Biofuel- A fuel derived from renewable, biological sources, including crops such as maize and sugar cane, and some forms of waste.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) - Carbon dioxide is a gas in the Earth’s atmosphere. It occurs naturally and is also a by-product of human activities such as burning fossil fuels. It is the principal greenhouse gas produced by human activity.
Carbon neutral - A process where there is no net release of CO2. For example, growing biomass takes CO2 out of the atmosphere, while burning it releases the gas again.
Carbon sequestration - Storage of carbon through natural or technological processes in biomass or in deep geological formations.
CFCs - The short name for chlorofluorocarbons – a family of gases that have contributed to stratospheric ozone depletion, but which are also potent greenhouse gases.
Deforestation - The permanent removal of standing forests that can lead to significant levels of carbon dioxide emissions.
Fossil fuels - Natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, containing hydrocarbons. These fuels are formed in the Earth over millions of years and produce carbon dioxide when burnt.
Global warming - The steady rise in global average temperature in recent decades, which experts believe is largely caused by manmade greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) - Natural and industrial gases that trap heat from the Earth and warm the surface. The Kyoto Protocol restricts emissions of six greenhouse gases: natural (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) and industrial (perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride).
Mitigation - Action that will reduce manmade climate change. This includes action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or absorb greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Ocean acidification - the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO. 2) from the atmosphere. Ocean acidification leads to a decrease in the ability of marine organisms to build their shells and skeletal structures and kill off coral reefs, with serious effects for people who rely on them as fishing grounds.
Renewable energy - Renewable energy is energy created from sources that can be replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most often are biomass (such as wood and biogas), the movement of water, geothermal (heat from within the earth), wind, and solar.
Tipping point - a threshold for change, which, when reached, results in a process that is difficult to reverse. Scientists say it is urgent that policymakers halve global carbon dioxide emissions over the next 50 years or risk triggering changes that could be irreversible.
Vulnerability - The degree to which physical, biological, and socio-economic systems are susceptible to and unable to cope with adverse impacts of climate change.
