GEOGRAPHY IGCSE: ENVIRONMENT - WASTE AND POLLUTION. It contains: waste and pollution, BP spill in Gulf of Mexico.

1. IGCSE GEOGRAPHY
43. ENVIRONMENT
WASTE AND POLLUTION. CASE
STUDY: BRITISH PETROLEUM
SPILL, GULF OF MEXICO

2. The amount and type of waste produced varies between
countries.
MEDCs have higher levels of consumption, so many produce
more waste than LEDCs. Ireland and the USA produce over 700
kg of waste per person per year. In LEDCs the figure is around
150 kg per person per year.
This difference is due to different levels of consumption; it is
also more common to reuse items in LEDCs.
As a country becomes more wealthy, the demand for consumer
items increases. This means that items are replaced more
frequently - leading to larger quantities of waste. For example,
mobile phones and computers that still work may be discarded
for a newer version.

3. In LEDCs waste production is lower because:
• Less is bought because people are typically on lower incomes
• Less packaging is used on products
• Disposable items (eg razors, plastic plates and nappies) are used
less
• Lower literacy levels means there is less production of written
material

4. The image below shows that preventing waste in the first place is
the most favourable option.
Where this is not possible, then re-using products or recycling is
better for the environment than disposal in a landfill.

5. The government sets recycling targets for local councils.
Government grants are available for businesses and
households installing environmentally friendly technologies,
such as solar panels.
New buildings have strict national guidelines for energy
efficiency.

6. Combined Heat and Power systems can be put in place.
One example is the Southampton Community Heating Scheme
where luxury apartments are served by one community boiler,
reducing energy wastage and costs.
Schools and communities can also put in place measures -
such as recycling bins or informative posters - to raise
awareness of energy wastage (eg reminding people to turn
lights off).

7. Households are given different types of bin to sort their
waste into. Recycling bins are sometimes collected more
frequently to encourage their use.
People can install insulation and double glazing to conserve
household energy.
There is reduced VAT to pay for installing environmentally
friendly technologies in homes.
The image below shows some ways of saving energy and
using environmentally friendly technology.

8. Solar panels on the roof of a house, converting sunlight directly into electricity

10. Many major food, clothing and furniture retailers, now have
'zero waste to landfill' targets.
This means that within a few years, they aim to recycle 100%
of their waste, with none of it going to landfills.
To do this they look at sustainable ways to process and
recycle waste.
An audit of materials used has to take place to identify where
waste is occurring, and then strategies are undertaken to
recycle or cut down on this material.

11. Waste plastics from the stores should be recycled into carrier
bags for customer use.
Packaging for products should be minimised.
Waste packaging is recycled into products such as tissues.
Organic (food) waste is converted into biomass energy, which
can be sold back into the national grid.

12. For example, the car industry has seen many changes due to
recent regulations and pressure to reform.
One project, called the LIFE project (based in the Netherlands)
aims to reuse second-hand car components when repairing
cars.
By developing links with car dismantlers, body shops and
owners, 6,000 cars were repaired with used parts.

13. In the EU there are strict guidelines and targets to be met,
which came into force in 2008. They include:
• rules on the disposal of hazardous waste
• limiting pollution released into the air or groundwater from
landfill
• restrictions on the use of hazardous materials in vehicles
• strict standards for packaging design

14. Any large-scale economic activity may have a negative impact on
the natural environment.
Manufacturing industries in particular can cause air, water and
noise pollution.
Industrial pollution can affect the environment in some ways:
• It may damage the wellbeing of humans and other species. For
example, industrial waste can pollute drinking-water supplies or poison
plants and animals.
• It may interfere with natural processes. For example, industrial waste
could change local climatic conditions or destroy wildlife habitats.
• It may impact on people's livelihoods. For example, pollution of the sea
will affect people who are involved in the fishing and tourism
industries.

15. On 20 April 2010 a deep-water oil well exploded in the Gulf of
Mexico.
• The immediate effect was that it killed 11 people and injured 17
others. Oil leaked at a high rate which is difficult to calculate.
Some estimates are around 40,000 barrels a day.
• The oil spill posed risks to the environment and affected local
industry.
• The impact this oil spill was depended on which parts of the
coastline you look at. It is difficult to measure the effects
because of seasonal changes in wildlife.

17. The government asked for $20 billion in damages from BP and
BP's share price fell.
Local industries, such as fishing was threatened.
There was a ban on fishing in the water.
Tourism declined.

18. Plants and animals were completely covered in the oil.
Seabirds, sea turtles and dolphins were found dead.
Oil that entered wetland areas meant recovery would be slow.
Fish stocks were harmed, and productivity decreased.
The size of the oil spill was one of the largest America had seen.
However because the oil entered warm waters, organisms in the
water helped to breakdown the oil.
The overall effect may be less than Exxon Valdez Oil spill in 1989
which happened in colder water

19. Environmental worker
rescuing an oil-covered
pelican

20. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have
on the environment.
It calculates all the greenhouse gases we are expected to produce
in all our activities and measures them in units of carbon dioxide.
The world average is about 4,000 kg of carbon dioxide per
person. In the UK it is nearly 10,000 kg per person.