Environmental Management - Energy and Sustainable Resources

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering sustainable resource management, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, energy conservation methods, fracking, and marine oil spill mitigation.

Sustainable resource

A resource that can be continuously replenished e.g., agriculture, forestry, fish.

Sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Fossil fuels

Carbon-based fuels, formed over many millions of years ago from the decay of living matter.

Lignite

Low-grade coal formed when peat is compressed between layers of sediments.

Non-renewable energy resources

Energy sources that are limited and take millions of years to get replenished, such as fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Renewable energy resources

Energy sources that can be used over and over again and can be replenished in a short period of time.

Turbine

A machine, often containing fins, which is made to revolve by gas, steam, air, or water, connected to a generator.

Generator

A machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Nuclear fission

The splitting of an atom, which releases huge amounts of energy from a radioactive element such as uranium.

Geothermal Power

An energy source where cold water is pumped underground into a layer of hot rocks to change it into steam that moves a turbine.

Tidal barrage

A small dam used in tidal power that holds back water when levels drop and releases it to turn a turbine.

Photovoltaic cells

Cells used in solar power that produce a small electric charge when exposed to light.

Double glazing

An insulation method using two panes of glass with a sealed gap in the middle filled with air or an inert gas like argon to act as an insulator.

Anaerobic digestion

The breaking down of organic matter using bacteria in the absence of oxygen in a sealed container to release methane gas for heating or electricity generation.

Fracking

Obtaining oil or gas from shale rock by drilling a vertical hole $2\text{-}3\,\text{km}$ deep and pumping water, sand, and chemicals down under high pressure to fracture the rock.

MARPOL

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, which regulates oil transport at sea and minimizes waste discharge.

Double-hulled oil tankers

Tankers constructed with an inner and outer hull plate and separate internal compartments to prevent oil spills if the outer hull is damaged.

Floating booms

A floating barrier used to trap an oil slick and prevent it from spreading in calm sea conditions.

Skimmers

Machines used in calm seas to clean water using a material that oil easily attaches to, which is then scraped off into a container.

Detergent sprays

Chemical sprays used on smaller oil spills to break down the oil slick into smaller droplets that degrade and disperse.