Practice IB Environmental systems and societies (ESS) Topic Topic 7: Natural Resources with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for Topic 7: Natural Resources and mirrors Paper 1, 2 style where relevant.
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Two maps of Greenland comparing the percentage of sea ice concentration between September 14, 1984 and September 13, 2012.
(a) the change in ice cover between 1984 and 2012.
(b) two environmental impacts of the change in sea ice cover in the Arctic.
(e) one way in which a "pay-as-you-throw" (unit-based pricing) policy can influence the total volume of solid domestic waste produced by a household.
(d) one mitigation strategy to reduce climate change.
the potential of geoengineering as a strategy for mitigating climate change.
Table 1: Changes in the composition of solid domestic waste (SDW) in a rapidly urbanizing region (1995–2020)
| Waste Category | 1995 (% by weight) | 2020 (% by weight) |
|---|---|---|
| Organic matter (food and garden waste) | 62 | 35 |
| Paper and cardboard | 10 | 22 |
| Plastics | 4 | 18 |
| Glass and metals | 6 | 10 |
| Miscellaneous (including textiles and e-waste) | 18 | 15 |
(a) With reference to Table 1, the waste category that experienced the greatest percentage point increase between 1995 and 2020.
(b) one reason why the proportion of organic matter in the waste stream typically decreases as a region becomes more urbanized and affluent.
(c) In 2020, the total mass of solid domestic waste produced by the region was 12 million tonnes. the mass of paper and cardboard waste generated in that year.
(d) the use of incineration as a management strategy for the high proportions of plastics and paper observed in 2020.
(a) four ways that the conversion of primary forests to intensive agricultural land may influence processes in the carbon cycle.
(b) Natural gas is a resource that can be exploited from geological reserves. how the value of this resource to a society may vary over time.
(c) are the impacts of global climate change better addressed through radical shifts in human lifestyle and consumption than through large-scale technocentric geoengineering?
Environmental value systems can lead to different approaches towards addressing global warming. which environmental value system(s) you consider to be most appropriate in the management of global warming.
