Unit 5 - Managing resources
Food security: when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
Population growth: human population #s are increasing at a faster rate than the rate of food production → food shortages
Subsistence farming = food insecurity is worse
Unsustainable production: global food supply has increased reliance on the same kinds of crops
Agriculture is more vulnerable to threats
Price setting: demand increase = price increase
Harms those in poverty → increase food insecurity
Land degradation: misuse of land → soil exhaustion & low crop yield
Long term depletion → desertification and soil erosion
Agricultural disease: pests can consume hundreds and thousands of tonnes of food daily
Fungal disease destroys crops + stored food
Diverting crops for biofuel: increased production of food crops for biofuels
Land becomes used for energy source crops → decreases amount of food available
Climate change: increased temperatures → increased floods + storm size & natural disasters
Water shortages: lack of water leads to drought → death of crops + livestock
Poverty: people with no money to buy food can become unable to work
Populations rely on aid for survival
Regional food scarcity
Nutritional deficiency & malnutrition
Poverty
Forced migration
Conflict — food related unrest
Famine
Death
Subsistence agriculture: encouraged in areas where ppl have limited access to food
Increase food production: using intensification and extensification
Intensification: higher yields through increased inputs, improved agronomic practices, improved crop varieties
Extensification: clearing additional land for crop production
Improved agricultural techniques & efficiency:
Aquaculture: soil free farming that uses waste produced from fish to supply plants w/nutrients
Hydroponics: no soil & grown in water
Selective breeding + GM crops: pest resistant crops + higher yield
Controlling limiting factors (e.g. irrigation to minimize water waste)
Increasing productivity: remove competition from weeds using herbicides, reduce fungal disease by using fungicides
Reduction in livestock + growing more crops: crops could be used to reduce food insecurity & fed to humans rather than livestock
Moving land for crops, instead of livestock → increase amount grown
Reduce food waste: grocery stores + farmers can donate excess food to livestock farms, education about use by vs. best by dates, plan out meals/proper portions, storing food properly
Large-scale food stockpiling: countries prone to natural disasters can stockpile grains/other dry products in case of shortage
Improve transportation of food: improve sanitation, prevent + control pests, better food packaging, smart cold chain transport containers + trucks
Protecting pollinating insects: disappearing due to pesticide misuse + disease
Reduce pesticide use (e.g. organic farming), planting flowering crops, farming bees as pollinators
World Food Programme & food aid: WFP can assist people experiencing food insecurity (services 80+ countries worldwide); food aid = free food to another country in a time of crisis
Rationing: set amount of food per person → ensures fair distribution during scarcity
Renewable resources: biofuels (e.g. biomass), geothermal, hydroelectric dams, tidal, wave, solar, & wind energy
Non-renewable resources: fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal), nuclear energy (using uranium)
Energy security: reliable availability of energy sources at an affordable price with a consideration of the environmental impacts
Long-term: supply of energy that is in line with economic developments and environmental needs
Short-term: systems that react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance
Fossil fuel depletion
Inequality in global energy resources: geographical distribution impacts availability of energy resources — some places have to import energy resources
Middle East has abundant oil reserves
Population growth: occurring faster than the development of new energy resources
Puts pressure on strained systems
Increased use of goods (e.g. cars) has led to increased demand
Differing energy needs of countries in different income groups: HICs have a higher energy demand than MICs and LICs - HICs are more industrialized + higher living standards
Climate change: puts pressure on countries to combat levels of CO2 emissions by reducing fossil-fuel consumptions
Changing energy sources can risk energy security & impact job availability
Supply disruption (e.g. natural disasters, piracy, terrorism): disruption of the supply of fossil fuels or oil can strain energy security
Disrupted electricity supply to homes and industry
Increasing prices for energy resources: increase in the cost of electricity/gas → energy poverty
Increasing costs for industry: economic instability due to high energy costs
Job losses, economic recession: industries unable to meet higher costs of energy
Increased levels of poverty and low standards of living: people may use fuels that are harmful to their health (e.g. burning of biomass), energy poverty can harm education
Reliance on imported sources of energy: can lead to int’l debts (hinder a country’s ability to pay for energy + invest in infrastructure); vulnerable to changes in global energy prices
Civil disruption and conflict: groups may compete to control energy-rich mines
Inequality in energy resources can lead to conflict
Increasing energy efficiency: reducing energy waste (e.g. insulation in housing)
Increasing energy production: can be individually (e.g. solar panels), or undertaken by a country
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels
Investing in renewable resources and carbon neutral fuels: reduce reliance on fossil fuels
May be hard for countries reliant on fossil fuels
Development of alternative energy technologies
Investment in local energy projects: gov’t can do this & encourage the development of their own energy supply
Rationing: can help when supply is limited; can allow the supply system to function under pressure
Landfill sites: bury waste in the ground/large mounds — layered with soil to reduce smell + pests
Incineration: burning garbage at high temps.
Waste-to-energy facilities use heat to produce energy
Storage: surface impoundments + deep-well injections
Disposal at sea: uncontaminated sediments, human remains, fish waste
Recycling: collecting materials that can be broken down & reprocessed into new items
Exporting waste: global trade in waste from one country to another — LICs need $
Soil contamination leading to leaching + contamination of groundwater: liquid waste (e.g. oils) can be washed deeper into soil → can kill vegetation, loss of habitat, kill aquatic organisms
Dangerous gases: GHGs, like methane + CO2, are released during degradation of biological waste → possible explosions & global warming
Visual and noise pollution + unpleasant odour: waste left unmanaged can attract vermin (leads to disease)
Risk of spread of disease: toxic waste → cancer + lung and skin conditions; septic waste → cholera
Release of toxic substances: leachate percolated through landfills can contaminate soil + groundwater; incineration of waste can produce toxic substances + cause air pollutions
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification: bioaccumulation = build-up of toxins in an organism’s body; biomagnification = build-up of toxins in a food chain
Mercury/heavy metals from mining can enter the food chain and continue to build up — potentially harm humans
Plastics and microplastics in oceans: oceans break down plastics → microplastics can harm the endocrine system, cause disease, & decrease fertility — potentially harm humans
Reduce, reuse and recycle: waste minimization: source reduction = reducing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of; education allows the population to understand how to manage their waste
Biodegradable plastics: made from materials that will break down when exposed to microorganisms
Food waste for animal feed: process food waste to have shelf-life + be free of pathogens — minimizes food waste going into a landfill
Composting: decomposition of organic materials into nutrient-rich product to feed soils
Fermentation: anaerobic process — convert biological waste into sources of energy
Use of waste to generate energy: fermentation can produce biogas w/ energy potential
Education: increases vested interest in waste management if a population understands the benefits of proper waste management
Financial incentives: people earn money by selling their waste
Legislation: various types (e.g. marine or hazardous waste legislation)
Marine can regulate dumping of harmful materials into oceans
Hazardous waste can control movement of this waste & restrict its production
Food security: when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
Population growth: human population #s are increasing at a faster rate than the rate of food production → food shortages
Subsistence farming = food insecurity is worse
Unsustainable production: global food supply has increased reliance on the same kinds of crops
Agriculture is more vulnerable to threats
Price setting: demand increase = price increase
Harms those in poverty → increase food insecurity
Land degradation: misuse of land → soil exhaustion & low crop yield
Long term depletion → desertification and soil erosion
Agricultural disease: pests can consume hundreds and thousands of tonnes of food daily
Fungal disease destroys crops + stored food
Diverting crops for biofuel: increased production of food crops for biofuels
Land becomes used for energy source crops → decreases amount of food available
Climate change: increased temperatures → increased floods + storm size & natural disasters
Water shortages: lack of water leads to drought → death of crops + livestock
Poverty: people with no money to buy food can become unable to work
Populations rely on aid for survival
Regional food scarcity
Nutritional deficiency & malnutrition
Poverty
Forced migration
Conflict — food related unrest
Famine
Death
Subsistence agriculture: encouraged in areas where ppl have limited access to food
Increase food production: using intensification and extensification
Intensification: higher yields through increased inputs, improved agronomic practices, improved crop varieties
Extensification: clearing additional land for crop production
Improved agricultural techniques & efficiency:
Aquaculture: soil free farming that uses waste produced from fish to supply plants w/nutrients
Hydroponics: no soil & grown in water
Selective breeding + GM crops: pest resistant crops + higher yield
Controlling limiting factors (e.g. irrigation to minimize water waste)
Increasing productivity: remove competition from weeds using herbicides, reduce fungal disease by using fungicides
Reduction in livestock + growing more crops: crops could be used to reduce food insecurity & fed to humans rather than livestock
Moving land for crops, instead of livestock → increase amount grown
Reduce food waste: grocery stores + farmers can donate excess food to livestock farms, education about use by vs. best by dates, plan out meals/proper portions, storing food properly
Large-scale food stockpiling: countries prone to natural disasters can stockpile grains/other dry products in case of shortage
Improve transportation of food: improve sanitation, prevent + control pests, better food packaging, smart cold chain transport containers + trucks
Protecting pollinating insects: disappearing due to pesticide misuse + disease
Reduce pesticide use (e.g. organic farming), planting flowering crops, farming bees as pollinators
World Food Programme & food aid: WFP can assist people experiencing food insecurity (services 80+ countries worldwide); food aid = free food to another country in a time of crisis
Rationing: set amount of food per person → ensures fair distribution during scarcity
Renewable resources: biofuels (e.g. biomass), geothermal, hydroelectric dams, tidal, wave, solar, & wind energy
Non-renewable resources: fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal), nuclear energy (using uranium)
Energy security: reliable availability of energy sources at an affordable price with a consideration of the environmental impacts
Long-term: supply of energy that is in line with economic developments and environmental needs
Short-term: systems that react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance
Fossil fuel depletion
Inequality in global energy resources: geographical distribution impacts availability of energy resources — some places have to import energy resources
Middle East has abundant oil reserves
Population growth: occurring faster than the development of new energy resources
Puts pressure on strained systems
Increased use of goods (e.g. cars) has led to increased demand
Differing energy needs of countries in different income groups: HICs have a higher energy demand than MICs and LICs - HICs are more industrialized + higher living standards
Climate change: puts pressure on countries to combat levels of CO2 emissions by reducing fossil-fuel consumptions
Changing energy sources can risk energy security & impact job availability
Supply disruption (e.g. natural disasters, piracy, terrorism): disruption of the supply of fossil fuels or oil can strain energy security
Disrupted electricity supply to homes and industry
Increasing prices for energy resources: increase in the cost of electricity/gas → energy poverty
Increasing costs for industry: economic instability due to high energy costs
Job losses, economic recession: industries unable to meet higher costs of energy
Increased levels of poverty and low standards of living: people may use fuels that are harmful to their health (e.g. burning of biomass), energy poverty can harm education
Reliance on imported sources of energy: can lead to int’l debts (hinder a country’s ability to pay for energy + invest in infrastructure); vulnerable to changes in global energy prices
Civil disruption and conflict: groups may compete to control energy-rich mines
Inequality in energy resources can lead to conflict
Increasing energy efficiency: reducing energy waste (e.g. insulation in housing)
Increasing energy production: can be individually (e.g. solar panels), or undertaken by a country
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels
Investing in renewable resources and carbon neutral fuels: reduce reliance on fossil fuels
May be hard for countries reliant on fossil fuels
Development of alternative energy technologies
Investment in local energy projects: gov’t can do this & encourage the development of their own energy supply
Rationing: can help when supply is limited; can allow the supply system to function under pressure
Landfill sites: bury waste in the ground/large mounds — layered with soil to reduce smell + pests
Incineration: burning garbage at high temps.
Waste-to-energy facilities use heat to produce energy
Storage: surface impoundments + deep-well injections
Disposal at sea: uncontaminated sediments, human remains, fish waste
Recycling: collecting materials that can be broken down & reprocessed into new items
Exporting waste: global trade in waste from one country to another — LICs need $
Soil contamination leading to leaching + contamination of groundwater: liquid waste (e.g. oils) can be washed deeper into soil → can kill vegetation, loss of habitat, kill aquatic organisms
Dangerous gases: GHGs, like methane + CO2, are released during degradation of biological waste → possible explosions & global warming
Visual and noise pollution + unpleasant odour: waste left unmanaged can attract vermin (leads to disease)
Risk of spread of disease: toxic waste → cancer + lung and skin conditions; septic waste → cholera
Release of toxic substances: leachate percolated through landfills can contaminate soil + groundwater; incineration of waste can produce toxic substances + cause air pollutions
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification: bioaccumulation = build-up of toxins in an organism’s body; biomagnification = build-up of toxins in a food chain
Mercury/heavy metals from mining can enter the food chain and continue to build up — potentially harm humans
Plastics and microplastics in oceans: oceans break down plastics → microplastics can harm the endocrine system, cause disease, & decrease fertility — potentially harm humans
Reduce, reuse and recycle: waste minimization: source reduction = reducing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of; education allows the population to understand how to manage their waste
Biodegradable plastics: made from materials that will break down when exposed to microorganisms
Food waste for animal feed: process food waste to have shelf-life + be free of pathogens — minimizes food waste going into a landfill
Composting: decomposition of organic materials into nutrient-rich product to feed soils
Fermentation: anaerobic process — convert biological waste into sources of energy
Use of waste to generate energy: fermentation can produce biogas w/ energy potential
Education: increases vested interest in waste management if a population understands the benefits of proper waste management
Financial incentives: people earn money by selling their waste
Legislation: various types (e.g. marine or hazardous waste legislation)
Marine can regulate dumping of harmful materials into oceans
Hazardous waste can control movement of this waste & restrict its production