AICE EM Vocabulary List 5

Food security

when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life

salinisation

an increase in salt content, usually of agricultural soils, irrigation water, or drinking water

overcropping

nutrient deficient soils due to crops being continuously grown on them

monoculture crops

the cultivation of a single crop in an area

subsistence farmer

when a farmer grows food for their family and not to sell at the market

biofuel

a fuel derived from biomass (plant or algal material, or animal waste)

food aid

help given to a country or region suffering from food insecurity

homogenous

describing things of the same kind, e.g. the crops produced by a farmer may be all of the same kind

malnutrition

lack of adequate nutrition, caused by not having a balanced diet, or enough to eat

starvation

suffering or death caused by lack of food

famine

the extreme scarcity of food

genetically modified (GM) crops

food derived from organisms in which DNA has been changed by humans

irrigation

the supply of water to land or crops to help plants grow

fertilizer

a chemical or natural product that can be added to soils to increase the nutrients available for plants

herbicides and fungicides

chemicals used to control insects, unwanted plants and fungi in commercial food crops

hydroponics

the growth of plants without soil. instead, plants are grown in nutrient-rich water

aquaponics

a soil-free farming system that uses the waste produced by aquatic organisms to supply nutrients to plants being grown hydroponically

intensive farming

a system of farming that uses large amounts of investment and labor relative to area of land being farmed

extensive farming

a system of farming that uses a small amount of labor and capital investment relative to the area of land being farmed

stockpiling

to store large amounts of goods or materials, in this instance food stores

rationing

to limit the amount of food each person or family is allowed to purchase

renewable resources

a source of energy that can be naturally and quickly replenished, e.g. wind and solar power

hydroelectric powers

electricity that is generated using the flow of water

solar power

electricity that is generated by utilizing the energy of the sun

wind energy

electricity that is generated using the power of wind

wave and tidal energy

electricity that is generated using the energy of waves or tides

bioethanol

an alcohol produced from plant matter such as sugar cane or maize which can be used as an alternative to petrol

biogas

a gas such as methane that can be used as a fuel and is produced by fermenting organic matter.

geothermal energy

energy generated from the heat under surface of the earth

non-renewable resources

resources that will run out and not be replenished for millions of years (oil, gas, and coal)

nuclear power

uses radioactive materials such as uranium or plutonium. these materials go under rations and power is produced from the energy released

energy security

the reliable availibity of energy sources at an affordable price with consideration of the environmental impacts

long term energy security

the supply of energy that is in line with economic development and environmental needs

short term energy security

systems that react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance

hazardous waste

waste that has properties which make it dangerous or capable of harming the environment or human health

waste stream

the flow of specfic types of waste from their source through to recovery, recycling, or disposal

recycling

the action or progress of converting waste into reusable materials

upcycling

reusing a discarded item in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality than the original

landfill

a place where waste is disposed of by burying it

leachate

a typically acidic fluid that has filtered through the waste in landfills; leaching results in the fluid becoming contaminated with heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and biological waste.

inceration

the process of burning materials

e-waste

electronic waste

bioaccumulation

the buildup of toxin in the body of an organism

biomagnification

the buildup of a toxin in a food chain

microplastics

extremely small pieces of plastic waste in the environment. this results from discarded plastic breaking down into very small fragments

composting

decomposition of biotic/organic material that can be used as fertilizer for plant growth

fermentation

the chemical breakdown of substances by yeast and bacteria anaerobically to create an alcohol and biogas