Resilient cities are urban areas that are well-prepared and capable of effectively responding to and recovering from various challenges, such as natural disasters, climate change impacts, economic downturns, and other unexpected disruptions.
Resilience
Resilience refers to the ability of a system, individual, community, or organization to quickly recover and adapt in the face of disruptions, shocks, or challenges
Renewable portfolio standard (RPS)
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a policy mechanism that mandates or encourages utilities and energy providers to obtain a certain percentage of their energy generation from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power.
Renewable energy subsidies
Renewable energy subsidies are financial incentives provided by governments or other entities to promote the development and adoption of renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy certificates (RECs)
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are a market-based mechanism used to promote and track the production and use of renewable energy.
Regenerative design
Regenerative design is an approach to creating products, buildings, and systems that not only minimize harm to the environment but also actively contribute to its restoration and regeneration.
Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming and land management that focuses on improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
Recycling infrastructure
Recycling infrastructure refers to the physical systems, facilities, and processes that are put in place to support and enable the recycling of waste materials.
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for immediate or short-term use.
Rainwater collection
Rainwater collection, also known as rainwater harvesting, is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for various purposes.
Rainforest depletion
Rain forest destruction refers to the loss of tropical and temperate rain forests due to logging and burning, and due to the toxic by-products of activities such as mining.
Remineralization
Remineralization
This is a transformative process that involves the breaking down of organic matter into its simplest inorganic state. In other words, it involves the liberation of nutrients and producing water and carbon dioxide as byproduct.
Renewable resource
Renewable resource: A natural resource that can be produced, regrown, or reused fast enough to keep up with how quickly it is used. Wind, tides, and solar energy, for example, are in no danger of running out and can be consumed by people virtually forever. In contrast, fossil fuels such as coal take millions of years to develop naturally and are considered nonrenewable.
Regional climate
Regional climate: An average of the weather in a particular area over many years. Regional climate influences which kinds of plants and animals can live in a particular area. Factors that influence regional climate include latitude, landforms, nearby bodies of water, and circulation patterns in the ocean and the atmosphere.
Refrigerant
Refrigerant: A substance that is used for cooling or heating because of its ability to absorb and transfer energy. For example, in a geothermal heat pump, a liquid refrigerant travels through pipes, absorbing heat from underground and then bringing this heat into a building.
Recycle
Recycle: To collect and reprocess a material so it can be used again to make a new product. An example is collecting aluminum cans, melting them, and using the aluminum to make new cans or other products.
Rain gauge
Rain gauge: An instrument that measures the amount of rain that has fallen in a particular place.
Radiation
Radiation: Energy that travels in the form of a particle or a wave. There are many different types of radiation. Some types can harm people, while others are harmless and actually quite important to everyday life. Several common forms of radiation are classified as “electromagnetic radiation,” including radio and TV waves, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, infrared radiation, and visible light.
Riparian
Riparian - of or relating to or located on the banks of a river or stream.
Reserve
Reserve - hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency, give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause.