HUMANITIES| Environmental Issues
This Unit is concentrated on the human impact on global biomes, the causes of the environmental issues and the solutions to them, in particular global warming and climate change and the greenhouse effect.
Case Studies
You will need to be able to recall detailed examples from the following case studies you have learned about in lessons.
The Yanomami – A tribe living deep in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. They were undiscovered until the end of the 20th C. This first contact with the rest of the World has brought immense challenges to the Yanomami people and their way of life. Their environment is being severely damaged by gold miners and mercury poisoning of their rivers. Recent floods in 2005 and 2010 were devastating for the tribe. Video of the Yanomami is here.
| Humanities Sourcebooklet | EI Weblinks | Youtube channel | Yanomami Revision | Yanomami Revision Quiz |
Environmental Issues can be broken down into four component sections
1. Individuals and groups use the environment in different ways.
• A case study of the interaction of human activity with a large scale ecosystem: either a rainforest or a marine ecosystem
• The ways in which individuals and groups use natural resources, including water, minerals, trees, fossil fuels and land
• Energy generation in the UK today and in the future
• Renewable and non-renewable resources, alternative energy, solar, wind, tidal, thermal, nuclear, fossil fuels, bio fuels, hydro-electric power
2. Our use of the environment has negative consequences.
• The negative consequences of human activity on the environment
• Urbanisation, loss of bio-diversity, global warming, industrialisation, pollution, tourism
3. Individuals and groups have different attitudes and values and make different responses to environmental issues.
• The actions and effectiveness of individuals, environmental pressure groups and businesses on government policy and action
• A case study to illustrate the work of an environmental pressure group
• Global responsibility
4. Environmental problems can be solved in different ways.
• A range of methods and strategies and their effectiveness in reducing/solving the environmental problems listed in Concept 2 above
• A case study that explores attempts to solve a local or national environmental problem and assesses their effectiveness
• Sustainable development, conservation, carbon footprint, recycling, government action, international agreements, National Parks