AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
Environmental impacts of a major energy resource development such as an…
Full specification wording
Energy security: Environmental impacts of a major energy resource development such as an oil, coal or gas field and associated distribution networks.
Developing major energy resources, such as an oil, coal, or gas field, generates profound environmental impacts at both local and global scales.
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 4 of 7
- 2 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Developing major energy resources, such as an oil, coal, or gas field, generates profound environmental impacts at both local and global scales. Extraction processes often lead to severe habitat destruction, groundwater contamination, and atmospheric pollution. For example, exploiting the Athabasca oil sands requires extensive deforestation and produces vast toxic tailing ponds. Furthermore, the associated distribution networks, including pipelines and shipping routes, introduce additional risks. Pipeline leaks or tanker spills can devastate marine and terrestrial ecosystems, while the construction of these networks fragments habitats.
What earns the marks
- Identifies specific local environmental impacts of extraction, such as habitat loss, water pollution, and soil degradation.
- Explains the ecological risks associated with distribution networks, including pipeline leaks, tanker spills, and habitat fragmentation.
- Evaluates the broader, global environmental consequences, such as greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.
- Uses a detailed case study of a major energy development (e.g., an oil, coal, or gas field) to illustrate environmental degradation.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Discussing only the extraction process.
Put it right: Explicitly include the environmental impacts of the associated distribution networks like pipelines and shipping.
Focusing solely on global warming.
Put it right: Ensure local and regional ecological impacts, such as water contamination and biodiversity loss, are thoroughly examined.
Providing generic environmental impacts without context.
Put it right: Anchor the discussion to a specific, named major energy resource development (e.g., Niger Delta oil fields).
Exam tips
- Prepare a comprehensive case study of one major fossil fuel development, detailing both its extraction and distribution impacts.
- Categorise environmental impacts by scale (local, regional, global) or type (water, air, biosphere) to structure your essays effectively.
- Consider the long-term versus short-term environmental consequences of energy infrastructure failures, such as oil spills.
Try the lesson
The start of the Energy security: Environmental impacts of a major energy resource development such as an oil, coal or gas field and associated distribution networks. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following is a direct environmental impact commonly associated with the development of a major open-cast coal mine?
Listen
Developing major energy resources, such as an oil, coal, or gas field, generates profound environmental impacts at both local and global scales. Extraction processes often lead to severe habitat destruction, groundwater contamination, and atmospheric pollution. For example, exploiting the Athabasca oil sands requires extensive deforestation and produces vast toxic tailing ponds. Furthermore, the associated distribution networks, including pipelines and shipping routes, introduce additional risks. Pipeline leaks or tanker spills can devastate marine and terrestrial ecosystems, while the construction of these networks fragments habitats. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identifies specific local environmental impacts of extraction, such as habitat loss, water pollution, and soil degradation. Explains the ecological risks associated with distribution networks, including pipeline leaks, tanker spills, and habitat fragmentation. Evaluates the broader, global environmental consequences, such as greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. Uses a detailed case study of a major energy development (e.g., an oil, coal, or gas field) to illustrate environmental degradation. A common slip: Discussing only the extraction process. Instead, explicitly include the environmental impacts of the associated distribution networks like pipelines and shipping. Exam tip: Prepare a comprehensive case study of one major fossil fuel development, detailing both its extraction and distribution impacts.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Environmental degradation
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Spatial scales of impact
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See every definition
- Environmental degradation
- The severe harm caused by extraction processes, including habitat destruction, groundwater contamination and atmospheric pollution, and by distribution networks such as pipelines and shipping routes.
- Spatial scales of impact
- The local and global scales at which profound environmental impacts are generated by developing major energy resources and their associated distribution networks.
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