Definitions - c

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

Cap and Trade is a market-based policy tool for protecting human health and the environment.

A cap and trade program first sets an aggressive cap, or maximum limit, on emissions. Sources covered by the program then receive authorizations to emit in the form of emissions allowances, with the total amount of allowances limited by the cap. Each source can design its own compliance strategy to meet the overall reduction requirement, including sale or purchase of allowances, installation of pollution controls, implementation of efficiency measures, among other options. Individual control requirements are not specified under a cap and trade program, but each emissions source must surrender allowances equal to its actual emissions in order to comply. Sources must also completely and accurately measure and report all emissions in a timely manner to guarantee that the overall cap is achieved.

Capacity factor is a ratio (usually expressed as a percentage) of power actually generated by an installed wind turbine compared to its theoretical maximum power output.

This is important as the available wind varies considerably by location and you want to pick a location that ensures maximum utilization. Although typically the maximum capacity factor achieved in practice is around 30%. This can be compared to the typical capacity factors of 15% for solar and nuclear which ranges in 60 to 100%. Base load thermal power plants (i.e. fire fired) often achieve 70 to 90%.

When capacity factor is combined with cost of production you get the effective cost of power production for a given energy producing technology; i.e. cost divided by capacity factor. This figure you can use as a basis for a ROI (Return on Investment) comparison.

An innovative form of car hire that allows club members to pick up cars from locations around a city and pay for use of a vehicle on an hourly basis.

Supporters of the model argue that it helps reduce car ownership and encourages the public to only to use cars when they need to, cutting carbon emissions and congestion in the process.

The clubs say their cars are cheaper and easier to book than those of rental firms. Car clubs are also increasingly offer low emission cars, such as hybrid vehicles.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Umbrella term referring to the act of measuring and reporting on an organization's greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon accounting procedures typically aim to measure and report on the emissions that a company is directly responsible for, but they can also track emissions that result from a firm's supply chain and the activities of its partners, customers and staff.

The practice is widely regarded as an essential first step towards cutting carbon emissions.

However, critics have argued that its effectiveness is undermined by an absence of international standards, which means that carbon calculations can be undertaken differently from organization to organization.

This is a form of life which uses carbon as a 'building block' in its cells and chemical processes. Basically all life (be it plant or animal) on Earth is 'carbon based' in one form or another.

An amorphous form of carbon, produced commercially by thermal or oxidative decomposition of hydrocarbons and used principally in rubber goods, pigments, and printer's ink.

The biophysical environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables that comprise the Earth's biosphere.

Wikipedia Entry

International treaty whose aim is to stem global warming, signed in 1997 following negotiations within the U.N.

In December 1997, around 180 nations signed a treaty in Japan, under which 38 industrialized countries committed themselves to reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The Kyoto Protocol stipulates that, between 2008 and 2012, these emissions should be decreased to an average level 5.2% lower than that of 1990.

All parts (reservoirs) and fluxes of carbon. The cycle is usually thought of as four main reservoirs of carbon interconnected by pathways of exchange. The reservoirs are the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere (usually includes freshwater systems), oceans, and sediments (includes fossil fuels). The annual movements of carbon, the carbon exchanges between reservoirs, occur because of various chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. The ocean contains the largest pool of carbon near the surface of the Earth, but most of that pool is not involved with rapid exchange with the atmosphere.

Kapok trees produce a fluffy fiber in their seed pods. The kapok fiber is a substitute for down.

The enhancement of the growth of plants as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. Depending on their mechanism of photosynthesis, certain types of plants are more sensitive to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Carbon movement; movement of organic compounds through an ecosystem. Specifically, the relationship between carbon dioxide absorbed by green plants and carbon dioxide respirated by various organisms.

Carbon Footprint refers to the the total greenhouse gas emissions that result from a person, organization, product or service over a given time.

It tends to act as an umbrella term for any attempt to measure greenhouse gas emissions and as a result can refer to simply the emissions that result from a single activity, such as flying; the emissions that result from an organization or building over the course of a year; or the full lifetime emissions of a product or organization, including emissions from the supply chain or disposal of resources.

While carbon footprints colloquially refer to the amount of CO2 emitted, the UK Carbon Trust endorses a wider definition and considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases - Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Hydro fluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, and Sulfur hexafluoride - when measuring a carbon footprint.

Carbon Fraud is an aspect of global carbon markets.

Basically due to weak certification and validation processes in carbon markets, it is often quite easy to operate a 'fake' carbon offsetting business; i.e. claiming to run an offshore forest preservation scheme generating carbon credits when no such thing exists in reality (i.e. just pocket the money).

Also, due to the difficult nature of assessing exactly how much carbon some scheme or process offsets, you can also get fraud through over estimating the amount of carbon offset.

It is understood in some regions that organized crime has got involved in carbon markets, and that some markets have had to be suspended to investigate systematic fraud.

The relative amount of carbon emitted per unit of energy or fuels consumed

The theory that policy measures designed to reduce CO2 emissions in one country or region will result in an increase in emissions in another country as carbon intensive firms relocate to areas with less demanding environmental regulations.

For example, it is feared that steel plants and other heavy industries faced with planned carbon pricing regulations in the US may move their operations to countries such as China or India that do not have carbon pricing schemes in an attempt to avoid increased costs.

As a result, carbon emissions could simply "leak" from one country to another, resulting in no net reduction in emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme have both been accused of causing carbon leakage, although there is little solid evidence as yet of firms relocating solely as a result of carbon regulations.

One of the primary drivers for a global agreement to tackle climate change is the hope that an international deal would remove the risk of carbon leakage by establishing comparable carbon regulations for all countries.

A Carbon Market is a market created from the trading of carbon emission allowances to encourage or help countries and companies to limit their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This is also known as emissions or carbon trading. Carbon emissions trading is a way of offsetting greenhouse gases produced by polluters.

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

The biophysical environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables that comprise the Earth's biosphere.

Wikipedia Entry

The sale and purchase of carbon credits or pollution permits through carbon markets.

The practice is designed to help control carbon dioxide emissions by placing a price on a ton of emitted CO2 and providing members of trading schemes with economic incentives to reduce the amount of pollution they produce.

The market is dominated by cap-and-trade schemes, such as the EU's emissions trading scheme, but carbon trading can also refer to the sale of carbon offsets from emission reduction projects.

In theory, carbon trading mechanisms mean that emission reductions are achieved at the lowest possible cost, as businesses will only purchase carbon credits - effectively paying someone else to cut emissions for them - if they can not deliver emission reductions at a lower cost themselves.

The reservoir containing carbon as a principal element in the geochemical cycle.

Limiting the amount of carbon you use each year.

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

Carbon reservoirs and conditions that take in and store more carbon (carbon sequestration) than they release. Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and oceans are common carbon sinks.

A Carbon Tax is a government imposed taxation on source goods and services in an attempt to reduce the production of carbon into the atmosphere.

Usually implemented as a form of 'at source' taxation; i.e. those whom manufacturer or consume the most carbon pay and everybody else on the supply chain picks up the price increase. This is often encountered with a carbon credit scheme, by which carbon producers can 'offset' their taxable carbon emissions against less carbon intense production methods.

As always with such schemes, the devil is in the detail; in particular there has been problems in the past with carbon fraud.

Note: This equally applies to the energy production sector as basic manufacturing; say if coal is being used as a source of electrical power.

A compound consisting of one carbon atom and four chlorine atoms. It is an ozone depleting substance. Carbon tetrachloride was widely used as a raw material in many industrial applications, including the production of chlorofluorocarbons, and as a solvent.

The sale and purchase of carbon credits or pollution permits through carbon markets.

The practice is designed to help control carbon dioxide emissions by placing a price on a ton of emitted CO2 and providing members of trading schemes with economic incentives to reduce the amount of pollution they produce.

The market is dominated by cap-and-trade schemes, such as the EU's emissions trading scheme, but carbon trading can also refer to the sale of carbon offsets from emission reduction projects.

In theory, carbon trading mechanisms mean that emission reductions are achieved at the lowest possible cost, as businesses will only purchase carbon credits - effectively paying someone else to cut emissions for them - if they can not deliver emission reductions at a lower cost themselves.

Several people joining in one car to go to school or work. By carpooling or taking public transportation less carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases are released into our air.

Offering to reward a retailer for good environmental practices by organising people to shop at their store.

The amount of animal or plant life (or industry) that can be supported indefinitely on available resources; the number of individuals that the resources of a habitat can support. Also called biological carrying capacity.

A tasteless white protein distilled from milk and used in dessert toppings, coffee whiteners, adhesives and binders, paint, and plastics. Sensitivity to it plays a role in milk allergies, Asperger's Syndrome, and Autism.

A sedimentation area designed to remove pollutants from runoff before being discharged into a stream or pond.

Filling or sealing compound used to make a home or building material more airtight or watertight.

Ceiling insulation is the use of a material to reduce the thermal conductivity (or basic heat transference) via the ceiling and into the space beyond it (namely the roof void). Most often this is achieved through the use of strips of material between the ceiling joists that are often several inches think. The material being able to trap a large amount of still air in relation to its size - this 'trapping' prevents the air transfering heat so prevents the heat loss from below.

Also when the roof space heats up during a hot day it similarly prevents the conduction of the heat into the living space below.

Carbon Footprint refers to the the total greenhouse gas emissions that result from a person, organization, product or service over a given time.

It tends to act as an umbrella term for any attempt to measure greenhouse gas emissions and as a result can refer to simply the emissions that result from a single activity, such as flying; the emissions that result from an organization or building over the course of a year; or the full lifetime emissions of a product or organization, including emissions from the supply chain or disposal of resources.

While carbon footprints colloquially refer to the amount of CO2 emitted, the UK Carbon Trust endorses a wider definition and considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases - Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Hydro fluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, and Sulfur hexafluoride - when measuring a carbon footprint.

Wood used in building construction that is supplied from sources that comply with sustainable forestry practices, protecting trees, wildlife habitats, streams, and soil.

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

This term refers to tracking the custodianship of wood and wood products along the supply chain, from harvest to distribution of the final product. The purpose of a chain of custody system is to ensure that certified and other forest products originate in a responsibly managed forest. Special record keeping requirements relating to the purchase, shipment and delivery of products must always be maintained.

A chemical that controls pests by preventing reproduction.

Land waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day.

Preparing croplands by using a special implement that avoids complete inversion of the soil as in conventional plowing. Chisel plowing can leave a protective cover or crops residues on the soil surface to help prevent erosion and improve filtration.

An organic solvent containing chlorine atoms that is often used as aerosol spray container, in highway paint, and dry cleaning fluids.

Manufactured without chlorine or chlorine derivatives.

A family of chemicals composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine; CFCs were used mostly as refrigerants for freezers, refrigerators, and air-conditioning units, and as industrial cleansing solvents primarily in the high-tech industry. They were also used as an expansion agent in the manufacture of isocyanurate thermal insulation, and some extruded polystyrene foam used for thermal insulation, and some extruded polystyrene foam used for thermal insulation products, and food service containers.

Ozone problem
 
 CFCs' ability to destroy stratospheric ozone through catalytic cycles contributed to the depletion of ozone worldwide. Because CFCs are such stable molecules, they do not easily react with other chemicals in the lower atmosphere. One of the few forces that can break up CFC molecules is ultraviolet radiation, however the ozone layer protects the CFCs from ultraviolet radiation in the lower atmosphere. CFC molecules can then to migrate intact into the stratosphere, where the molecules are bombarded by ultraviolet rays, causing the CFCs to break up and release their chlorine atoms. The released chlorine atoms participate in ozone destruction, with a single atom of chlorine destroying ozone molecules over and over again.
 
 International attention to CFCs resulted in a meeting of diplomats from around the world in Montreal in 1987. A treaty was forged that called for drastic reductions in the production of CFCs. In 1990, diplomats met in London and voted to significantly strengthen the Montreal Protocol by calling for a complete elimination of CFCs by the year 2000.

A class of herbicides that may be found in domestic water supplies and cause adverse health effects.

Any change to the environment whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from human activity, industry or natural disasters.

Energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible, unlike, for example, the fossil fuels, of which there is a finite supply. Renewable sources of energy include wood, waste, geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy.

Alternative phrase for reverse graffiti.

Removing all the trees from a given area; a destruction of entire forests at a time.

A row of windows near the peak of the roof. Often used along with an open floor plan that allows the light to bounce throughout the building.

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as global warming.

Wikipedia - Climate Change entry

A Climate Change Denier (usually just Denier) is a derogatory term used to describe a Climate Change Skeptic. Usually a sign that a debate on climate change has degraded into name calling and none science based discussion.

The implication is that the 'Denier' is denying the clearly evident facts supporting man made climate change; where as what they do dispute is the link between mans influence on the climate and the changes in the climate being seen, and how much of that change is purely due to natural processes.

Climate Change housing refers to housing that has been designed to operate in a way that minimizes its impact in contributing to climate change through reducing the man made component of climate change.

Note: This does not automatically mean that a house so designed is 'green' or 'eco' over the longer term, rather it is focused on minimizing its man made climate change impact first; which can lead to it been green if done correctly. Basically one does not automatically lead to the other.

Note: Beware of carbon 'get rich quick' schemes; i.e. solar power offsetting, etc as these often only work with costly rebates (which a lot of governments are now pulling out of supplying on mass due to them not being financially sustainable over the longer term).

A Climate Change Skeptic is someone who believes, in the context of Climate Change, that the human influence on the climate has been dramatically overplayed compared to natural processes and other external influences (such as the Sun).

Note: It does not mean they do not believe that the climate changes, rather that the amount of that change due to human activity is over emphasized and too 'precise' given the limited time (a few hundred years) we have had to measure the climate compared to the age of the climatic system (millions of years).

Climate Control refers to the act of controlling the climate within a building and maintaining it over time.

Climate Control can be simple as controlling just the temperature via some form of basic air conditioning system; all the way through to a system that also manages humidity and actively filters the air.

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as global warming.

Wikipedia - Climate Change entry

A hydrocarbon deposit, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from living matter of a previous geologic time and used for fuel.

The delay that occurs in climate change as a result of some factor that changes only very slowly.

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as global warming.

Wikipedia - Climate Change entry

Energy derived from nontraditional sources (e.g., compressed natural gas, solar, hydroelectric, wind).

A climate outlook gives probabilities that conditions, averaged over a specified period, will be below normal, normal, or above normal.

Climate Science is the study of the behaviour of the climate using scientific techniques to discover provable processes and actions within the climate and hence be able to:

The deviation of a measurable unit, (e.g., temperature or precipitation) in a given region over a specified period from the long-term average, often the thirty-year mean, for the same region.

Climategate refers to release/leak/stealing of emails, data and programs related to research into global warming by UEA's Climate Research Unit (CRU); that occurred in 2009 before the Copenhagen Climate Conference (and was therefore probably contributory to its failure). The information obtained was made publicly available for all to see and read through.

It indicates that there good reason to conclude:

• Problems with data retention and archiving;
• Weakly documented data processing both in terms of process and actions undertaken.
• A 'closed ranks' mindset to external criticism and freedom of information
• Close interdependent relationships between a small set of international researchers leading to peer review and career advancement support occurring within the group.

A feedback is an enhancement (positive feedback) or a damping (negative feedback) of an initial change, but in this case in a climate system. For example, when less energy reaches the Earth, temperature decreases and the area covered by snow increases. The albedo of the planet decreases, reflecting more energy towards the atmosphere. Consequently less energy is available at the surface, and temperature further decreases. The whole "cycle" from the initial cooling to the further cooling is a feedback, which is a positive feedback in this example.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

The vegetation that would exist in an area if growth had proceeded undisturbed for an extended period. This would be the "final" collection of plant types that presumably would remain forever, or until the stable conditions were somehow disturbed.

The increase in solar intensity caused by reflected irradiance from nearby clouds.

A precombustion process by which coal is physically or chemically treated to remove some of its sulfur so as to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.

Coalbed methane (CBM) or Coal Bed Methane or coalbed gas is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, and other countries. Australia has rich deposits where it is known as coal seam gas (abbreviated "CSG").

Original Wikipedia entry

Coeliac disease (spelled celiac disease in North America) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy onward. Symptoms include chronic diarrhoea, failure to thrive (in children), and fatigue, but these may be absent, and symptoms in other organ systems have been described. A growing portion of diagnoses are being made in asymptomatic persons as a result of increased screening; the condition is thought to affect between 1 in 1,750 and 1 in 105 people in the United States. Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, and similar proteins found in the crops of the tribe Triticeae (which includes other common grains such as barley and rye).

See Wikipedia full entry.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Clusters of houses having shared dining halls and other spaces, encouraging stronger social ties while reducing the material and energy needs of the community.

Bacteria, if present in sewage, indicate the possible presence of enteric pathogens of sewage origin. Fecal coliform bacteria, a subset of the total coliform bacteria group, indicate specifically the presence of fecal material.

A photovoltaic device or module that provides useful heat energy in addition to electricity.

A turbine having a large vaned wheel rotated by the wind to generate electricity. Often collected together to form 'farms'.

A combustion fire place in its simplest form is just a fire in a hearth that vents through a chimney to the outside world.

Although, technology has moved on and it is now possible to have a fire place with the following attributes:

• glass fronted door to the actual hearth, so that no risk of 'blow back' putting smoke into the house;
• a surrounding box to the fire, so that a fan can be used to heat air and circulate that around the room - improving the heating ability of the fire;
• hot water heating - achieved either by pipes at the back of the fire or in the flu that circulate the hot water through a connected hot water tank (although be careful with this, as incorrect installation can cause a blow out);
• ability to restrict the flow of the smoke from the fire such that the combustion efficiency is improved and the resultant smoke is less - often termed slow combustion.

This requires polluters to meet specific emissions-reduction targets and often requires the installation and use of specific types of equipment to reduce emissions.

Commercial Solar refers to the usage of Solar power by a commercial entity, typically a business, to reduce its dependence on the grid and thereby reduce its operational costs due to electricity.

A renewable energy support mechanism used in certain countries, where producers are rewarded at a nationally prescribed level for renewable electricity fed into the grid

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) , are more energy efficient than standard incandescent light bulbs and last longer.

The point where the amount of energy produced by photosynthesis equals the amount of energy released by respiration.

Any coal that emits less than 1.2 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million Btu when burned. Also known as low sulfur coal.

Also called “engineered wood”; made of strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood bound with adhesives. Products include particle board, plywood, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

Land waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day.

A human waste disposal system consisting of a toilet that uses little or no water connected to a specially built tank in which waste material is decomposed by aerobic bacteria.

Concentrated solar power (also called Concentrating Solar power, Concentrated Solar Thermal, or just CSP) are systems that generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area. This often heats a medium (such as water) which is used to drive another process to convert the energy into electrical energy.

A group of wind generators that usually feeds power into the mains grid. Often sited where the winds are strongest and most consistent.

Power generated through a final steam turbine stage where the steam is exhausted into a condenser and cooled to a liquid to be recycled back into a boiler.

The space of a building that is controllably heated or cooled, or both, for the comfort of its occupants.

Easement restricting a landowner to land uses that that are compatible with long-term conservation and environmental values.

Crop cultivation in which the soil is disturbed little (minimum-tillage farming) or not at all (no-till farming) to reduce soil erosion, lower labor costs, and save energy.

The difference between the total quantity of water withdrawn from a source for any use and the quantity of water returned to the source; e.g., the release of water into the atmosphere; the consumption of water by humans, animals, and plants; and the incorporation of water into the products of industrial or food processing.

A chemical that kills pests when it touches
them, instead of by ingestion. Also, soil that contains the minute skeletons of certain algae that scratch and dehydrate waxy-coated insects.

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

Soil tilling method that follows the shape of the land to discourage erosion.

A technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement.

Physics. the transfer of heat by the circulation or movement of the heated parts of a liquid or gas.

Often encountered by people the most when heating a home, as the heat rises to the ceiling. The opposite effect, cooling, can be observed near windows on a cold night, the windows cool the air and it drops. Therefore convection often causes drastic heat loss close to windows. If not dealt with (by the usage of curtains or double glazing usually) this can contribute greatly to heating and cooling costs, as in Summer you will get the opposite effect of heat easily entering the property from the outside via the glass & convection.

The proportion of sunlight energy that a photovoltaic cell converts to electrical energy.

The tropicalzone lies between 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator, has small seasonal changes in temperature and large seasonal changes in precipitation.

Climategate refers to release/leak/stealing of emails, data and programs related to research into global warming by UEA's Climate Research Unit (CRU); that occurred in 2009 before the Copenhagen Climate Conference (and was therefore probably contributory to its failure). The information obtained was made publicly available for all to see and read through.

It indicates that there good reason to conclude:

• Problems with data retention and archiving;
• Weakly documented data processing both in terms of process and actions undertaken.
• A 'closed ranks' mindset to external criticism and freedom of information
• Close interdependent relationships between a small set of international researchers leading to peer review and career advancement support occurring within the group.

The release of a substance (usually a gas when referring to the subject of climate change) into the atmosphere.

The seed that comes from cotton plants and is used to produce cottonseed oil, which is then used to make environmentally friendly ink.

Goddard Institute of Space Studies – a US NASA unit.

The schedule of the maturing and harvesting of seasonal crops.

Crop rotation is when one grows a series of dissimilar types of crops in rotation, in the same area, in sequential seasons for various benefits such as to avoid the build up of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is continuously cropped. Crop rotation also seeks to balance the fertility demands of various crops to avoid excessive depletion of soil nutrients.

A traditional component of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals and other crops. It is one component of polyculture. Crop rotation can also improve soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants

Crop rotation is practised by all sizes of farming, from the hobbyist to large farms.

Usually a conifer tree grown to provide wood products.

See cross ventilation for full definition.

Cross ventilation is when a building is set up to utilize the natural winds that blow across a site to assist with cooling the building.

Simply put the windows are so placed and the internal structure of the property (i.e. placement of doors and open spaces) set up as to allow the easy movement of air from one side of the property to the other when the windows and doors are open; so ventilating the property essentially for free.

This is often a key component of passive solar and thermal mass design. In that during a hot Summer night the windows and doors can be opened to let in the cooler night air, this in turn cools the thermal mass, which the following day helps assist in keeping the property cool.

Often abbreviated to just AGW. This is global warming which has been caused by human activity in addition to natural global warming.

The science around this is difficult to prove, as identifying a clear indicator of the human contribution which is independent of multiple natural causes is very hard to do in reality. The human element to global warming needs to be clearly and precisely measured against a background of natural global warming that has been occurring since the last ice age. 

A warming of the surface waters of the eastem equatorial Pacific that occurs at irregular intervals of 2-7 years, usually lasting 1-2 years. Along the west coast of South America, southerly winds promote the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that sustains large fish populations, that sustain abundant sea birds, whose droppings support the fertilizer industry Near the end of each calendar year; a warm current of nutrient-poor tropical water replaces the cold, nutrient-rich surface water Because this condition often occurs around Christmas, it was named El Niho (Spanish for boy child, referring to the Christ child). In most years the warming lasts only a few weeks or a month, after which the weather patterns return to normal and fishing improves. However; when El Nino conditions last for many months, more extensive ocean warming occurs and economic results can be disastrous. El Nino has been linked to wetter; colder winters in the United States; drier; hotter summers in South America and Europe; and drought in Africa.

This refers to the nutrient enrichment of freshwater and marine environments resulting from the activities of humans.

A cloud type that is dense and vertically developed and is associated with rain (particularly of a convective nature).

A new eco friendly material made from carrots that can be used instead of glass fibre.

A device that uses centrifugal force to remove large particles from polluted air.