Categories:
- Environmental Conservation
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Renewable Energy
- Pollution Control
- Waste Management
- Sustainable Development
- Climate Change
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Policy and Legislation
List Generation: Environmental Conservation:
- Biodiversity
- Conservation
- Deforestation
- Ecosystem
- Habitat Loss
- Preservation
Environmental Science:
- Abiotic Factor
- Biogeochemical Cycle
- Carrying Capacity
- Ecosystem Services
- Habitat
Ecology:
- Biotic Factor
- Food Chain
- Keystone Species
- Niche
- Trophic Level
Renewable Energy:
- Biomass
- Geothermal Energy
- Hydroelectric Power
- Solar Energy
- Wind Power
Pollution Control:
- Air Pollution
- Carbon Footprint
- Emission Standards
- Water Pollution
Waste Management:
- Biodegradable
- Composting
- Eutrophication
- Landfill
- Recycling
Sustainable Development:
- Circular Economy
- Green Building
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Transportation
- Zero Waste
Climate Change:
- Greenhouse Effect
- Mitigation
- Resilience
- Sea Level Rise
- Global Warming
Biodiversity:
- Endangered Species
- Extinction
- Habitat Fragmentation
- Invasive Species
- Wildlife Corridor
Environmental Policy and Legislation:
- Cap and Trade
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Kyoto Protocol
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- The Paris Agreement
Definitions: Environmental Conservation:
- Biodiversity: The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
- Conservation: The preservation and careful management of the environment and natural resources.
- Deforestation: The clearing of forests on a large scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land.
- Ecosystem: A community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment.
- Habitat Loss: The destruction or alteration of the natural environment that provides a particular species with the conditions and resources it needs to survive.
Environmental Science:
- Abiotic Factor: Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
- Biogeochemical Cycle: The flow of chemical elements between living organisms and the environment.
- Carrying Capacity: The maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.
- Ecosystem Services: The benefits that humans freely gain from the natural environment and properly functioning ecosystems.
- Habitat: The natural home or environment of an organism, where it can find food, shelter, protection, and mates for reproduction.
Ecology:
- Biotic Factor: Any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem.
- Food Chain: A linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and ending at apex predator species.
- Keystone Species: A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.
- Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces.
- Trophic Level: The position that an organism occupies in a food chain – what it eats, and what eats it.
Renewable Energy:
- Biomass: Organic materials, such as wood, agricultural crops, or waste, that can be used to produce energy.
- Geothermal Energy: Energy derived from the heat of the earth’s interior.
- Hydroelectric Power: Electricity generated by hydropower, using the gravitational force of falling or flowing water.
- Solar Energy: Energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.
- Wind Power: Energy derived from the wind through the use of wind turbines.
Pollution Control:
- Air Pollution: The presence in or introduction into the air of a substance that has harmful or poisonous effects.
- Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by human activities.
- Emission Standards: Regulations that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment.
- Water Pollution: The contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities.
Waste Management:
- Biodegradable: Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.
- Composting: The process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost.
- Eutrophication: The enrichment of water by nutrients, especially compounds of nitrogen and/or phosphorus, causing an accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of plant life.
- Landfill: A site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and the oldest form of waste treatment.
- Recycling: The process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects.
Sustainable Development:
- Circular Economy: An economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources.
- Green Building: Construction and operation of buildings using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Farming practices that are designed to protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.
- Sustainable Transportation: Modes of transportation and infrastructure that are designed and operated to minimize environmental impact.
- Zero Waste: A set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles.
Climate Change:
- Greenhouse Effect: The process by which radiation from a planet’s atmosphere warms the planet’s surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere.
- Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk and hazards of climate change.
- Resilience: The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks.
- Sea Level Rise: An increase in the average global sea level as a result of the volume of water in the world’s oceans.
- Global Warming: The long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period due to human activities.
Biodiversity:
- Endangered Species: A species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
- Extinction: The complete disappearance of a species from Earth.
- Habitat Fragmentation: The process by which habitat loss results in the division of large, continuous habitats into smaller, more isolated remnants.
- Invasive Species: A non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
- Wildlife Corridor: A link of wildlife habitat, generally native vegetation, which joins two or more larger areas of similar wildlife habitat.
Examples: Environmental Conservation:
- Biodiversity: The rainforest is home to an incredible array of biodiversity, including thousands of plant and animal species.
- Conservation: The national park was established to ensure the conservation of the area’s natural beauty and wildlife.
- Deforestation: The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has led to a loss of habitat for numerous species.
- Ecosystem: The coral reef ecosystem is a complex and diverse community of marine organisms.
- Habitat Loss: The construction of new roads has resulted in significant habitat loss for the local wildlife.
Renewable Energy:
- Biomass: The local power plant generates electricity using biomass, such as wood chips and agricultural waste.
- Geothermal Energy: Geothermal energy is harnessed through the use of underground hot water and steam to generate electricity.
- Hydroelectric Power: The dam provides hydroelectric power to thousands of homes in the region.
- Solar Energy: The installation of solar panels on the roof allows the house to generate its own solar energy.
- Wind Power: The wind farm consists of numerous wind turbines that harness wind power to produce electricity.
Pollution Control:
- Air Pollution: The city has implemented measures to reduce air pollution, such as promoting the use of public transportation.
- Carbon Footprint: By using energy-efficient appliances and reducing waste, individuals can lower their carbon footprint.
- Emission Standards: The new regulations aim to enforce stricter emission standards for vehicles to reduce air pollution.
- Recycling: Recycling paper, plastic, and glass helps to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.
- Water Pollution: Industrial runoff is a major contributor to water pollution in the river.
Sustainable Development:
- Circular Economy: The company has adopted a circular economy model, which focuses on reusing and recycling materials.
- Green Building: The construction of the new office building follows green building principles to minimize environmental impact.
- Sustainable Agriculture: The farm practices sustainable agriculture by using natural fertilizers and crop rotation.
- Sustainable Transportation: The city encourages sustainable transportation, such as cycling and public transit, to reduce emissions.
- Zero Waste: The zero waste initiative aims to eliminate landfill waste through recycling and composting.
Climate Change:
- Greenhouse Effect: The greenhouse effect is responsible for trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to global warming.
- Mitigation: Planting trees is a form of mitigation that helps to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Resilience: The coastal community has demonstrated resilience in rebuilding after the devastating hurricane.
- Sea Level Rise: The low-lying island nation is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise.
- Global Warming: The melting of polar ice caps is a clear indication of global warming caused by human activities.
Biodiversity:
- Endangered Species: The conservation efforts aim to protect endangered species, such as the giant panda.
- Extinction: The dodo bird is an example of a species that suffered extinction due to human activities.
- Habitat Fragmentation: The construction of highways has resulted in habitat fragmentation for many wildlife species.
- Invasive Species: The introduction of invasive species (nonnative species) significantly modifies or disrupts the ecosystems it colonizes.
- Wildlife Corridor: Wildlife corridors are overpasses and underpasses that connect natural regions and provide safe transit for migratory animals.
Environmental Policy and Legislation:
- Cap and Trade: A market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): A process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts.
- Kyoto Protocol: An international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly for the year 2030.
- The Paris Agreement: An agreement within the UNFCCC dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020.