Resource Security - Glossary Flashcards
acid rain
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)
alluvial plains
sedimentary deposits ranging from coarse gravel to fine silt spread across floodplains
aquifer
a porous and permeable rock that acts as a groundwater store
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
a refuge established in remote north-eastern Alaska to protect a virtually untouched wilderness of extraordinary wildlife and recreational qualities
artesian basin
low-lying region where groundwater is confined under hydrostatic pressure from surrounding layers of rock; often found where an aquifer lies trapped in syncline
carbon capture and storage (CCS)
technology currently being developed to replace the pumping of industrial and power-station fossil fuel CO2 into the atmosphere
comparative line graph
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
cratons
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
desalination
the removal of salt from sea water or brackish groundwater to create fresh water supplies
diffuse pollution
pollution from many different sources which are then washed into a water catchment across a wide area
emissions (carbon) trading
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
energy dependent
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.
energy poverty
having less energy than is required to meet demand
energy security
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
enhanced greenhouse effect
the situation caused by humans releasing increased amounts of greenhouse gases leading to the warming of the Earth and resultant climate change
environmental impact assessment (EIA)
a quantitative means of estimating the environmental changes arising from a proposal
food security
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)
fracking
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
geopolitics
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
greywater
domestic wastewater, excluding sewage. For example, water from dishwashers, washing machines and showers
greywater recycling systems
systems which clean the greywater and then plumb it back into the toilet, washing machine or outside tap
half-life
the time required for exactly half of the radioactivity to decay
Kyoto Protocol
the first agreement between nations committing them to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
market economy
an economy in which economic decisions, such as those regarding investment and production, are based solely on supply and demand with little government involvement
megaprojects
very large investment projects, such as the Three Gorges Dam, that typically cost more than (US)$1 billion
NATO
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - an alliance which uses political consultation and military means to protect its 28 member states
neo-malthusianism
views or attitudes that are common with Thomas Malthus who believed that there are environmental limits to population growth
NIMBYism
‘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
ores
rocks where the mineral content (usually metal) is of sufficient economic value to justify exploitation
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
a global ‘think tank’ for 35 of the world’s wealthiest nations which aims to promote policies to improve economic and social prosperity
over-abstraction
unsustainable use of a water source whereby water removal (or abstraction) exceeds water replenishment or natural recharge
point source pollution
pollution which comes from a specific, identifiable source such as a factory effluent pipe
privatisation
transfer of ownership from the government to private companies and business
proportional pie chart
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
rainwater harvesting systems (RHS)
systems which collect water from the roofs and divert it into existing pipework to flush toilets and wash clotes
remote sensing
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
reverse osmosis
involves pushing salt or brackish water through a porous membrane that filters out salts and other impurities to produce freshwater
royalties
proportion of profits paid to whoever grants a mining lease
single-product economy
a country which relies on one, or a very small number, of products (usually raw materials) from its export earnings
spatial imbalance
an unevenness in an geographical distribution - for example precipitation
stewardship
the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices
syncline
where rocks have been folded downwards into a basin shape
thermal distillation
uses heat to create vapour from salt or brackish water which is then converted into freshwater
tog
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
trans-boundary pollution
pollution which crosses national boundaries
UNFCCC
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
virtual water
the volume of freshwater used to produce a product, measured at the place where the product was actually made
water catchment
an area of land through which water from any form of precipitation drains into a body of water (including groundwater supplies)
water footprint
measures of the amount of virtual water used to produce each of the goods and services that we use
water scarcity
severe water stress; it is largely accepted that this occurs when annual water supplies fall below 1000m3 per person
water security
the ability of a country to protect access to safe water resources for all the population
water stress
when the demand for water exceeds available water resources, or when poor quality restricts its use
