Outline how demographic tools can be used to study a human population.

Urban air pollution can become a problem as human populations develop. Evaluate urban air pollution management strategies at the three levels of intervention.

Examine the driving factors behind the changing energy choices of different countries using named examples.

demographic tools provide quantitative measures/indicators of changes occurring in the dynamics/growth of populations;
…and can be useful in making comparisons between populations / predictions of future changes;
Crude birth rate (CBR) is the number of live births per 1000 population per year / indicates rate at which births are occurring in a population;
Crude death rate (CDR) is number of deaths per 1000 population per year / indicates rate at which deaths are occurring in a population;
Total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime in a given population / indicates the rate at which women are producing children;
Natural increase rate (NIR) is the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate / indicates the rate at which a population is growing (ignoring migrational changes);
Doubling time (DT) is the number of years a population will take to double in size at its current rate of growth / indicates how quickly a population is growing compared to its current size;
Demographic Transition Model (DTM) is based on historical population trends showing how populations tend to go through stages of changing birth and death rates as they develop economically / it can be useful for identifying a country’s stage of development/making predictions about its future growth.

Level 1: altering human activity [3 max]:
reducing transport eg promoting public transport/carpooling/regulating private vehicle use;
using alternative/renewable energy sources / promoting availability of electric vehicles;
development/use of more energy efficient appliances/housing / green architecture;
Evaluations:
large investment required to facilitate public transport use/e-vehicle use;
if electricity for transport comes from fossil fuels than simply moving the problem somewhere else;
requires education/campaigns to overcome human intransigence to changing behaviours;
prevents pollution right at source.

Level 2: controlling release of pollutant [3 max]:
use of catalytic converters on transport;
use of scrubbers on industries;
introduce legislation/regulation/for emissions/pollutant levels;
Evaluations:
technological fixes can be very effective/easy to enforce;
wealthy companies may simply budget for fines and continue to pollute.
does not require change in human activities.

Level 3: clean-up and restoration of damaged systems [3 max]:
re-greening areas through tree planting/town parkland;
liming of acidified urban water bodies;
restoration of eroded architecture;
medical treatments for consequent health conditions;
Evaluations:
helps to maintain biodiversity/aesthetic value;
only of short-term value / does not prevent ongoing damage to systems;
can be very expensive processes.

Award [4 max] if no evaluative statements have been given.
Do not credit examples/statements relating to pollution that are clearly not “urban” and/or “air” pollution.

Answers may demonstrate:

• understanding concepts & terminology of energy choices and security; renewable energy; solar; biomass; hydropower; wind; wave; nuclear; availability and reliability of energy supply; scientific developments; economic considerations; cultural factors; political dependencies; climate change; urban air pollution; acid deposition; water pollution; human population dynamics; ecological footprint; sustainability; EVSs;
• breadth in addressing and linking driving factors, including political, scientific, socio-economic, environmental, geographical, population dynamics, technological and cultural factors, with changes in energy choices for a range of countries;
• examples include a range of countries with various reasons/driving factors for changing their energy choices;
• balanced analysis how and to what extent driving factors for changing energy choices differ or are similar in a range of countries.
• a conclusion that is consistent with, and supported by analysis and examples given eg Although local parameters in terms of geography, economics and cultural values create a diverse array of factors affecting
  change in energy choices amongst different countries, the global increase in awareness of climate change and its relationship with fossil fuel use has led an increasing number of countries to move towards more sustainable energy sources.

Refer to paper 2 markbands, available under the "your tests" tab > supplemental materials.

Candidates could usually identify relevant demographic tools but were often unclear in outlining their use in studying human populations.

Generally well-answered with weaker candidates unable to make sufficient number of relevant points, or not focusing effectively on urban air pollution as opposed to other forms of pollution.

Often this was well-answered by candidates with even the weaker candidate able to gain some credit for identifying valid factors influencing energy choices. Full credit was generally limited by candidates not having named case studies or failing to specifically address “changes” in energy choice.