Why is rising consumption per person as important as population growth in driving resource demand?

As incomes rise, people use more energy, eat more meat and buy more goods. Demand can therefore grow faster than population itself.

How does population growth affect demand for fuel?

More people need energy for heating, cooking, transport and industry. Most of this energy still comes from finite fossil fuels, which are being depleted.

Why is fresh water under increasing pressure as population grows?

Only a small fraction of the Earth's water is accessible fresh water. More people need it for drinking, sanitation, farming and industry.

CCEA A-Level Environmental Technology 3930

Fossil Fuels

Topic overview Coal, oil and gas in modern society Reserves, lifespan and accessibility Fossil fuel combustion and the IPCC evidence Carbon trading schemes Fossil fuel demand, emerging economies and fuel security Environmental impacts of fossil fuel use

Global Action on Energy Conservation and Climate Change

Topic overview Sustainable development and climate agreements Emissions and energy efficiency targets for 2020 Renewable energy and demand reduction in policy Nuclear power as an alternative

Macrogeneration

Topic overview Conservation of energy and the simple generator Thermal power stations and steam turbines Direct and indirect renewable electricity Electricity transmission through the National Grid Smart grids and interconnectors Combined heat and power

Microgeneration

Topic overview Microgeneration technologies Benefits of home and community microgeneration The heat pump cycle and coefficient of performance Air source and ground source heat pumps

Energy From Wind

Topic overview Horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines Kinetic energy, wind power and the Betz limit Power curves, rated output and energy losses Swept area, blade length and turbine mass Air density, hub height and turbine siting Power control, yawing and survival speed Choosing a location for a commercial wind farm

Energy From the Sun

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Energy From Biomass

Topic overview Defining biomass and its main categories Energy crops grown for biomass Advantages and disadvantages of biomass fuel Combustion, woodchip and fuel quality Gasification and syngas Biogas and commercial anaerobic digesters

Energy Storage

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Plastics for the Future

Topic overview Crude oil as a fuel and a feedstock Refinery gases and the making of polymers Persistent plastic waste and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Toxic gases from incinerating plastics Biodegradable, photodegradable and compostable plastics Testing photodegradable plastic against polythene Bio-derived polyethylene and a sustainable plastics future

Renewable Energy Investigations

Topic overview Desktop research on renewable energy technologies Choosing an investigation and its variables Apparatus and risk assessment for energy practicals Accuracy and reliability of energy measurements Presenting and analysing energy data Evaluating a method and site-based recommendations

Sustainable Development

Topic overview Population growth and demand for resources The I = PAT equation and the role of technology Ecological footprints, carbon footprints and One Planet Living

Waste Management

Topic overview Landfill dependence and the landfill tax Waste types, priority waste streams and EU directives The waste management hierarchy Recycling at a Materials Recovery Facility Landfill decomposition, methane and leachate Engineered landfill: dry tomb and bioreactor designs

Waste to Energy Technologies

Topic overview Embodied energy Incineration with energy recovery Digester design: solids content, residence time and staging Stages of anaerobic digestion and biogas CHP Composting and catering waste

Land Contamination and Remediation

Topic overview Contaminated land, risk and traditional remediation Bioremediation principles and bioreactor systems Micro-organisms that degrade named pollutants Bioremediation benefits and genetically engineered microbes Phytoremediation of metals and other elements Phytoextraction with Indian mustard and alpine pennycress Biohydrometallurgy and phytomining of ores

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Topic overview Hydrogen as a fuel: properties and storage Hydrogen production: steam reforming, electrolysis and photocatalysis How a fuel cell works and the PEM cell Alkaline, phosphoric acid, molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells Fuel cell applications and the challenges of hydrogen

Transport System Challenges

Topic overview Four key challenges for future transport New vehicle technologies and their infrastructure Bioethanol production and the heat energy of ethanol Biodiesel and the biofuel debate Strategies to reduce transport demand

Energy Performance of Buildings

Topic overview Energy conservation and residents' behaviour Insulation, air tightness and glazing U-values and the heat flow equation The zero carbon homes hierarchy BREEAM, the Code and upgrading existing homes

Emerging Technologies

Topic overview Tidal stream and tidal barrage power Wave energy converters Environmental impacts of wave and tidal energy Smart materials and smart systems Carbon capture and storage Geo-engineering, direct air capture and bio-photovoltaics

Sustainable Urban and Rural Communities

Topic overview Energy and buildings in sustainable urban developments Transport, waste and brownfield sites Water, drainage and urban green space Energy, water and waste for isolated rural dwellings Local food and communication technology in rural areas

The Code for Sustainable Homes

Topic overview Purpose, levels and assessment of the Code Energy, carbon dioxide and water categories Materials, surface water run-off and waste categories Pollution, health and wellbeing, management and ecology categories Measuring the performance of an existing building Performance profiles, improvements and evaluation

Sustainable Development

Population growth and demand for resources

3 things to know
A2 1

Overview

World population and the UN projections, consumption per person, demand for fuel, fresh water, food and shelter, urbanisation, finite and renewable resources, and competition, conflict and inequality.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Numbers

How has world population changed in recent decades?

Numbers

How is world population expected to change by the end of this century?

Key term

Why does a growing world population increase demand for the Earth's resources?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
How has world population changed in recent decades?
Model answer
World population passed 8 billion in November 2022, according to the United Nations. Population is still growing, but the rate of growth has been slowing since the late 1960s.
2
How is world population expected to change by the end of this century?
Model answer
The UN's 2024 projections suggest population will peak at around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s. Population is then expected to level off or decline slightly.
3
Why does a growing world population increase demand for the Earth's resources?
Model answer
Every extra person needs fuel, water, food and shelter. Total demand rises even if each person's consumption stays the same.
4
Why is rising consumption per person as important as population growth in driving resource demand?
Model answer
As incomes rise, people use more energy, eat more meat and buy more goods. Demand can therefore grow faster than population itself.
5
How does population growth affect demand for fuel?
Model answer
More people need energy for heating, cooking, transport and industry. Most of this energy still comes from finite fossil fuels, which are being depleted.
6
Why is fresh water under increasing pressure as population grows?
Model answer
Only a small fraction of the Earth's water is accessible fresh water. More people need it for drinking, sanitation, farming and industry.

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Fossil Fuels

Global Action on Energy Conservation and Climate Change

Macrogeneration

Microgeneration

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