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ScotlandEnvironmental Science

Area 3: Sustainability

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are our energy resources, and how do renewable and non-renewable sources compare?

Renewable and non-renewable energy resources; fossil fuels and nuclear power; renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal, geothermal, biomass); and the advantages and disadvantages of each for sustainability.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on energy resources, covering the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy, fossil fuels and nuclear power, renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass, and the advantages and disadvantages of each for sustainability.
11 min answer →

What does sustainable development mean, and how do we weigh up environmental decisions?

Sustainable development and the ecological footprint; sustainable management of resources; balancing economic, social and environmental needs; and making and evaluating decisions about environmental issues.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on sustainable development and environmental management, covering the meaning of sustainable development, the ecological footprint, sustainable management of resources, balancing economic, social and environmental needs, and how to evaluate decisions about environmental issues.
10 min answer →

How can we produce enough food without damaging the environment for the future?

Sustainable food production and land use; the environmental impacts of intensive farming; methods that make food production more sustainable; and the issue of feeding a growing population.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on sustainable food production, covering the environmental impacts of intensive farming, methods that make food production more sustainable such as crop rotation and organic farming, land use, and the challenge of feeding a growing population.
10 min answer →

How can we deal with the waste we produce in a more sustainable way?

Waste management and the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle); methods of disposal and their impacts (landfill, incineration); recycling and composting; and the problem of pollution from waste.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on waste management and recycling, covering the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse and recycle, methods of disposal such as landfill and incineration and their impacts, composting, and the environmental problem of pollution from waste such as plastics.
10 min answer →