← Environmental Science syllabus

ScotlandEnvironmental Science

Area 3: Sustainability

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are humans changing the climate, and what can be done about it?

Anthropogenic climate change: the enhanced greenhouse effect and its causes, the evidence for human-driven warming, the environmental impacts, and the strategies of mitigation and adaptation.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on anthropogenic climate change, covering the enhanced greenhouse effect and its causes, the evidence for human-driven warming, the environmental impacts, and the mitigation and adaptation strategies used to respond.
11 min answer →

How can we meet rising energy demand while reducing environmental harm?

Energy: the demand for energy, the comparison of fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources, and the move towards a sustainable, low-carbon energy supply.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on energy, covering the demand for energy, the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable sources, and the transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon energy supply.
11 min answer →

How can we feed a growing population without degrading the land?

Food: the demand for food and food security, the environmental impacts of agriculture including soil degradation, and sustainable approaches to food production.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on food, covering the demand for food and food security, the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture including soil degradation and fertiliser use, and sustainable approaches to producing food.
10 min answer →

What global pressures make sustainable development necessary, and how is human impact measured?

Global challenges: human population growth and its environmental pressures, the concept of sustainability and sustainable development, carrying capacity, and the use of the ecological footprint to measure human demand.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on global challenges, covering human population growth and its environmental pressures, the meaning of sustainability and sustainable development, carrying capacity, and how the ecological footprint measures human demand on the planet.
10 min answer →

How can society deal with its waste in the most sustainable way?

Waste management: types and sources of waste, the waste hierarchy, methods of disposal and their impacts, and the role of reducing, reusing and recycling in a circular economy.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on waste management, covering the types and sources of waste, the waste hierarchy, disposal methods such as landfill and incineration and their impacts, and the role of reduce, reuse and recycle in a circular economy.
10 min answer →

How can a limited supply of fresh water meet rising demand sustainably?

Water: the demand for water and the causes of water scarcity, the uneven supply of fresh water, and sustainable approaches to managing and supplying water.
An SQA Higher Environmental Science answer on water as a sustainability challenge, covering the demand for water, the causes of physical and economic water scarcity, the uneven supply of fresh water, and sustainable approaches to managing and supplying it.
10 min answer →