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Earth's Resources and Sustainable DevelopmentAQA GCSE Chemistry: Flashcards

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What is the difference between a finite resource and a renewable resource?

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What is the difference between a finite resource and a renewable resource?
A finite resource will eventually run out; a renewable resource can be replenished at a similar rate to its use.
Define sustainable development.
Meeting the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are the four stages assessed in a life cycle assessment (LCA)?
Extracting and processing raw materials; manufacturing and packaging; use and operation; disposal.
Why is a life cycle assessment not a purely objective process?
Because allocating numerical values to pollutant effects requires value judgements, unlike measurable quantities such as water or energy use.
What is a risk of using selective or abbreviated LCAs?
They can be misused to reach a predetermined conclusion, rather than giving a fair evaluation.
Name the three main ways of reducing the use of limited resources.
Reduction in use, reuse of materials, and recycling of materials.
How can metals be recycled?
By melting and recasting them into new products.
Give an example of a natural product being replaced by an agricultural or synthetic product.
Synthetic fibres replacing natural fibres (or similar valid example).
Why might comparing plastic and paper shopping bags using LCA give different 'winners' depending on the study?
Because the choice of which stages or effects to include or exclude in the LCA can change the outcome, since LCA is not purely objective.
Give an example of a finite resource and a renewable resource.
Fossil fuels (finite); timber or wind energy (renewable).