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Eco Glossary!

by: Brink | Wednesday, August 1, 2007 | 1 comment

Adaptation: A special feature or behavior developed by organisms to help them survive in a particular environment.

Agriculture: The process of preparing the land to grow food, producing crops, and raising animals.

Atmosphere: A thin layer of gases above and around the Earth. It is between outer space and the Earth.

Biodegradable: The property of a substance that permits it to be broken down by bacteria and other microorganisms into simple, stable products that will not harm the environment.

Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth. "Bio" means life and "diversity" means difference.

Biosphere: The part of the Earth’s crust, water and atmosphere where living organisms can survive.

Carbon: A chemical element that is found in all plants and animals. Carbon is found in fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas. When fossil fuels are burned the carbon is released into the air and can join with oxygen to make carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

Carbon dioxide: A colourless, odorless, tasteless gas that is produced when animals exhale and when fuels burn, and is used by plants to make food. Carbon dioxide is a "Greenhouse Gas."

Certified: Means that the food has been grown according to strict standards (e.g. no pesticides), verified by an independent organization.

Climate: The pattern of weather in a region year round.

Composting: The process of turning organic wastes into a nutrient-rich mixture that can be used to condition soil and feed plants.

Conservation: The use of natural resources in a way that assures their continuing availability to future generations; the wise and intelligent use or protection of natural resources.

Decompose: To rot or decay; to break down into simpler parts or elements.

Deforestation: The complete destruction and total clearing of all forests within a region.

Ecological Footprint: Measures human impact upon the environment - how much space or productive land is needed to support an individual's lifestyle. The larger the footprint the more impact the individual has on the Earth.

Ecology: The study of the interrelationships between living organisms and their environment.

Ecologist: A scientist who studies the interrelationships of living things to one another and their environment.

Ecosystem: A group of living organisms that, along with their abiotic environment (e.g. air, water, rocks), interact with each other over a period of time. Energy from the sun is used to feed this web of life.

Endangered: Describes a species threatened with immediate extinction throughout all or most of its range owing to the actions of people.

Energy: The capacity to do work or the ability to make things move.

Environment: All of the natural and living things surrounding us (including air, water, vegetation, climate, wildlife, humans…) that have an influence on us and our physical and biological existence.

Forest: A complex community of plants and animals in which trees are the most prominent members.

Global Warming: An overall increase in the Earth’s temperature, which may be caused by reduced numbers of trees and increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse Effect: The warming of the Earth's surface. Gases trap heat between surface of the Earth and the atmosphere.

Habitat: The place where any plant or animal naturally lives and grows; a place that provides food, water, space to live and shelter for an interdependent community of living things.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh): The amount of energy present in one kilowatt of electricity supplied for one hour of time. Electricity is sold as kilowatt-hours. People pay for electricity by the number of kilowatt-hours used.

Landfill: An enormous pit where trash is buried under shallow layers of dirt.

Non-biodegradable: Incapable of being broken down naturally into substances that will not harm the environment.

Nonrenewable: Nonliving resources (such as rocks and minerals, petroleum, coal, copper, gold…) that cannot be replaced, replenished, or renewed by natural processes or by human planning and practices.

Organic: Related to living things; made by or gotten from plants or animals.

Pollutant: Any substance that can make air, land or water dirty or impure.

Processed: To change something with a series of steps. Example: crude oil has to be processed into different oil products before it can be used.

Produce: Fresh fruits and vegetable grown for the market; same as "crop."

Recycle: To process and treat discarded materials so that they can be used again.

Resources: Substances that support life and fulfill human needs, including air, land, water, minerals, fossil fuels, forests and sunlight.

Restoration: To work on changing something back to the way it was before.

Solar Energy: Energy from the sun that can be used for heating or to make electricity.

Socially Responsible: This term usually describes businesses. Being socially responsible means that businesses operate in ways that do not harm the environment, provide good salaries and benefits for its employees and generally contribute to the welfare of their communities.

Steward: A person who takes the responsibility of making decisions that will allow resources to be maintained for future generations.

Sustainable: The ability to continue/maintain into the future.

Sustainable Development: Environmentally friendly forms of economic growth activities (agriculture, logging, manufacturing, etc.) that allow the continued production of a commodity without damage to the ecosystem (soil, water supplies, biodiversity or other surrounding resources). Meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Wildlife: Describes all native, non-domesticated animals and plants living in the wild.