not sustainable

South-North China water diversion project, about, pros and cons

North is more densely populated with dryer climate and more factories for industry so needs water from south which has a surplus

pros:

• allows industry to develop, increasing wealth

• provides water for crop irrigation

• provide water to Beijing and Tijing

cons:

• cost $80 billion

• 350,000 had to be relocated breaking minority ethnic groups

• damaged ecosystems and carbon emissions from buildings

factors affecting water supply,and why consumption is increasing

• pollution- increased waste and chemical use

• poverty-limited infrastructure like pumps and pipes

• over abstraction- too much water is extracted and can’t replace it

consumption is increasing because of:

• population growth

• increased urbanisation

• economic development

impact of water scarcity on people and how can people individually conserve water

• water borne diseases like cholera spread

• water pollution poisons people with chemicals

• water conflict fighting for water sources

large scale water management

• dams and reservoirs- store and release in dry periods

• desalinisation- remove salt from sea water

• water transfer- redistribute water from areas of surplus to deficit

• Johed- stone dams diverting water to irrigation channel for farmers use

• pat- small stone dams that trap water in streams to allow it to soak up into ground

• taanka- concrete tank collecting rainwater

energy(wind farms, fossil fuels and nuclear power)

wind farms: visually unpleasant, noisy, renewable, no emissions
fossil fuels: finite, emit greenhouse gases, danger of oil spillage
nuclear power: expensive, hard to dispose contaminated materials