The interjection of eco-speak into our vocabulary has happened over a very short period of time. Unless you're a scientist or environmentalist you may be struggling to keep up or perhaps you've opted to just tune it out all together. If you don't care, that's a separate issue. However, if you actually want to be in the loop but just don't have time to dissect all the environmental jargon, these simple definitions will quickly get you up to speed.
Fossil Fuels: Any combustible organic material derived from the remains of plants or animals from millions of years ago, including petroleum, coal, and natural gas. All fossil fuels create carbon dioxide (see below) when burned which is the main cause of air pollution.
Alternative Energy: Alternative sources of energy, such as solar, wind or nuclear power, that can replace or supplement nonrenewable fossil fuel sources. Increased use of alternative energy will significantly reduce air pollution and slow down the greenhouse effect (see below).
Nonrenewable Resource: An energy source or a natural resource that is not replaceable after it has been used.
Petroleum: A naturally occurring liquid fossil fuel, also called crude oil, used to make a wide range of products including plastics, fertilizers and pesticides. It is a nonrenewable resource.
Greenhouse Effect/Greenhouse Gases: The heating of the surface of the planet due to an atmosphere containing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, ozone, fluorocarbons and nitrous oxide, that absorb and emit infrared radiation. Basically, these gases hold in heat by acting like a blanket wrapped around the Earth.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Global Warming: An increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature caused by greenhouse gases resulting in corresponding changes in climate.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions: Burning fossil fuels emits CO2, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and, according to scientists, global warming.
Carbon Footprint: A measure of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by an organization, person, event, product or location.
Carbon Neutral: Living or operating in a way that no carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. This can also be achieved by implementing renewable energy that offsets carbon dioxide emissions.
Greenwashing: Environmentally-friendly claims on products and by companies that are false or unproven.
Sustainable: Capable of being continued with minimal or no long-term effect on the environment.
Biodegradable: Items capable of decaying through the action of living organisms and absorbing into the ecosystem. For example, biodegradable products, such as paper cups, break down quickly and completely thus reducing pollution and landfill mass. In contrast, Styrofoam cups (polystyrene, which is made from petroleum) do not biodegrade, thus they pollute the environment for hundreds of years.
Post-consumer Waste: Garbage that individuals discard. Recycling post-consumer waste into new products (for example, discarded paper into recycled paper) reduces pollution while conserving natural resources and energy that would be required to produce new items from scratch.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Chemical compounds emitted as gases from solids and liquids at room temperature. Some emitters are harmless but many can be toxic, such as paints, cleaning products and furniture.
