IB Environmental systems and societies 8.2 Urban Systems and Urban Planning Questionbank

(a) Using named examples, outline the difference between natural and anthropogenic atmospheric primary pollutants.

(b) Discuss reasons for high human population density within urban systems.

(c) Evaluate a range of pollution management strategies that can be used to reduce urban air pollution.

The figure shows Growth in global lithium production, 1995 to 2022 *

(Source: "Lithium production”, part of the following publication: Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Max Roser (2023) - “Energy”. Data adapted from Energy Institute. Retrieved from OurWorldinData.)

(a) Explain whether lithium is renewable or non-renewable natural capital.

(b) Natural capital is valued for many different reasons. List two ways in which natural capital may be valued.

(d) Explain how the tragedy of the commons impacts non-renewable natural capital.

The resource booklet provides information on Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada. Use the resource booklet and your own studies to answer the following.

Figure 7(b): Fact file on beaver hunting

• By 1900 beavers had been hunted almost to extinction for their pelts (skin and fur).
• The IUCN classify beavers as “least concern” on the Red List.
• There are 19 registered trap lines in Algonquin Provincial Park where beavers may be trapped for their pelts by First Nation (indigenous) people.
• All trappers must have a licence, and may only trap during the hunting season using ethical traps.
• 135 000 beavers are still trapped and killed in Canada each year.
• The price for a beaver pelt was US$19 in 2015, compared to US$500 a pelt in 1940.
• Many landowners trap beavers on their property because of the damage they cause. (Beavers cut timbers and their dams can create floods causing millions of dollars of economic damage.)

$Source: adapted from www.couplesresort.ca, www.ontario.ca, www.sbaa.ca,
www.ecology.info, www.tobyhemenway.com and http://acs7.cortland.edu$

(a) With reference to Figure 7(b), calculate the percentage reduction in the price of beaver pelt between 1940 and 2015.

(b) Identify one reason why the value of beaver pelts has changed over time.

(a) Outline four ecosystem services provided by natural capital that support human societies.

(b) Outline the sequence of procedures required to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a proposed urban development project.

(c) The status of natural capital can change over time. This means that something that may be of value now, may have not been in the past. Or something that may have been valuable in the past, may no longer be now. Using one example, explain how this is possible.

(c) To what extent can the Ecological Footprint (EF) be considered a more effective model for measuring the sustainability of a human population than a Natural Capital assessment?