Guiding Spaceship Earth: Sustainability
Using the planet wisely: what sustainability means, the difference between finite and renewable resources, and how burning fossil fuels drives the greenhouse effect and climate change.
Get the method right under pressure
Free interactive practice on the steps that lose marks under exam pressure.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Guiding Spaceship Earth
The Earth has limited resources, so we must use them wisely. Sustainability means meeting our needs today without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs. This module looks at Earth resources, the difference between finite and renewable resources, and how burning fossil fuels affects the atmosphere and the climate.
Words for sustainability
Learn these four terms before you explore the ideas.
Finite and renewable
Earth resources fall into two broad kinds.
Explain the mechanism
To reach the top grades, explain the mechanism, such as how extra carbon dioxide traps heat and warms the climate, and weigh the costs and benefits of a sustainable choice.
Match the term to its meaning
- sustainability
- finite resource
- renewable resource
- greenhouse effect
- meeting our needs without harming future generations
- a resource that will run out, like a fossil fuel
- a resource that can be replaced, like timber
- gases trapping heat in the atmosphere
Match the example to its idea
- recycling
- carbon dioxide
- the water cycle
- a metal ore
- turning old materials into new products
- a greenhouse gas released by burning fuels
- how water is naturally replaced
- a finite resource dug from the ground
What is sustainability?
What does sustainability mean?
- Meeting our needs without harming future generations.
- Using up resources as fast as possible.
- Never using any resources at all.
- Recycling everything, whatever it costs.
Renewable resources
Select the TWO renewable resources.
- Timber from managed forests.
- Solar energy.
- Coal.
- Iron ore.
Order the greenhouse effect
Put the steps in order to show how the climate warms.
- People burn fossil fuels
- The amount of carbon dioxide in the air rises
- Greenhouse gases trap more heat
- The climate warms and changes
Summarise the ideas
_____ means meeting our needs without harming future generations. A _____ resource, like coal, will run out, while a _____ resource, like timber, can be replaced. We can save resources by reduce, reuse and _____. Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes climate _____.
Count the Rs
The three Rs of sustainability are reduce, reuse and recycle. How many is that?
Spot the two renewables
Tap the TWO renewable resources.
- timber from managed forests
- solar energy
- coal
- iron ore
- natural gas
Reduce, reuse or recycle?
Decide which of the three Rs each action shows.
- Buying fewer new things so less has to be made
- Using a glass jar again to store food
- Melting old bottles to make new glass
Make it sustainable
Explain how a company could make a product more sustainable. Give two changes it could make, and explain how each one helps the environment.
- Suggest one change to make the product more sustainable
- Suggest a second change
- Explain how these help the environment