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Rain that occurs when sulphur and nitrogen oxides, released by factories and cars, interact with sunlight and water vapour in the clouds to form sulphuric and nitric acids.
Fog formed when wind flows over a surface with a different temperature.
Any small particle in the air, for example from burning vegetation, dust, volcano eruptions, or combustion from cars or planes. They may have an impact on climate.
Planting new forests on lands which have not recently contained forests.
The solar radiation reflected by a surface or object. Snow covered surfaces have a high albedo; vegetation covered surfaces and oceans have a low albedo.
Energy that comes from non traditional sources, such as the sun and wind.
Substances for use with traditional oil-derived motor vehicle fuels, like petrol (gasoline) and diesel. Includes mixtures of alcohol-based fuels with petrol, methanol, ethanol, compressed natural gas, and others.
The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth. The atmosphere consists almost entirely of nitrogen and oxygen together with a number of trace gases such as argon, helium, and radioactive greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and ozone. The atmosphere also contains water vapour, whose amount is variable, clouds and aerosols. The atmosphere can be divided into layers.
Fuel from vegetable oil that can be used with normal diesel engines, whether mixed with regular diesel or not.
The variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region.
Fuel from crops such as sugar cane, corn or palm oil.
The living matter in a given habitat, e.g. plants, that can be converted to fuel and is therefore a potential energy source.
The regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist.
A hole drilled into the ground to obtain geological information.
The total mass of a gaseous substance in the atmosphere that causes worry and concern.
The exchange of carbon in various forms between the atmosphere, the land and the oceans.
One of the major greenhouse gases. Human-generated carbon dioxide is caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels.
The amount of carbon dioxide produced by the activity of a person, organisation etc.
Processes that remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release. Land and the sea can act as carbon sinks.
A tax on businesses and industries which produce substances with a carbon base that can damage the environment.
The average weather for a certain region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather. Weather describes the short-term state of the atmosphere. Climate elements include rainfall, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind, and other things like fog, frost, and hail storms.
Any significant change of climate (such as temperature, rain, or wind) lasting for an extended period (ten years or longer). Climate change may result from: natural factors, natural processes within the climate system, and human activities that change the atmosphere's composition.
A fall in the average atmospheric temperature.
An environmental process that happens when climate change causes a series of changes, for example when an initial process causes changes in a second process, which in turn influences the initial one. A positive feedback intensifies the original process, and a negative feedback reduces it.
The delay that takes place in climate change as a result of a factor that changes very slowly. For example, it may take a long time to know the effects of releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere because a big amount of carbon dioxide is dissolved in the ocean and released into the atmosphere many years later.
The simulation of the climate using computer-based models.
The five physical components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere) that are responsible for the climate and its variations.
Refers to changes in patterns, in the weather and climate, such as rainfall patterns.
The process of burning.
Decayed organic matter that can be used as a fertilizer or soil additive.
Becoming colder, or less warm.
Plants grown in fields, such as corn, maize and vegetables.
The outer layer of the Earth.
The parts of the Earth’s surface where water is in solid form, including ice and snow. The cryosphere is an integral part of the global climate system and plays a very important role in debates on climate change.
The conversion of forested lands for non-forest uses. Deforestation plays a major role in increasing the greenhouse effect for two main reasons. Firstly, burning or decomposing wood releases carbon dioxide. Secondly, trees that once removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are no longer present.
Something becoming worse in quality
The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover (for example trees and plants) to form desert. This can happen because of overgrazing, deforestation, drought, and the burning of extensive areas. There are climate effects associated with desertification, such as less atmospheric humidity and more atmospheric dust.
The process of demonstrating that climate has changed in some defined statistical sense, without providing a reason for that change.
A long period of unusually dry weather, long enough to cause serious shortages of water for agriculture and other needs.
Plants that can live in dry conditions.
Something that is positive in terms of its impact on the environment
The study of the relationships that develop among living organisms and between these organisms and the environment. Also, the amount of living matter in a given habitat.
All the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the
Tourism that respects the environment.
Warm water current that regularly flows along the coast of Ecuador and Peru. This oceanic event is connected with a variation of pressure pattern and circulation in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This phenomenon has great impact on the wind, sea surface temperature, and rainfall patterns in the tropical Pacific. It affects other parts of the world.
The release of a substance (usually a gas, when referring to the subject of climate change) into the atmosphere.
Animals, plants etc, that are in danger of becoming extinct, i.e. no longer alive in the world.
An increase in the natural greenhouse effect resulting from increases in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases because of emissions from human activities.
A combination of the various physical and biological elements that affect the life of an organism, e.g, human beings. There are different environments e.g., aquatic or terrestrial, microscopic or global, all capable of change in time and place. All are closely linked and in combination they constitute the whole physical and atmospheric system of the earth.
Goods, services, processes or people causing minimal harm to the environment. Also know as eco-friendly.
People forced to leave their homes because of environmental factors such as drought, flooding and the rise of sea-levels.
Liquid becoming vapour
An event involving the weather that is statistically rare.
A natural or artificial substance added to soil so that it will produce more crops, plants and trees.
The process of a place, such as a field or street, becoming full of water
A thick cloud in the air consisting of very small drops of water, usually close to the ground or sea, making it difficult to see
A process that changes the energy balance of the climate system, i.e. changes the relative balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from Earth.
The science and art of cultivating, maintaining, and developing forests.
Deposits of crude oil, natural gas and coal formed by the decay, over millions of years, of organic material such as plants, trees animals and bacteria.
The burning of coal, oil (including gasoline), or natural gas, to generate energy. This burning usually releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This process is common in cars, for example.
Made of, or like, gas
The soils, sediments, and rock layers of the Earth's crust, both continental and beneath the ocean floors.
A very large mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted snow in an area where the amount of snow accumulating exceeds the amount that is melting.
The average of the sea temperature in the first few metres of the oceans, and the temperature 1.5 metres above ground on land surfaces.
The gradual warming of the world’s climate caused by the rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which traps the sun’s heat.
The effect of atmospheric greenhouse gases that keeps the Earth's temperature warmer than it would normally be.
A gas that causes the greenhouse effect e.g., water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, etc
The amount of time it would take for an atmospheric pollutant concentration to return to its natural level.
Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere caused by excessive release of greenhouse gases by humans. This increases the volume of gases in the atmosphere, traps more solar radiation and leads to global warming.
The place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows.
A variety of problems for humans and animals associated with very warm temperatures and high humidity. For humans heat exhaustion and heat stroke are examples of these problems.
The component of the climate system containing liquid water, such as oceans, seas, rivers, fresh water lakes, underground water.
A permanent covering of ice over a large area, especially on the polar region of a planet
The use or management of land by humans.
The outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km thick
A group of people campaigning for a change, for example in an attitude, a practice or a law
The period between the 9th and 13th century during which it was extremely warm in many locations in and around Europe. Wine was grown in Scandinavia and agriculture was possible on Greenland. It is believed that reoccurring processes in the oceans cause a warmer period once in every 1500 years.
To become liquid, for example when snow melts it becomes water
The region of the Earth’s atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.
Weather science
A colourless, odourless (without smell) flammable gas.
A human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of substances such as greenhouse gases that pollute the environment.
The opposite of positive feedback
Sources of energy such as fossil fuels that cannot be replaced.
To compensate for something, e.g. introduce something positive to counteract, or work against, something negative.
A form of life such as an animal or plant
Excessive grazing (animals eating, for example grass, in a field) causing destruction of vegetation
A colourless gas with a strong smell. In the upper atmosphere, it absorbs ultraviolet rays, stopping them from reaching the surface of the Earth.
Any part of the ozone layer that has become thinner because of atmospheric pollution, resulting in excess ultraviolet radiation passing through the atmosphere.
A thin layer of the gas ozone up in the Earth’s atmosphere. It protects life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
Tiny pieces of solid or liquid matter, such as soot, dust, fumes, or mist.
A thick layer of soil or earth under the surface that remains below freezing point throughout the year
Chemicals derived from oil and natural gas.
Petroleum is the end-product of the partial decay of living organisms which once inhabited the world’s oceans. As they died they sank to the bottom of the oceans, where they were preserved. It exists in the form of crude oil, natural gas or solid material.
Smog formed when gases from vehicle exhausts react in strong sunlight, producing substances that reduce visibility and make the air particularly difficult to breathe.
The area around the North or South Pole.
Any source of, or cause of, pollution.
The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment
A process that results in a strengthening of the response of a system to an external influence. For example, increased atmospheric water vapour in response to global warming would be a positive feedback on warming, because water vapour is a greenhouse gas.
A form of energy that comes especially from nuclear reactions, which in large amounts is very harmful to living things.
Collecting and reprocessing already manufactured materials for remanufacture, either as the same thing or as part of a different product. An example is collecting aluminium cans, melting them down, and using the aluminum to make new cans or other aluminium products.
Planting of forests on lands that have previously contained forests but have then been used for something different.
Energy from natural sources that can be replenished and not permanently depleted or reduced, such as biomass, solar power, wind power, and wave and tidal power. Renewable energy does not produce carbon dioxide. Fossil fuels are examples of non-renewable energy sources.
To fill something up again, or replace something.
Any process, activity or mechanism that results in the net removal of greenhouse gases or aerosols from the atmosphere.
Thick, dark, unpleasant mist formed of smoke and waste gases.
Earth; the upper layer of the ground, in which plants grow.
Sun’s energy collected by using solar power stations .
Stations that use thousands of wide mirrors to collect and concentrate sunlight to be used as energy.
Radiation from the sun.
The source of something is the thing, place, or person from which it comes, or originates.
The second lowest level of the atmosphere. The ozone layer, the part of the Earth's atmosphere with the greatest concentration of ozone, forms part of the stratosphere. Because it sits above the troposphere, where most air turbulence, or movement, occurs, the lower stratosphere is where most commercial airlines fly.
Something that can be continued or maintained.
To become liquid or soft, after being frozen.
Expansion of a substance as a result of the addition of heat. In climate change, thermal expansion of the world's oceans as a result of global warming is considered the main source of current and future sea-level rise.
The upper region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere. Also called ionosphere, this part of the atmosphere gradually lessens and forms a fuzzy, or indistinct, border with outer space.
Smog with toxic substances.
Any one of the less common gases found in the Earth's atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, ozone, and others. Although the volume of these gases is very small, they have significant effects on the Earth's weather and climate.
The lowest level of the atmosphere, from the surface to about 10km. It is the level at which clouds form and where our weather phenomena occur.
High energy sun radiation, transmitted through rays. At normal levels it is an important for the human body. At high levels, for humans it causes sunburn and skin cancer, and can produce changes in the genetic make-up of an organism. It also has a role in the formation of photochemical smog. Most of the UV radiation which reaches the Earth from the Sun is absorbed by the ozone layer in the stratosphere. Thinning of the ozone layer, however, has increased the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, which might increase the incidence of radiation-related problems.
Something that cannot be continued or maintained.
The upper mantle is the upper part of the Earth, from the base of the crust downward to a depth of about 670 kilometres.
The tendency for urban, inner-city, areas to have warmer air temperatures than the surrounding rural landscape, due to the low albedo of streets, pavements, car parks and buildings. These surfaces absorb solar radiation during the day and release it at night, resulting in higher night temperatures.
Very small drops of water or other liquids in the air, often the result of the heating of a liquid
Water in its gaseous state, produced from liquid water by evaporation or by respiration (breathing) from animals and transpiration from plants. Its presence in the atmosphere contributes to humidity. Water vapour is also a greenhouse gas.
Power or energy that comes from movement of the sea.
A prediction of the weather in the future.
A satellite that orbits Earth taking pictures, for example monitoring the temperature and measuring the height of waves.
A network of observing stations on land and at sea that send reports to a weather forecast centre, giving details of, for example, cloud types, wind, speed, temperature and pressure.
An area with windmills that turn the wind’s energy into electricity.
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