Energy Resources key terms

Accessibility

how easy a place is to get to

Biofuels

any kind of fuel made from living things, or from the waste they produce

Biogas

a gas produced by the breakdown of organic matter, such as manure or sewage, in the absence of oxygen. Can be used as a biofuel

Bitumen

a very dense sticky form of petroleum

Black gold

a term used for oil, as it is regarded as such a valuable commodity

Business as usual

future energy scenario that assumes that the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels as the main source of energy

Carbon footprint

a calculation of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a person, a country, an organisation, event or product

Carbon taxes

a tax on fossil fuels intended to discourage their use

Consumption

the utilization of a resource

Ecological footprint

the amount of land and water required by a country to produce resources and deal with waste, measured in global hectares (gha)

Energy consumption

energy usage

Energy diversification

getting energy from a variety of different sources to increase energy security

Energy insecurity

without reliable access to sufficient energy sources at an affordable price

Energy security

having access to reliable and affordable sources of energy

Energy-poor

lacking electricity or the income to pay for it

Food miles

the distance food travels from the producer to the consumer. The greater the distance, the more carbon dioxide is emitted

Fossil fuels

a natural fuel found underground, buried within sedimentary rock in the form of coal, oil or natural gas

Fracking

horizontally drilling and blasting water into rock fractures under pressure in order to release oil (hydraulic fracturing)

Geology

the rock type that forms the landscape

Global economy

the world economy based on the international exchange of goods and services

Greenpeace

an environmental campaign group

Hydroelectric power (HEP)

using water energy to drive a turbine that generates electricity

Industrialisation

where a mainly agricultural society changes and begins to depend on manufacturing industries instead

Kuznets curve

a hypothesis that the more developed an economy gets, the greater the priority to look after the environment becomes

Liquefaction

converting gas into liquid

Non-renewable

sources that are finite and will eventually run out, such as oil and gas

Opencast mining

digging large holes in the ground to extract ores and minerals that are close to the surface

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

established to regulate the global oil market, stabilise prices and ensure a fair return for its 12 member states who supply 45% of the world's oil

Peak oil

the theoretical point at which half of the known reserves of oil in the world have been used

Recyclable

energy resources that can be recycled or reused

Renewable

a resource that does not run out and can be restored, such as wind or solar

Seismic imaging

using sound waves bounced underground to detect rock structures containing oil and gas

Shale gas

natural gas that is trapped underground in shale rock

Sustainable development

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Tar sands

sediment that is mixed with oil, can be mined to extract oil to be used as fuel

Wind turbines

convert the power of the wind into electricity