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Four dimensions of food insecurity
Availability, utilization, access, and stability.
Brassica oleracea
A plant species including cabbage, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The Green Revolution
Increased crop yields through technology and fertilizers.
The yield gap
The difference between actual and potential crop yields, usually ~50%.
Satellites, drones, smart sensors
Tools for precision agriculture monitoring crops and soil.
Agricultural stress index
Measures crop stress from drought or pests.
Balance of nutrient flows
Sustainable nutrient cycling in traditional ecosystems.
Urbanizing societies cut out feedback
Urbanization disrupts nutrient recycling in agriculture.
Linear agricultural system
Industrial farming without nutrient recycling, leading to waste.
Malthusianism
Belief that population growth will outpace food supply.
Cornucopianism
Optimism that technology will solve resource shortages.
Neo-Malthusianism
Modern emphasis on sustainability and population control.
Carrying capacity
Maximum population sustainable by available resources.
Population explosion
Rapid and unsustainable population growth.
Population bomb
Prediction of crises due to overpopulation.
Linear growth
Slow, steady increase over time.
Geometric growth
Exponential population increase.
Agricultural innovations
Technologies improving farming efficiency (e.g., Boserup's theory).
Boserup
Proposed that population growth drives agricultural innovation.
Simon-Ehrlich wager
Debate over resource scarcity versus innovation.
Soylent Green
Dystopian fiction about overpopulation and resource scarcity.
Biome
A large area with similar climate, plants, and animals.
Habitat
The natural environment of a species.
Ecosystem
Interactions of organisms and their environment.
Water stress index
Measures water demand vs. availability.
RFF (Rice Field Fisheries)
Combining rice farming with aquatic species.
Ecological footprint
Human demand on Earth's ecosystems.
Six factors of ecological footprint
Forest, carbon, cropland, pasture, built-up land, fisheries.
Waste systems
Managing waste via recycling, landfills, or incineration.
Linear economy
A one-way system: take, make, waste.
The three R's
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Zero waste hierarchy
Refuse, rethink, redesign, reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, manage waste.
La Chureca
A major landfill in Nicaragua.
Musorniy Poligon
A large landfill in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Uch Chaka
Kyrgyz initiative for waste sorting that struggled with costs.
Zabaleen
Egyptian community with high recycling rates (~70-80%).
Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana
E-waste site causing pollution and health issues.
Landfill
Waste disposal sites; can later be reclaimed.
Incineration (Japan)
Burning waste for energy; ~80% of waste incinerated in Japan.
Kamikatsu (recycling)
Japanese zero-waste town with detailed sorting system.
Awaza
Turkmenistan's resort town, part of economic diversification.
Ashkabat
Turkmenistan's capital, famous for white marble and fountains.
Kara Kum
Desert facing salinization and desertification.
Salinization
Soil degradation from salt buildup.
Water logging
Over-saturated soil damaging crops.
Desertification
Fertile land turning into desert.
Value chain risks for climate change
Climate impacts on supply chains.
External stakeholder risks
Reputational and regulatory risks from climate change.
Avaaz
Global activism organization for climate and social issues.
360.org
Climate advocacy group for clean energy solutions.
Biogas
Renewable energy from decomposing organic waste.
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
17 global goals for sustainability by 2030.
MDGs (Millennium Development Goals)
Precursor to SDGs, focused on development.
Sustainability
Meeting present needs without harming future generations.
United Nations Organization
Global body for peace, development, and sustainability.
Soil ecology
Study of soil organisms and their interactions.
Environmental degradation
Decline in environmental quality.
Externality
Uncompensated costs or benefits from activities.
Externality Gradient
Gradual change in environmental impact.
Localized pollution
Pollution confined to specific areas.
Air pollution
Contamination of the atmosphere by harmful substances.
Noise pollution
Harmful or disruptive sound levels.
Light pollution
Excess artificial light impacting natural processes.
Visual pollution
Unsightly or damaging impacts on landscapes.
Ground pollution
Soil contamination from waste or chemicals.
Water pollution
Contamination of water bodies harming ecosystems.
The energy ladder
Stages of energy use as societies develop.
The water-food-energy nexus
Interconnectedness of water, food, and energy resources.
Fracking
Extracting oil and gas by fracturing rock layers.
Naryn River/Syr Darya
Major rivers in Central Asia.
Aral Sea
Shrinking sea due to water diversion.
Flood irrigation
Watering crops by flooding fields.
Drip irrigation
Efficient watering system delivering water to plant roots.
Supply chain
Network involved in producing and delivering goods.
Carbon footprints
Total greenhouse gases emitted by an entity.
Water footprint
Water used to produce goods or services.
Embedded water
Water hidden in the production of goods.
Virtual water
Water transferred through trade of goods.
Ecological footprint
Measure of human demand on Earth's ecosystems.
Global hectares
Unit measuring ecological footprint.
World overshoot day
Date when humanity's demand exceeds Earth's annual resource replenishment capacity.
Desalination
Removing salt from seawater for use.
Cloud seeding
Inducing precipitation by dispersing particles in clouds to make condensation nuclei, and droplets form.
Water abstraction
Extracting and redistributing water from natural sources and desitinations.
Imported water
Water brought from external sources, especially abroad.
Renewable water
Naturally replenished water resources (e.g., via rainfall or snowmelt).
Fossil water
Ancient, non-renewable groundwater.
The Great Man-Made River
Libya's pipeline system tapping fossil water.
Running water
Flowing freshwater in the pipes of homes.
Physical water scarcity
Insufficient water resources to meet demand, e.g., not enough precipitation.
Economic water scarcity
Lack of infrastructure to access physically available water.
Water-hungry crops
Crops like rice, cotton requiring large water amounts.
Dams
Structures controlling water flow for storage and energy.
Oasis
Fertile area in deserts with water access.
Aquifers
Underground bank of water.
Wells
Structures accessing groundwater.
Impermeable rock
Rock layers blocking water flow.
Permeable rock
Rock layers allowing water flow.
Water line
Surface level of stored or moving water.
Water table
Upper level of groundwater.
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