This document includes all of the course content and case studies needed for the third core unit Global Resource Consumption and Security for the IB Geography new syllabus whose first examination is in 2019 (mine). By using these notes alone I managed to get a 7 on my class exam
IB Geography Unit 3 Notes - Global resource consumption
and security
Links:
Page 1: Geography command terms
Page 2: Overview of the unit with links
Page 3: Unit 3 Climate change notes begin
, Geography command terms
Questions which begin with a command term in green (AO1) are descriptive and worth few marks in exams: more time
should always be devoted to questions which begin with command terms in blue (AO2) or red (A03) which are more
analytical and are usually worth more marks on exams papers. Assessment Objectives written in black (AO4) refer to
drawing skills (annotated maps and diagrams, graphs)
● Analyze (AO2): Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure
● Annotate (AO4): Add brief notes to a diagram or graph
● Classify (AO2): Arrange or order by class or category
● Compare (AO3): Give an account of the similarities between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all)
of them throughout
● Compare and contrast (AO3): Give an account of similarities and differences between two (or more) items or
situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout
● Construct (AO4): Display information in a diagrammatic or logical form
● Contrast (AO3): Give an account of the differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all)
of them throughout
● Define (AO1): Give the precise meaning of a word, phrase, concept or physical quantity
● Describe (AO1): Give a detailed account
● Determine (AO1): Obtain the only possible answer
● Discuss (AO3): Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses.
Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence
● Distinguish (AO2): Make clear the differences between two or more concepts or items
● Draw (AO4): Represent by means of a labelled, accurate diagram or graph, using a pencil. A ruler (straight edge)
should be used for straight lines. Diagrams should be drawn to scale. Graphs should have points correctly plotted (if
appropriate) and joined in a straight line or smooth curve
● Estimate (AO1): Obtain an approximate value
● Evaluate (AO3): Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations
● Examine (AO3): Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the
issue
● Explain (AO2): Give a detailed account including reasons or causes
● Identify (AO1): Provide an answer from a number of possibilities
● Justify (AO3): Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion
● Label (AO4): Add labels to a diagram
● Outline (AO1): Give a brief account or summary
● State (AO1): Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation
● Suggest (AO2): Propose a solution, hypothesis or other possible answer
● To what extent (AO3): Consider the merits or otherwise of an argument or concept. Opinions and conclusions should
be presented clearly and supported with empirical evidence and sound argument
1
,Unit 3 - Global resource consumption and security (with links)
Part 1: Global trends in consumption
- LT: To describe and explain the global and regional progress towards poverty reduction, including the growth
of the “new global middle class”
- LT: To measure trends in resource consumption: individual, national and global ecological footprints
- LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of water
- LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of land/food
- LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of energy including
the changing importance of fossil fuels (hydrocarbons), nuclear and renewables
Part 2: Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption
- LT: To describe and explain the water-food-energy “nexus” and how its complex interactions affect national
water security, food security and energy security
- LT: To examine the implications of global climate change for the water-food-energy nexus
- LT: To examine detailed examples of two countries with contrasting levels of resource security
- LT: To examine the disposal and recycling of consumer items, including international flows of waste
Part 3: Resource Stewardship
- LT: To examine divergent thinking about population and resource consumption trends
- LT: To explain how resource stewardship is a balanced view of the relationship between population and
resources and to examine a resource stewardship strategy
- LT: To examine the value of the circular economy as a systems approach for effective cycling of materials and
energy
2
, Part 1: Global trends in consumption
LT: To describe and explain the global and regional progress towards poverty reduction, including the growth of the
“new global middle class”
In 1990, 50% of people in LIC’s lived on less than $1.25 a day and in 2015, it had fallen to 14%.
According to the graph, Europe has a relatively level projection of the global middle class, staying in the high 600
million people range. North America has a similar situation remaining in the high 300 million people. This is expected
as these areas are considered developed and thus should have a greater level of income per capita.
LT: To measure trends in resource consumption: individual, national and global ecological footprints
Ecological footprint: The theoretical measurement of the amount of land and water a population requires to produce
the resources it consumes and to absorb its waste under prevailing technology measured in global hectares (gha).
The calculation takes into account the following:
❖ Arable land- the amount of land required for growing crops
❖ Pasture land- resources required for growing animals for meat
❖ Forests- for fuel, furniture and buildings, and also for ecosystem services like climate stability and erosion
prevention
❖ Oceans- for fish and other marine products
❖ Built up land- transportation and housing
❖ Carbon- land required for absorbing carbon dioxide emissions and other energy waste
3
,Biocapacity: The capacity of land (amount of productive land available) to generate an ongoing supply of resources
and to absorb its waste
There is a general increase in all variables of the ecological footprint from 7 billion in 1961 to 20 billion in 2012. The
amount of carbon has increased by 400% from 1961 to 2012.
Reasons why the ecological footprint could increase:
● Increasing population
● Increasing income (desire to consume)
● Urbanisation
● Improved
Reasons why the ecological footprint could decrease:
● Inflation
● High interest rates
● Increased environmental awareness
● Improved geo-friendly technologies
● Wars
● Migration out of the country
4
,LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of water
Reasons for pressure on water resources:
Climate change = It puts a strain on some countries water with droughts and violent storms
Population increase = As the population grows, more people will exist to demand water
Uneven distribution = Nearly 15% if the world’s population do not have access to clean water and so put the
government under pressure to provide it.
Higher demand for goods = The increased demand for luxury goods mean that more water is being used to create
them
Water footprint is a measure of how much water is used in human activities.
Virtual water (embedded water): This refers to the way in which water is transferred from one country to another
through exports
Possibly useful statistics (I used them in my exam):
It takes a bit over 4,000 litres of water to make a pair of Levi jeans
It takes 15,400 litres of water to make 1kg of steak
LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of land/food
Food security is when people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
Physical availability of food is determined by the level of food production, stock levels and net trade
Economic & physical access to food (adequate infrastructure and incomes and price levels). For individuals this can
include: power hierarchies, gender positioning within households. Food utilization (the way the body makes the most
of the nutrients in the food. Can be changed by gender/age/weight/pregnancy etc)
Above the tropic of cancer the majority of countries have a daily calories intakes per capita of above 2,850 with the
anomaly of Mongolia whose intake is below 2,600.
Reasons why countries have their daily calorie intake levels per capita:
➢ High incomes
➢ Natural resources
➢ Conflict/ wars
➢ High calorie foods
➢ Climate/ type of food
➢ Development- trade- TNC’s (cheap high calorie food)
➢ Cultures (e.g France culture with food)
➢ Changes in diets
5
, The graph to the left shows that:
The intake of meat has increased in both
developed and developing countries. Furthermore,
it more than tripled in developing countries
between 1973 to 2011 from roughly 4 to 14 grams
per capita per day
Between 1964 and 1999, meat consumption per
capita increased by 150% in LIC’s.
Other facts include:
That global meat production rose from 218 million
tonnes in 1998 to reach 376 million tonnes by
2030.
Growth rates of food production have been falling
due to natural hazards, global climate change and
the use of land to produce biofuels.
When evaluating an infographic you can talk about:
❏ Tone of language
❏ Use of terminology / headings and labels
❏ Sources used
❏ Generalization
❏ Use of images
❏ Uses of colour
❏ Use of data
❏ Intended data
❏ Scales and proportions or projections of the map
❏ Effectiveness of the key
6
, LT: To describe and explain global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of energy including the
changing importance of fossil fuels (hydrocarbons), nuclear and renewables
Energy security refers to having access to clean, reliable and affordable energy sources for cooking, heating, lighting,
communication and productive uses
A diversified energy mix offers the most energy security
Reasons for energy insecurity:
● Industrialization
● Development of NIC’s
● Population growth
● Conflicts e.g Russia and Ukraine
● Price of extraction
Useful facts and statistics:
- The Middle East controls 50% of the world’s oil reserves.
- Peak oil production is the year where the world or a country producing oil reaches its highest level of
production with production declining thereafter.
- The world's daily production of oil has on overall increased.
- Increases in production could be due to technology and improved trade relations (decreased trade barriers)
- Decreases in production could be due to decreasing oil prices, wars and increases in extraction costs.
- There is a general trend of increasing consumption of energy
- Consumption of electricity in Asia-Pacific has increased by a multiple of 12 between 1965 and 2015
- 2008 was an anomaly due to the financial recession and so people had less money to spend.
- Hydroelectric power has increased by 300% between 1965 and 2015.
- There is a general trend of increasing use of all sources of energy
- Countries North of the tropic of Cancer have an annual average per capita energy consumption of 25,000 kWh
or more. An anomaly to this is Burma whose consumption is below 5,000 kWh.
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