Glossary for Environment : ENVIS Center on Role of Panchayat in Environmental Management

Glossary For Environment

Acid rain - the precipitation of dilute solutions of strong mineral acids, formed by the mixing in the atmosphere of various industrial pollutants -- primarily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides -- with naturally occurring oxygen and water vapor.
Act - in the legislative sense, a bill or measure passed by both houses of congress; a law.
Aerosol - a suspension of small liquid or solid particles in gas.
Air pollution - toxic or radioactive gases or particulate matter introduced into the atmosphere, usually as a result of human activity.
Alternative energy - energy that is not popularly used and is usually environmentally sound, such as solar or wind energy (as opposed to fossil fuels).
Alternative fuels - transportation fuels other than gasoline or diesel. Includes natural gas, methanol, and electricity.
Alternative transportation - modes of travel other than private cars, such as walking, bicycling, rollerblading, carpooling and transit.
Amendment - a change or addition to an existing law or rule.
Aquifer - underground source of water.
Ash - incombustible residue left over after incineration or other thermal processes.
Atmosphere - the 500 km thick layer of air surrounding the earth which supports the existence of all flora and fauna.
Atomic energy - energy released in nuclear reactions. When a neutron splits an atom's nucleus into smaller pieces it is called fission. When two nuclei are joined together under millions of degrees of heat it is called fusion.
Bill - a proposed law, to be debated and voted on.
Billfish - pelagic fish with long, spear-like protrusions at their snouts, such as swordfish and marlin.
Biodegradable - waste material composed primarily of naturally-occurring constituent parts, able to be broken down and absorbed into the ecosystem. Wood, for example, is biodegradable, for example, while plastics are not.
Biodiversity - a large number and wide range of species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Ecologically, wide biodiversity is conducive to the development of all species.
Biomass - (1) the amount of living matter in an area, including plants, large animals and insects; (2) plant materials and animal waste used as fuel.
Biosphere - (1) the part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life; (2) the living organisms and their environment composing the biosphere.
Biosphere reserve - a part of an international network of preserved areas designated by the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco). Biosphere reserves are vital centers of biodiversity where research and monitoring activities are conducted, with the participation of local communities, to protect and preserve healthy natural systems threatened by development. The global system currently includes 324 reserves in 83 countries.
Biotic - of or relating to life.
Birth control - preventing birth or reducing frequency of birth, primarily by preventing conception.
Birth defects - unhealthy defects found in newborns, often caused by the mother's exposure to environmental hazards or the intake of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.

Birth rate - the number of babies born annually per 1,000 women of reproductive age in any given set of people.
Brownfields - abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
Bycatch - fish and/or other marine life that are incidentally caught with the targeted species. Most of the time bycatch is discarded at sea.
Cancer - unregulated growth of changed cells; a group of changed, growing cells (tumor).
Carbon dioxide (co2) - a naturally occurring greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, concentrations of which have increased (from 280 parts per million in preindustrial times to over 350 parts per million today) as a result of humans' burning of coal, oil, natural gas and organic matter (e.g., wood and crop wastes).
Carbon tax - a charge on fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) based on their carbon content. When burned, the carbon in these fuels becomes carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the chief greenhouse gas.
Carcinogens - substances that cause cancer, such as tar.
Carpooling - sharing a car to a destination to reduce fuel use, pollution and travel costs.
Caucus - a meeting of a political party, usually to appoint representatives to party positions.
Cfc - chlorofluorocarbons.
Chlorine - a highly reactive halogen element, used most often in the form of a pungent gas to disinfect drinking water.
Chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs) - stable, artificially-created chemical compounds containing carbon, chlorine, fluorine and sometimes hydrogen. Chlorofluorocarbons, used primarily to facilitate cooling in refrigerators and air conditioners, have been found to damage the stratospheric ozone layer which protects the earth and its inhabitants from excessive ultraviolet radiation..
Clean fuel - fuels which have lower emissions than conventional gasoline and diesel. Refers to alternative fuels as well as to reformulated gasoline and diesel.
Cleanup - treatment, remediation, or destruction of contaminated material.
Climate change - a regional change in temperature and weather patterns. Current science indicates a discernible link between climate change over the last century and human activity, specifically the burning of fossil fuels.
Commercial extinction - the depletion of a population to the point where fisherman cannot catch enough to be economically worthwhile.
Community right-to-know - public accessibility to information about toxic pollution.
Compact fluorescents - florescent light bulbs small enough to fit into standard light sockets, which are much more energy-efficient than standard incandescent bulbs.
Compost - process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper, and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioners, mulch, resurfacing material, or landfill cover.
Congressional record - a document published by the government printing office recording all debates, votes and discussions taking place in the congress; available for free inspection at all government document repositories, as well as in some major libraries.
Contamination - pollution.
Creek - a watercourse smaller than, and often tributary to, a river.
Critical mass - the minimum mass of fissionable material that will support a sustaining chain reaction.
Cryptosporidium - a protozoan (single-celled organism) that can infect humans, usually as a result of exposure to contaminated drinking water.
Demand side management (dsm) - an attempt by utilities to reduce customers' demand for electricity or energy by encouraging efficiency.
Development - (1) a developed tract of land (with houses or structures); (2) the act, process or result of developing.
Diesel - a petroleum-based fuel which is burned in engines ignited by compression rather than spark; commonly used for heavy duty engines including buses and trucks.
Diesel engine - an internal combustion engine that uses diesel as fuel, producing harmful fumes.
Dioxin - a man-made chemical by-product formed during the manufacturing of other chemicals and during incineration. Studies show that dioxin is the most potent animal carcinogen ever tested, as well as the cause of severe weight loss, liver problems, kidney problems, birth defects, and death.
Dump sites - waste disposal grounds.
Ecologist - a scientist concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environment.
Ecology - a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environment.
Ecosystem - an interconnected and symbiotic grouping of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms.
Edge cities - cities bounded by water, usually with eroding or polluted waterfront areas.
Electric vehicles - vehicles which use electricity (usually derived from batteries recharged from electrical outlets) as their power source.
Emissions cap - a limit on the amount of greenhouse gases that a company or country can legally emit.
Endangered species - species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range.
Energy conservation - using energy efficiently or prudently; saving energy.
Energy efficiency - technologies and measures that reduce the amount of electricity and/or fuel required to do the same work, such as powering homes, offices and industries.
Estuary - a bay or inlet, often at the mouth of a river, in which large quantities of freshwater and seawater mix together. These unique habitats are necessary nursery grounds for many marine fishes and shellfishes.
Eugenics - the study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding.
Factory farming - large-scale, industrialized agriculture.
Fauna - the total animal population that inhabits an area.
Federal land - land owned and administered by the federal government, including national parks and national forests.
Feedlots - a plot of ground used to feed farm animals.
Fertility - the ability to reproduce; in humans, the ability to bear children.
Fisheries - an established area where fish species are cultivated and caught.
Fissile material - material fissionable by slow neutrons. The fission process and the fissile isotopes are the source of energy in nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors.
Fission - the process whereby the nucleus of a particular heavy element splits into (generally) two nuclei of lighter elements, with the release of substantial amounts of energy
Flora - the total vegetation assemblage that inhabits an area.
Forest certification - a process of labeling wood that has been harvested from a well-managed forest.
Forests - lands on which trees are the principal plant life, usually conducive to wide biodiversity.
Fossil fuel - a fuel, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, produced by the decomposition of ancient (fossilized) plants and animals; compare to alternative energy.
Gas - natural gas, used as fuel.
Gasoline - petroleum fuel, used to power cars, trucks, lawn mowers, etc.
Geothermal - literally, heat from the earth; energy obtained from the hot areas under the surface of the earth.
Global warming - increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface.
Grassroots - local or person-to-person. A typical grassroots effort might include a door-to-door education and survey campaign.
Grazing - the use of grasses and other plants to feed wild or domestic herbivores such as deer, sheep and cows.
Green design - a design, usually architectural, conforming to environmentally sound principles of building, material and energy use. A green building, for example, might make use of solar panels, skylights, and recycled building materials.
Greenhouse - a building made with translucent (light transparent, usually glass or fiberglass) walls conducive to plant growth.
Greenhouse effect - the process that raises the temperature of air in the lower atmosphere due to heat trapped by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone.
Greenhouse gas - a gas involved in the greenhouse effect.
Greenway - undeveloped land usually in cities, set aside or used for recreation or conservation.
Groundfish - a general term referring to fish that live on or near the sea floor. Groundfish are also called bottom fish or demersal fish.
Groundwater - water below the earth's surface; the source of water for wells and springs.
Growth overfishing - the process of catching fish before they are fully grown resulting in a decrease in the average size of the fish population.
Habitat - (1) the natural home of an animal or plant; (2) the sum of the environmental conditions that determine the existence of a community in a specific place.
Harpooning - a surface method of fishing that requires considerable effort in locating and chasing individual fish. Harpoons are hand-held or fired from a harpoon gun and aimed at high-value fish, such as giant tuna and swordfish.
Haze - an atmospheric condition marked by a slight reduction in atmospheric visibility, resulting from the formation of photochemical smog, radiation of heat from the ground surface on hot days, or the development of a thin mist.
Household hazards - dangerous substances or conditions in human dwellings.
Hydroelectric - relating to electric energy produced by moving water.
Hydrofluorocarbons - used as solvents and cleaners in the semiconductor industry, among others; experts say that they possess global warming potentials that are thousands of times greater than co2.
Hydropower - energy or power produced by moving water..
Icpd - international conference on population and development.
Incinerators - disposal systems that burn solid waste or other materials and reduce volume of waste. Air pollution and toxic ash are problems associated with incineration.
Industrialized countries - nations whose economies are based on industrial production and the conversion of raw materials into products and services, mainly with the use of machinery and artificial energy (fossil fuels and nuclear fission); generally located in the northern and western hemispheres (e.g., u.s., japan, the countries of europe).
Insecticides - substances used to kill insects and prevent infestation.
Lakes - substantial inland bodies of standing water.
- disposal area where garbage is piled up and eventually covered with dirt and topsoil.
Landings - the amount of fish brought back to the docks and marketed. Landings can describe the kept catch of one vessel, of an entire fishery, or of several fisheries combined.
Land use - the way in which land is used, especially in farming and city planning.
- an act or bill which has become part of the legal code through passage by congress and approval by the president (or via congressional override).
Lead - a naturally-occurring heavy, soft metallic element; human exposure can cause brain and nervous system damage, especially in children.
Lead poisoning - damaging the body (specifically the brain) by absorbing lead through the skin or by swallowing.
Life cycle assessment - methodology developed to assess a product's full environmental costs, from raw material to final disposal.
Light pollution - environmental pollution consisting of harmful or annoying light.
Litter - waste material which is discarded on the ground or otherwise disposed of improperly or thoughtlessly.
Logging - cutting down trees for commodity use.
Longlines - fishing lines stretching for dozens of miles and baited with hundreds of hooks. Longlines are indiscriminate and unintentionally catch and kill immature fish along with a wide variety of other animals in the atlantic including tunas, sharks, marlins, sailfish, sea turtles and occasionally pilot whales and dolphins.
Low-emission vehicles - vehicles which emit little air pollution compared to conventional internal combustion engines.
Mammal - an animal that feeds its young with milk secreted from mammary glands and has hair on its skin.
Managed growth - growth or expansion that is controlled so as not to be harmful.
Marine mammal - a mammal that lives in the ocean, such as a whale.
Marsh - wetland, swamp, or bog.
Megalopolis - a large city expanding so fast that city government cannot adjust to provide services (such as garbage disposal).
Mining - the removal of minerals (like coal , gold, or silver) from the ground.
Mulch - leaves, straw or compost used to cover growing plants to protect them from the wind or cold.
National recreation areas - areas of federal land that have been set aside by congress for recreational use by members of the public.
Nitrogen oxides - harmful gases (which contribute to acid rain and global warming) emitted as a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion.
Noise pollution - environmental pollution made up of harmful or annoying noise.
Nuclear energy - energy or power produced by nuclear reactions (fusion or fission).
Nuclear power - see nuclear energy.
Nuclear reactor - an apparatus in which nuclear fission may be initiated, maintained, and controlled to produce energy, conduct research, or produce fissile material for nuclear explosives.
Nuclear tests - government tests carried out to supply information required for the design and improvement of nuclear weapons, and to study the phenomena and effects associated with nuclear explosions.
Oceanography - the study of the ocean and ocean life.
Oil - a black, sticky substance used to produce fuel (petroleum) and materials (plastics).
Oil spills - the harmful release of oil into the environment, usually in the water, sometimes killing area flora and fauna. Oil spills are very difficult to clean up.
Omnibus spending bill - a bill combining the appropriations for several federal agencies.
Over-development - expansion or development of land to the point of damage.
Over-fishing - fishing beyond the capacity of a population to replace itself through natural reproduction.
Over-grazing - grazing livestock to the point of damage to the land.
Ozone - a naturally occurring, highly reactive gas comprising triatomic oxygen formed by recombination of oxygen in the presence of ultraviolet radiation. This naturally occurring gas builds up in the lower atmosphere as smog pollution, while in the upper atmosphere it forms a protective layer which shields the earth and its inhabitants from excessive exposure to damaging ultraviolet radiation.
Ozone depletion - the reduction of the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere by chemical pollution.
Ozone hole - a hole or gap in the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere
Paper - thin sheet of material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, but also from rags and certain grasses, and processed into flexible leaves or rolls. Used primarily for writing, printing, drawing, wrapping, and covering walls.
Paper mills - mills (factories) that produce paper from wood pulp.
Paper products - materials such as paper and cardboard, produced from trees.
Particulate - of or relating to minute discrete particles; a particulate substance.
Particulate pollution - pollution made up of small liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere or water supply.
Passive solar - using or capturing solar energy (usually to heat water) without any external power.
Pelagic species - fish that live at or near the water's surface. Examples of large pelagic species include swordfish, tuna, and many species of sharks. Small pelagics include anchovies and sardines.
Pesticides - chemical agents used to destroy pests.
Plastics - durable and flexible synthetic-based products, some of which are difficult to recycle and pose problems with toxic properties, especially pvc plastic.
Plutonium - a heavy, radioactive, man-made, metallic element (atomic number 94) used in the production of nuclear energy and the explosion of nuclear weapons; its most important isotope is fissile plutonium-239, produced by neutron irradiation of uranium-238.
Pm10 - particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter.
Poison runoff - see polluted runoff.
Poison - a chemical that adversely affects health by causing injury, illness, or death.
Polluted runoff - precipitation that captures pollution from agricultural lands, urban streets, parking lots and suburban lawns, and transports it to rivers, lakes or oceans.
Pollution prevention - techniques that eliminate waste prior to treatment, such as by changing ingredients in a chemical reaction.
Population - (1) the whole number of inhabitants in a country, region or area; (2) a set of individuals having a quality or characteristic in common.
Post consumer waste - waste collected after the consumer has used and disposed of it (e.g., the wrapper from an eaten candy bar).
Power plants - facilities (plants) that produce energy.
Public health - the health or physical well-being of a whole community.
Public land - land owned in common by all, represented by the government (town, county, state, or federal).
Public transportation - various forms of shared-ride services, including buses, vans, trolleys, and subways, which are intended for conveying the public.
Pulp - raw material made from trees used in producing paper products.
Radioactive - of or characterized by radioactivity.
Radioactive waste - the byproduct of nuclear reactions that gives off (usually harmful) radiation.
Radioactivity - the spontaneous emission of matter or energy from the nucleus of an unstable atom (the emitted matter or energy is usually in the form of alpha or beta particles, gamma rays, or neutrons).
Radon - a cancer-causing radioactive gas found in many communities' ground water.
Rainforest - a large, dense forest in a hot, humid region (tropical or subtropical). Rainforests have an abundance of diverse plant and animal life, much of which is still uncatalogued by the scientific community.
Recycling - system of collecting, sorting, and reprocessing old material into usable raw materials.
Reduce - act of purchasing or consuming less to begin with, so as not to have to reuse or recycle later.
Refrigerants - cooling substances, many of which contain cfcs and are harmful to the earth's ozone layer.
Renewable energy - energy resources such as windpower or solar energy that can keep producing indefinitely without being depleted.
Reservoir - an artificial lake created and used for the storage of water.
Reuse - cleaning and/or refurbishing an old product to be used again.
Riparian - located alongside a watercourse, typically a river.
Risk assessment - methods used to quantify risks to human health and the environment.
Run-off - precipitation that the ground does not absorb and that ultimately reaches rivers, lakes or oceans.
Salvage logging - the logging of dead or diseased trees in order to improve overall forest health; used by timber companies as a rationalization to log otherwise protected areas.
Second-growth forests - forests that have grown back after being logged.
Sick building syndrome - a human health condition where infections linger, caused by exposure to contaminants within a building as a result of poor ventilation.
Sip (state implementation plan) - mandate for achieving health-based air quality standards.
Smog - a dense, discolored radiation fog containing large quanities of soot, ash, and gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, responsible for human respiratory ailments. Most industrialized nations have implemented legislation to promote the use of smokeless fuel and reduce emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Solar energy - energy derived from sunlight.
Solid waste - non-liquid, non gaseous category of waste from non-toxic household and commercial sources.
Soot - a fine, sticky powder, comprised mostly of carbon, formed by the burning of fossil fuels.
Straddling stocks - fish populations that straddle a boundary between domestic and international waters.
Stratosphere - the upper portion of the atmosphere (approximately 11 km to 50 km above the surface of the earth).
Strip mining - mining technique in which the land and vegetation covering the mineral being sought are stripped away by huge machines, usually damaging the land severely and limiting subsequent uses.
Sulfur dioxide (so2) - a heavy, smelly gas which can be condensed into a clear liquid; used to make sulfuric acid, bleaching agents, preservatives and refrigerants; a major source of air pollution in industrial areas.
Surface water - water located above ground (e.g., rivers, lakes).
Sustainable communities - communities capable of maintaining their present levels of growth without damaging effects.
Tap water - drinking water monitored (and often filtered) for protection against contamination and available for public consumption from sources within the home.
Thermonuclear - the application of high heat, obtained via a fission explosion, to bring about fusion of light nuclei.
Threatened species - species of flora or fauna likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.
Timber - logged wood sold as a commodity.
Toxic - poisonous.
Toxic emissions - poisonous chemicals discharged to air, water, or land.
Toxic sites - land contaminated with toxic pollution, usually unsuitable for human habitation.
Toxic waste - garbage or waste that can injure, poison, or harm living things, and is sometimes life-threatening.
Toxification - poisoning.
Traffic calming - designing streets to reduce automobile speed and to enhance walking and bicycling.
Transportation - any means of conveying goods and people.
Transportation planning - systems to improve the efficiency of the transportation system in order to enhance human access to goods and services.
Trash - waste material that cannot be recycled and reused (synonymous with garbage).
Trawls - nets with a wide mouth tapering to a small, pointed end, usually called the "cod end." trawls are towed behind a vessel at any depth in the water column.
Trip reduction - reducing the total numbers of vehicle trips, by sharing rides or consolidating trips with diverse goals into fewer trips.
Trolling - a method of fishing using several lines, each hooked and baited, which are slowly dragged behind the vessel.
Urban planning - the science of managing and directing city growth.
Uranium - a heavy, radioactive metal (atomic number 92) used in the explosion of nuclear weapons (especially one isotope, u-235).
Urban parks - parks in cities and areas of high population concentration.
Utilities - companies (usually power distributors) permitted by a government agency to provide important public services (such as energy or water) to a region; as utilities are provided with a local monopoly, their prices are regulated by the permitting government agency.
Virgin forest - a forest never logged.
Warhead - the part of a missile which contains the nuclear explosive.
Waste - garbage, trash.
Waste site - dumping ground.
Waste stream - overall waste disposal cycle for a given population.
Waterborne contaminants - unhealthy chemicals, microorganisms (like bacteria) or radiation, found in tap water.
Water filters - substances (such as charcoal) or fine membrane structures used to remove impurities from water.
Water quality - the level of purity of water; the safety or purity of drinking water.
Water quality testing - monitoring water for various contaminants to make sure it is safe for fish protection, drinking, and swimming.
Watershed - a region or area over which water flows into a particular lake, reservoir, stream, or river.
Well - a dug or drilled hole used to get water from the earth.
Wetland - land (marshes or swamps) saturated with water constantly or recurrently; conducive to wide biodiversity.
Wilderness - land remaining in basically wild (i.e., undisturbed) condition, with few if any traces of human activities.
Wildlife - animals living in the wilderness without human intervention.
Wildlife refuges - land set aside to protect certain species of fish or wildlife (administered at the federal level in the u.s. by the fish and wildlife service).
Windpower - power or energy derived from the wind (via windmills, sails, etc.).
Zero emission vehicles - vehicles (usually powered by electricity) with no direct emissions from tailpipes or fuel evaporation.
Zoning - the arrangement or partitioning of land areas for various types of usage in cities, boroughs or townships.