(8.1.1 B) What are the impacts of increasing consumer choice on the global environment?

agri-business, transport, e-waste

What is agribusiness?

agriculture conducted on strictly commercial principles

How has changing agricultural practices impacted UK farms?

increased field sizes for machinery

rise in monoculture → decreased diversity

small copses + woodland felled to make way for more farmland

deeper ploughing → increased potential for soil erosion + nutrient loss

leaching of nitrates from fertilisers → local bodies of water = eutrophication

What is the imported food situation in the UK?

over half of UK food is imported

What are food miles?

the distance food has travelled from where it was produced

to where it was sold

(producer to consumer)

What is the link between globalisation and food miles?

countries are more interdependent → trade deals

improved technology means produce can be kept fresh for longer

increased wealth → increased consumerism so demand for out-of-season fruit has grown

What are the disadvantages of using food miles to measure environmental impact?

don’t account for:

• the foods creation/method of transport

alternative:

Life Cycle Analysis: takes into account impact, not just miles

How would seasonal diets help solve food sustainability?

in season food:

can be grown naturally- no need for irrigation/artificial supplies

don’t need to rely on the transport of foods from other countries- reduces energy usage

What are some positives of importing food?

availability of out-of-season foods

provides jobs for those in developing countries with little mechanisation

imports can be cheaper that domestic products

What are some negative of importing food?

higher energy costs + CO2 emissions

high environmental cost

soft fruit must be transported by air:

• 1kg of goods/1000km = 2.21kg CO2

What happens to UK’s plastic waste?

2/3 sent overseas

after recycling the waste in the UK, it ends up in landfill/incineration

What contributes to Germany having such a high recycling rate?

‘deposit return scheme’

where people can reclaim deposits when returning plastic bottles

What is e-waste?

discarded electric waste

• of which we produce 50m tonnes every year

What is in e-waste that makes it so hazardous?

heavy metals

• lead, cadmium, mercury

plastics

• CFCs

• flame retardants

Why is e-waste a problem?

in landfill, toxic substances

leach into soil + water

contaminating + polluting

What are the issues with current methods of recycling e-waste?

nations are exporting to countries where labour laws

don’t protect those working

process e-waste for metal/mineral extraction

which is a dangerous job

Which industry in the UK generates the most waste?

construction + demolition

Which countries has the UK exported waste to?

Malaysia

Vietnam

Turkey

What are the advantages of importing e-waste for LICs?

precious metals

job access

access to cheaper technology

What are the impacts of e-waste on people?

laws don’t protect those working with it

pollution + contamination

• health risks

unfair global impacts

• LICs disproportionately hurt

child labour

What are the impacts of e-waste on the environment?

toxic substances leach into the soil

harming plants → animals (food chains)

incineration → air pollution

waste of resources

space occupied by landfills

How is e-waste linked to consumerism?

as tech becomes a global commodity

and turnover of electronics increase

waste increases

(people also don’t dispose of the waste properly as the system did not develop with the tech)