Key idea 1.1
1. Culture and beliefs
influence the ways in
which individuals, groups and societies perceive and exploit natural resources. / What content do I need to know to revise these key ideas?
What do I need to know to revise this key idea.
Key Idea 1 must be explored through at least one case study. This case study must explore the way in which a group of people interact with the environment. This must include:
1. The interaction of human activity with a large scale ecosystem, e.g. Tropical Rain Forest, marine ecosystem; (see attached case study)
To revise how humans interact with a large scale ecosystem it is important you revise the Amazon Rainforest case study.
2. The exploitation of natural resources, e.g., water, minerals and fossil
Fuels (see attached case study)
To revise how humans exploit a natural resource it is important you revise the Aral Sea case study.
There are three main reasons to explain why environmental issues are happening in present times:
·  There has been a massive increase in the world’s population over the last two years.
·  Scientific understanding and advanced technical skills have has resulted in most of the world using a lot more technology in their daily lives. This has meant that we use more natural resources e.g more raw materials (such as oil, coal and wood) we take form the environment and use to make energy like electricity. When these are used they change the environment and create by-products such as carbon-dioxide and toxic chemicals.
·  Many peoples desires and expectations for lives have changed. People want more material things. While MEDCs have become richer those who live in LEDCs want the same lifestyle as people in MEDCs
Key idea 1.2
Problems can arise from the different ways in which people want to use their environment. / Key Idea 2 must be explored through at least one case study of an environmental issue relating to the way in which humans exploit there natural environment. This must include sustainable development explored through these issues.
This unit will be divided into 4 areas (see below): Conservation of the natural environment, e.g., 1. Conservation- global warming and endangered species, pollution, Renewable and non-renewable resources, Leisure and tourism
1. Conservation of the natural environment, e.g., global warming and endangered species. Endangered species will be revised through a case study (see attached 11.3. How do some species become endangered? Fish and marine life). For revision of Global warming see the last two sections of the revision booklet.
2. Pollution. To revise pollution see attached case study-Why is pollution a problem? Pollution of the oceans case study.
Examples of past exam questions related to the unit.
“What are two causes of pollution?” Use your own studies to answer
1. …………………………………………….. (1 mark)
2. ………………………………………………. (1 mark)
“Explain how pollution can be reduced. Use your own studies to answer”(4 marks)
3. Renewable and non-renewable resources
This unit will cover
1.1 What are renewable and non-renewable resources?
1.2 What problems does using non-renewable resources create?
1.3 How can renewable resources bring about sustainable development?
1.4 Why are renewable resources not used anymore?
1.1 What are non-renewable and renewable natural resources?
·  Non-renewable natural resources are a type of resource that once it has been used up by humans no more will be created. Examples include fossil fuels: coal oil and gas.
·  Renewable energy sources are a type of energy that occur naturally and are always available. They do not run out with use.
Revision notes-Know what renewable and non-renewable resources mean and be able to give examples of them
Examples of past exam questions related to the unit.
“What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources” Use your own studies to answer (2 marks)
“Name two renewable sources of energy”
1…………………………………………… (1 mark)
2. ………………………………………… (1 mark)
“Name two non-renewable sources of energy”
1…………………………………………… (1 mark)
2. ………………………………………… (1 mark)
1.2 What problems does using non-renewable resources create?
Advantages of using non-renewable sources of energy?
·  Cheap to use
·  Flexible
·  Reasonably efficient in the power needed to keep industry and transport growing
Disadvantages of using non-renewable sources of energy?
·  Fossil fuels are running out (They take a long time to be created. Oil and gas are close to being used up, approx 60-70s years. There is approx 200 years of coal left)
·  Fossil fuels cause pollution (Fossil fuels such as coal and oil produce gases when they are burned for energy such as sulphur oxides. These gases: cause climate change and produce ACID RAIN. Petrol and diesel fuels produce chemical by-products (PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG. Smog is a major health risk to people). Natural gas produces carbon dioxide.
·  Nuclear power could be a severe threat to the environment and human life (It is difficult and expensive to dispose of nuclear waste safely. Uranium is a non-renewable energy resource but there is enough of it to keep nuclear power stations going for years! The Irish Sea is polluted with waste from Sellafied (nuclear power station) and there is a fear of an accident like Chernobyl (nuclear power station reactor exploded causing damage to life and the environment.
Revision notes- Revise the advantages and disadvantages of using non-renewable sources of energy.
1.3 How can renewable resources bring about sustainable development?
(below are all example of renewable sources of energy. Renewable sources of energy are sustainable. Revision of part 1.4 will also be covered in this section by revising the disadvantages associated with some renewable energy sources)
1.  Hydro power (power from water-in this case rivers and seas-tidal power).
2.  Solar energy (power from the heat and light of the sun)
3.  Wind energy (power from the atmosphere)
4.  Biomass (power from plants)
What is hydropower?
Hydropower makes use of the movement of water in rivers to generate electricity by passing water through a turbine.
What are the advantages of using hydropower?
·  It does not cause much pollution
·  Water is a renewable resource
·  Hydropower can produce a lot of electricity
What are the disadvantages of using hydropower?
·  The cost of building a dam is enormous
·  They cannot be built everywhere and therefore could not replace fossil fuels as our only source of energy
·  To build them lots of land has to be flooded (which means the lose of towns, farms and people s homes Three Gorges Dam)
·  The local ecosystem is damaged and environmental damage is widespread
·  Water in huge reservoirs is lost through evaporation, especially in hot countries.
What is tidal power?
Tidal power is the use of tidal movements of the sea (waves) by converting wave movement into electricity
What are the advantages of using hydropower?
·  Tidal power does not cause much pollution
What are the disadvantages of using hydropower?
·  Attempts to produce energy using tides and waves to drive turbines have not produced very good results.
·  It is expensive to build anything in the sea
·  Where is has been tried it caused large-scale disruption to the ocean ecosystem
What is solar energy?
Solar energy makes use of the heat and light of the sun to produce energy by using solar panels to covert light into electricity.
What are the advantages of using solar power?
·  The fuel for solar energy is free (it’s the sun)
·  Solar panels cost virtually nothing to maintain
·  Solar panels create no pollution
·  Large numbers can be set in sunny areas
·  Smaller solar panels can run between panes of glass which provide hot water for a building
·  Advancements on designs of solar panels in Denmark have proved that even in the north, where it is colder solar panels have a chance of working
What are the disadvantages of solar power?
·  It is difficult to capture the energy from the sun to produce energy on a large-scale
·  Solar panels are expensive to make
·  Solar panels are not very efficient in converting sunlight into energy
·  Large-scale solar power is expensive
What is wind energy? (wind turbines)
Wind energy makes use of wind to power electrical generators that act like windmills to produce energy
What are the advantages of using wind power?
·  The use of wind power is growing
·  It does not cause pollution through waste or gas emissions
·  It does not need fuel or cooling liquids
·  It is the British governments favoured alternative to fossil fuels
What are the disadvantages of using wind power?
·  Wind turbines are expensive to build
·  To produce a fair amount of electricity, many wind turbines are needed, which takes up a lot of space
·  The wind does not blow all the time, so there will not be a consistent amount of electricity
·  The generation of electricity has to be backed up by other methods of producing electricity.
·  Some people think wind turbines ruin the landscape
·  The blades on wind turbines can kill birds
What is Biomass (power from plants)
Biomass is an energy source taken from organic matter. It is called bio-energy
What are the advantages of using Biomass/Bio-energy?
·  It create less pollution than fossil fuels
·  It is a renewable resource of energy
·  Bio-energy can provide heat, make fuels and generate electricity
·  There are many types of biomass we can use to make energy e.g waste from agriculture and forest industries, landfill gas, aquatic plants and waste produced by cities and factories.
·  Biomass provides 12 % of energy used across the world
·  Everything we get form fossil fuels could be made form biomass
What are the disadvantages of using Biomass/Bio-energy?
·  An enormous amount of land is needed to grow crops to support energy plants
·  The planting, harvesting, producing and transporting of these crops produces air pollution and adds to global warming
·  The burning of these crops for energy releases CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
4. Leisure and tourism (refer to coursework for revision also)
What impact does leisure and tourism have on the environment?
This unit will cover:
1.1 How important is leisure and tourism to the world economy?
1.2 Why is leisure and tourism an environmental issue?
1.3 How can the effects of tourism and leisure activities on the environment be controlled?
1.1 How important is leisure and tourism to the world economy?
·  In Britain 10% of the population is involved directly or indirectly in the tourist and leisure industry.
·  The Caribbean islands get 50 % of their income from tourism.
·  Some countries are almost entirely dependent on tourism, for example, the Maldives.
·  Most tourists are from MEDCs because richer countries have more leisure time and more disposable income to spend on travel costs.
·  Many poor countries LEDCS see tourism as the quickest way of improving their economy to support development.
Revision notes-Have a general idea of how important leisure and tourism is to the world economy
1.2 Why is tourism an environmental issue?
1.  Transport
2.  Accommodation
3.  Leisure activities
4.  Changes in lifestyle of local people
In more detail….
1. Transport
·  Airports, roads, docks and rail terminals have to be built to accommodate tourists. More transport means more air pollution.
·  Aircraft and road transport produces carbon dioxide and microscopic carbon in huge quantities.
·  Roads and airports take up land and change the ecology of an area.
2. Accommodation
Tourism involves building modern hotels and resorts
·  To build new hotels and resorts sometimes local people are moved out
·  The building of resorts/hotels creates pollution from cement, dust and machinery
·  Tourists want water for showers, pools and golf courses, modern plumbing and waste disposal, electricity for lifts, air conditioning and DVD players.
·  Electricity and water has to go to the tourists and leave local people with limited supplies of water and electricity.
3. Leisure activities and changes in land use, skiing, golf courses, safari and national parks
Skiing-environmental damage caused by skiing includes:
·  The removal of forests, levelling of land and carving of pathways.
·  The production of artificial snow, which uses up vast quantities of water and energy
·  Mountains have become unstable and avalanches have increased
·  Most wildlife has left the area
Golf courses
·  Some golf courses use large areas of land
·  Golf courses need millions of water (Dubai 2.5 million litres a day)
·  Golf courses need fertilisers and pesticides
Safari parks and national parks: Advantages
·  Safari parks/national parks protect animals from poachers
·  Safari parks/national parks allow land to renew itself
Safari parks and national parks: Disadvantages
·  Roads and hotels have been built.
·  Heavy four-wheel drive trucks churn up the land as they carry tourists around to look for animals
·  Studies have found that some animals (cheetahs) have been so disturbed by the volume of tourists visiting an area that they have failed to mate, feed, or raise their young.
Changes in lifestyle of local people-Advantages
·  People often give up the traditional work e.g fishing and farming to take on new jobs in tourism.
·  Tourism can help local people widen their horizons, learn new skills, and develop new ambitions
Changes in lifestyle of local people-Disadvantages
·  Tourism can cause fishing and farming to decline in an area.
·  As an area grows local people are displaced by hotels, shops, restaurants and bars are built where they used to live.
·  The peaceful beauty of a place maybe lost in an attempt to attract tourists
·  New cultures replace the old.
Revision notes—Revise the different reasons for why tourism is an environmental issue. Divide your revision into the four section e.g transport, accommodation etc….You may want to revise a few examples from each section so you do not overload yourself!
Revision notes-have a general overview of the advantages and disadvantages related with tourism (see below).
Some of the good effects of tourism are good:
·  More wealth