OCR B Geography GCSE Resource Reliance

consumption

the act of using up resources, or purchasing goods and produce

carrying capacity

the maximum number of species or individuals that an area can support given the available resources

spiral of consumption

a process by which population growth and growing per capita consumption increases leading to significant increases in consumption of water, enery, food and natural resources

biodiversity

a measure of the number of different species in an area

fracking

hydraulic fracturing - a controversial practice by which pressurised liquid is pumped into shale rock to fracture it releasing oil and gas for human use.

green energy

the use of renewable resources, such as, sunlight, wind, rain, plants, geothermal heat, tidal and wave energy which are considered environmentally friendly

blue water

fresh water from rivers, lakes and groundwater

green water

water collected from precipitation

grey water

water which is polluted or recycled

fossil fuels

carbon containing fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas which are finite

finite

limited or non-renewable

non-renewable

finite or limited

renewable

a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

wind turbine

A tall windmill which generates electricity from wind

wind farm

a collection of wind turbines which can be found onshore or offshore

concentrated solar

curved mirrors are used to concentrate energy onto a pipe which carries a liquid. The liquid is heated to generate steam which is used to create electricity

solar tower

mirrors are used to focus solar energy onto a tower which generates electricity

geothermal

hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks is used to generate electricity

biomass energy

renewable energy derived from burning organic materials such as wood, peat or alcohol

natural gas

Fossil fuel consisting of methane that occurs naturally underground

hydropower

Electricity generated from the energy of moving water through turbines in dams.

nuclear energy

energy released when atoms are split

oil

A liquid fossil fuel formed from marine organisms that is burned to obtain energy and used in the manufacture of plastics.

coal

a solid fossil fuel derived from dead plants

BRICS

Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa - countries which have developed rapidly and increased their resource consumption

mechanisation

the process whereby machinery is introduced to complete work previously done by hand, for example washing machines, tractors, industrial robotics, engines, automated tools

eutrophication

the process by which excessive nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphates) build up in water sources usually as a result of leaching and surface runoff. This can lead to algeal blooms and deoxygenation of water, resulting in loss of biodiversity.

calories

a measure of the energy provided by a foodstuff

food security

the ability of a population to access adequate supplies of foodstuffs and quality nutrition to meet dietary needs for an active and healthy lifestyle

food secure

the state of a group of people with good food security

food insecure

the state of a group of people with poor food security

food price volatility

the potential for prices of certain foods to rise dramatically due to changes in supply and demand

world hunger index

an index which uses a range of indicators to produce a score of between 0 (no hunger) and 100 with higher numbers indicating areas with the worst hunger

food poverty

inability to afford, or to have access to food that makes up a healthy diet

Malthus

English demographer who argued that population growth would eventually exceed capacity to produce food resulting in catastrophe

Boserup

Danish demographer who argued that human innovation would enable increases in production as consumption neared levels of production

obesity

caused by consuming too much food, people become overweight due to high body fat

food waste

food which is produced but never consumed, this can be as high as a half of all food produced

soil erosion

the blowing or washing away of topsoil

desertification

the degradation of land often due to overgazing, overcultivation or deforestation

overgrazing

destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming or trampling the plants in a particular area so they cannot recover

overcultivation

crops grown year after year so no nutrients are left in the soil, reducing the ability of the soil to grow future crops

deforestation

the removal of trees faster than the vegetation replenishes itself

sustainable forestry

the selective harvesting of forests at a rate below the rate of natural replenishment

vertical integration

the movement of large multinational companies to buy land or suppliers involved further down their supply chain.

land grabbing

the process by which foreign companies buy land in others to improve their ability to supply food to foreign markets

sustainable intensification

increasing global food supply whilst minimising negative environmental consequences

food bank

somewhere where donated food can be picked up by people who cannot afford it.

allotment

a plot of land on which someone grows their own food

urban garden

a project where individuals or small cooperatives work together to grow food and promote healthy eating

sustainability

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

ethical consumerism

the movement to help consumers make ethical choices about the food they purchase. This may relate to how the food has been produced, or where it has come from.

fairtrade

a movement set up in 1988 offering to pay farmers a higher price for the goods they produce alongside qa social premium.

social premium

a payment to communities to spend on projects which help to improve their quality of life for example, sanitation, education or healthcare

co-operative

a farm, buisiness or other organisation that is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits and benefits

monoculture

farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop, year after year

irrigation

supplying land with water through a network of canals

pesticide

a chemical intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops

herbicide

a substance used to kill unwanted plants

GM food

food that has been genetically modified to give it useful characteristics e.g. have a longer shelf life or higher yield

yield

amount produced in a given area

high-yielding varieties

varieties of crop specially bred to be disease and drought resistant, often used as cash crops e.g. maize or oilseed rape

green revoultion

an effort to use modern techniques and technology to increase food production in poorer countries in 1960s. Involved HYVs, chemicals and technology.

hydroponics

a system of growing plants in nutrient rich water or gels rather than soil using artificial lighting and heating

organic farming

growing crops without artificial additives or chemicals

intensive farming

high levels of input of machinery, seeds, chemicals and technology to maximise the yield and output from each hectare.

permaculture

a sustainable model for agriculture involving using different crops to maintain soil health and allow permanent and indefinite cultivation of the land

goat cycle

a scheme by which people can gift a goat to a community in the developing world which will then provide them with milk, manure and other goats. Viewed as a sustainable gift