Water conservation

Water conservation involves reducing the demand for water, rather than trying to increae water supplies. This is important in a world where water supply is finite. Water conservation can be on three main levels; domestic, agricultural, industrial.

Domestic

Note each of the water saving tips here. Create a table with the headings 'Tip', 'Water saving' and 'Why do this' and add the information for 'in the kitchen', 'in the bathroom', 'in the garden' and 'others'.

Agricultural

Use the wikipedia entry to note some tactics for saving water in an agricultural context.

Industrial

Pernod Ricard (the major wine and spirits producer) are an example of water conservation on a commercial level. Read their policy and note some examples of the things they have done.

Lynford House Farm

You need to have knowledge of a case study of farming in the UK. We will use Lynford House farm in Cambridgeshire. Use the web site to complete the worksheet.

Water transfers

One solution to water shortages is to transfer water form one basin to another. Rivers can be diverted or canals built. All water transfers carry political and environmental risk

Two contrasting examples:

1. The Snowy Mountains Scheme (p52-53)

Also see the Snowy River wikipedia entry

2. The South-North Transfer project (p63)

Good video story

BBC news story

Detail from water-technology.net

Middle East water conflict

An old, but still relevant BBC article and one focusing on the problem in Israel.

Use these articles, the handout and your textbook (p47-48) to complete the work set.

Prep to be done for Wednesday 18/11/09

Complete the case study sheet on the water conflicts in the Middle East.

Using the example of the Middle East, show how disputes over water can create tension between countries? (15)

Edinburgh's climate change strategy

Use the Edinburgh Council environment pages to note some of the initiatives that are happening in our local area to address some of the climate change isses we have studied.

What is your carbon footprint?

• Calculate your carbon footprint using the ‘Act on CO2’ web site


• Draw a divided bar chart to show your footprint


• Draw a divided bar chart for the national average footprint


• Create a ‘plan’ to begin to reduce your carbon footprint


• Sort the actions by ‘Easiest to do’. Complete the table to show three actions you could take in each of the categories – Home, Appliances and Travel

The business case studies are here.

History of climate change and adaption and mitigation

Use this website to complete the climate change timeline.

Adaption to climate change

Mitigation against climate change

China's top water issues

China is suffering from many environmental problems - including water stress. Use this map to complete the sheet detailing some of these issues.

Use this to help you with the Prep question:

Examine the factors which have created water stress in India and China (15)

9/11/09

Check your text book p39-40, the Geo Factsheets you were given on 'Pollution in China' for the Development Gap topic, and the other handouts distributed.

Web resources include the BBC source and here, these news stories, an article in Fortune magazine and long article from the New Yorker which includes detail on the problem in India.

Basic Google and wikipedia searches will also produce results.

Solar power from the Sahara

An article from today's Guardian about a German company hoping to provide solar power form the Sahara to Europe.

Floods, drought, famine - the face of a 4C hotter world in 2060

In the build up to the Copenhagen Conference in December, the UK Governement has released a new map showing the predicted impacts of a 4oC global temperature increase worldwide. View the map here. The Guardian followed the launch of the map closely.

For more detail, also go to the Met Office site.

Use the map to complete the sheets you have been given.

Energy Futures?

Google Earth image: oil consumption by country

UVI Geographers have to have a good overview of possible ways forward as our global energy sources change over the next 30-40 years. The multinational energy company Shell have got some ideas: click this link to see what they have to say on the matter. How would you categorise their viewpoint? Balanced? Biased? A 'Domesday scenario'?

Stern Review

The LVI have been set a Prep to investigate the Stern Review. The whole report is available here, but as it is hundreds of pages long, I suggest looking at the Executive Summary.

The BBC Business pages summarised the findings. Wikipedia also has it's review.

The Guardian newspaper (among others) reported on the release of the review extensively.

Biodiversity 'Hotspots'

For the new topic under study for Unit 3 ('Biodiversity Under Threat'), you will need to have some understanding of these 'hotspots' - what they are, where they are located and why they are vulnerable to change due to man's activities. Some personal research is necessary: a good starting point is the website for Conservation International's 'Center for Applied Biodiversity Science', accessed here. Get some general information about 'hotspots', then choose a specific one and research its location, what special species it contains, and why it is threatened. For example, look at the New Caledonia hotspot... whose 'Crested Gecko' is illustrated on the right.

Should we sell off our lochs?

Title of an article from the Sunday Times. Good for the AS Unit 3 Topic 'Water Conflicts'.

Fair Trade

The Guardian carried a supplement at the weekend celebrating 15 years of the Fair Trade Foundation. Use the following two articles to answer the questions about Fair Trade and the work they do.

Fairtrade mark turns 15

Fair from every point of view

Impact of climate change in the Arctic and Africa

AS Geography requires two compulsary case studies of the impacts of climate change - Arctic and Africa.

Create case study sheets for each using the following headings:

Introduction to the region

Evidence for climate chnage in the region

Why is the region vulnerable?

Physical impacts

Human impacts

Your text book offers a starting point (p53-56), but you will need to supplement this with your own research. Some links below to help you:

Arctic

There is a large amount of information on the internet which can help you with this compulsary case study. The Natural Resources Defence Council answers some key questions, as does the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change. More information is given by the Centre for International Environment Law. A search in some of the newspaper sites can be productive. For example, the Guardian which has articles such as this and this. Finally, the BBC is always a good source of information. There are a number of good articles - for example: here and here.

Africa

The BBC has articles which would be a good starting point. The WWF has written two very good papers on the impacts in East Africa. The Stern Report into climate change also had a chapter referencing the impacts of climate change on Africa. It is very long - but try just reading the Executive Summary.

Wildfires

We study wildfires in AS. This week's New Scientist has a very interesting article on them as a contributor to and consequence of climate change. If you need the password for the New Scientist account, see RDH.

All Upper Sixth Geographers should be reading around the various topics and doing their own research. I have put a 'Study Skills Guide' from Edexcel onto the 'shared' server - you should know how to get there, but if not click here. Make sure you have read through this document carefully - there is a lot of good advice within it!

Top grades are awarded to those candidates who show a good grasp of a range of detailed case studies, so - no snoozing at your desk!

Indonesian earthquakes

Use the following links to complete the worksheet on the earthquakes in Indonesia last week.

Begin with this article from the Guardian which refers to the first earthquake on Wednesday evening.

Then go here to read the report of the second earthquake less than 24 hours later on Thursday morning.

Incredibly, there was a third earthquake later on Thursday.

There is an excellent picture gallery of photos of the disaster.

Finally, read this article from the Sunday Times.

Energy security issues

In Upper Sixth lessons recently we have been looking at the issues surrounding energy security. One case study that will serve to illustrate the factors involved is that of the supplying of Russian gas to western Europe. For a discussion of the main problems (from an unusual Chinese perspective) start with this link, or for a more European perspective click here. What can be done? It is proposed to build other gas pipelines through less geopolitically-sensitive areas, such as the 'South Stream' pipeline to Bulgaria, or the Nabucco pipeline through Turkey.

Comparing earthquakes

USe the following links to help research the presentations comparing two earthquakes. For the basic information, start at Wikipedia.

1989 Loma Prieta (San Francisco)

1989 Spitak (Armenia)

2003 San Simeon (Central California)

2003 Bam

Then see the following:

Loma Prieta - photos, BBC

Spitak (Armenia) - USGS page, photos,

San Simeon - USGS

Bam - BBC

Flood areas in Scotland

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have produced a map that shows the likelihood of any area in Scotland flooding. You can view this map by clicking here (the button is at the bottom of the web page). How likely is it that the school grounds will flood? Start by putting the school's postcode (EH13 0PU) into the search box: the blue areas are those at risk of flooding. Try zooming out to see which parts of the city are at the greatest risk of flooding, then try searching other areas you know.

The human tide

Following the forced eviction of hundreds of migrants from 'the jungle' near Paris, The Times produced an excellent graphic illustrating migration flows around the world.

Lagos - a megacity under stress

A few articles and reports to help with your answers. A news report with some background to the problem. A photo journal from the Guardian. An article about a proposal to upgrade the slums. A final article detailing some of the issues.

A recent article from The Guardian magazine.

Don't forget the resources on the Shared Geography A2 folder as well.

Mali and USA cotton industries

Some links to help you with your presentations on the cotton industry in Mali and the USA.

A document from Oxfam detailing the issue in mali.

An excellent summary of the situation from Oxfam

Links from the BBC about Mali here, here and here.

Links from the BBC about the USA here

Fairtrade cotton and here.

Section on Wikipedia on the cotton trade and one on the Economy of Mali.

Oxfam reaction to cotton subsidies and entries on their blog

Hotspots

You need to know about both the Philippines and California as examples of multiple hazard hotspots. Use the template provided to create case study sheets for these two areas.

There is a lot of information on the web to help you. A sample to start with is here:

Disaster information from the Philippines
An excellent PowerPoint on the Philippines
An excellent map of the Philippines
Specifics on the natural hazards faced by California
A good summary of the issues facing California
Another good starting point for California
More from USGS on California
Search here for the region you have chosen and you will get a list of hazards
Go here for excellent maps for ALL countries and the hazards which affect them
That should be plenty to start with!

Distribution of geophysical and hydrometerological hazards

A few links to help with this piece of work.

Start with your text book and then try these links for more information:

On the BBC site:

An animated guide to earthquakes

An animated guide to volcanoes

An animated guide to hurricanes

A list of recent earthquakes

On the USGS site:

Earthquake Centre

Volcano Centre

Flooding Centre

Hurricane fact sheet

Landslide fact sheet

From Wikipedia:

Earthquake

Volcano

Drought

Landslide

Flood

Hurricane

Millenium Goals

A great website for monitoring the progress of countries with regards to the Millenium Goals.

Biofools

Interesting article on the problems with biofuels.

Italian earthquake

Interesting points of view on the impact of earthquakes in a developed country.

IMF

Some more articles about the IMF and G20 from the Economist. Also the involvement of China in the G20.

Water conflicts

Picked up an old copy of The Economist and found this article. Great starting point. This was the leading article.

China

A great series of articles in The Guardian about the changes in China.

Mount St. Helens

'...the worst volcanic disaster in the recorded history of the United States.'
Use the USGS site publication to complete the worksheet on the eruption of Mount St Helens in 1980.

Earthquake activity in California

You will need some detailed examples to use with reference to tectonic activity in an MEDC. We can use earthquake activity in California as this case study.

Create case study sheets comparing the 1906 San Francisco earthquake with the more recent events in 1989 , 1994 and 2004. Compare the impacts and the reaction by the authorities and the general population.

Scientists are concerned about the 'next big one' in San Francisco. Is the city ready for this? There is lots of discussion online about this. There is a nice interactive presentation here.