The UK Sustainability Challenge
The UK population keeps growing, and every person needs food, water and energy. Can the country meet these needs without wrecking the environment? Explore the pressures and the sustainable responses.
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More people, more demand
The UK population keeps growing and getting older, and every person needs food, water and energy. That puts the resources and wild places of the country under pressure. This module is about being sustainable: meeting our needs now without spoiling things for the future.
Sustainability words
Four ideas run through this topic:
What is sustainability?
What does being sustainable mean?
- Meeting needs now without harming the future
- Using up resources as fast as possible
- Ignoring the environment completely
- Stopping people from using anything at all
Pressure and response
A growing population creates pressures, but there are sustainable responses.
Pressure to response
- Rising demand for energy
- Rising demand for water
- More building on green land
- More traffic and pollution
- Use more renewable energy
- Save water and cut waste
- Protect and restore habitats
- Improve public transport and cycling
Getting around greener
Cars cause a lot of pollution, so reducing car use is a key sustainable response. National options include better public transport such as buses and trains, safe routes for cycling and walking, electric vehicles, and integrated transport that links them all together.
Greener travel
Which THREE are sustainable transport options?
- Better buses and trains
- Cycling and walking routes
- Electric vehicles
- More petrol cars on the road
- Driving for every short journey
From growth to future
Put the chain from population growth to protecting the future in a sensible order.
- The UK population grows and ages
- Demand for food, water and energy rises
- Ecosystems come under pressure
- Plan sustainable responses
- Protect resources for the future
True or not?
Tap the TWO choices that are more sustainable.
- Generating more electricity from wind and solar power.
- Encouraging people to cycle instead of drive.
- Building on a protected nature reserve to save money.
- Wasting water because it seems cheap.
- Using far more single-use plastic.
Complete the idea
As the UK population _____, it needs more food, water and _____. This puts _____ on ecosystems. Being _____ means meeting our needs now without harming the future. Better public _____ is one sustainable response.
Why the pressure?
Why does a growing population put pressure on UK ecosystems?
- It needs more land, water and resources
- It needs far fewer resources
- It has no effect on the environment
- It automatically restores habitats
Transport and benefit
- More buses and trains
- Cycle lanes and walking routes
- Electric vehicles
- An integrated transport system
- Fewer cars on the road
- Less pollution and healthier people
- Lower exhaust emissions
- Easy to switch between kinds of transport
The greener city
A UK city faces growing pressures. Choose the more sustainable option each time.
- The city needs more energy. What is the more sustainable choice?
- More homes are needed. Which land is more sustainable to build on?
- Traffic and pollution are rising. What helps most?
Explain it
Explain how the UK can meet the needs of a growing population more sustainably.
- Explain why a growing population increases resource demand
- Describe one pressure this puts on ecosystems
- Give two sustainable responses
- Explain how sustainable transport helps