|
Click on the alphabets below to find out the meaning of the word you are searching for |
A,
B,
C, D,
E,
F, G,
H,
I, J,
K,
L, M,
N,
O, P,
Q,
R, S,
T,
U, V,
W,
X, Y,
Z
A solution that has a pH less than 7, also a solution having this pH value
Increase in the acidity of a soil or watercourse due to human activity. This phenomenon can modify chemical and biological equilibria and seriously affect ecosystems.
Any kind of precipitation that is acid
A physical characteristic or behavior that allows an organism to adjust to the conditions of a particular environment
The science of producing healthy plants and animals for food and other uses
An expert in agriculture, such as a farmer or rancher
Simple plantlike organisms found in water or on wet surfaces
The imaginary boundary of the southern polar region
The imaginary boundary of the northern polar region
The air in the universe
One of the tiny particles of which all things are made
A statement justifying environmental advantages for which the company alone bears full liability. This statement is not subject to verification by an outside entity.
A solution that has a pH greater than 7; capable of reducing the amount of acid in a substance
Animals, such as clams, and plants, such as kelp, that live on the bottom of the ocean regardless of water depth. Most plants live in shallow water
Able to be broken down into nonharmful substances by the action of living organisms, especially bacteria.
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth measured in terms of the variety within species (genetic diversity), the variety between species and the variety of ecosystems.
An ecosystem that covers a large geographic area where plants of one type live due to the specific climate in the area.
Plastic obtained by means of the polymerization of plant cells.
The living part of the planet consisting of a thin layer that extends from just above to just below the earth's surface. The combined ecosystems of the earth
Living
A forest's second layer, or roof. Consists of a network of branches and leaves, forms a covering that blocks some of the sunlight from lower plants
A gas found in air that is used in photosynthesis and produced by respiration; one of the green house gases
Animals that eat other animals
Plant fiber
Chlorofluorocarbon gases that are released into the atmosphere as air pollutants and that change ozone to oxygen in the ozone layer
A green light-absorbing pigment used in photosynthesis
Corresponds to a preventive approach to environmental protection that is situated upstream rather than downstream. Its prime objective is to prevent the generation of waste and reduce wastage of energy and materials.
An area's weather over an extended period of time
Visible water vapor suspended in the air
Thin, wispy clouds which form at the upper layer of the atmosphere and are composed mostly of ice crystals
A desert with daytime temperatures below freezing for part of the year
Animals that live in colonies.
A large population whose members depend on each other
A relationship in which a guest organism lives on or in a host organism. The guest organism benefits from the relationship, but the host is neither helped nor harmed
A group of different populations
The process by which a gas, such as water vapor, changes to a liquid when cooled; also the water that results from this process
To change from a gas to a liquid as a result of being cooled
A forest containing coniferous plants and existing where winters are very cold, summers are brief, and rainfall is low, such as in the northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, and in the world's mountain regions. Also called a boreal forest, northern coniferous forest, or taiga
A plant, usually an evergreen, whose seeds are produced in cones and that typically has needles instead of leaves
To protect from waste or destruction
Organisms (specifically, animals) that are not able to produce their own food and must eat other organisms.
The practice of planting crops across a hill rather than up and down the hill to prevent soil erosion by water
Live coral is made of polyps. Dead coral is a hard, stony substance made up of the skeletons of polyps
The practice of planting different crops each season so that the soil has time to renew itself
Puffy clouds which mark unstable air and can be found at any level in the atmosphere
Rain clouds which can result in breif or less extended rainfall and thunderstorms
A forest containing deciduous plants and existing where temperatures are mild and rainfall is abundant
A plant that sheds all or nearly all its leaves each year
To rot or decay as a result of being broken down by microorganisms
Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that decompose dead plants and animals;
The stripping away of trees
Dematerialization is the reduction of inputs
(inflows of materials) in the functioning of the economy, or the
transformation of that functioning, into a process less dependent on materials
extracted from Nature.
"Material inputs" is taken to mean water, air, biotic resources (wood, plants,
farm products) and abiotic resources (petroleum, sand, earth, mineral ores,
etc.).
A land area that receives less than 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation a year, that loses more water through evaporation than it gains from precipitation, and that has high summer temperatures
The temperature at which gaseous water condenses into visible water vapor, fog or clouds
To lessen the strength of a material by mixing it with another material, usually water
Air pollutants dropped by prevailing winds
To spread to another location
Displacement of pollution consists of reducing an environmental impact at one stage of the life cycle, only to create or aggravate another problem at another stage of the life cycle and/or another impact. In the end, this is a "pseudo good solution" that displaces problems or gives rise to new ones.
Inactive
The practice of spraying water directly on the base of plants so that less water is needed to help them grow
An extended period of unusually low rainfall
Air pollutants that quickly fall to the ground without combining with moisture
The interaction of living organisms with their environment
A scientist who studies organisms and their environment
The study of living things in their environment
A distinct area that combines biotic communities and the abiotic environments with which they interact
The area where two or more ecosystems merge
To benefit from a product function, one does not have to own the product. The purpose of eco-efficient services is to boost product eco-efficiency by replacing the sale of a physical product by other forms of ownership and use (instead, it can be rented, leased or shared).
Eco-efficiency is a notion designating products or services characterized by a better ratio between a material and its use (less material input per functional unit supplied). The OECD defines eco-efficiency as the efficiency with which ecological resources are used to meet the needs of human beings. Here, it corresponds to the concept of productivity applied to resources.
Any product that has lesser impacts on the environment throughout its life cycle ("from the cradle to the grave") while maintaining the same performance levels during use.
Ecolabels indicate official recognition of a
product's environmental quality (i.e. product usage quality, limited
environmental impacts).
They have two objectives: to make consumers more aware of the environmental
impacts due to products and to promote the manufacture, commercialization and
use of products that have less impact on the environment throughout their life
cycle.
The height above sea level
A forest's upper layer, produced by the tallest trees
In immediate danger of becoming extinct
Confers value to something that has none or no
longer has any, such as waste.
By extension, designates any processing stage that leads to the recovery of
energy (waste-to-energy incineration) or materials (recycling, composting).
Curative action taken downstream on pollution already created, as opposed to upstream prevention or reduction at source.
The natural surroundings of an organism, which include everything, living and nonliving, that affects the organism
Any detrimental or beneficial modification of the environment caused partly or totally by the activities, products or services of a given entity.
A management tool ensuring the systematic,
well-documented, periodic and objective assessment of the results obtained by
an organization, a management system and environmental protection procedures.
It is intended to:
• Facilitate operational control over practices likely to have an impact on
the environment
• Evaluate compliance with environmental policy, and particularly the general
and specific objectives set by the organization.
An organism that has a short life cycle
A plant that grows on another plant in a relation ship of commensalism
The imaginary boundary that divides the earth in half north and south
To spend the summer in a sleeplike condition of partial or total inactivity
The discharge of excess nutrients (such as phosphates) promotes the proliferation of certain types of algae in water. As a result, the oxygen content falls and other animal and plant species are asphyxiated.
To change from a liquid to a gas as a result of being heated
A plant whose needles or leaves remain green throughout the year
The dying out of a species of any living thing; the complete disappearance of a species from the earth, forever.
All the animals in a particular area
To join male sperm with a female egg
Animals that eat plants
A forest's sixth and bottom layer, made up of lichens and mosses growing in the remains of fallen trees, branches, and leaves
All the plants in a particular area
Matter in a gas or liquid state
A series of organisms linked together in the order in which they feed on each other
All of the interlinked food chains in a community or an ecosystem
A biome whose main vegetation consists of large groups of trees that usually grow close enough together that their tops touch, shading the ground
Any deposit of fossil materials, such as petroleum, natural gas, or coal, that can be burned to produce energy
Traces of the remains of prehistoric animals and plants.
Heat energy from within the earth
A biome whose main vegetation is grass or grasslike plants
A structure, usually made of glass or clear plastic, that provides a protected, controlled environment for raising plants indoors
Phenomenon whereby the atmosphere naturally traps the fraction of solar radiation reflected by the surface of the earth. Without this effect, the temperature of the earth would not exceed -18°C (instead of +15°C). The gases responsible for this phenomenon-water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrogen protoxide (N2O)-are only present naturally in the atmosphere in trace concentrations. Therefore, emissions due to human activities are probably the cause of an intensification of the greenhouse effect and of climate change due to global warming.
Atmospheric gases, mostly carbon dioxide and water vapor, that trap the warmth from the sun, just as glass traps warmth in a greenhouse. The principal greenhouse gases are: CO2, CH4, N2O, CFC-11, CFC-12, HCFC-22, HFC-134a, CCl4, CHCl3, CH3CCl3.
Organism living on or in a host; a parasite.
Waste with properties that represent hazards to the environment and to human health (ex.: paints, solvents, drain oil, etc.). This type of waste can be explosive, corrosive, toxic, irritant, flammable, etc. Hazardous waste cannot be stored at facilities used to store other categories of waste and requires special precautions for storage, transport and processing.
The physical place, such as a desert, forest, or single tree, where a plant or animal lives and which is usually described by its physical features; also the natural home of a community.
Metals with a high atomic weight, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt mercury, lead, uranium and zinc. Heavy metals can be toxic for plants and animals at relatively low concentrations, and tend to accumulate in living tissues.
Animals that eat only plants
A forest's fifth layer, found close to the ground and containing plants such as flowers, grasses, ferns, seedling trees, and shrubs
To spend the winter in a sleeplike condition of partial or total inactivity
An organism on or in which a parasite lives and whose support of the parasite often leads to its own injury
A desert with hot daytime temperatures for most of the year
liquid of earth.
To burn to ashes
The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth
A material that does not easily gain or lose energy.
Underwater forests of tall, brown algae that grow in cool coastal waters.
A mixture of rainwater and other liquids that comes from garbage
Consecutive and interrelated stages of a product system, from the acquisition of raw materials or the generation of natural resources to final disposal
Compilation and evaluation of inputs* and
outputs*, as well as the potential environmental impacts due to a system of
products* in the course of its life cycle.
(*) The term "product" is taken in its broadest sense, i.e. designating the
material goods or a service.
The term "input" signifies matter or energy entering an elementary process*.
The term "output" signifies matter or energy exiting an elementary process*.
The term "elementary process" signifies the smallest part of a product system
for which data are collected for life cycle analysis.
A combination of two organisms, fungus and green algae, that live in a relationship of mutualism.
Molten, or melted, rock within the earth
Plants and animals of the ocean
A scientist who studies the weather
Living organisms so small they can only be seen through a microscope
The area of the ocean beneath the twilight zone, extending from 3,000 feet (1,000 m) down to the ocean floor, where only about 1 percent of marine life can survive
To move from one place to another
The smallest part of a substance that has all the characteristics of the substance
A biome of high ground with various types of vegetation depending on the elevation.
Animals, such as fish and whales, that move independently of water currents between the bottom and surface of the ocean
Having a pH of 7 and thus being neither acidic nor basic
The location and role or job for which a species is well suited within its community, including its habitat, what it eats, its activities, and its interaction with other living things
Where leaves grow from a plant stem
Non-inert, non-hazardous waste generated by public- or private-sector activities related to commerce, manual trades, industry or services (including public administrations and public authorities). This mainly refers to non-soiled packaging waste (cardboard boxes, plastic materials, etc.), end-of-life products and equipment (electrical and electronic equipment, automotive components, etc.), manufacturing rejects and remnants (plastics, organic materials, etc... not including any materials considered to be toxic), etc.
The area of the earth above the equator
The region between latitudes 23.5¡N and 66.5¡N.
Energy produced from changes in atomic nuclei
The heavy centers of atoms.
The largest bodies of water on earth
Animals that eat both plants and animals
All living things, including people, plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi
An atmospheric gas made up of two oxygen atoms that is necessary for respiration
The recycling of oxygen-containing gases between plants and animals
A chemically unstable and highly reactive gas (each molecule is composed of three atoms of oxygen versus the usual two) that is generally present at ground-level in cities or in the stratosphere. At ground-level, ozone can be a pulmonary irritant. In the stratospheric ozone layer, this gas plays an important role in protecting the surface of the earth from the ultraviolet(UV) rays of the sun, which are biologically harmful and present a non-negligible risk factor for skin cancer, cataract and the suppression of the immune system in mammals.
The ongoing process by which ozone breaks down and re-forms in the ozone layer
Scattered molecules of ozone gas that collect in the upper atmosphere of the earth in a layer that shields the earth from excessive ultraviolet light.
An organism that lives on or in a host organism and that gets its food from or at the expense of its host
A relationship in which one organism, a parasite, secures its nourishment by living on or inside a host organism at the expense of its host
A layer of permanently frozen soil underground. An important feature of a tundra
The unit of measure for determining whether a solution is acidic, basic, or neutral
The scale, ranging from 0 to 14, used to measure the pH of a solution.
The process by which plants use light energy trapped by chlorophyll to change carbon dioxide and water into food
Plant plankton
Small to microscopic organisms that live near the ocean's surface and are carried along by the currents. Animal plankton are called zooplankton, and plant plankton are called phytoplankton
Substances that destroy the purity of air, water, or land
Deterioration of the environment by chemical, physical or organic substances that the ecosystem cannot (or can no longer) eliminate naturally. Pollution is mainly generated by human activity. As a result, a non-degradable artificial substance is introduced into the environment, or the threshold tolerated by the environment is exceeded.
A tiny, tubelike marine animal of which live coral is made, one end of which is attached to the sea bottom, to rocks, or to one another and the opposite end of which is a mouth surrounded by fingerlike, stinging tentacles
Organisms of the same species living together in a specific area; also the total count of individuals in a specific area, such as the population of a town
Water that returns to the earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow
An animal that hunts and kills other animals for food
Winds that blow consistently from one direction
Organisms (specifically, plants) that can produce their own food.
The productivity of resources is the degree to which material resources are utilized, measured by the utility supplied to economic entities. In this sense, one can also refer to the "efficiency" of resources or "eco-efficiency".
Characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that can be removed from a waste stream (using available processes and programs), then collected, treated and re-used in the form of raw materials or products.
A material that is recovered (for recycling) and put back into use, having been transformed by means of a manufacturing process into a finished product or a component for integration into a product.
Reintroduction of a material into a production cycle, fully or partially replacing a new raw material (example: the manufacture of paper using fibers from scrap paper instead of virgin wood pulp).
Process whereby the weight and/or volume of a product are minimized while maintaining the same technical characteristics and acceptability to the user. This diminishes the environmental impact.
A resource that is likely to be replenished through natural processes (for instance, by the hydrological cycle) or its own regeneration, generally within a time frame that does not exceed a few decades.
Characteristic of goods or packagings developed and designed to accomplish a number of trips, rotations or task-specific uses in the course of their life cycle.
A solid waste disposal area that protects the environment from leachate.
Savannah
A land which is without trees
but with much grass either tall or short (such as the
African
savannah)
Scrub
Plants, such as
small trees and shrubs, that usually have many stems, unlike trees
which have
one main trunk.
The level of the surface of the ocean
Animals that eat first-order consumers
Having a climate that is dry, but not as dry as a desert
A small population that lives and travels together and in some ways depends on each other for its well-being
The wearing away of the soil by wind or water
Energy from the sun
A mixture made by dissolving a substance in a liquid, such as water
The area of the earth below the equator
The region between latitudes 23.5¡S and 66.5¡S
A group of similar and related organisms
Tiny pores on the surface of plant leaves that can open and close to take in and give out water vapor
Clouds which are produced by stable air and looks like an even blanket
Stratus clouds which produce a steady rainfall
A forest's third layer, formed by the leaves and branches of shorter trees under the canopy layer
Plants that have thick, fleshy leaves or stems for storing water
The upper 488 feet (150 m) of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates and where about 90 percent of all marine life live
An organism, such as coral or the Portuguese man-of-war, that appears to be one organism, but in fact is a number of colonial animals joined together
Sustainable development is a form of economic
development that enables the present generation to "satisfy demand today
without undermining the chances of future generations to satisfy demand
tomorrow."
It is based on economic, environmental and social criteria.
Sustainable development was defined in 1987 by the Brundtland Committee (World
Committee on the Environment and Development) in the report entitled "Our
Common Future". This concept gained wide acceptance at the Second Conference
of the United Nations on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, in
June 1992.
Ten years later, the Johannesburg Summit, officially known as the World Summit
on Sustainable Development, was held in South Africa in September 2002. It
aimed to reassert, at the highest political level, world commitment to a
North/South partnership geared towards accelerating the implementation of
sustainable development.
Animals that eat first- and/or second-order consumers
An organism at the top of a food chain
The loss of water into the atmosphere through the stomata of plants
The height on a mountain above which the climate is too cold for trees to grow
A forest that gains more water from precipitation than it loses through evaporation. Located in the tropical zone and having an average temperature between 70¡ and 85¡F (21¡ and 29¡C) and average yearly rainfall of more than 80 inches (200 cm)
The region between latitudes 23.5¡S and 23.5¡N
A treeless biome mainly in the north polar areas that has long frigid winters and brief summers and where grasses, mosses, lichen, low shrubs, and a few flowering plants survive
Universe
The solar system beyond our world
Treated or untreated waste that, under existing technical and economic conditions, cannot be further treated to extract recoverable content or to reduce its polluting or hazardous nature.
Ultraviolet
(UV) light
Said of a product that can be updated to keep up with technological trends or to integrate innovations occurring after it reached the market. Example: the processors and interfaces that can be changed on micro-computers.
Plant life
Rain which fall in the sky but evaporates before it reaches the ground
Carbon compounds, like gasoline or acetone, that vaporize at a relatively low temperature. VOCs can contaminate the air and react with other gases in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight, to form ozone or other photochemical oxidants.
The recycling of water between the earth and the atmosphere
Energy from moving water
The gas state of water
Any plant that grows where it is not wanted
Air pollutants that mix with moisture in the air before falling to the ground
A flowering plant that grows in woods, deserts, or other natural areas
The practice of planting trees and shrubs to protect fields from soil erosion by wind
Energy from moving air.