Resource Management Definitions Flashcards
Learn Definitions of resource management
Low Income Country (LIC)
-Subdivision of countries based on income per capita (less than $1045 per year)
High Income Country (HIC)
-Subdivision of countries based on income per capita (more than $12746 per year)
Resource
- A stock or supply of something that has a value or a purpose.
- The three most important are food, energy and water.
Resource Management
The control and monitoring of resources so that they do not become depleted or exhausted.
Industrialisation
An increase in the processing of raw materials and the manufacture of goods in factories.
Agribusiness
Application of business to agriculture
Local Food Sourcing
- A method of food production and distribution that is local, rather than national and/or international.
- Food is grown (or raised) and harvested close to consumers’ homes, then distributed over much shorter distances
Malnutrition
-A poorly-balanced diet lacking in vitamins and minerals which leads to health problems
Undernutrition
-Not having enough food in terms of calories consumed per day. (Guideline for men = 2,500 calories per day)
Food Miles
-The distance covered supplying food to consumers.
Organic Produce
- Food which is using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms.
- Artificial fertilisers are banned and farmers develop fertile soil by rotating crops and using compost, manure and clover.
- It must be free of synthetic additives like pesticides and dyes.
Fossil Fuel
-A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the rains of living organisms.
The first fossil fuel to be exploited on a large scale was coal. Oil followed during the 20th century, with natural gas challenging these two fuels for a significant share of global supply in the 1970s. Russia contains the largest natural gas reserves, followed (in order) by Iran, Qatar, Turkmenistan, and the United States. Large amounts of natural gas are found in shale rock.
Carbon Footprint
- A measurement of all the greenhouse gases we individually produce through burning fossil fuels for electricity, transport etc.
- It is expressed as tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.
- Carbon footprints can be calculated for countries and for individuals (it is ‘carbon footprint per capita’ when averaged on a per person basis in a country).
Ecological footprint
- A measurement of how much area of biologically productive land and water an individual (or population) requires to produce all the resources needed to sustain the lifestyle and to absorb the waste that is generated.
- The ecological footprint is measured in global hectares.
Water scarcity
- This refers to the problem in which there is a lack of sufficient fresh water to meet the demands of people in a particular region (such as water for farming and/or household use).
- It is estimated that nearly 3 billion people in the world experience problems of water scarcity (of which around 800 million people lack regular access to safe, clean drinking water).
Biomass (energy)
- Renewable organic materials, such as wood, agricultural crops or wastes, especially when used as a source of fuel or energy.
- Biomass can be burned directly or processed into biofuels such as ethanol and methane.
Energy Conservation
Reducing energy consumption through:
- Using less energy
- Becoming more efficient in using existing energy sources
Energy Exploitation
-Developing and using energy resources to the greatest possible advantage, usually for profit.
Energy Security
-Uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.
Energy Gap
-When a country’s ability to supply energy to its citizens falls short of the demand.
Geothermal Energy
-Energy produced by heat stored deep in the Earth.
Hydro(electric) Power
-Electricity generated by turbines that are driven by moving water
Solar Energy
-The Sun’s energy exploited by solar panels, collectors or cells to heat water or oar to generate electricity.
Sustainable Development
- Development that meets the needs of the present without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- It refers to the idea of using Earth’s resources in such a way that they will not be damaged or depleted in the long run.
- For example, an energy supply system based on fossil fuels is not sustainable in the long-term because fossil fuels will run out.
Nuclear Energy
- The energy released by a nuclear reaction, especially by fission or fusion.
- Nuclear energy uses fuel made from mined and processed uranium to make steam and generate electricity.
Renewable energy sources
- A resource which is not diminished when it is used; it recurs and cannot be exhausted (at least on human timescales!).
- Includes wind power, tidal and wave power, solar power, and energy from Earth’s interior (geothermal).
Non-renewable energy
- This refers to sources of energy that are ‘finite’ and will eventually run out with continued use, because they are being extracted at a rate far higher than the rate at which they are replenished.
- Fossil fuels are a form of non-renewable energy.
- Nuclear power stations require the mining of uranium which is also a finite resource and therefore non-renewable.
Sustainable Energy Supply
- Energy that can be used well into the future without harming future generations.
- Sustainable energy is the combination of energy savings, energy efficiency measures and technologies, as well as the use of renewable energy sources.
Wind energy
Electrical energy obtained from harnessing the wind with windmills or wind turbines.
Global warming
- This term is usually used to refer to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere that is currently taking place due to the human-caused increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other ‘greenhouse gases’.
- This is mainly occurring due to the use of fossil fuels and to deforestation (i.e. humans cutting down and clearing large areas of forest).
Greenhouse gases
- Gases in the atmosphere that have the effect of absorbing heat given off from the surface of the Earth, thereby slowing the escape of heat energy to space and causing the lower atmosphere to warm.
- Water vapour, carbon dioxide, and methane are important greenhouse gases.
