AMSCO 9.3

Air Quality:

a measure of the pollutants in the air that is used to express how clean or polluted the air is

Paris Agreement:

an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020.

Kyoto Protocol:

controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries

Water Scarcity:

not having access to enough clean water supplies

Anthropocene:

the modern geological era during which humans have dramatically affected the environment

Carbon Footprint:

the total carbon dioxide emissions produced by an individual, group, or location

Renewable Energy:

A resource that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by humans.

Global Warming:

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)

Fossil Fuels:

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Desertification:

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

Greenhouse Gases:

Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.

Green Belt Movement:

Kenyan movement focusing on preventing further deforestation.

Deforestation:

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.