Green Dictionary

Here you will find some common terms and vocabulary used in regards to climate change. By the end of this page you should begin to feel more comfortable about discussing the issue of global climate change.

Biofuels
Fuels made from plant (cellulose) biomass resources. Biofuels include ethanol (primarily corn) , biodiesel (made from soy, switchgrass or used vegtable oil), and methanol (distilled wood). Considered a renewable energy source for the short time they take to replenish.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
An odorless, colorless gas formed during respiration (like when we breathe out of oxygen) and by the breaking down, or decomposition, of organic substances like plants and animals. Also known as CO2 it is absorbed in the air by organic substances like plants in a process called photosynthesis.


Carbon Emissions
Carbon that is released into the atmosphere as a result from the burning of carbon-based fuels, primarily coal, oil and natural gas.


Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is a way to measure the actual impact human beings have on the planet. This is measured in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced calculated in units of carbon dioxide (CO2).  The higher one's carbon footprint the more carbon dioxide they are putting into the earth’s atmosphere. The more carbon dioxide produced, the higher the risk there is for the earth’s temperature and climate to shift.  Carbon dioxide is one of the leading contributors to global climate change. To learn more about how carbon emissions affect the earth’s climate and other factors click here http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html

There are many ways to calculate ones carbon footprint.
Below are a few websites that can help determine what your carbon footprint is.

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator

Clean Coal
Clean coal is the name attributed to coal chemically washed of minerals and impurities, sometimes gasified, burned and the resulting flue gases treated with steam, with the purpose of removing sulfur dioxide, and reburned so as to make the carbon dioxide in the flue gas economically recoverable. The coal industry uses the term "clean coal" to describe technologies designed to enhance both the efficiency and the environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation and use, with no specific quantitative limits on any emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. (Wikipedia)

Climate Change
Climate change is the variation in the Earth’s global climate or in regional climates over time. Changes in the planet's atmosphere occur naturally over time  ranging from decades to millions of years. External forces including variations in sunlight intensity can cause these changes. The Earth’s climate can also be affected by human activities. Many opinions and arguments exist over this definition. The use of the world in politics can have a positive or negative result depending on the context.

Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels are created by two dramatic forces time and pressure. This type of fuel can be made from either the bones of decomposed animals (like oil) or plants (like coal). Over time extreme pressures acting on various elements within the ground produce coal and oil.  They are considered finite (non-renewable) as these types of fuels take millions of years to be created.

Greenhouse effect: The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane trap energy from the sun.


Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases are components of the earth’s atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Without the greenhouse effect the Earth would be unable to sustain life. Greenhouse gases include in the order of relative abundance water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Greenhouse gases come from natural sources and human activity. It is with this last factor, human activity that the debate over global climate change rests on.


Global Dimming
Global dimming is the process of making clouds in the earth’s atmosphere more reflective due to the burning of fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas emissions. Clouds consist of large collections of water droplets. Clouds collect these particles of water by means of being attached to air-borne particles like pollen. A cloud will become more reflective as the ratio of water  to greenhouse gas emissions changes. The more reflective a cloud becomes the more of the sun’s heat is reflected back to into space. This loss of heat reaching our planet is known as Global Dimming. The effects of this reaction is currently being researched.


Gobal Warming
The general consensus on this definition states that global warming is the gradual increase in the earth's surface temperature. Some of the factors that cause global warming include the releasing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the rotting trees or from the burning of coal.  There are many other more complex reasons why global warming is occurring. To learn more go to www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/


Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric power is a type of energy that is created from the force moving water, through the use of dams, to create electricity. Large-scale hydropower currently accounts for about 20% of the world’s electricity supply.


Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The objective is to achieve "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass over 14,000 projects in 50 US States and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet (99 km²) of development area. Individuals recognized for their knowledge of the LEED rating system are permitted to use the LEED Accredited Professional acronym after their name, indicating they have passed the accreditation exam given by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Read more at www.usgbc.org.


Renewable Energy
Is a type of energy that can easily be renewed over a short period of time. Coal, for instance, takes millions of years to create. As such it is not a renewable source for energy. The same can be said of oil. Options like plant-based fuels, like soy and some grasses, are an alternative to nonrenewable sources. They provide many benefits. Often you might hear the term biofuels being used. Biofuels are plant-based fuels that have been converted to run in diesel-based engines.  These types of renewable energies offer the benefits of reducing the United States' dependency of foreign oil supplies and emitting lower amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.


Solar Power
Solar Power is a type of renewable energy that is collected from the sun's radiation converted into heat or electricity through the use of solar panels.



US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency. The mission of the EPA is to “protect human health and the environment.” The department has regional offices across the United Sates. The EPA is responsible for developing and enforcing environmental regulations: offering financial assistance for research, performing environmental research, sponsoring voluntary related partnerships and programs, furthering environmental education, and publishing information.


US Green Building Council - USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that certifies sustainable businesses, homes, hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods. USGBC is dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™.


Wind Power
Wind power is generated through the use of a turbine. The turbine collects the energy generated by the wind and converts it into electricity. Technology around this source of energy is becoming increasingly affordable for general consumption and is considered a renewable source of energy.





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