Vocabulary word
Definition
Explain
Carbon Dioxide
Greenhouse gas
Emissions
Weather
Climate
Global Warming
Climate change
Fossil fuels
Sea level rise
Global Average Temperature
Renewable Energy
COP
INDC
PPM
Pre-Industrial levels of CO2
Methane
Mitigation
Carbon Dioxide: A colorless, odorless gas in the Earth's atmosphere that is produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Greenhouse gas: Any gas in the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Emissions: The release of gases or substances into the atmosphere, especially those that cause pollution or contribute to global warming.
Weather: The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Climate: The general weather conditions typically found in a particular place, averaged over a long period of time.
Global Warming: A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere primarily caused by the release of greenhouse gases.
Climate change: Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions that occur over decades or longer periods of time.
Fossil fuels: Coal, oil, and natural gas that are formed from the decayed remains of plants and animals over millions of years and are used as sources of energy.
Sea level rise: The increase in the level of the world's oceans due to the melting of ice caps and glaciers and the thermal expansion of seawater.
Global Average Temperature: The average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere over a specific time period, usually measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Renewable Energy: Energy sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and water, and do not produce greenhouse gas emissions.
COP: Conference of the Parties, an international meeting where countries that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change gather to discuss and negotiate actions to tackle climate change.
INDC: Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, the climate action plans that countries submit to the United Nations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
PPM: Parts per million, a unit of measurement used to describe the concentration of a gas or substance in the atmosphere.
Pre-Industrial levels of CO2: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution, estimated to be around 280 parts per million.
Methane: A colorless, odorless gas that is a greenhouse gas and is produced by natural processes like wetlands, as well as human activities like agriculture and fossil fuel production.
Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce or prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in order to lessen the impacts of climate change.