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Geography > Resource Security - Glossary > Flashcards

Resource Security - Glossary Flashcards

1
Q

acid rain

A

when pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels become deposited either as dry deposition (as a gas) or wet deposition (the pollutants are converted to acids and fall to the ground in precipitation)

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2
Q

alluvial plains

A

sedimentary deposits ranging from coarse gravel to fine silt spread across floodplains

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3
Q

aquifer

A

a porous and permeable rock that acts as a groundwater store

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4
Q

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

A

a refuge established in remote north-eastern Alaska to protect a virtually untouched wilderness of extraordinary wildlife and recreational qualities

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5
Q

artesian basin

A

low-lying region where groundwater is confined under hydrostatic pressure from surrounding layers of rock; often found where an aquifer lies trapped in syncline

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6
Q

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

A

technology currently being developed to replace the pumping of industrial and power-station fossil fuel CO2 into the atmosphere

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7
Q

comparative line graph

A

a line graph is used to show continuous data, usually showing changes that take place over time. A comparative line graph shows more than one set of this data on this same graph

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8
Q

cratons

A

large, ancient sections of the Earth’s crust that have remained relatively stable for considerable period of geological time. They are associated, therefore, with the ‘drifted’ fragments of Alfred Wegener’s ‘supercontinent’ Pangaea

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9
Q

desalination

A

the removal of salt from sea water or brackish groundwater to create fresh water supplies

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10
Q

diffuse pollution

A

pollution from many different sources which are then washed into a water catchment across a wide area

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11
Q

emissions (carbon) trading

A

effectively trading a permit or allowance to pollute. These allowances - or carbon credits - are distributed or auctioned to polluting organisations and measured in tonnes of CO2 or equivalent heat-trapping gases. An organisation may only emit as much carbon as it has allowances for - hence having to buy the right to pollute from more efficient businesses if it cannot become more environmentally friendly

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12
Q

energy dependent

A

the higher the proportion of energy imported, the more energy dependent the country is on others. In such cases, a diversification of both energy sources and supplies is crucial.

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13
Q

energy poverty

A

having less energy than is required to meet demand

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14
Q

energy security

A

uninterrupted available of energy sources at an affordable price. For example, Russia is very energy secure because of its huge energy surplus. The UK is energy insecure because of its energy deficit and has to import much of its supplies

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15
Q

enhanced greenhouse effect

A

the situation caused by humans releasing increased amounts of greenhouse gases leading to the warming of the Earth and resultant climate change

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16
Q

environmental impact assessment (EIA)

A

a quantitative means of estimating the environmental changes arising from a proposal

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17
Q

food security

A

the level to which people ‘have availability and adequate access at all times to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life’ (World Food Programme)

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18
Q

fracking

A

more correctly known as hydraulic fracturing. Oil- and gas- bearing shale is drilled and fractured by high-pressure injections of water, sand and (toxic) chemicals. Cracks are created in the shale through which the oil or gas will flow more freely

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19
Q

geopolitics

A

the study of the ways in which political decisions and processes affect the use of space and resources; it is the relationship between geography, economics and politics

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20
Q

greywater

A

domestic wastewater, excluding sewage. For example, water from dishwashers, washing machines and showers

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21
Q

greywater recycling systems

A

systems which clean the greywater and then plumb it back into the toilet, washing machine or outside tap

22
Q

half-life

A

the time required for exactly half of the radioactivity to decay

23
Q

Kyoto Protocol

A

the first agreement between nations committing them to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

24
Q

market economy

A

an economy in which economic decisions, such as those regarding investment and production, are based solely on supply and demand with little government involvement

25
Q

megaprojects

A

very large investment projects, such as the Three Gorges Dam, that typically cost more than (US)$1 billion

26
Q

NATO

A

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - an alliance which uses political consultation and military means to protect its 28 member states

27
Q

neo-malthusianism

A

views or attitudes that are common with Thomas Malthus who believed that there are environmental limits to population growth

28
Q

NIMBYism

A

‘Not in My Back Yard’. An attitude shared by those who do not want a development, such as a wind farm, in their near locality

29
Q

ores

A

rocks where the mineral content (usually metal) is of sufficient economic value to justify exploitation

30
Q

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

A

a global ‘think tank’ for 35 of the world’s wealthiest nations which aims to promote policies to improve economic and social prosperity

31
Q

over-abstraction

A

unsustainable use of a water source whereby water removal (or abstraction) exceeds water replenishment or natural recharge

32
Q

point source pollution

A

pollution which comes from a specific, identifiable source such as a factory effluent pipe

33
Q

privatisation

A

transfer of ownership from the government to private companies and business

34
Q

proportional pie chart

A

used when comparing two or more sets of data when the divided categories are similar but there is a change to another variable, such as time or absolute total. The different-sized totals are shown by drawing the pie chart proportional to the totals they each represent

35
Q

rainwater harvesting systems (RHS)

A

systems which collect water from the roofs and divert it into existing pipework to flush toilets and wash clotes

36
Q

remote sensing

A

the scientific collection of (mass) data from objects or areas without being in physical contact with them; the data is gathered by electronic scanning devices carried in high-flying aircraft or satellites

37
Q

reverse osmosis

A

involves pushing salt or brackish water through a porous membrane that filters out salts and other impurities to produce freshwater

38
Q

royalties

A

proportion of profits paid to whoever grants a mining lease

39
Q

single-product economy

A

a country which relies on one, or a very small number, of products (usually raw materials) from its export earnings

40
Q

spatial imbalance

A

an unevenness in an geographical distribution - for example precipitation

41
Q

stewardship

A

the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices

42
Q

syncline

A

where rocks have been folded downwards into a basin shape

43
Q

thermal distillation

A

uses heat to create vapour from salt or brackish water which is then converted into freshwater

44
Q

tog

A

a measure of thermal resistance commonly used in the textile industry to rate how warm, for example, duvets or carpet underlay will be. Thermal resistance in togs is equal to ten times the temperature difference between the two surfaces of a material. A lightweight summer duvet might be rated at 4.5 tog, and a winter at 12 tog

45
Q

trans-boundary pollution

A

pollution which crosses national boundaries

46
Q

UNFCCC

A

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - a convention adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit and put into effect in 1994. It aims to prevent human from disrupting the climate in a dangerous way

47
Q

virtual water

A

the volume of freshwater used to produce a product, measured at the place where the product was actually made

48
Q

water catchment

A

an area of land through which water from any form of precipitation drains into a body of water (including groundwater supplies)

49
Q

water footprint

A

measures of the amount of virtual water used to produce each of the goods and services that we use

50
Q

water scarcity

A

severe water stress; it is largely accepted that this occurs when annual water supplies fall below 1000m3 per person

51
Q

water security

A

the ability of a country to protect access to safe water resources for all the population

52
Q

water stress

A

when the demand for water exceeds available water resources, or when poor quality restricts its use

Geography (8 decks)

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