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Reducing Resource Impact Worksheet

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Reducing Resource Impact Worksheet

An art gallery is planning a new exhibition about the materials used in everyday objects. Help Cooper, Zach and Ivy assess resource impacts and recommend practical ways to reduce them. Use evidence from the case file and your science knowledge.

Exhibition case file

The gallery is preparing a display about copper. Copper is mined from rock, then crushed and processed to separate the metal. The process can disturb habitats, remove vegetation, expose soil to erosion, use water and energy, and create waste rock or contaminated water. The gallery wants to explain how these impacts can be reduced.

Upland: vegetation and habitat

Mine pit: exposed rock and soil

Processing area: energy, water and waste

Downhill flow →

Drainage channel: runoff may carry sediment

Rehabilitation area: reshaped land and replanted native species

Investigate and recommend

1.Cooper lists three ways copper might be obtained: open-cut mining, underground mining and recycling scrap copper. Which option avoids extracting new ore, and give one reason mining may still be needed.

2.On the impact map, which area is most directly at risk of sediment washing into waterways during heavy rain? Explain how vegetation can reduce this risk.

3.Zach proposes recycling water used in processing instead of drawing as much fresh water. Identify one likely environmental benefit and one limitation of this strategy.

4.Ivy suggests using renewable electricity and efficient equipment at the mine. Explain how these changes could lower resource impact, including one impact they would not directly solve.

5.Which practice is the strongest example of rehabilitation after extraction?

Leaving waste rock exposed so it can settle naturally
Reshaping disturbed land, managing soil and re-establishing suitable native plants
Moving all vegetation to the edge of the mine without monitoring it
Increasing extraction in an already cleared area

6.True or false: Treating mine water guarantees that every environmental impact of mining has been removed. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

7.Complete the sentence: First Nations Peoples’ knowledge and ongoing care for Country can contribute to more sustainable resource decisions by . Give one specific example of a contribution, while recognising that knowledge and practices differ among Nations.

8.Match each strategy to the impact it most directly helps reduce.

Recycling process water
Replanting suitable native vegetation
Using renewable electricity

Less erosion and improved habitat recovery
Lower emissions from energy use
Lower demand for fresh water

9.The gallery has space for one recommendation on its main exhibition panel. Choose either water recycling, rehabilitation, or renewable energy. Evaluate your choice by explaining its benefits, one limitation, and how its success could be monitored.