Global trends in consumption
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Define the ecological footprint.
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All Flashcards in Topic 3.1
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3.1.110 cards
Define the ecological footprint.
The **area of land and sea** needed to supply one person's resources and absorb their waste (in global hectares).
Define embedded (virtual) water.
The **hidden water** used along the whole supply chain to **produce** a good or service.
Embedded water vs the water you drink?
Drinking water is **direct/visible**; embedded water is the **hidden** water used to make products.
Roughly how much water is embedded in one cotton T-shirt?
About **2,700 litres** to grow and process the cotton.
How does the footprint capture consumption?
It converts resource use into a **land area** — more consumption means a **bigger** footprint.
Name two things that change a country's embedded water over time.
**Diet** (more meat = more water) and **technology** (efficient irrigation lowers it); also trade and wealth.
Why does rising meat demand raise embedded water?
Meat and dairy are **water-intensive**, so eating more of them locks more hidden water into the diet.
How do you work out the range of a data set?
**Highest value minus lowest value** — show the subtraction.
Define biocapacity.
How much **productive land and sea is available** to supply resources and absorb waste.
What does a footprint map's spatial pattern usually show?
**Largest** footprints in high-income regions (North America, the Gulf); **smallest** in low-income regions.
3.1.210 cards
Define the global middle class.
Households with enough **disposable income** to spend beyond essentials (often roughly $11-110 a day).
Define disposable income.
Money left after paying for essentials, which can be spent or saved.
What is the dietary (nutrition) shift?
As incomes rise, diets move from starchy staples to more **meat, dairy, sugar and processed food**.
Give two reasons diets shift as incomes rise.
Higher disposable income and urbanisation (also globalisation/advertising and busier lifestyles).
Why does a richer diet raise water use?
Meat and dairy are **very water-intensive** - e.g. about **15,000 L per kg of beef** vs ~1,500 L per kg of wheat.
Name three resources strained by richer diets.
**Water**, **land** and **energy** (plus higher greenhouse-gas emissions).
China example for diet shift?
As its middle class grew, **meat consumption per person roughly doubled**; China now eats about a quarter of the world's meat.
What is Engel's law (income vs food share)?
As income rises, the **share** of income spent on food **falls** (about 48% in low income to 9% in high income).
How can a survey be biased?
By **who was asked** - e.g. city-only, self-selecting or non-responding samples that don't represent everyone.
Essay: is the middle class the chief threat to resources?
It is a powerful pressure (especially on water via diet) but interacts with **climate, population and governance** - so it depends on place.
3.1.312 cards
What is happening to TOTAL world energy and resource use?
It is **rising**, driven by a growing population and middle class.
What is happening to PER-PERSON oil use in many high-income countries?
It is **falling** - efficiency, a shift to services, and cleaner fuels.
What is happening to per-person energy use in many middle-income countries?
It is **rising fast** as the middle class, industry and cities grow.
Define per-person (per capita) consumption.
The total amount **divided by the population**.
Why does per-person oil use fall in some HICs?
Energy **efficiency**, a shift to **services**, and switching to cleaner electricity.
Why does per-person energy use rise in some MICs?
Rising **incomes** (cars, appliances, travel), **industrialisation** and **urbanisation**.
How does development raise the energy AVAILABLE to a country?
Capital to build supply, money to import fuel, and efficient technology.
Define e-waste.
Discarded **electrical and electronic** equipment (phones, TVs, computers).
Why is nuclear power's importance changing?
**Growing** in some fast-developing nations (low-carbon base-load); **declining** in others over cost and safety.
Best graph for a fuel mix (shares of a whole)?
A **pie chart** (or stacked bar) - it shows each part as a proportion of the total.
Best graph for change over time?
A **line graph** - it shows the trend clearly.
What does the command State mean on a figure?
Read a value or range **straight off** the figure, with units.
Topic 3.1 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Global trends in consumption
Geography exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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