Unit Four: Primary Resources
1
World Geography 3202/3200
Unit Four: Primary Resources
Notes
1. State the THREE conditions that determine is a natural material is potentially a resource.
See figure 8.1 on page 132. The three conditions are:
i) A culture or society must have a need or a want that requires use of the material.
ii) A culture or society must have the technology to extract and develop the material.
iii) A culture or society must be able to develop and use the material profitably.
2. What are NATURAL RESOURCES?
A natural resource is a source material found in the environment. These materials, which include minerals, forests, and fossil fuels, must have the potential to benefit people.
3. What are HUMAN RESOURCES?
A human resource is a person or entrepreneur who organizes and overseas the use of capital resources for the purpose of developing a natural resource.
4. Demonstrate, using examples how the use of a resource can be influenced by cultural practices.
As you can see from each of the three conditions listed above culture is very important in determining if a material becomes a resource. The best way to explain is to look at several examples.
Sea Urchins were not traditionally seen as a resource in Newfoundland because we did not eat them or use them for any reason. There was no need or want for sea urchins. However, in the cultures of South East Asia sea urchins are a desired food source. With the opening of world markets, sea urchins became a resource. Asia had the "want". We have developed the harvesting "technology" because the demand was there. It is "profitable" due to inexpensive technology and high demand. Consequently all three conditions were met and sea urchins became a resource.
Sea weed or Kelp was not traditionally seen as resource in Newfoundland. Some people would throw it on their vegetable gardens as a fertilizer but there was no real demand for it. However, kelp is a highly desired food in southern Asia. Furthermore, it is used to extract agar and other substances for a variety of products like ice cream and make-up. With the variety of demand for kelp some people have begun to harvest it off our shores and others have tried to farm it (aquaculture). Once the desire was created, the technology was developed in a way to make it profitable.
5. How can technology expand a society’s resource base?
ü The invention of new technology allows for the efficient extraction of those natural materials that otherwise would have been inaccessible. For example, the oil in the offshore of Newfoundland was not a resource during the early part of the 1900’s because the technology did not exist to extract and transport it. This changed during the last thirty years of the 1900, and exploration and extraction of the oil began.
6. What is a FARMING SYSTEM?
A farming system is all of the components of a farm, it includes INPUTS, PROCESSES and OUTPUTS. Figure 9.1 on page 144 shows some of the basic characteristics of farming systems.
7. Be able to distinguish between NATURAL and HUMAN farming inputs.
Natural Inputs would include items such as rainwater, soil, humus.
Human Inputs would include items such as farming knowledge, labour etc.
8. Relate farming processes to inputs. (In other words, how are they dependant upon one another).
For example, if the farming input is a cabbage plant. This will require specific farming processes associated with growing this type of crop. For example, the plant will have to be transplanted into the ground in the spring of the year. It will have to be spaced at a certain distance. It will require a certain type of fertilizer. It will need to be sprayed at specific intervals with a specific type of pesticide. ALL of these processes follow from the input chosen. A similar example can be used if we think of soil as an input. With the type of soil we have here in Newfoundland (Podzolic), this forces the farmer to add lime to the soil to bring down the acidity. Hence this farming process is tied to the input of Podzolic Soil.
9. Relate outputs in a farming operation to processes and inputs. (In other words, how are the outputs of a farming operation determined by the inputs and processes)
Generally, the crops and waste that exists a farming operation (Outputs), will be largely determined by the inputs and processes of that operation. For example, the type, amount, size and quality of a cabbage crop will be largely determined by the inputs such as the type of seed planted, the type of soil, the amount of fertilizer used, the degree of weeding conducted etc.
10. What is the difference between EXTENSIVE and INTENSIVE agriculture?
Extensive Agriculture: Farming with low inputs of capital and labour, generally with low yields per hectare. It is associated with regions of cheap available land where high revenues are unimportant.
Intensive Agriculture: Agriculture with a high level of inputs – capital and labour- and high yields. Outputs are valuable and often perishable. Intensive agriculture is usually found in regions of dense population and high land values.
11. Distinguish between a commercial farming (agriculture) and a subsistence farming (agriculture).
Commercial Farming: Farms designed for the sale of the majority of their
produce or livestock.
Subsistence Farming: Farms where almost all the produce and livestock goes to feed and support the household and is NOT for sale.
NOTE: Often there is an overlap between these two types of farms on any
given farm. In other words, many commercial farms will have a
small amount of produce devoted to the needs of the farm family.
Likewise in many subsistence farms, a small portion of the
produce is sold. This fact can be represented by the following
diagram:
12. Define the terms, SHIFTING CULTIVATION, AGRIBUSINESS and NOMADIC HARDING.
Shifting agriculture: Is a system of cultivation in which a plot of land is cleared and cultivated for a short period of time, then abandoned and allowed to revert to producing its normal vegetation while the cultivator moves on to another plot
Agribusiness: Farming engaged in as a large-scale business operation embracing the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products and the manufacture of farm machinery, equipment, and supplies.
Nomadic Herding: A type of farming that is common in the dryer regions of Africa and Asia. It involves the raising of animals by people known as nomads, who move with their herds over large territories, constantly seeking good supplies of grass and water. The people live simply and carry their tents and belongings with them. Animals such animals as goats, sheep, camels, and yaks, are raised by these peoples.
13. Relate the types of agriculture to locations on the earth’s surface AND the climate zone most commonly associated with it.
i) Subsistence Farming of Staples = Located in low latitudes. Found in Tropical Climates.
ii) Subsistence Nomadic Herding = Located in low and mid-latitudes. Found in Dry Climates.
iii) Commercial ranching and stock raising = Located at mid-latitudes in North America and Australia. Found in Dry Climates.
iv) Non-agricultural land use = Mainly found at High Latitudes. Found in Polar Climates.
14. Relate the types of agriculture to climate regions. (Refer to Figure 5.1 on page 75 and Figure 9.13 on page 157, and the worksheet completed in class).
a. Subsistence farming of STAPLES occurs in some areas of the Tropical Rainforest, in Africa’s savanna (grasslands).
b. Subsistence nomadic herding occurs mainly in desert regions.
c. Commercial Ranching and stock raising occurs mainly in grassland or desert regions.
d. Small-holding stock raising in desert, and some temperate grassland and scrub.
e. Non-agricultural lands occurs in tundra and boreal forests
15. a) Identify physical factors that influence the decision to recover offshore oil
and gas.
Physical Factors Affecting Off-shore Oil Recovery
Ocean related factors include; 1) Ocean Depth 2) Ocean currents 3) Icebergs & pack
ice
Climate/weather related factors include; 1) Wind speeds 2) Storms
Oil Related factors include; 1) size of the reserve 2) Oil quality
Environmental protection factors; How do these other physical factors affect the chances of an oil spill? Other resources like fish stocks, marine mammals, and spawning grounds would be affected in the event of an oil spill.
b) Identify human factors that influence the decision to recover offshore oil
and gas. (k)
Human Factors Affecting Off-shore Oil Recovery
Worker Safety; How safe can the drill rig and production platform be for the workers?
Trained Worksforce: How many qualified workers are available?
c) Identify the financial factors that influence the decision to recover offshore oil and gas.
Financial Factors include:
ü cost of inputs like building a rig to withstand icebergs, building a rig to drill at great depths or building a production platform that can withstand hurricane winds;
ü cost of processes like transporting the oil from off-shore to land, maintaining the platform's equipment, and pressurizing the reserve
ü price of oil which is set by world markets and determines if enough money is recovered from the oil to exceed the cost of production.
The decision whether to drill or not often comes down to the question: will the cost of overcoming the all other factors be offset by the price oil can be sold for and make the venture financially viable?
The systems model is useful in helping determine the viability of an oil reserve. The determination must be made whether cost of inputs and processing will be offset by the value of the out-put oil. This lesson looks at the physical and human factors that influence the decision to recover oil and gas from an off-shore reserve.
16. Environmental Factors that the builders of the Hibernia Platform had to take into consideration before deciding on the type of drill rig to construct:
Ø High winds in late fall and early winter.
Ø Sea spray icing often occurs on ships and production platforms.
Ø Ice accumulates on ships from heavy fog in fall& winter.
Ø High turbulence in the seas because of the convergence of the Labrador Current with the Gulf Stream
Ø High waves (up to 27 meters) due to the sea turbulence and high winds.
Ø About thirty ice bergs per year pass through the site.
Ø Loose drift ice often covers much of the area from early-January to mid-March.
17. What construction characteristics were incorporated into the design of the Gravity Based Structure (GBS) of Hibernia to help it handle the environmental conditions of the Hibernia site:
a. This platform is a gravity-based structure (secured to the ocean floor). This type of design helps to protect it from the high waves and icy conditions. There is no danger of this rig ever sinking due to these conditions.
b. The bottom portion of the GBS is designed with a 111 meter high water-tight chamber called a caisson that is made from high strength steel and reinforced concrete. It has a 1.4 meter thick ice-wall containing sixteen concrete teeth. This design protects it from the ice conditions, especially the danger of an iceberg striking the rig.
c. The Offshore Loading System (OLS) was constructed with the environment in mind because the shuttle tanker does not have to come close to the rig, which reduces the chances of collision in heavy seas.
18. Identify the physical factors that influence the decision to recover offshore oil and gas.
Some possible factors include:
i) The distance of the oil and gas reservoir from land.
ii) The depth of the water at the location of the oil and gas reservoir.
iii) The weather conditions experienced at the site of the oil and gas reservoir (Example: wind speed, fog, temperature etc.)
iv) The sea conditions at the site of the oil and gas reservoir (Example: wave heights, degree of pack ice, number of icebergs)
v) Other…
19. Human factors that influence the decision to recover offshore oil and gas.
Some possible factors include:
ii) The number of skilled workers available to work on the construction of oil rigs and/or the operation of these rigs once in place in the offshore.
iii) The wage levels paid to workers in an area where offshore oil and gas is foun
20. Describe elements (e.g. work roles, shift rotations) of an offshore oil recovery operation.
21. Examine the economic importance of the offshore oil industry.
The economic importance of the off-shore oil industry is determined by TWO factors;
i) The amount of direct and indirect employment that results from the
drilling for oil and the supports that are required for it.
ii) The amount of money the government(s) of a region gets from royalties from the sale of the oil as well as taxes on corporations involved in the oil industry as well as from personal income tax.
This can be illustrated by the example of the economic impact of the offshore oil industry for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2006, the offshore oil industry accounted for 1% of all employment in the province. The vast majority of these jobs are highly skilled and high paying. This helps to create a large number of “spin-off” jobs in the service sector. The Newfoundland and Labrador government receives 31% of the cash flow from the three existing oil fields. It is estimated that this will bring the government a total of 15 billion dollars over the life of these projects and as much as 1.4 billion dollars in the peak years. This is money the government can use to provide services in health care, education, infrastructure etc. Money from offshore oil has become the single biggest generator of money the provincial government takes in each year ( e.g. 18% in 2006).
22. Explain how oil and gas is formed.
Oil is formed in the following steps;
i. Millions of years ago the oceans covered more of the earth’s surface than they do today and these seas were filled with large masses of plants and animals.
ii. After these organisms died and settled to the ocean floor, sediments piled up and pressed their remains into layers of sedimentary rock.