A
Alternative Energy
Energy derived from nontraditional sources (e.g., compressed natural gas, solar, hydroelectric, wind).
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#A)
Anaerobic Digestion
A biological process that produces a gas principally composed of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) otherwise known as biogas. These gases are produced from organic wastes such as livestock manure, food processing waste, etc.
Anaerobic processes could either occur naturally or in a controlled environment such as a biogas plant. Organic waste such as livestock manure and various types of bacteria are put in an airtight container called digester so the process could occur. Depending on the waste feedstock and the system design, biogas is typically 55 to 75 percent pure methane. State-of the-art systems report producing biogas that is more than 95 percent pure methane.
The process of anaerobic digestion consists of three steps.
The first step is the decomposition (hydrolysis) of plant or animal matter. This step breaks down the organic material to usable-sized molecules such as sugar. The second step is the conversion of decomposed matter to organic acids. And finally, the acids are converted to methane gas.
Process temperature affects the rate of digestion and should be maintained in the mesophillic range (95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit) with an optimum of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is possible to operate in the thermophillic range (135 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit), but the digestion process is subject to upset if not closely monitored.
Many anaerobic digestion technologies are commercially available and have been demonstrated for use with agricultural wastes and for treating municipal and industrial wastewater.
Where unprocessed wastes cause odor and water pollution such as in large dairies, anaerobic digestion reduces the odor and liquid waste disposal problems and produces a biogas fuel that can be used for process heating and/or electricity generation.
Source: California Energy Commission
(http://www.energy.ca.gov/development/biomass/anaerobic.html)
Anthropogenic
Human made. In the context of greenhouse gases, anthropogenic refers to emissions that are produced as the result of human activities.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#A)
B
Berlin Mandate
A ruling negotiated at the first Conference of the Parties (COP 1), which took place in March, 1995, concluding that the present commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are not adequate. Under the Framework Convention, developed countries pledged to take measures aimed at returning their greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The Berlin Mandate establishes a process that would enable the Parties to take appropriate action for the period beyond 2000, including a strengthening of developed country commitments, through the adoption of a protocol or other legal instruments.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#Berlin_mandate)
Biodegradable
Material that can be broken down into simpler substances (elements and compounds) by bacteria or other decomposers. Paper and most organic wastes such as animal manure are biodegradable.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#B)
Biodigestion
See Anaerobic Digestion.
Biofuel
Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#B)
Biodiversity
The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity
(http://www.cbd.int/convention/articles.shtml?a=cbd-02)
Biological Diversity
See Biodiversity
Biomass
Total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each tropic level in a food chain. Also, materials that are biological in origin, including organic material (both living and dead) from above and below ground, for example, trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, roots, and animals and animal waste.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#B)
Biomass Energy
Energy produced by combusting biomass materials such as wood. The carbon dioxide emitted from burning biomass will not increase total atmospheric carbon dioxide if this consumption is done on a sustainable basis (i.e., if in a given period of time, regrowth of biomass takes up as much carbon dioxide as is released from biomass combustion). Biomass energy is often suggested as a replacement for fossil fuel combustion.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#B)
British Thermal Unit
The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree of Fahrenheit at or near 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#B)
Brundtland Commission
See World Commission on Environment and Development.
Building Related Illness (BRI)
The term "building related illness" (BRI) is used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants.
Indicators of BRI include:
- Building occupants complain of symptoms such as cough; chest tightness; fever, chills; and muscle aches
- The symptoms can be clinically defined and have clearly identifiable causes.
- Complainants may require prolonged recovery times after leaving the building.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html)
C
Carbon Dioxide
A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the ambient air. Carbon dioxide is a product of fossil fuel combustion. Although carbon dioxide does not directly impair human health, it is a greenhouse gas that traps terrestrial (i.e., infrared) radiation and contributes to the potential for global warming.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
A metric measure used to compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon dioxide equivalents are commonly expressed as "million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCDE)." The carbon dioxide equivalent for a gas is derived by multiplying the tons of the gas by the associated GWP.
MMTCDE = (million metric tons of a gas) * (GWP of the gas)
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Carbon Equivalent
A metric measure used to compare the emissions of different greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are most commonly expressed as "million metric tons of carbon equivalents" (MMTCE). Global warming potentials are used to convert greenhouse gases to carbon dioxide equivalents - they can be converted to carbon equivalents by multiplying by 12/44 (the ratio of the molecular weight of carbon to carbon dioxide). The formula for carbon equivalents is:
MMTCE = (million metric tons of a gas) * (GWP of the gas) * (12/44)
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Carbon Sequestration
The uptake and storage of carbon. Trees and plants, for example, absorb carbon dioxide, release the oxygen and store the carbon. Fossil fuels were at one time biomass and continue to store the carbon until burned.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Carbon Sink
Carbon reservoirs and conditions that take-in and store more carbon (i.e., carbon sequestration) than they release. Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and oceans are large carbon sinks.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Carrying Capacity
The "maximum population size of a species that an area can support without reducing its ability to support the same species in the future"1 . Biological studies of population change typically demonstrate that once the carrying capacity of an ecosystem is exceeded, a severe crash or collapse of the population follows associated with rapid environmental degradation.2
Source: Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment
(http://www.ilea.org/leaf/richard2002.html)
Climate
The average weather, usually taken over a 30 year time period, for a particular region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather, but rather, it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region. Weather describes the short-term state of the atmosphere. Climatic elements include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail-storms, and other measures of the weather.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Climate Change
A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
Source: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf)
Climate Neutrality
The principle of climate neutrality is based on balancing out the total amount of carbon output.
The concept is simple: Greenhouse gases cause damage globally. Therefore it is irrelevant where emissions are caused or where they are reduced. So unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions in location A can be neutralized by additional protective measures in location B. Emissions caused by air travel are the only ones where this rule does not apply without qualifications.
Almost any activity – using transport, producing goods or using office space – can be organized in a climate-neutral fashion.
Source: 3C - The Carbon Credit Company LLC
(http://www.3c-company.com/en/climate-neutral/climate-neutrality.html)
Climate Variability
Refers to variations in the mean state and other statistics (such as standard deviations, the occurrence of extremes, etc.) of the climate on all temporal and spatial scales beyond that of individual weather events. Variability may be due to natural internal processes within the climate system (internal variability), or to variations in natural or anthropogenic external forcing (external variability).
Source: Climate Change 2001: Working Group I: The Scientific Basis
(http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/518.htm)
Coal
Formed from plant and animal matter that has been subjected to geologic heat and pressure, and transformed over millions of years into hard black solids. Because coal is a readily available resource in the United States, coal power plants provide about half of the nation's electricity. However, coal-fired power plants generally cause more pollution per unit of electricity than any other fuel. Coal is considered a nonrenewable resource because it cannot be replenished on a human time frame.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/coal.html)
Cogeneration
Production of two useful forms of energy such as high-temperature heat and electricity from the same process. For example, while boiling water to generate electricity, the leftover steam can be sold for industrial processes or space heating.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/Glossary.html#C)
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) | 
