Accountability: Being responsible for one’s actions. Nobody likes to admit when they’re wrong, but consider that when it comes to environmental accountability it's not about you, it's about something much bigger than one person. So don't take it personally, just be accountable for what you did that doesn't work and commit to doing something else (that does work) in the future. Biodegradable: Something that has the ability to break down and decompose completely in nature. Beware of products that advertise their biodegrabability but are actually only 80% or 90% biodegradable. (Always read fine-print and ingredients lists)Biodiesel: A combination of methanol or ethanol with any type of vegetable oil that can replace regular diesel in a car or machine. Available at some gas stations in Toronto. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A gas that humans create by burning fossil fuels and other carbon-based materials (and by exhaling) that plays a major role in creating the 'greenhouse' effect that is heating up planet earth. Carbon footprint: The amount of CO2 emissions an individual creates. Most of your footprint is comprised of your driving and home energy habits but everything you do adds to your footprint including the food you eat, the products you use etc...Climate change: Sometimes causes a panic among humans as it is often associated with Global warming. Actually the Earth’s climate is always changing and scientists prefer to use it to describe changes from one condition to another. Global warming is something different altogether.Conventional Power: Power produced from non-renewable fuels such as coal, oil, nuclear and gas that once harvested leaves a mess that we sweep under the carpet and leave there for our children to clean-up. Ecosystem: A self-sustaining system of plants, animals and micro-organisms who benefit from their relationships with each other and are reliant on those relationships. Remove one of the components of an ecosystem and the whole cycle of life is put in jeopardy. Energy Efficient: A rating used to examine the ratio of usable energy derived from potential energy. Example: Miles per gallon of fuel burned. Not to be confused with 'energy conservation', see: "Energy Efficiency vs. Conservation". Environment: The external conditions, resources, stimuli etc. with which an organism interacts. Example: Everything you experience, see, touch, breathe, eat, smell and hear on a day to day basis is all part of your environment. Its up to you to be accountable for how you behave and contribute to your environment. Global warming: The gradual warming of planet earth. Proven to be associated with the 'greenhouse' effect which is caused by the tons upon tons of toxic gases humans release into the atmosphere every day. Greenhouse gases: Components of the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Some of these gases occur naturally and are necessary for life on earth but the increasing concentration of some toxic gases (caused mostly by human practices) are trapping more and more heat in the atmosphere and are now complicating life on earth. Example: water vapor, carbon dioxide, Methane, ozone, nitrous oxide. Grassroots: People working together at a local level to improve something, often referred to as a “grassroots movement.” Not to be confused with anything that can be smoked. Green revolution: The movement that is seeing more and more humans getting reconnected with the earth, nature and their environment through education and making more sustainable choices in their everyday lives. Kyoto protocol: An agreement to reduce greenhouse gases sponsored by the United Nations. It became international law in 2004, but many countries didn't take it seriously (including Canada who pulled out of the agreement and didn't reach its goals). Methane (CH4): An even more deadly greenhouse gas than CO2 with an estimated 20 times more global warming potential. It is produced naturally through animal waste and decaying food, as well as belches and flatulence. Natural resources: Things that are available to humans and necessary for their survival, that occur naturally on the planet earth. Ex: Wood, edible plants, minerals, water. Unfortunately, we humans tend to think these resources belong to us and use them up frivolously and without forethought. Offsetting: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by investing in a company that practices environmentally friendly operations to make up for the carbon you emit into the world. Also referred to as being ‘carbon neutral’ because you can calculate your exact emissions and pay for that amount. Offsetting Orgs. are great but they shouldn't be used as a quick fix to eliviate your guilt so that you can be as frivolous as you want. see: "To Idle or not to Idle"Ozone layer: If the world were an egg, the ozone layer would be the shell. It protects us from that large frying pan AKA the sun and its depletion in certain areas causes an increase in harmful UV rays. Made of Ozone, a poisonous form of oxygen. Photosynthesis: Plants use CO2, water and sun light to create food for themselves, releasing oxygen back into the air as a by-product. This is one of the reasons why protecting green spaces and replenishing deforested areas is so important for humans to do.Pollute: The introduction of a foreign, unbiodgradable body into any given environment. All the waste you create (even if you throw it in the garbage) is still polluting the earth since it's thrown into a landfill and left there to contaminate the surrounding soil and streams for decades and centuries thereafter. Recycle: Using used materials to make new materials or to give them a new purpose. It's not just a municipal waste management service, with a little creativity you can practice recycling and repurposing right at home. See "Scavenge and Salvage"Renewable energy: Energy harvested from renewable sources (sources that don't run out) Example: sun, wind, waste, water power etc. You can now ensure your home is running on renewable energy. See "Green Energy...Get Your Green Energy Here!"Smog: Thick, chemically polluted air that makes it hard to breathe and that is associated with more and more cases of resperatory deseases and related deaths. Mostly occurs in large cities like Toronto, but is now being transported, via wind, to rural communities and polluting their rain and ground water. People are warned to avoid smog and tend to sit inside with their air-conditioning full blast, which ironically, leads to more smog. |