What you'll need to know...
KEY CONCEPT - How global development processes affect resource availability and consumption
Global and regional/continental progress towards poverty reduction, including the growth of the “new global middle class”
Measuring trends in resource consumption, including individual, national and global ecological footprints
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of:
• water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods
• land/food, including changing diets in middle-income countries
• energy, including the relative and changing importance of hydrocarbons, nuclear power, renewables, new sources of modern energy
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
How different patterns and trends are interrelated and involve spatial interactions between different places
Global and regional/continental progress towards poverty reduction, including the growth of the “new global middle class”
Measuring trends in resource consumption, including individual, national and global ecological footprints
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of:
• water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods
• land/food, including changing diets in middle-income countries
• energy, including the relative and changing importance of hydrocarbons, nuclear power, renewables, new sources of modern energy
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
How different patterns and trends are interrelated and involve spatial interactions between different places
Global and regional/continental progress towards poverty reduction...
Task 1- What is 'extreme poverty?'
Watch the video above from The Economist. Make notes on the following:
1. Progress in poverty reduction
2. How have China & India achieved poverty reduction
3. Why many African countries are struggling to follow the Asian model
4. Issues caused by a rapidly increasing population.
Watch the video above from The Economist. Make notes on the following:
1. Progress in poverty reduction
2. How have China & India achieved poverty reduction
3. Why many African countries are struggling to follow the Asian model
4. Issues caused by a rapidly increasing population.
Task 2 - How has poverty changed over time?
Watch the video above from Hans Rosling carefully up to 3:45. From 3.45 onward, listen and watch carefully to what is being said.
Write your own 100 word summary that describes the historical growth of population and extreme poverty.
Make sure you take a screen shot from 4:40 to compliment your summary.
Watch the video above from Hans Rosling carefully up to 3:45. From 3.45 onward, listen and watch carefully to what is being said.
Write your own 100 word summary that describes the historical growth of population and extreme poverty.
Make sure you take a screen shot from 4:40 to compliment your summary.
Task 3 - Can you be poor in an HIC?
When we hear about poverty, we often imagine certain countries in certain parts of the world. But, do we think of poverty in our own country? Check out the video above (in French but with subtitles).
Make notes on the hardships that the woman in the video faces. Is this extreme poverty?
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Task 4 - Using a copy of the graphic above, and by pressing the play button on the second chart, create a summary that explores how selected countries (USA & Ethiopia), different regions** and the World have made progress towards poverty reduction.
**Hint: On the second interactive chart, click on the 'Change Region' link above the graph to look individually at how different regions have reduced incidences of extreme poverty.
Please also consider the drawbacks of using a measure of $2.15 per day as a measure of 'extreme poverty'.
Task 5 - Infographic Time - Complete the activities on the worksheet below.
The growth of the “new global middle class...
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The pattern of increasing wealth spreading globally through increasing economic development and a fall in the number of people living in absolute poverty conversely causes an increase in the numbers of middle class people globally. If you rewind back to 1965, the total number of middle class people numbered around 732 MILLION out of a total population of 3.3 billion people. The estimates for 2030 are that middle class people will number 4.9 BILLION out of a total population of 8.7 billion!
The increasing numbers of people in the middle classes is important economically as they demand consumer goods such as electronics, cars, increasing varieties of clothing, mobile phones and associated technologies such as app development and high speed 4G internet connection. They also demand more varied food stuffs and generally a rise in consumption of more "luxurious" food products such as beef as well as imported foods and beverages. Of course, these developments come at huge benefit to TNC's but are potentially disastrous for the environment - think of additional land required for rearing cattle, increased energy demand and the process of e-waste disposal.
Starter - Watch both videos at the top of this page. Make notes on how the rising number of middle classes is helping to transform the Philippines (MIC) and how this contrasts with the situation in the USA (HIC).
Task 1 - Complete the worksheet below.
Task 2 - Watch the two videos beneath and take notes on the causes and consequences of an explosion of the numbers of people in the middle classes. Try to incorporate the images above and below into your work.
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Individual, national and global ecological footprints...
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Task 1 - Click here to be taken an interactive site that shows global distribution of ecological footprint and biocapacity data. Use the worksheet above to complete the activities set out focusing on the following factors: 1. Biocapacity 2. Ecological Footprint 3. Carbon Footprint 4. Ecological Creditor 5. Ecological Debtor 6. Global Hectare Task 2 - Take the Ecological Footprint Calculator test to work out your individual impact on the planet. Where you have the option to 'add more detail', please do so. Take a note of your score as well as a screen shot of your further details and explain your overshoot day. This overshoot graphic is also very useful. How did you do? What features caused your footprint to be bigger or smaller than your peers in the class? Who reaches the overshoot threshold the quickest?? Task 3 - Although we have just looked at an ecological footprint, you may have also heard of the ‘carbon footprint’. But, what is a carbon footprint and how invented it? Watch the embedded video from DW to the right and make notes below. Task 4 - Complete this quiz sheet. Match each of the following nations to their data sets. China, Niger, Brazil, USA, Australia. Task 5 - Click here to be taken back to the interactive site that shows global distribution of ecological footprint and biocapacity data. Take notes on the following countries: France, UAE, Ethiopia & your home country. Take some additional notes on how the EF can be reduced in places such as the UAE (see video to the right). Task 5 - Exam Corner
To what extent is a future global increase in ecological footprint inevitable due to a rapid growth of the Middle Class? Tip: Try to use all six of the key terms covered in Task 1 at some point during your answer. |
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Patterns & Trends in water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods...
Starter: Spend five minutes watching the video above. This will introduce you to this new piece of work. Complete the key data worksheet above by filling in the relevant information next to each piece of important data.
Traditionally, you may have learnt about water shortages, physical and economic water scarcity and simple schemes to save water. However, some of the content in this piece of work is very new and includes virtual water footprints too.
Traditionally, you may have learnt about water shortages, physical and economic water scarcity and simple schemes to save water. However, some of the content in this piece of work is very new and includes virtual water footprints too.
Task 1 - Using the worksheet, describe the differences in water use between HICs and L/MICs in the figure above from UNESCO. Try to explain these differences by thinking about levels of development and economic activity.
Task 2 - Click on the blue tab below to access a brief summary report from UNESCO on the causes of water shortage and the likely future impacts. Alternatively, for 2i, you may instead use this link
i. On the worksheet, take notes on the four main sources that create demand, namely agriculture, production of energy, industrial uses and human consumption. Again, think back to previous work on rise of middle class population and continuing progress in global development (MDG's - SDG's).
ii. Take notes on the likely impacts of climate change on future water supplies and vulnerable populations.
Task 2 - Click on the blue tab below to access a brief summary report from UNESCO on the causes of water shortage and the likely future impacts. Alternatively, for 2i, you may instead use this link
i. On the worksheet, take notes on the four main sources that create demand, namely agriculture, production of energy, industrial uses and human consumption. Again, think back to previous work on rise of middle class population and continuing progress in global development (MDG's - SDG's).
ii. Take notes on the likely impacts of climate change on future water supplies and vulnerable populations.
Task 3 - Study the virtual water footprint map below.
The water footprint of a product is an empirical indicator of how much water is consumed, when and where, measured over the whole supply chain of the product. The water footprint is a multidimensional indicator, showing volumes but also making explicit the type of water use (evaporation of rainwater, surface water or groundwater, or pollution of water) and the location and timing of water use. The water footprint of an individual, community or business, is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. The water footprint shows human appropriation of the world’s limited freshwater resources and thus provides a basis for assessing the impacts of goods and services on freshwater systems and formulating strategies to reduce those impacts. Source www.waterfootprint.org
The water footprint of a product is an empirical indicator of how much water is consumed, when and where, measured over the whole supply chain of the product. The water footprint is a multidimensional indicator, showing volumes but also making explicit the type of water use (evaporation of rainwater, surface water or groundwater, or pollution of water) and the location and timing of water use. The water footprint of an individual, community or business, is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. The water footprint shows human appropriation of the world’s limited freshwater resources and thus provides a basis for assessing the impacts of goods and services on freshwater systems and formulating strategies to reduce those impacts. Source www.waterfootprint.org
Why is this important?
As nations work toward securing food, water, energy and other essential inputs for people’s well being, livelihoods and the country’s economic development, most countries rely on imports as well as exports of goods and services. A country may aim to be self-sufficient by relying primarily on goods that can be produced within its borders. Or a country may choose to reduce the burden on the natural resources within its borders by importing water intensive products.
A country may select energy security by using its natural resources to produce electricity in exchange for food security by importing food. The water footprint and its translation into virtual water can illuminate these choices and their inter-dependencies. Virtual water helps us understand the dependencies our economies have on others’ resources.
Coupling this with the water footprint enables us to map out the dependencies and to identify when and where risks may lie, in terms of scarcity and pollution. This has implications for food security, economy and diplomacy.
For water-scarce countries it can sometimes be attractive to import virtual water (through import of water-intensive products), thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources. This happens, for example, in Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Mexico. Northern European countries import a lot of water in virtual form (more than they export), but this is not driven by water scarcity.
Instead it results from protection of their domestic water resources, land availability and land uses. In Europe as a whole, 40% of the water footprint lies outside of its borders. Source www.waterfootprint.org
Task 4 - Using the worksheet, compare and contrast the imports and exports of virtual water into Europe using the map above
Task 5 - Study the map below carefully, they key and the caption beneath it. The pie chart for each major virtual water flow shows three different colours:
Green = water from vegetation and soil
Blue = water from surface storage and ground water supplies
Grey = water required to clean up pollution.
Using the worksheet, describe and explain the flow between Brazil and the EU as well as the flow between Pakistan and Brazil.
As nations work toward securing food, water, energy and other essential inputs for people’s well being, livelihoods and the country’s economic development, most countries rely on imports as well as exports of goods and services. A country may aim to be self-sufficient by relying primarily on goods that can be produced within its borders. Or a country may choose to reduce the burden on the natural resources within its borders by importing water intensive products.
A country may select energy security by using its natural resources to produce electricity in exchange for food security by importing food. The water footprint and its translation into virtual water can illuminate these choices and their inter-dependencies. Virtual water helps us understand the dependencies our economies have on others’ resources.
Coupling this with the water footprint enables us to map out the dependencies and to identify when and where risks may lie, in terms of scarcity and pollution. This has implications for food security, economy and diplomacy.
For water-scarce countries it can sometimes be attractive to import virtual water (through import of water-intensive products), thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources. This happens, for example, in Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Mexico. Northern European countries import a lot of water in virtual form (more than they export), but this is not driven by water scarcity.
Instead it results from protection of their domestic water resources, land availability and land uses. In Europe as a whole, 40% of the water footprint lies outside of its borders. Source www.waterfootprint.org
Task 4 - Using the worksheet, compare and contrast the imports and exports of virtual water into Europe using the map above
Task 5 - Study the map below carefully, they key and the caption beneath it. The pie chart for each major virtual water flow shows three different colours:
Green = water from vegetation and soil
Blue = water from surface storage and ground water supplies
Grey = water required to clean up pollution.
Using the worksheet, describe and explain the flow between Brazil and the EU as well as the flow between Pakistan and Brazil.
Caption: Global map showing countries with net virtual water import related to import of agricultural and industrial products from Latin American countries (green) and countries with net virtual water export due to agricultural and industrial exports to Latin American countries (red) over the period 1996-2005. Only the biggest gross virtual water flows (over 10 billion cubic meters per year) are shown. Source: Mekonnen, M.M., Pahlow, M., Aldaya, M.M., Zarate, E. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2015)
Patterns & Trends in land/food, including changing diets...
The work on changing patterns and trends in land has been primarily covered in the Climate Change section of work here. We will now focus on the issues of changing diets.
5 Minute Reading Task - Get a summary of the issues by reading this Guardian Article.
Starter: On the worksheet above, please complete the starter activity and 'thought shower' the main reasons that people choose convenience and fast food diets that may be rich in saturated fats and hidden sugars.
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Task 1 - Watch the first video that is based on a presentation on a world famous photography project by Peter Menzel that documented the weekly eating habits of different families around the world.
Make notes on his overall observations:
i. General food shopping habits around the world
ii. The problems caused by intake of too many calories (obesity) in the USA.
iii. Impact of food globalization on the tribes in Papua New Guinea
iv. Transition of China into a meat diet as well as regional disparities within the country
v. What the 80% rule means in Japan.
Food intake (measured by calorie intake) has gone up dramatically in most regions of the world. This has been due to our ability to increase crop production in the following ways:
1. Expanding the areas that we farm (clearing rainforest for pasture for cattle grazing)
2. Better use of irrigation (potatoes being grown in Egyptian desert)
3. Using HYVs and the use of GM crops (drought resistant corn)
There have been major changes in diets moving away from traditional home grown and seasonal produce to a more varied diet containing dairy products, meat and of course fast food. This transition has come about with rapid urbanisation, more people working for longer hours, competitive pricing and aggressive marketing campaigns by TNC's in LICs and MICs.
Extension Activity - Watch the second video above and make notes on the link between changing meat rich diets and climate change.
Task 2 - Watch the video below from the New York Times that highlights the issues caused by such a change in diet in Brazil; a middle income country in South America. Take notes on key content and changing trends. This video is embedded in the news article for Task 3 as well.
Make notes on his overall observations:
i. General food shopping habits around the world
ii. The problems caused by intake of too many calories (obesity) in the USA.
iii. Impact of food globalization on the tribes in Papua New Guinea
iv. Transition of China into a meat diet as well as regional disparities within the country
v. What the 80% rule means in Japan.
Food intake (measured by calorie intake) has gone up dramatically in most regions of the world. This has been due to our ability to increase crop production in the following ways:
1. Expanding the areas that we farm (clearing rainforest for pasture for cattle grazing)
2. Better use of irrigation (potatoes being grown in Egyptian desert)
3. Using HYVs and the use of GM crops (drought resistant corn)
There have been major changes in diets moving away from traditional home grown and seasonal produce to a more varied diet containing dairy products, meat and of course fast food. This transition has come about with rapid urbanisation, more people working for longer hours, competitive pricing and aggressive marketing campaigns by TNC's in LICs and MICs.
Extension Activity - Watch the second video above and make notes on the link between changing meat rich diets and climate change.
Task 2 - Watch the video below from the New York Times that highlights the issues caused by such a change in diet in Brazil; a middle income country in South America. Take notes on key content and changing trends. This video is embedded in the news article for Task 3 as well.
Task 3 - Spend a further 15 minutes skim reading through the full article from the New York times and taking further notes on these trends. Use the notes framework above.
Key Extract from the New York Times article - Lots of synthesis in these few sentences that link together large parts of this IB DP course.
The story is as much about economics as it is nutrition. As multinational companies push deeper into the developing world, they are transforming local agriculture, spurring farmers to abandon subsistence crops in favor of cash commodities like sugar cane, corn and soybeans — the building blocks for many industrial food products.
In places as distant as China, South Africa and Colombia, the rising clout of big food companies also translates into political influence, targetting public health officials seeking soda taxes or legislation aimed at curbing the health impacts of processed food.
The same trends are mirrored with fast food, which grew 30 percent worldwide from 2011 to 2016, compared with 21 percent in the United States, according to Euromonitor. Take, for example, Domino’s Pizza, which in 2016 added 1,281 stores — one “every seven hours,” noted its annual report — all but 171 of them overseas.
Key Extract from the New York Times article - Lots of synthesis in these few sentences that link together large parts of this IB DP course.
The story is as much about economics as it is nutrition. As multinational companies push deeper into the developing world, they are transforming local agriculture, spurring farmers to abandon subsistence crops in favor of cash commodities like sugar cane, corn and soybeans — the building blocks for many industrial food products.
In places as distant as China, South Africa and Colombia, the rising clout of big food companies also translates into political influence, targetting public health officials seeking soda taxes or legislation aimed at curbing the health impacts of processed food.
The same trends are mirrored with fast food, which grew 30 percent worldwide from 2011 to 2016, compared with 21 percent in the United States, according to Euromonitor. Take, for example, Domino’s Pizza, which in 2016 added 1,281 stores — one “every seven hours,” noted its annual report — all but 171 of them overseas.
Patterns & trends in energy - changing importance of hydrocarbons...
Task 1 - Watch the videos embedded below. Ensure that you take notes on the worksheet above from each under the following headings:
i. How Much Oil Is Left on Earth? - Where does our oil come from now?
ii. The Future of Oil Demand - Peak, Plateau or Plummet?
Make a sketch of the Hubbert's Peak graph on your sheet and annotate with notes from this video 3:05 - 4:07**
"The better you do the job of exploiting oil and gas, the sooner that it is gone"
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Video Task - Use this worksheet to circle the right answers based around you watching the video below.
Task 2 - Study the two inflated/deflated maps below.
Take a copy of each and then add titles. (Click on each to enlarge)
One Shows Crude Petroleum Exports. The other shows Shows Crude Petroleum Imports
Which one is which? Use evidence from the maps and your own knowledge and understanding to explain the differences making reference to specific regions and distortion shapes.
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Task 3 - Go to the following web pages and complete the activities:
a. Use the following links to be taken to a Wikipedia list of top oil producing & oil consuming nations. Alter the list by clicking on the sort arrow for 'Production bbl/day. Make a notes of the top 5 countries in terms of their production and the value for each. Is there a pattern in terms of geographic location?
b. On the same page, alter the 'Consumption bbl/day' tab so that it shows the biggest consumers. Make a note of the top 5 consuming countries. Are there any patterns that can be linked to population and development? Are there major disparities between the consumers and what they produce?
Task 4 - Click here to be taken to a short outline description of the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels. Create a mind map or two separate spider diagrams to show both.
Task 5 - Paper 2 Infographic
Click on the tab below to access a sample Paper 2 infographic analysis question based on Peak Oil.
a. Use the following links to be taken to a Wikipedia list of top oil producing & oil consuming nations. Alter the list by clicking on the sort arrow for 'Production bbl/day. Make a notes of the top 5 countries in terms of their production and the value for each. Is there a pattern in terms of geographic location?
b. On the same page, alter the 'Consumption bbl/day' tab so that it shows the biggest consumers. Make a note of the top 5 consuming countries. Are there any patterns that can be linked to population and development? Are there major disparities between the consumers and what they produce?
Task 4 - Click here to be taken to a short outline description of the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels. Create a mind map or two separate spider diagrams to show both.
Task 5 - Paper 2 Infographic
Click on the tab below to access a sample Paper 2 infographic analysis question based on Peak Oil.
Changing importance of renewables & new sources of modern energy...
Group Task: You are going to be splitting into three groups to complete a fact finding mission about three alternative sources of energy.
You will evaluate their potential to replace the traditional fossil fuel approach to energy generation in countries of all levels of economic development.
The presentation will be in front of the rest of the group.
Three case study energy sources will be Nuclear, Wind and Solar Power.
Use your internet research skills and page 483-484 of the IB DP Geography textbook to help you to research the three renewable energy sources.
To start with, each team member should click on the image of the enegy source below to complete a short upskilling session on their allocated energy source using the National Geographic. There may also be embedded videos to watch too.
You will evaluate their potential to replace the traditional fossil fuel approach to energy generation in countries of all levels of economic development.
The presentation will be in front of the rest of the group.
Three case study energy sources will be Nuclear, Wind and Solar Power.
Use your internet research skills and page 483-484 of the IB DP Geography textbook to help you to research the three renewable energy sources.
To start with, each team member should click on the image of the enegy source below to complete a short upskilling session on their allocated energy source using the National Geographic. There may also be embedded videos to watch too.
Upskill - Nuclear
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Upskill - Wind
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Upskill - Solar
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Task 1 - Each group should create a six slide (PowerPoint, Prezzie, Google Presentation etc.) case study of your chosen energy source with the following information included:
i. Location map to show suitable places to generate this type of energy (e.g. wind/solar power suitability map, security issues concerning the siting of nuclear power plants (think of Chernobyl & Fukushima)
ii. Details of how this form of energy can be harnessed** (the production and mechanisms). Add images.
iii. Case study of domestic & industrial use in a MIC & or a HIC (place name and evaluates scheme)
iv. Case study of practical uses in a LIC (place name and evaluates scheme)
v. Drawbacks and criticisms.
vi. Evaluation of suitability for future mass use.
All members of the group should take part in the oral presentation of the research.
**One person, must take responsibility for the clear drawing of a 2 minute diagram to show how the energy is harnessed.
Task 2- When you have all the information, prepare some notes to complete the following question in exam conditions in class:
Examine the changing importance of three energy alternatives to oil [10 Marks].
Your teacher will write the introduction to this piece of work (see below) and you will be responsible for reading the presentations given by your peers and then formulate your middle section and conclusion (as per the IB essay planner).
(Rather long) Introduction to IB Essay.
In 2024, oil continues to fuel the modern world. No other substance on earth can equal the enormous impact which the use of oil has had on so many people, so rapidly, in so many ways, and in so many places around the world.
Oil in its various refined forms, such as petrol, kerosene, and diesel, has a unique combination of many desirable and useful characteristics including current availability in (decreasing) abundance, ease of transportation and storage and great versatility in end use. Oil is also useful as more than an energy source. It is the basis for the manufacture of petrochemical products including plastics, medicines, paints, and a huge number of other useful materials.
This essay will explore the extent to which nuclear, wind and solar power could be considered as a long term replacement for oil and their changing importance in countries at different levels of economic development.
