Inspiration Green Lexicon

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Green Words for the 21st Century

Abatement:

Reducing the degree or intensity of, or altogether eliminating pollution.

Abiotic:

The absence of living organisms.

Ablation

: When ice and snow melt

, evaporate

, or

detaches

from a surface.

Ablation Zone:

The part of the glacier where losses (from melting, calving, evaporation) exceed

additions.

Absolute Zero:

-273.15C (or -459.67F) point at which all matter ceases to vibrate/move, where no

heat

energy

exists, nothing can be colder.

Absorbed Solar Radiation:

Solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere's gases, suspended materials,

clouds,

or by

the earth's surface.

Acclimatization:

The process of an organism adapting to a change in its environment.

Accumulation Zone:

That high part of a glacier, where annual gain of snow and ice, exceeds the

losses.

Acre-foot:

The amount of water required to cover one acre of surface area of to a depth of one foot.

The

area of

one

foot by 66 by 660 feet equals a volume of 326,851 gallons, or 1,233,500 litres, or

1,233.5 cubic

meters, or

43,560 cubic

feet.

Acid Rain

: Precipitation having been altered by acidic airborne pollutants. The acidity occurs when

water,

sulphur

dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, released by industrial processes, are chemically

transformed into

sulphuric

and nitric

acids, which become trapped in, and carried by clouds and are

then later released as

acidic

precipitation. Aka acid

deposition, which also includes dry acidic gases

and particulates.

Acidic:

Soils or water with a pH value below 7.0.

Acrolein:

A common emission from automobiles, is formed as an oxidation product of butadiene.

Adaptation Fund:

Was established by the UN to help protect those most vulnerable to the adverse

effects

climate

change, like drought, flooding and severe storms. Originally established under the

Kyoto

Protocol, it

was

made easier

to access during the Bali Conference, 2007.

Adiabatic:

Changes in air temperature, volume, pressure, in a given quantity of air, that occurs as a

consequence

vertical movement of the air, without loss or gain of heat.

Additionality

: An offset term meaning your purchased offset will go to a project that really helps

reduce

'additional' carbon dioxide emissions, and not toward reductions that would have happened

anyway.

Aeolian:

The action or the effect of wind.

Aerobiology:

The study of living organisms which become suspended in the atmosphere by the wind,

and

the

consequences thereof.

Aerosols

: Solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. Aerosols cool the earth's surface but

warm

the

atmosphere. Also refers to a liquid substance packed under pressure, released in a fine

spray.

Aerosol Size Distribution:

The different size aerosols that are suspended in the atmosphere, and

their

amounts,

which affect the scattering of sunlight, visibility, cloud denseness and sky color.

Aestival:

Early summer, one of the six seasons used by Ecologists to more completely define seasonal

conditions.

Afforestation:

The establishment of a forest on an area not previously forested, or on land from

which

forest

has

been long absent.

Aflatoxins:

A group of closely related naturally occurring toxic metabolites that are designated

mycotoxins.

They are

produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, and found in many food

products. Aflatoxins

are

toxic and

carcinogenic.

African Jet:

A low-level summertime easterly jet over the Sahara Desert of North Africa. Some

become

hurricanes

that move westward to the Americas.

Afternoon Effect:

The trapping of acoustic energy near the surface of a large body of water due to

solar

heating

days without wind.

Aggressive Water:

Acidic water that is corrosive to metals.

Agricultural Waste:

Manure and residual wastes generated from the production and marketing of

poultry or

livestock. Also includes vegetable, grain, sugar and fruit harvest residue.

Agroecology

: Ecologically sustainable agricultural methods.

Agroforestry

: An integration of agriculture and forestry. Any agricultural system which combines the

planting

encouragement of trees, shrubs or plants on the same land where animals are raised, or

agricultural crops are

grown.

Agronomy:

The science and economics of crop production and soil management.

Agulhas Current or Stream

: Flows down the east coast of Africa and is the western boundary current

in the

southern Indian Ocean. It is one of the swiftest and largest ocean currents.

Air Quality Model:

Mathematical or computer model used to estimate present or future air quality.

Air Quality Standards:

Maximum legal concentration limits of air pollutants averaged over specified

time

periods.

Air Stagnation:

A major buildup of air pollution in the atmosphere, occurring when an air mass stalls

over

the

same

area for several days; and light winds cannot disperse the buildup of smoke, dust,

gases, and other

air

pollution.

Airborne Fraction:

Is the fraction of man made carbon emissions which remain in the atmosphere

after

natural

processes have absorbed some of them.

Airborne Particulates:

Fine particles suspended in the air. Particles smaller than 25 microns in

diameter

enter

the

lungs and can be harmful.

Alachlor:

Is a widely used herbicide in the United States, used to control annual grasses and broad

leaved

weeds.

Pollutes groundwater. Men with high alachlor levels are prone to low sperm quality.

Alaska Current:

A shallow counterclockwise offshoot of the North Pacific current carrying relatively

warm

water

northward.

Albedo:

That fraction of radiation, striking a surface, that is reflected by that surface, i.e., snow and

ice have

high

albedo, 75-95% for fresh snow and asphalt roads have a low albedo of 5-10 %. Thus,

land use changes

and

greenhouse

gases have significant effect on albedo. The average albedo for the

Earth is 30 percent.

Alert Threshold

: A pollution incident, bacterium level, etc. above which there is a threat to human

health.

Aleutian Current:

Aka the Subarctic Current. A southern flowing current north of the North Pacific

Current.

Flowing along the southern coasts of the Aleutian Islands. It divides to form the northward-

flowing

Alaska

current and

the southward-flowing California Current.

Algal bloom:

Sudden, extensive growths of algae, which develop in lakes, reservoirs and

waterways, which

affect

water quality and are a sign of adverse changes in the local water chemistry.

Algorithm:

A set of well-defined procedures or formula for the systematic solution of a certain

problem in

finite

number of steps, usually in a computer program.

All-hallown summer:

A extended summer of unseasonable warmth, occurring till All Hallows Day (All

Saints

Day).

Alluvial soil:

A fine fertile soil deposited by water into flood plains or in river beds. Also referring to

the

geological

deposition of mud and/or sand by flowing water.

Alternative energy:

Energy that does not come from fossil fuels.

Altitudinal vegetation zones:

Aka life zones, distinct mountain zones corresponding to complex

gradations

altitude, temperature, precipitation, wind, species, soil, etc. We will see species and

vegetation

losses as

global

warming pushes these zones upward toward the summit with nowhere left

to go, see

escalator effect.

Ambient:

Of the surrounding area or environment.

Amateurization

: When a group of non-professionals

organise for their

and the greater good.

Anaerobic Digestion:

When anaerobic bacteria break down matter in an oxygen-free environment

and

produce an

energy-rich, over 60% methane biogas, which can be used to generate energy or

power vehicles.

Anhydrous:

A compound that contains no or almost no water, i.e., anhydrous ethanol, has one

percent water

content.

Anemometer:

Instruments designed to measure wind speed and direction.

Annex I

: Developed countries with Kyoto Article 3 targets.

Antarctic Bottom Water:

Very dense, cold bottom water with high salinity, that moves in an

easterly

direction

around the Antarctic.

Antarctic Circumpolar Current:

Cold, eastward flowing current with low salinity, that circles

Antarctica

and

extends from the surface to the ocean floor. The largest and most important ocean

current in the

Southern

hemisphere,

as it keeps the warm waters of the Indian, South Pacific and

South Atlantic Oceans

away from

Antarctica. Aka the

West Wind Drift.

Antarctic Intermediate Water:

Formed at about 50 degrees latitude when the cold, low salt,

Antarctic

surface

water sinks to depths of 900 m and spreads northward.

Antarctic Polar Current:

A westward blowing surface current circumambulating Antarctica.

Antarctic Ocean:

The Ocean waters that surround Antarctic up to 40 degrees latitude, the northern

limit of

drift ice,

where ocean temps and salinity change.

Antarctic Ozone Hole:

A hole in the ozone layer discovered in the mid 1980s, that occurs in the

winter/spring

over

Antarctica and to a lesser extent the North Pole. It has been found that CFC

molecules

deplete

the ozone

layer.

Anthropogenic

: Induced by humans.

Anthropogenic Aerosols:

Aerosols made by human activities, about ten percent of all aerosols in the

atmosphere.

Anticyclonic:

Rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern

Hemisphere,

undefined at the equator. The toilet bowl thing.

Antitoxin:

An antibody with the ability to neutralize or inactivate a specific toxin (forming an

antigen).

Apparent Temperature:

The measure of perceived temperature due to combined heat and humidity

(heat

index)

heat and wind chill, used to describe discomfort.

Aquaculture:

The controlled rearing of commercial fish or shellfish.

Aquifer:

Fresh water stored underground in geological formations that are easily accessed, readily

giving up

their

water to wells and springs.

Arctic Bottom Water:

The cold water mass in the Arctic Ocean beneath the Atlantic Water (of

Atlantic

origin).

Freezing increases the salinity of the water beneath the ice and the resultant dense

water sinks to the

bottom.

Arctic Ocean:

A roughly circular basin that covers an area slightly less than 1 and a half times the size

the

United

States. The smallest and shallowest of the major oceans, with the lowest salinity. It is

surrounded

Eurasia,

Greenland and North America. It's temperature and salinity vary seasonally as its

floating ice

cover

melts or freezes.

Arctic Oscillation:

Opposing atmospheric pressure patterns at the polar and middle latitudes which

fluctuate

between negative and positive phases. Since the 1970s, the oscillation has tended to stay in

the

positive pattern,

where

frigid winter air stays further north, ocean storms stay farther north, and

there is more

precipitation in

Alaska, the

British Isles and Scandinavia and this creates drier conditions

in areas such as the

SW US, Spain and

the Middle East.

Arctic Polar Front:

Temperature and salinity fronts. In the Atlantic, the front between the warm and

saline

Gulf

Stream and the cold and fresh Labrador Current, aka as the cold wall. In the Pacific, the

front between

the

Polar water

and northern flowing currents.

Arctic Surface Water:

The upper 150 m in the Arctic Ocean, having a temperature of −1.5° to −1.9°C.

Arctic Tree Line:

The latitudinal limit of tree growth; the division between tundra and boreal forest.

Arid:

Dry regions where agriculture is impracticable without irrigation. A climate with an aridity

index of .

05-.

20.

See aridity zones. Aridity is highest in the hyper-arid Sahara (which is larger than

the continental US)

and

the

Chilean-

Peruvian desert.

Aridity Index:

Aridity Index is an indicator of moisture deficit in a climatic area. Determined by

dividing

the

mean

precipitation by the mean potential evaporation in a given unit of time.

Aridity Zones:

There are four zones; dry sub-humid, semi-arid, arid and hyper-arid.

Aromatics:

A type of ringed six-carbon hydrocarbon, such as benzene, toluene and xylene. Added to

gasoline to

increase its octane, commonly referred to as the BTX group.

Artificial Recharge:

The engineered introduction of surface water into an underground aquifer

through

recharge

wells, boreholes,etc.

Aspartame:

Is a chemical sweetener found in diet soft drinks (since 1983) and in over 6,000 foods,

drugs

and

medicines. Complaints about aspartame account for 75% of all complaints against food

additives to the

American

FDA. Donald Rumsfeld was influential in aspartame getting its FDA approval,

as he was the CEO

Searle, its

manufacturer. The FDA has compiled a list of 92 symptoms from

thousands and thousands of

complaints against

aspartame, which is comprised of 50 percent synthetic

phenylalanine, 40 percent

synthetic

aspartic acid and 10

percent

methanol.

Assisted Migration:

Is the intentional repopulating of a species from their present habitat to a new

region

with

the

intent of establishing a presence in an area the species did not before inhabit.

Atmometer:

An instrument that measures the rate of evaporation of water into the air.

Atmospheric Boundary Layer:

The thin bottom layer of the troposphere contiguous to the earth's

surface.

Atmospheric Column:

A vertical column of air defined by a unit area on the ground, many times a

square

rectang

ular

land area, and bounded by the top of the atmosphere. Once the physics and

chemistry of

the

components in the column are determined they are used as reference points for on

going changes in the

future.

Atmospheric Window:

A range of the electromagnetic spectrum that is radiated back through the

atmosphere

with

little absorption of radiation by atmospheric gases. The window is naturally open

allowing

heat to reflect

back out into

space. Water vapor and other greenhouse gases absorb this

radiation and narrow

the window and

less waves are

reflected with more heat returned to the Earth...

(the greenhouse effect)

Autarky

: When a

country attempts self sufficiency and does not engage in international trade.

Autotroph:

An organism capable of making its own food (a producer) by synthesizing complex organic

materials

from simple inorganic compounds, by using sunlight or chemical energy. Producers are a vital

part

the food chain,

and at its base.

Available Water:

The water in soil that can be readily absorbed by plant roots.

Azimuth

The orientation of a Solar Cell relative to direction, 180 degrees refers to due South, 90

refers to

due East, and 270 degrees due West.

Azinphos-Methyl:

Is one of the most toxic of the organophosphate insecticides. Like other

organophosphates,

azinphos-methyl inhibits cholinesterase, an enzyme involved in the transmission of

nerve

signals.

B100:

100%

iodiesel.

Backfire:

A fire intentionally set, to stop an advancing fire, by creating a burned out area in the fire's

path.

Background Pollution:

Naturally occurring pollutants that are well distributed in our atmosphere.

Which

are

measured in undisturbed areas. A base level above which local pollutants are cumulative to.

Backscatter:

The reflection of waves or particles back to the direction from which they came, as

when some

solar

radiation is reflected or scattered back out to space by the atmosphere.

Balkanize

: To

fragment or divide into non-cooperative pieces.

Banking Emissions:

Air pollution reductions put in the 'bank' for future use.

Barrel:

42 US Gallons.

Barrels Per Day Equivalent:

A unit of measure that states how much oil

would have to be burned to

produce

an equal amount of energy.

Basal Sliding or Slip:

The movement of a glacier on its bed.

Base Flood:

Also known as a 100 year flood, a standard for floodplain management is 'the base', or

one

percent

chance flood, which has at least one chance in 100 of occurring in any given year.

Basket of Gases:

The group of six greenhouse gases regulated under the Kyoto Protocol. They are

listed in

Annex A

of the Kyoto Protocol and include: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous

oxide (N2O),

hydrofluorocarbons

(HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

Baseline Emissions:

The emissions that would occur without policy/Government intervention.

Baseline

methodology will differ, yet baseline estimates are helpful to determine the effectiveness of

emissions

reduction,

mitigation schemes.

Beaufort Scale:

A 0 to 12 wind scale system used to estimate and report wind speeds when no

measuring

apparatus

is available. The highest force 12 describes all winds over 121 km/h. Since winds

exceed 121

miles an

hour other

scales have been devised to categorize strong storm winds.

Beetle Analysis:

A technique using radiocarbon dated beetle remains, that can reconstruct past

environments

and

climates, in particular estimates of past temperatures and precipitation.

Beginning of Freezeup:

The date when ice forming a stable winter ice cover, is first observed on

the water

surface.

Beginning of the Breakup

: The date of definite breaking up, movement, or melting of ice cover.

Benzene:

Millions of tons of man made benzene are produced each year in the U.S.. Benzene is used

widely

building block for polymers, plastics, rubber, resins, adhesives, and synthetic fabrics, and

is used as a

solvent in

dyes,

paints, paint brush cleaners, dry cleaners, pesticides, etc... Benzene is

also

a natural

constituent of crude oil,

gasoline,

and cigarette smoke. Benzene is used as a gasoline

additive, as it boosts

octane levels in fuel. The US

currently allows

gasoline with a benzene content of

up to 1.0% by volume

(many countries do not allow benzene

in gasoline). The

Department of Health

and Human Services has

determined benzene a known human carcinogen.

Bergy Bit:

A small piece of ice which has broken away from an iceberg, or is the remains of a melting

iceberg

and is

less than 5 meters (15 feet) in size.

BHA, BHT:

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are synthetic

antioxidants

that are

often added to processed foods and cosmetics to preserve fats and oils. BHA and

BHT

are not allowed

on fresh foods.

Bicarbonate

and carbonate ions: This is the buffering capacity of the world's oceans. Much of the CO2

added to

the

atmosphere will eventually be absorbed by the oceans and become ionic compounds, but

the

process takes

hundreds of

years because the carbon dioxide only comes into contact with the

water's surface

and the carbon

dioxide gas has to

partition into many compounds.

Bioaccumulation

: An increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time.

ioacoustics

: The field science that studies the sounds of nature.

Bioassay:

A procedure used to determine the concentration, toxicity, and/or biological activity of a

substance

comparison to a standard measure over a standardized time.

Bioaugmentation:

The addition to the environment of nonnative microbes for the purpose

bioremediation.

Biobased Product:

Products (other than food or feed) made from renewable plant and animal sources.

Biocentrism:

The belief that all forms of life are of equal value and all does not revolve around

humanity.

It's

opposite anthropocentrism argues that everything revolves around its usefulness to

humanity.

Biocentrists argue

that

everything in nature has value.

Biochemicals:

Chemicals that are either naturally occurring or identical to naturally occurring

substances.

Eg,

hormones and enzymes.

Bioclimatology:

The study of the effects of climatic conditions on living organisms, especially

agricultural

plants,

animals, humans and their diseases.

Biodegradable:

A process by which large, complex organic molecules are naturally broken down into

smaller

inorganic molecules through the action of microorganisms.

Biodiversity:

The variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region. More precisely

ecosystem

complexity, species richness and genetic variation.

Biodiversity Offsets:

Are conservation projects used by businesses to counterbalance the

environmental

impacts of

their operations. The goal is to achieve a net neutral or better yet a

beneficial outcome for

biodiversity.

Biodynamic Agriculture:

Is organic farming, that also looks upon the soil and the farm as living

organisms.

Biofuels:

A gaseous, liquid or solid fuel that contains energy derived from a biological source.

Biogeochemical Cycle

: The process of recycling among the organic (bio-), inorganic (geo-) and

chemical

worlds.

The most well-known and important biogeochemical cycles include the carbon cycle,

the nitrogen

cycle,

the oxygen

cycle, the phosphorus cycle, the hydrogen cycle and the water cycle.

Bio-Indicators:

Also known as biomarkers, are biological or animal species used to monitor the health

of,

changes

in, their surroundings or an ecosystem.

Biological Contaminants:

Natural agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mammal and bird

antigens

which when inhaled might cause

diverse

health issues such as respiratory

problems,

allergic

reactions,

hypersensitivity, and infectious diseases.

Biological Wastewater Treatment:

Uses aerobic or anaerobic microorganisms to decant effluents and

separate

sludge and pollutants.

Biomagnification

: Is the process by which pollutants become concentrated in successive trophic

levels

(food

chain).

Biomass:

The total mass of all living organisms (producers, consumers and decomposers) within a

given

unit of

environmental area. 2) Also refers to renewable energy coming from trees, grasses,

agricultural

products

or other

biological material (such as waste) when transformed into fuel for the

production of

electricity, heat,

chemicals, or

fuels.

Biome:

A biological subdivision or regional ecosystem containing distinct types of plants and animals

that

have come

into place under specific soil and climatic conditions. There are over a dozen basic

terrestrial

biome

classifications,

including grassland, tropical rainforest, tundra, boreal conifer forests,

deciduous

forests and

deserts. There are two

main aquatic biomes, marine and freshwater.

Biomimicry:

Getting ideas from nature. Mimicking nature.

Biomonitoring

: Assessing human exposures to chemicals in the environment by measuring the

chemicals

their metabolites in human tissue or fluids.

Bionics

: Bio

(

mimicry

)

+(electr)onic. The application of biological principals found in nature to the

design

electronic

devices, mechanical parts, engineering systems and modern technology. E.g., bio-

based solar

panels,

plastics, etc.

Biophilia

: The inherent emotional connection of humans to other living creatures. See E. O. Wilson's

Biophilia Hypothesis.

Biopiracy

: When pharmaceutical companies exploit indigenous knowledge.

Bioplastics:

Mock plastic made from plant sources. When disposed of into an environment containing

bacteria

(microbes) they biodegrade with no toxic residue.

Bioreactor:

A container in which a biological reaction occurs.

Bioremediation:

The use of plants or microorganisms to help absorb or break down pollutants such as

oil

from

soil,

water, and wastewater. Also the use of beneficial insects to counteract agricultural pests

or which

might

help to

prevent or relieve diseases of trees, plants, and soil.

Biosolids

: Solid materials remaining after wastewater treatment that meet the government criteria

for

beneficial use,

such as for fertilizer.

Biosphere:

A whole planet ecosystem where the interconnection of living and nonliving components

can or

exist.

Biosphere Reserve:

Established under UNESCO's man and the biosphere (MAB) programme, biosphere

reserves are

recognized protected areas that are 'living laboratories' for testing out and practising

sustainable

management of land,

water and biodiversity. There are currently 529 sites worldwide in

105 countries.

Biota:

The combined flora and fauna occupying a region together.

E.g., desert biota.

Biotope:

An environmental region that is uniform in conditions and in its distribution of flora and

fauna.

Bisphenol A:

An ingredient in rigid plastics such as water bottles. There is concern about the

potential

leaching of

BPA and its hazards.

Blackbody:

A conceptual object/area that absorbs all of the electromagnetic radiation that strikes it.

Black Carbon Aerosols:

Particles of carbon in the atmosphere released due to fossil fuel or biomass

burning.

Black carbon aerosols both absorb and reflect light from the sun. They shade the amount of

sunlight

reaching

the

surface but also contribute significantly to the warming of the atmosphere.

lack Liquor

: Paper mill waste.

Blackwater:

Household wastewater which contains human wastes.

Blizzard:

A snowstorm with considerable snowfall, visibility of less than a quarter mile, sustained

winds or

frequent

gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater, which prevails for a period of 3 hours or

longer.

See Extreme

Weather.

Blue Carbon:

Carbon that is sequestered and stored in the oceans and atmosphere.

Blue Watch or Blue Box:

Weather person slang for a severe thunderstorm watch.

Body Burden:

The build up of chemical pollutants in our bodies.

Bog:

Is a spongy wetland habitat that accumulates dead plant material. Bogs are low in nutrients and

very

acidic. They

cover vast areas in the tundra and boreal forest mostly in the northern hemisphere.

The world's

largest wetlands are

the Western Siberian Lowland bogs in Russia. A bog is a very early

stage coal deposit

and

holds vast reserves of CO2.

Bog Bursts:

When a mass of bog peat slides off a layer of peat below it, or off the bedrock on a hill

creating a

lava like bog flow. Exasperated during extreme weather.

Boreal forest:

Aka the Taiga.

The tundra forest which circumambulates the Arctic is dominated by

just a

few

species of needled conifers; black and white spruce, pine, balsam fir,and deciduous birch,

larch and

aspen. To the

north

it is bounded by tundra and to the south by mixed temperate or

deciduous forest or open

steppe. The boreal

forest

accounts for about one third of the earth's total

forest area, or 17 percent of the

earth's land surface. It

overlies formerly

glaciated areas and

therefore

contains many lakes, bogs, marshes

and rivers.

Bottom Water:

The dense,cold,

salty,

low oxygen water that is the lowermost layer of ocean water.

slow

moving

and influenced by sea-bed topography.

Bottom water forms when sea water entering

the polar

regions freezes and salty and dense water separates out and sinks and flows into the ocean

basins. The sinking

water is replaced by surface water, creating poleward surface currents in the North

Atlantic.

Boundary Current:

The north or south flowing ocean currents which flow parallel to a continental

coastline.

western boundary current is a warm, deep, narrow, and fast moving current bringing warm

water

from the

equator

northward. An eastern boundary current moves south slowly, is relatively

shallow and broad.

Box Model:

A model that calculates air pollution concentrations which assumes that pollutants will

immediately and

uniformly disperse within a box.

Breakup Date:

The date on which a body of water is first observed to be entirely free of ice and

remains

clear

thereafter.

Breakup Period:

The period when ice cover is breaking up.

BRIC

untries: Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Bright Green Environmentalism:

Aims for a society that utilizes new technology and improved design

achieve

ecological sustainability, while increasing its economic growth.

Brown Carbon

: The carbon sequestered and stored in industrialised forests or plantations.

Brownfields:

Abandoned, underutilized or unused real property (often urban) where redevelopment

complicated

by the presence of pollutants or contaminants.

BTU:

British Thermal Unit. The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of

water by

one

degree Fahrenheit

, at sea level

and normal atmospheric pressure.

Bycatch:

he unintended capture of certain fish, seabirds and marine mammals in fishing nets.

Calving:

The breaking away of a mass of ice from a floating glacier, ice front, or iceberg.

Cap:

The absolute emission limit.

Cap and Trade:

A regulation where a

polluter

is set a cap as to emissions. Polluters are then allowed

to trade allowances below or above their set limit as their actual emissions come to light.

Capacity:

(or peak) Refers to the highest

level of electricity that a utility can

supply at any one time.

The total energy available or maximum that is

producible

Carbon Capture and Storage

. CCS are methods used to capture carbon dioxide from large stationary

sources such as

power and industrial plants and subsequently sequester it away from the atmosphere.

Carbon Cycle:

The continuous interconnected processes by which carbon circulates among the

biosphere,

geosphere,

hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide

(CO2): An odorless, colorless greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere

through

respiration and from the burning of fossil fuels, solid waste, wood products, and also as a

result of

other chemical

reactions such as the manufacture of cement, and through natural occurrences.

As per the

carbon cycle, carbon dioxide

is removed from the atmosphere when it is absorbed by plants

and the oceans.

The current global average is 383 ppm

by volume in the Earth's atmosphere. Higher

CO2 levels in the

atmosphere make oceans warmer and more acidic.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent

(CO2e): The emissions of a greenhouse gas, by weight (usually tonnes),

multiplied by

its associated global warming potential (GWP). As example, methane has a GWP of 21, so

million metric tonnes of

methane is equivalent to emissions of 21 million metric tonnes of carbon

dioxide

(MMTCDE).

Carbon Dioxide Equivalency:

A quantity set for a mixture of greenhouse gases, specifying the amount

CO2 that

would have the same global warming potential (GWP), when measured over a specified

time,

typically 100 years.

Carbon Disclosure Project

(CDP) : An independent organisation which works to disclose the

Greenhouse

Gas

Emissions of the major corporations of the world.

Carbon Intensity:

The amount of CO2 emitted by a country relative to its gross domestic product.

Carbon Nanotubes:

Are nanoscale, long, thin hollow cylinders of carbon, made from carbon graphite.

They

are some of the stiffest, strongest and lightweight fibres we have in use and act differently in

their many

applications. They are used in materials for building, structural engineering and numerous

of other goods,

including baseball bats. They are efficient conductors of electricity as well, and are

used in nanowires.

Carbon Neutral

: When a process or product through its lifetime does not add net carbon dioxide to

the

atmosphere,

this can be achieved either inherently (vegetation) or through the use of offsets

and/or

sequestration (business ventures).

Carbon Offsets:

Enable individuals and businesses to offset their CO2 emissions by reducing or

displacing

the CO2

in some other way and place...such as planting trees to absorb an equivalent

amount of carbon.

One certificate represents a one-ton reduction in greenhouse gases.

arbon Productivity:

The amount of G

ross

omestic

roduct

produced

per unit of carbon equivalents

(CO2e) emitted.

Carbon Sequestration:

The uptake and storage of carbon.

Carbon Sink:

Any reservoir that takes up carbon from another part of the carbon cycle, for example

orests, oceans and other ecosystems absorb

some of the

carbon dioxide

put into

the

atmosphere

human activities

Carbon Tax:

A tax levied on oil, coal, and gas based on their carbon content, discouraging the use of

fossil

fuels and

aiming to reduce carbon emissions.

arborexic:

Someone on a strict carbon diet.

Carrying Capacity:

The maximum population of a given species that a particular environment can

support

during

the most unfavorable time of year, without causing environmental damage.

Carson, Rachel:

Marine biologist and author who worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Her

1962

book,

Silent Spring first introduced the term ecosystem and warns of the dan

gers of pesticides,

especially

DDT.

Cascade Effect:

A series of events each producing the circumstances necessary for the initiation of

the next

event.

example, secondary extinctions which are the result of a primary extinction of a

key species in an

ecosystem.

Catalytic Converter:

An apparatus put on a vehicle exhaust system used to reduce the emissions of

pollutants from

an internal combustion engine.

Catchment Area:

An area that 'catches' rainfall which then drains into a river, aquifer or lake.

Cellulosic Ethanol:

Biofuel made from cellulose.

Certified Emissions Reduction:

Commonly known as carbon credits, where each CER unit is equal to

the

reduction

of one metric tonne of CO2, issued by Kyoto's Certified Development Mechanism (CDM)

project,

and can be sold or

counted toward Annex I countries' emissions commitments.

Certified Organic:

When an independent organization accredited by the USDA verifies that a product

meets organic

standards as specified by the National Organic Program.

Chains of extinction:

When one species' extinction leads to further species' extinctions.

Chemcentric:

The belief that man

can control nature with chemicals.

Chemical Cocktail:

Mixtures of chemicals that may do little harm on their own, but together cause

great

damage to

human cells.

Chemical Oxygen Demand:

An indicator of water quality which indirectly measures the amount of

oxygen

consumed by organic and inorganic compounds in water by chemical means. Often used in

reference to

wastewater.

Chemical treatment

(of hazardous waste): Treatment methods that modify the chemical properties

of a

hazardous

waste,eg, through neutralization of acidity or alkalinity, reducing water content, etc...

Chicago Climate Exchange:

CCX is a voluntary GHG cap and trade membership system. Member

companies commit to GHG caps, and if they produce more GHGs then committed, they must buy

credits from a company who has credits to sell because that company achieved greater emission

reductions then they had committed.

Chlorinated Hydrocarbon:

(CHC) compounds contain chlorine, carbon and hydrogen, such as the

organochlorine

pesticides, lindane and DDT. E.g., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and chlorine

waste

products such as dioxin.

Many of these compounds bioaccumulate in the food chain.

Chlorination Byproducts:

Carcinogenic chemicals that result from the interaction of chlorine and

organic

matter in

water.

Chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs): Synthetic industrial gases formed of chlorine, fluorine and carbon whose

molecules

are normally inert. They are used as aerosol propellants because they do not alter the

material

being sprayed, in fire

extinguishers, air conditioners, cleaning solvents and in the

manufacture of plastic

foam. There are no natural sources

of CFCs. They have been implicated in the

thinning of the ozone layer

and

their long term presence in the atmosphere

adds to the greenhouse

effect.

Chlorophyll:

A green pigment, present in algae and plants, that absorbs radiant energy from the sun

and

thus

plays a

fundamental role in photosynthesis.

hromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter

(CDOM): Colored organic matter from decaying leaves etc.

that finds its way into our waterways and then the marine environment.

Circumpolar Distribution:

Organisms/species that are distributed all around the North or South Poles.

Clean Development Mechanism:

Kyoto agreement where industrialised countries who have agreed to

greenhouse

gas reduction commitment, invest in offset (CDM) projects in developing countries.

Clean Energy Technologies:

Energy sources that make no or small amounts of carbon emissions.

Clean Fuel Vehicle:

The three categories of federal CFV standards from least to most stringent are

low

emission

vehicles (LEVs), ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), and zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).

Clearcutting:

A logging technique in which all trees are removed from an area at the same time.

Climate Change:

A change in climate over a length of time, usually not less than thirty years.

Climate Classification:

The most widely used classification scheme is the Köppen climate

classification

where

climate zone boundaries were selected with vegetation, temperature and

precipitation in mind. The

scheme

divides the

climates into five main groups and several types and

subtypes. The 5 main groups

are...Tropical

Moist climates, Dry

climates, Temperate Mid-latitude Moist

Mild Winters, Continental

Cold Winters

climate

and Polar climates.

Climate Commitment:

An intent to become more carbon neutral. Also refers to the fact that climate

reacts with a

delay to influencing factors such as anthropogenic emissions. Thus the climate is

committed to

change even if we

were to stop adding emissions as of now.

Climate Modelling:

The use of mathematical models to study the interactions of the oceans,

atmosphere,

land, and

ice. They are used to predict future climates, greenhouse gas levels, emissions

levels, circulation,

etc.

Climate Sensitivity:

The resultant equilibrium response of the climate to a change, such as a doubling

atmospheric CO2 (since the beginning of the Industrial revolution) resulting in an IPCC estimate

temperature

increase

of 1.5-4.5C (2.7-8.1F).

Climax Forest:

A forest community in the final stage of succession in which species composition

remains

more or

less stable and unchanging.

Closed System:

Where all of a systems elements are constantly recycled through its environment.

Where

energy

might be exchanged with the outside environment yet physical material is not.

Cloud Forest:

A tropical or subtropical montane moist forest characterized by persistent or frequent

clouds

or mist

at the vegetation level. Biodiversity is relatively high, with many species of tree and an

abundance of

mosses, ferns,

lichens, orchids and other epiphytes on every tree and rock surface. Due

to their

relatively

narrow altitudinal zone,

global warming is having a significant effect on the world's

cloud forests

possibly

leading to their extinction.

Coal Cleaning

: A set of technologies to remove pollutants from mined coal. Removing the pollutants

before the coal is used.

Coal Gasification

A process

conver

ting

solid coal

to a gas

. The

coal is washed, ground into a

powder and then

chemically

react

with oxygen and steam to form a gas

containing methane,

hydrogen

and

carbon monoxide.

The gas

is then used

to drive a

turbine to produce electricity.

Coastal Onlap:

The advance and subsequent deposits further and further inland with sea level rise.

Used

evaluate

sea level prehistoric and predictive (future) rise and fall.

Coextinction:

The loss of one species due to the extinction of another.

Cold Pole:

The place in the Northern and Southern hemispheres with the lowest mean temperatures.

Antarctica,

that place is Vostok Station, Antarctica with an annual mean temperature of -55.1 C.

Coliform Organism:

A microorganism found in the intestinal tract of people and animals. Their

presence

water

indicates fecal and bacterial contamination.

Colony Collapse Disorder:

An event, currently unexplained,

of a sudden disappearance of adult honey

bees, leaving

only the queen and immatures bees in the nest.

The cause is

thought to be

a virus

possibly

triggered by

pesticide

exposure

Combined Sewer:

A sewer that carries both sewage and storm water run-off

. In combined sewers

even with a little rain, raw sewage enters directly into the receiving water body.

Comfort Zone:

The range of humidity and temperature within which the human body works most

efficiently

without feeling chilled or sweating. Subjectively between 19-24 C or 66-75 F.

Commercial Extinction:

The over harvesting of a population (i

, fish or trees) to a point where its

removal

becomes

uneconomic.

Community-Supported Agricultur

A mutual commitment between a farm, and a community of

supporters who

pledge to provide the farmers with advance payment in return for weekly baskets of

organic,

locally grown produce.

Both parties share the benefits and risks of food production.

Compact Flourescents:

Energy

efficient florescent light bulbs

which

fit into standard light

sockets.

Compost:

Decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure.

Composting

: Biological decomposition of organic materials to humus through the action of

microorganisms.

Concentrated Solar Power:

Is technology that generates electricity from the sun’s heat, unlike

photovoltaic

cells,

which produce electricity from light.

Conference of the Parties:

The supreme body of the UNFCCC which meets annually.

Conservation:

The protection, improvement and thoughtful use of natural resources to provide the

greatest

social

benefit for present and future generations.

Consumerism:

An attitude that values materialistic possessions and the act of acquiring them.

Contrail:

A condensation trail, where a cloud forms due to the exhaust of a jet aircraft.

Conurbation:

An extensive urban area comprising a number of cities, expanding towns and villages,

formerly

separate, which have physically merged to form one continuous built up area.

Conventional Biofuels

: Are typically made from corn, sugarcane, beet, or oilseed crops such as soy

and rapeseed.

Cooling Water:

Water which is used to absorb and remove heat. When used in nuclear and industrial

power

plants

the intake and discharge of cooling water is often an environmental problem.

Cooperative:

Are businesses/buildings/associations owned and run jointly by its members.

Coral bleaching:

When coral turns white, due to an expulsion of its colorful and beneficial algae.

Bleaching

occurs

when coral is stressed, most usually due to high temperatures.

Coral Reef:

A coastal accumulation of skeletal material that supports living corals. Develop best in

areas

with a

mean annual temperature of 23 to 25 C (73 to 77F), low nutrients, therefore minimal

invasive algae,

and light.

Cradle to Cradle:

Sustainability through complete product life-cycle, then reborn as a new product (in

new cradle) to repeat the process.

Cradle to Grave:

Appraisal examining the impacts at each stage of a product's life-cycle.

Crevasses:

Crevasses are open fissures in glacier ice.

Criteria Pollutants:

The EPA uses six "criteria pollutants" as indicators of air quality; Carbon Monoxide

(CO), Lead (Pb), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3),Particulate Matter (PM), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2).

Critical Load:

The threshold level above which substantial negative impacts would occur.

Critical Mass:

A point or situation at which change occurs. The phrase is used in many ways for

example

socially,

such as when a social movement becomes self-sustaining and ignites larger

growth,

and

scientifically when a core

reactor has enough fuel to create a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Cryogenic:

Of or relating to very low temperatures.

Cryosphere:

The perennially frozen part of the Earth's surface. The cryosphere includes snow cover,

floating

ice,

glaciers, polar ice caps, continental ice sheets, mountain glaciers, seasonally frozen

ground and

perennially frozen

ground (permafrost).

Cryptosporidium:

A microscopic intestinal parasite that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal

cramps,

and fever

usually lasting one to two weeks. Crypto is one of the most common waterborne

diseases

in the

world. Potential

sources include contaminated water, swimming pools, lakes, or

unpasteurized drinks.

Culling:

Selective killing of animals to maintain herd size, or in a domestic situation, for breeding or

disease purposes.

Cyclone

A tropical non-frontal/cyclonic low pressure system which develops an eye and has sustained

winds of at least 74 miles per hour (119 km/h).

Cyclone is a regionally specific name of a tropical

cyclone

that occurs in the northern Indian

Ocean.

North Indian basin cyclone season is from April to

December, with

peaks in May and November.

Dark Green:

A label given to those who live as green as possible.

DDT:

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane: highly toxic insecticide, which accumulates in the food chain.

Most

DDT in

the soil is broken down slowly into DDE and DDD by microorganisms.

Deca

: A toxic type of PBDE (flame retardant)

used in electronics

which few labs

are able to

reliably

test for, therefore it often

comes into the marketplace undetected.

Decomposition:

The breakdown or decay of organic materials which create essential nutrients that

plants

and

animals need and use.

Decomposer:

Microorganisms that break down large organic molecules into smaller inorganic molecules.

Debt-for-Nature Swap:

When a conservation agency buys and dismisses some of a developing

country's

debt, in

return the developing country agrees to maintain or put aside a conservation area.

Dedensification:

The removal of density by warming up or adding fresh water, both hinder the sinking

dense

ocean currents.

Dedicated Vehicle:

A vehicle that will operate only on one fuel.

Deep Ecology

: Viewing ecology from a philosophic perspective, where all life is interrelated and of

equal value.

Defensive Expenditure:

What people will spend to protect against a decline in environmental quality.

Deforestation:

The loss of forests due to overcutting of trees, resulting in habitat and biodiversity loss

well as soil

erosion

Degree Day

A unit used to measure the intensity of winter. The more degree days, the cooler the

climate.

Demand Side Management:

Methods utility companies employ to encourage consumers to modify their

energy

usage, including energy efficiency, load management, fuel substitution and load building.

Denitrification:

The loss of nitrogen from soil; also, the condition resulting from the removal of

nitrogen.

ovo

: A new mutation in a gene, not previously present, and not inherited from one's parents.

Desertification:

When land, once potentially suitable for agriculture, turns into desert. Desertification

can

result

from various factors, including climate change, or from human activities, such as

deforestation and

overgrazing.

Diesel Particulate Matter:

or DPM are in the size range of 100 nanometres. Due to their small size they

can

penetrate deeply into the lungs and cause complications.

Diffuse pollution:

Pollution that has no clear single or definite source of origin. E.g., acid rain.

Digester Gas

: Is biogas produced during the decomposition of biomass.

Dioxin:

Collectively refers to a group of about 300 structurally and chemically related cancer causing

compounds,

known as halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, including Dioxin's, Furans and the "dioxin-

like"

Biphenyls (PCBs). They

are by-products of certain chemical processes. In the environment,

dioxins settle on

soil and in the water, then pass

into the food chain. They are stored in fat tissue, and

most people contain an

ssortment

of dioxins.

Disincentives:

Regulations, fees, taxes, policies, or programs which act as deterrents.

Distributed Generation

: Small- scale, modular, decentralized power generation technologies located

nearby to where the energy is used.

Dobson Unit

: A unit of measurement expressing the amount of ozone in a given column of stratosphere

under

standard conditions. The unit thickness is expressed as a concentrate and as if all other gases

were

removed. As

example 1 DU of ozone is equivalent to a layer of ozone .01mm thick.

Doomsday Seed Vault:

A seed bank in Norway housing 4.5million different seed types, which

represents

the

agricultural diversity of the planet; hopes to provide mankind with genetic resources in

case of a global

catastrophe.

Down-the-

rain

hemical:

Chemicals such as

drugs,

household cleaning and laundry products that

enter our

water

system.

E85:

Ethanol/gasoline mixture that contains 85% denatured ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Earthshine:

(Earthlight) Light reflected by the earth, as moonlight is light reflected by the moon.

East Antarctic Ice Sheet

: That part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet which lies in the Eastern

Hemisphere. A line drawn through the Transantarctic Mountains to the Antarctic Peninsula delineates

east from west.

East Greenland Current:

A south flowing current running along Greenland's east coast which forms

part of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre. A major outflow route of Arctic water into the Atlantic.

EC ecolabel:

EU eco label scheme

that

promot

es and certifies

environmentally friendly

products.

Eco-Anthropology:

The study of humans interactions with their environment.

coclimatology:

The study of the relations between organisms and their climatic environment.

Studies the

adaptation of plants and animals to their climate and the geographical distribution of

organisms in relation to climate.

Eco Design:

Design which factors in

the environmental impacts at all stages of a product's life cycle

from

the

product

development

material use,

life cycle

and

its

disposal or

preferred

renewal

Eco Efficiency or Eco Intensity:

(materials + energy + pollution) per unit of output.

Ecological Corridor:

A band of vegetation/habitat that allows the movement of animals, birds and

plants

between

two areas.

Ecological Footprint:

The area of land and water (usually measured in hectares) needed to produce

the

natural

resources required by a defined economy or population at a specified standard of living, in

a given

year.

Eco Paper:

Recycled papers with one or more of the following characteristics: a) high levels of post

consumer

recycled content b) any added virgin fiber is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified c)

the

production mill uses the

cleanest possible methods, and does not use dangerous chemicals, such as

chlorine.

Ecological Rucksack:

The environmental cost in raw materials and energy expended in the production

and

use/maintenance of a product or service (sometimes you will see use/maintenance left out). The

metaphor

rucksack

(backpack) is used to express the Earth's environmental carrying capacity for the

product/service.

This is expressed as

a relative index number. Example: one kilo of gold has an

ecological rucksack of

540,000 kilos, whereas rubber has a

rucksack only 5 times its weight.

Ecophilia

: An innate emotional affiliation to the environment.

Ecophobia:

A fear of one's outdoor environment.

Ecopoiesis:

he fabrication of a sustainable ecosystem from scratch. E.g., microbial seeding.

Ecopsychology

: The merging of psychology and ecology.

Ecosystem:

A community of organisms and their physical environment.

Ecosystem Services

: The 'free' materials and services that the planet provides for us, such as rain,

nutrients,

pollination, cycles and recreation.

cotone:

A zone of transition from one major plant community to another.

Ecotourism:

Nature Conservancy definition "Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in

order

to enjoy

and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that

promote

conservation, have a

low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic

involvement of

local peoples."

El Nino:

The

development of warmer ocean surface water off the

coast

of Equador

and Peru

when

the Trade Winds weaken and the usual upwelling of cold, nutrient-

rich water

lessens. This warming of

South America's coastal waters has great effect on climatic patterns throughout the globe especially

when the warming is prolonged.

El Niño-Southern Oscillation:

(ENSO)

The ENSO cycle includes

Niño

and

Niña

phases as well as

neutral phases

Emissions:

The release of substances (ie, greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere.

Emissions Cap

: A mandated limit within a set time frame that puts a ceiling on the amount of

greenhouse

gas

emissions that a company or country can release into the atmosphere.

Emissions Leakage:

concept

used to refer to a

shift in generation and the associated

emissions from

regulated (capped) sources to unregulated sources.

Emissions Permits

: A tradable permit, issued by an

authoritative

body, allowing entitlement to

release a specified amount of a polluting substance.

Emissions Reduction Unit

(ERU): from Kyoto "Emissions reductions generated by projects in Annex B

countries

that can be used by another Annex B country to help meet its commitments under the Kyoto

Protocol. Reductions must

be additional to those that would otherwise occur."

Emissions Standards

: Specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the

environment.

Emissions Trading:

A incentive based market system that allows emitters (countries, companies or

facilities) to buy

emissions from, or sell emissions to, other emitters. Only a limited number of

permits are

issued allowing the release

of pollutants. The emitters may use their permits and release

the pollutants, or

somehow reduce their emissions and

sell the permits.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

: An EU directive mandating that automakers pay the majority of costs

for

taking

back and recycling cars at the end of their lives. US automakers are just recently starting to

prevent

mercury from

entering the environment by directing that Hg mercury added switches b

removed by the

recycling industry at the

vehicle’s end of life, prior to being scraped.

Endangered

pecies:

Threatened with extinction.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

: Synthetic or natural chemicals that negatively disrupt the

endocrine

system.

Examples are the pesticides, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and other pollutants that

interfere

with

estrogen and other

system signals. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are known to

sometimes trigger

reproductive, developmental and other

health problems.

Energy Conversion:

The conversion of one form of energy to another

such

convert

ing

thermal

energy (heat

or exergy) into electricity.

steam-driven electric

power

plants

; heat is converted into

mechanical energy, and then

the

mechanical energy

is converted

into

electrical energy

Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard

: Standards which require utilities to meet a percentage of

their energy needs through renewable energy resources or energy efficiency measures.

Some schemes

allow trading between utilities. In some states standards are mandatory, in others voluntary.

Energy Star:

A joint programme of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department

Energy

created in 1992, that encourages the promotion of energy-efficient products and practices,

through

an Energy Star

labeling scheme.

Engineered Geothermal Systems

: Is a system where two parallel lines are drilled into the earth. One

line pumps water into the earth where it becomes heated, the other line pumps out the hot water

and steam. The steam is used to run turbines, while the hot water might be used for home heating.

nglacial:

Inside a glacier.

Enhanced Fujita

(EF)

Scale

: A 0 to 5 scale used to classify tornado damage, 5 being the worst.

Enteric Fermentation

: The fermentation process which takes place in the digestive systems of

ruminant animals.

Enzymology

: The study of the properties and actions of enzymes.

phemeralization

: A Buckminster Fuller coined term meaning 'doing more with less'

or living

sustainably

pidemiology

The study of diseases as they affect populations be they human or other. Specifically

how they occur, when, and their distribution.

Epigenetics:

Inherited genetic expression not encoded in DNA.

Epiphytes:

Grow on other plants, mostly trees or shrubs, without the need for soil. Are usually not

parasitic. Also

called air plants.

quilibrium Line:

The level on a glacier

above which there is

accumulation

and below which is

ablation.

Escalator Effect:

When species are forced to move steadily upward in altitude in response to climate

change.

Estrogenic

: Relating to, mimicking or caused by estrogen.

Ethanol:

Is produced chemically from ethylene or biologically from the fermentation of the sugars in

carbohydrates

in agricultural crops and/or cellulosic residues from crops or wood. Usually derived from

corn.

Ethnobiology

: The study of how differing cultures relate to, and utilize, their native plants and

animals.

European Climate Change Programme:

European Commission program set up in June of 2000, to

identify and

develop an EU strategy that will implement the Kyoto Protocol.

European Emissions Trading Scheme

. The world’s largest multi-national greenhouse gas emissions

trading

scheme which started on January 1, 2005.

Eutrophication

: The over enrichment of surface water due to dissolved nutrients, such as nitrogen

and

phosphorus, through natural or man made processes. This produces an environment that favors

plant (mainly

algae) growth over animal life. The algae's decay depletes dissolved oxygen, resulting in

the suffocation of

fish.

vapotranspiration:

The transfer

of water from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere by evaporation

from bodies of water, soil, and by transpiration from plants.

Evo-devo:

Evolutionary developmental biology.

Exajoule: One ExaJoule equals a quintillion (10

) joules or a quadrillion (10

)

kilojoules. A joule is an

extremely small unit of energy; one kilojoule is slightly less than one British

Thermal Unit (Btu).

Exclusive Economic Zone:

A sea zone over which a coastal state has jurisdiction rights over the

exploration and

exploitation of marine resources for a band extending 200 miles from the shore.

Exogenous:

Outside the organism or model.

Exosphere:

The outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

External Forcing

: A non-climate event which forces climate change, such as a volcano, or increase in

anthropogenic greenhouse gases, or solar flares.

Externality:

Is an inadvertent impact effecting the well being of another party (usually negative) who

was

not

involved in a given economic action, e.g. pollution, acid rain, global warmimg...

Extinction vortices:

Are models that categorize extinctions by their causes.

Extremophile

: An organism which has adapted to, and thrives in, extreme conditions.

Fair Trade:

An organized social movement and model for international trading partnerships which

aims to

treat and

pay farmers and employees fairly, by promoting the payment of a fair price,

encouraging sustainable

practices,

prohibiting child labor, etc.

Fair Trade Certified:

A label that certifies products

as Fair Trade.

dministered by TransFair USA.

Fair Trade Federation:

An association of businesses and organizations who certify companies, stating

that

their

purchasing methods, employment practices, ethics, etc. are committed to Fair Trade

policies.

Feedstock:

Any raw material, usually plant or agricultural waste, destined to be processed into a fuel

or energy product.

Firn

: Dense packed snow built up over seasons, the lowest layers becom

ing

glacial ice.

Firn

ine

: Is where the snow has persisted from the prior winter

on a glacier, above which the firn

will become glacial ice. Below the firn line is the ablation zone where snow does not build up.

Fischer-Tropsch Process

: A method of synthesizing gaseous hydrocarbons, such as natural gas and

gasified coal, or biomass, into synthetic liquid fuel. Combined with biomass gasification or coal

gasification, F

ischer

ropsch

can be used to create renewable fuels.

Fixed Carbon

: 1) The solid residue left after coal combustion, exclusive of ash. 2) The amount of

CO2

that

converted into plant biomass by the process of photosynthesis.

Floobydust:

Filed items that don't fit anywhere else-'a mixed bag'.

Fluorinated Gases:

otent

synthetic

greenhouse gases, emitted from a variety of industrial processes,

sometimes

referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases (e.g. hydrofluorocarbons,

perfluorocarbons,

and sulfur

hexafluoride)

Flywheel

(Energy Storage): A mechanical kinetic battery using electrical input which accelerates a

rotor on magnetic bearings in a vacuum that then acts as a generator. This is one potential technology

to replace conventional lead acid batteries.

Food miles:

icates the distance between where a food is produced and where it is consumed.

A "food mile" is the distance food travels from the farm to the store where you buy it, American food

travels

average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to table, reports the Worldwatch Institute.

Food Security

: When there is assured access at all times to enough food.

Forest Stewardship Council:

(FSC)

ertifies wood does not come from forests that are endangered,

threatened, old-

growth or ancient.

Founder

ffect:

fers to the loss of genetic variation when a very small group becomes

reproductively

separated

from the larger population.

racking Fluids

: Unregulated toxic chemicals that are pumped underground to break up (fracture)

seams of rock to increase oil and gas production.

Fraction:

Hydrocarbons sep

rated out

of crude oil

by fractional distillation

and having specific boiling

point ranges.

Frankenfood

: A derogatory term for genetically modified food.

Freegan:

Combination of vegan and free; a

growing movement of people

proving that it is possible

live off

consumer waste.

Fuel Cell

: An electrochemical device that directly produces electricity by combining a gas fuel, usually

hydrogen, with an oxidant, almost always oxygen, leaving a waste product of water.

Actual and

potential applications include fuel cell vehicles, off-grid power supply, auxillary power, etc...

Fujita Scale:

A scale of tornado wind damage intensity where wind speeds are inferred from the

amount of damage: F0 (weak): 40- 72 mph, light damage. F1 (weak): 73-112 mph, moderate damage.

F2 (strong): 113-157 mph, considerable damage. F3 (strong): 158-206 mph, severe damage. F4

(violent): 207-260 mph, devastating damage. F5 (violent): 261-318 mph, incredible damage.

Full-Cost Accounting:

ccounting that includes all environmental, economic, and social costs and

benefits

(externalities).

unctional

oods

oods

enhanced w

ith added health benefits

Functionally extinct:

hen only a small number of

non-reproducing individuals survive.

Fungible:

Where one item is similar to another and accepted as the same thing, i.e., money.

G8:

Group of 8. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Game Theory:

n approach

analysing how people, companies and governments might behave in

trategic

situations and how others might respond to what they do.

Gas Flaring:

Is the venting and then burning of pressurized natural gas. Gas flares are a significant

source of greenhouse gas emissions and release toxins such as dioxin and benzene.

Gasification:

Processes whereby solid fuels are converted into a combustible gas.

Gasohol (E10)

Gasoline that contains 10% ethanol.

Gasoline Gallon Equivalent:

(GGE)

A unit for measuring alternative fuels, comparing them with

gasoline

on an

energy equivalent basis. This is necessary as different fuels have different energy

densities.

ngineering

Large scale proposed environmental engineering projects with the goal of altering

Earth's climate,

such as adding sulfite particles into the stratosphere.

Geotourism:

ourism that enhances and helps sustain the character of a location.

General Circulation Model

: (GCM) A

computer model of the globe's climate system.

Genetic drift:

aka allelic drift, is the evolutionary process of change in the gene frequencies of a

population from one

generation to the next where chance probability determines which variants of a

gene

will be carried forward while

others disappear.

Genetic Mapping

: Mapping the relative positions of genes on a DNA molecule.

Genetically Modified Organism

(

Transgenic

)

Where the genes of one organism are combined with

that

another, deliberately altering the genetic material. The long-term impact on humans,

crops,

etc

unknown.

eothermal

nergy:

Natural heat from within the earth

that may be

captured for

the

production of

electric power, space heating or steam

to drive turbines

Geothermal Gradient:

The rate of increase in temperature per unit depth in the Earth.

Gigabyte:

Giga means one billion

. One billion bytes of info.

Gigawatts Electric:

One GWe equals one billion (10

)

watts or 1 million kilowatts.

lacial

oil

(

rift)

aterial

which was

carried along with

pushed ahead of

moved

upon an

advancing

ice sheet

lacial Rebound

The land height adjustment of formerly glaciated areas after glacial retreat.

Global Climate C

hange

: is the term most often used by the scientific community; global warming is

the term most often used by the media

and the public.

Global Dimming:

A reduction in the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface due to particulate

matter in the atmosphere. This effect lessens global warming.

Global Gardening

: Returning carbon to the soil.

Global Public Goods:

Goods and services administered by multiple countries, such as international

policies. A clean environment, health, peace and security are also

deemed

global public goods.

Global

arming:

Is a progressive i

crease

the

Earth's average air temperature and ocean

temperatures

over an extended time period.

Global Warming Potential:

(GWP)

Is a measurement

which describes

the ratio of global warming,

radiative

forcing,

of one

unit mass of a greenhouse gas

to that of one unit mass of carbon dioxide

over a

specified time

period

(Calculates the

different

greenhouse

gases

warming effects as

compared

with carbon dioxide.)

GMO:

Genetically Modified Organism or Transgenic. Where the genes of one plant or animal are

combined with that

of another, deliberately altering its genetic makeup, to produce specific traits.

The long-

term impact on humans, other

crops, etc. is unknown.

Grassoline

Biofuel made from s

witchgrass or

other

perennial

grass

Great Ocean Conveyor Belt

: A system of ocean currents spanning the Southern, Pacific, Indian and

Atlantic Oceans

that transfers heat around the globe.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch:

area of marine debris (mostly plastic) in the North Pacific Gyre in

the

Pacific Ocean. The circular rotation of the gyre keeps the debris at its center.

When sampled in

2001, the Patch yielded six pounds (3.6 kilos) of plastic for every pound (half kilo) of plankton in the

water. Greenpeace estimates that each year roughly 10% of manufactured plastics end up in the Great

Pacific Garbage Patch.

Green Carbon:

The carbon that is sequestered and stored in natural, biologically diverse ecosystems.

reen-Collar Fraud

: When a company promotes a product as green, when in truth it is not.

reen-Collar Job

: Employment in the clean energy or an environmentally friendly field.

Green Construction:

Environmentally friendly and sustainable construction methods.

Green Crime

A crime against the environment.

The new green crime law in the EU treats nine

environmental offences as criminal acts. They range from harming protected plants or species, to

dumping

toxins, to unlawful trade in ozone

depleting substances.

Greenfluencers

: A small percentage of the population that have an influence upon others' green

buying patterns, behaviors and attitudes.

Green Globe:

n interna

tional eco-certification program geared toward travel and hospitality

companies.

Greenhouse Effect:

The insulating effect of atmospheric greenhouse gases

which

trap the sun's

warmth

like greenhouse glass.

The

gases

absorb long wave radiation thereby

prevent

ing

the warmth

from escaping back into space.

Greenhouse gas quantities are

proportionate

warming.

Greenhouse Gas

Any gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Such as

water vapor, carbon

dioxide, tropospheric ozone, nitrous oxide,

hydrofluorocarbons

and methane.

Green Power Marketing

: Is a customer-driven market for clean electricity, where consumers (you)

have the option to choose your electric supplier and choose between its multiple service offerings.

Green Pricing:

An optional fee service that electric utilities offer their customers who wish to

support clean energy. When you sign up, you are helping your utility company supplement its

purchasing of, or investments in, renewable energy.

Grey Carbon:

The carbon that is held in fossil fuels.

Grey Water:

Aka "sullage", the residues of washing processes. Wash water (other than toilet water)

that can

be re-

used for irrigation, toilets, etc.

Grid:

The infrastructure used by utility companies, made up of a network of conductors, for

distribution of electricity.

Griggs–Putnam Index

: 0-7 scale that correlates tree deformation with wind speed, 0=no deformity.

roun

evel

zone:

Ozone in the low level troposphere is a pollutant that is harmful to breathe and

damages

vegetation. It is a main ingredient of smog.

Growing Degree Days:

A heat index that relates the development of plants, insects, and disease

organisms to air temperature

and helps to prediction maturity.

yre

arge-scale circular current

of water driven by

the global wind system.

Eight

gyres drive the

ocean

surface

circulation patterns of Earth.

Guerrilla Gardening:

When activists plant a garden, on an abandoned, unkempt piece of land,

which

they

do not

own.

Lexicon

Photo Credits: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License: Jenny Huang from Taipei,
''Aracana ornata'' |photographer=suneko |photographer_location=
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|flickr_url=http://flickr.com/photos/suneko/316447674/ |taken=December 3, 2006 |reviewer= }} == Licens)
and InspirationGreen

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