IB ESS HL Topic 7 Natural Resources Question Bank

for example, Whales as a resource; how value changed
valuable resource prior to 1920/extensively harvested;
lost value as petroleum products/fossil fuel oil/plastics became cheap and available;
influence of culture:
different regions of the world value them differently e.g. Inuit value them spiritually and as food/oil resource; nowadays, generally valued for their biodiversity; now valued from ethical and moral/aesthetic point of view; some countries /Japan/Norway still hunt whales for scientific purposes;
influence of economics:
in past valued economically as food/oil resource; now valued economically for tourism;
influence of technology: pre fossil fuels, technology allowed for oil to be extracted from whales; now technology in place to exploit fossil fuels, so whales less significant for this purpose;
change in fishing/harvesting technology allowed populations to plummet; for example. uranium as a resource; how value changed prior to splitting of the atom no known use/value;
increased in value during 20th century as value of nuclear energy became understood;
influence of culture: there was a shift in values from acceptance to reluctance as the dangers became clearer; ethical values regarding uranium have shifted over time depending on historical events e.g. nuclear bombs/tsunami impacts in Japan; awareness of role of fossil fuels in global warming may have shifted interest in favour of nuclear energy for some societies/countries;
influence of economics:
industrialisation/economic development led to increased significance/value of centralised energy supply;
initially seen as a clean, cheap source of energy;
influence of technology: as nuclear technology has been developed, uranium value has increased; as technology for producing nuclear energy/nuclear fission/nuclear bomb has developed so value has increased; shifts in technology to find reserves therefore shifting the value of regions where resource is found;

Marking guidance:

Award [1 max] for named resource; [2 max] for how its value changes historically or geographically; and [4 max] for explanation of influences on its value. Award [4 max] if only one influence is addressed.

Award credit for description of specific examples/case studies.

Range:
e.g. renewability:
renewable energy resources are replenished within a similar time-scale to that at which they are extracted;
resources may be renewable through chemical fixation of solar energy / through direct use of solar heat/light/ quite independently of solar energy;
non-renewable energy resources cannot be replenished within a similar timescale to that at which they are extracted;
replenishable energy resources may be dependent on solar energy for replenishment but do not involve its chemical fixation (eg hydropower, 'solar' power, wind power, geothermal, tidal etc);
N.B. This last category of 'replenishable' is often included within 'renewable' energy resources in the literature, so do not penalise responses that do the same.
e.g. cost:
costs of energy resource may come from extraction, production, transport, storage, utilisation;
some have high set-up cost but low production cost, and vice versa;
there is economy of scale where cost can be reduced through centralisation;
cost can vary considerably dependent on time and location;
Examples:

Marking guidance:

Award [1 max] for each named example with some comment identifying its position within the chosen range. Appropriate comments may vary considerably but should be of equal validity, relevance and significance to those shown below:
biofuel/charcoal/fuelwood/biogas - is renewable replenished through solar energy/photosynthesis/has relatively low extraction/production costs/most readily available to rural ELDC communities;
hydroelectric energy - is renewable/replenishable dependent on solar energy / has high set- up but low maintenance cost / cost effectiveness highly dependent on location;
solar energy - is renewable/replenishable utilising light or heat of the sun / most direct renewable use of solar energy / high set-up costs but low maintenance / cost-effectiveness quite dependent on latitude/climate;
wind energy - is renewable/replenishable dependent on solar energy/extraction has no impact on its replenishment/relatively low cost but inconsistent production/adaptable for small or large scale production;
tidal energy - is renewable/replenishable but not dependent on solar energy/dependent on planetary rotation/gravity / fairly high installation cost but relatively low maintenance / limited to coastal location with sufficient tidal range;
geothermal energy is renewable/replenishable but not dependent on solar energy/replenished by heat from earth's core / can be relatively cheap but very dependent on location / recently become cost effective through technological development;
requires an underground/close to the surface heat source;
fossil fuels are non-renewable since their formation takes vast amounts of time compared to rates of extraction / although large reserves do still exist, stocks are depleting / cost will vary considerably dependent on a regions available reserves / cost of extraction very variable dependent on sources;
Other examples of energy sources with appropriate comments may be credited.
For full credit, a response should identify the RANGE over which energy sources are being considered and then identify the position within this range for a number of examples. The most obvious range might be their renewability, but responses that compare/identify sources over a range of relative cost/efficiency/availability/current consumption/current production etc should equally be credited.

Award 2 max for outlining the range, and 4 max for naming and correctly identifying the position of different energy resources within this range.

growth in human population;
increase in affluence/wealth (resulting in more energy intensive lifestyles); technological developments (eg increased use of electrically/ fossil fuel powered appliances/ machines);
increased travel (eg more air travel);
increased industrialization (especially in LEDCs);
increased international trade/globalization;

Marking guidance:

Award [1 max] for two named countries with at least one valid energy choice each (reasons not necessary for this mark).
Reasons may include:
Availability:
eg location (eg coastal for tidal/offshore wind / thin crust for geothermal); eg topography (mountains/rivers for HEP); eg geology (reserves of coal/oil/gas);
Economic:
High standard of living/technological development requires high capacity variety of
National wealth may limit choice of affordable technology/resources;
countries may have strong historical traditions/value systems/international reputations to maintain; historical events may influence decisions (eg countries experiencing nuclear disasters / oil embargoes;
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sources;

Cultural:

Political:
countries may need to respond to changing values in their own population eg (rising ecocentrism);
countries may need to meet international agreements / maintain energy security; technological: tech development may make new choices available;
countries may or may not have tech expertise for certain choices;
Award [6 max] for reasons valid for the countries identified. Award [4 max] if there is no clear links (of comparison or contrast between the countries).

Total: [20]