resource security Flashcards
resource exploitation
the action of using natural resources to the fullest or for the most profitable use
resource exploration
the process of searching an area with the intention of finding and mapping natural resources
resource development
taking a resource and making it ready for people to use and accessible to buy
uneven distribution
the concentration of some resources in certain areas giving national governments varying levels of territorial control over these
resource
any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs
resource security
the ability of country to maintain a reliable and sustainable flow of resources to maintain and/ or improve living standards
resource sustainability
using resources in such a way that it does not harm the resource security or environment in the future
resource conflict
disagreement over resource access and use that could move from verbal disagreement to legal disputes to violence and warfare
stock resources
non-renewable resources which can be used up/ are finite- quantity is expressed in absolute amounts e.g oil
flow resource
resources that are renewable and can be replaced e.g wind and timber -quantity is expressed usually in annual rates
measured reserves
a confident estimation of a quantity of resource in an area based on well established knowledge of grade, quality, densities and physical characteristics
indicated reserves
an estimation that has a level of confidence that makes it worthwhile to carry on evaluating the economic viability of a resource in an area
inferred reserves
quantity, grade and quality of a resource in an area that is based on limited geological sampling and so may be inaccurate
possible resources
broad geological knowledge of deposits of resources which may become worth looking for in more detail in the long term
resource frontier
a newly colonised region where resources have been discovered and are brought into production for the first time
resource peak
the point in time when the maximum production rate of a resource occurs followed by decline- at differing scales from local to regional to global
EIA - environmental impact assessment
a process of evaluating the likely environmental consequences (both beneficial and adverse) of a proposed resources project before it goes ahead- considers the socio- economic, cultural and health impacts
pattern of production
the distribution of where resources are produced- often uneven e.g there will be places that consume much of a resource and places that use none of it
patterns of consumption
the distribution of where resources are consumed/ used- often uneven e.g there will be places that consume much of a resource and places that use none of it
geopolitics
the study of international relations as influenced by geographical factors e.g physical landscape, migration history
mineral ores
a useful element that is found in a rock containing a high concentration and from which it can be extracted - often a metal e.g iron aluminium, silver
primary energy resource
energy sources in their raw form e.g oil, gas, wind- not usable until converted into heat or mechanical action to produce secondary energy
secondary energy resource
energy that is transformed or converted from primary energy sources into manufactured, usable sources of power e.g petrol, electricity
nuclear waste
radioactive by-products of generating nuclear power- very difficult & expensive to dispose of safely
acid rain
caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (from industrial fossil fuel combustion) which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acid precipitation which is environmentally harmful
enhanced greenhouse effect
the increasing release of gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by human activity which then leads to accelerated warming
non-ferrous metal ore
metallic mineral which does not contain iron is simply non ferrous e.g gold, copper
extraction schemes
a project which is proposed, designed and implemented to take out one component for sale from a broad area of raw materials e.g removing copper from an open cast mine
resource supply and demand
the balance of resource production with consumption and which will affect the price for customers
alternative energy
energy sources which are renewable and have lower carbon emission than fossil fuels eg hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy and biofuels
resource futures
forecasting ahead to estimate what resource supply, demand and trade might be over the next 100 years for water energy and mineral ores
conventional oil and gas
petroleum, crude oil, raw natural gas extraction by long-standing methods e.g pipes accessing underground reservoirs
unconventional oil and gas reserves
hydrocarbon reserves that are difficult to produce and so require enhanced recovery technology such as fracture stimulation e.g shale gas and tar sands
cost-benefit analysis
a process by which resource decisions are analysed- the benefits of a situation are balanced with the costs associated withobtaining the resources
energy gap
inequalities in access to and use of energy between groups of people and/ or countries
water stress
when demand for water exceeds supply during a certain period of time or when poor quality restricts its availability for safe human use
water drainage patterns
the pattern of how water makes it way from falling as rainfall to flowing into the sea, can be modified by human intervention and engineering
catchment
an area of land drained by a river system- main channel and all its tributaries within a watershed line
diversion
water moved from one area of surplus to an area of deficit by pumping via aqueducts, river engineering, canal links and pumps and/or pipelines
desalination
the removal of salt from seawater- currently expensive, energy intensive and a source of greenhouse gas emissions because of this
virtual water trade
the hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded from one place to another
greywater
all wastewater generated in households or office buildings from streams without faecal contamination ie all waste except for the wastewater from toilets such as shower water
energy mix
the proportions of different sources of energy used in an area, region, country or globally e.g %gas %nuclear %renewables
groundwater recharge
the downward movement of water by infiltration and percolation causing the replenishments of groundwater- naturally by precipitation or by human intervention e.g pumping
potable water
water that is suitable to drink and free from harmful pollutants and bacteria
water abstraction
the removal of water from rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs or aquifers for human use
aquifers
a body of saturated rock through which water can easily move- permeable and porous and include areas of rock types such as sandstone, conglomerate, fractured limestone and unconsolidated sand and gravel
inter-basin transfer
water moved from a drainage basin that experiences water surplus to one where there is a shortage/ scarcity or stress
over-abstraction
the rate of extraction of water is greater than the recharge rate
tailings
the ore waste of mines, often toxic and are typically a mud-like material- worldwide the storage and handling of tailings is a major environmental issue
