Challenges
Design & Technology: AQA GCSE, topic 7.2.1
Deforestation & Fairtrade
Deforestation is the removal of trees and forests. This means that animals lose their habitats and can contribute to climate change. You need to consider the impact on the environment when designing your product.
Mining
- Raw materials used to make materials for products can have a huge impact on the environment.
- Mining for metals can contaminate the soil and cause erosion or even sinkholes.
Farming
- Farming, such as that used in biofuels, can impact our health and animals due to pesticides being used, which can contaminate the land and cause the death of wildlife.
Oil leaks
- Oil is drilled from the seabed, this can have a huge impact if there is an oil leak or an oil spill where many animals are affected, as it is very difficult to control and clean up.
Fairtrade
- Fairtrade helps people in developing countries by ensuring they get a fair price for the products they produce or grow.
- An agreed minimum rate is paid no matter what happens to prices changing around the world.
- The movement also supports the community having improved healthcare and education to benefit the local towns and villages.
Fairtrade
CO2 Levels
The design and manufacture of products has an impact on the planet's resources but also the environment.
CO2 levels
- The design and manufacture of products has an impact on the planet's resources but also the environment.
- When designing a product you must consider the impact of the materials and processes used, this can be measured by calculating the carbon footprint.
Carbon footprint
- Calculating the carbon footprint is working out how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced from:
- Collecting the materials.
- Manufacturing the materials.
- Manufacturing the product.
- Transporting the product.
- Using the product (product lifespan).
- End of life (disposal of the product).
Air and water pollution
- Air pollution has been linked to severe respiratory illnesses and can lead to asthma and lung cancer.
- The impact of plastics in our oceans has been heavily documented on television over the past few years, which has shown how plastic is affecting marine life and starting to appear in the food chain.
Impact on the planet
- Designers need to ensure they design to reduce the impact on the planet, from the resources we use, to the pollution it generates.
Test yourself on Challenges
How can you measure the impact of your design on the environment?
What is CO2 the symbol for?
Calculating the Carbon Footprint