Unit 3 - Contested planet
A country is said to be energy secure if it has access to an affordable and reliable energy supply. The most energy secure countries are those with their own domestic supply of energy, these are often fossil fuels such as oil. Saudi Arabia accounts for 22 per cent of the world's proven reserves of oil. Countries dependent on energy imports, such as Japan are less energy secure. These countries are prone to greater risks such as supply interruption and global price variations on the market. Risk is measured using the energy security index (ESI), a calculation focusing on energy availability, diversity and intensity. (photo: US Navy via Wikimedia Commons)
Here are key question sheets to take you through the energy unit. You can find out more on the Scoopit Energy Insecurity online magazine
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An increase in levels of economic development, population growth and rising standards of living are driving up demand for water and in some locations is outstripping supply. Water deficit has serious consequences for both the environment and human wellbeing, often affecting the vulnerable groups of society the most. If we are to reduce conflict over water resources and maintain a sustainable supply of affordable water, we must develop effective management strategies and maintain international agreements through intergovernmental law. (photo: Jon Sullivan via Wikimedia Commons)
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Power and influence are important to the economic and political success of a country. Some nations exert a disproportionate influence over both regional and global decision-making and others seem to have very little political sway. The geography of power is not static and is currently shifting from the West to the East. Maintaining control of power can be achieved through direct, military leadership or by more subtle cultural hegemony. Theories explaining the growth of superpowers include modernisation theory, dependency theory and World systems theory, some theories do seem to conflict.
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