Global Resources

Situational Poverty

Poverty caused by a sudden crisis or loss-often temporary

Relative Poverty

When the economic status of a person or family does not reach it’s society’s standard of living-often less than 50% of average income

Absolute Poverty

Basic daily need are difficult to meet. Those in extreme poverty. Now less than $3 a day.

Global middle class and trends

no agreed definition and $10-50 per person per day

Ecological footprint

Impact of a person or community on the environment. Measured by how much land is required to sustain them and their resources.

Biocapacity

The estimate of an ecosystem’s availability to produce natural resources for humans and absorb and filter other material created by humans.

Virtual Water

water hidden in products throughout their production phases

Green Water

Water stored in the soil and then evaporates back into the atmosphere via plants.

Blue Water

Water found in lakes

Grey Water

Relatively clean wastewater generated from household activities. Can be recycled-irrigation.

Physical Water Scarcity

A region’s demand for water outpaces the limited water resources found there

Economic Scarcity

A lack of investment infrastructure or tech to draw water from bodies of water.

Water-food-energy-nexus

The interrelated nature of food, water, and energy.

Malthusian Theory

The human population grows more rapidly than the food supply until famines, war or disease reduces the population.

Boserup’s Theory

As population increases, people will develop new agricultural methods to meet the higher food demand. Population drives agricultural production not the other way around.

Neo-Malthusian

The advocacy of planning around human population to ensure resource for future generation as well as other species.

E-Waste

Discarded electronic products

Resource Stewardship

Responsible Planning and management of resources to ensure their availability and quality for present and future generations

Circular Economy

A system where materials never become waste