ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND
Environmental terms defined and explored.
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Precautionary Principle
The standard definition, according to the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), is: “Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack …
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The Myth of Natural Gas and Other Fossil Fuels: We think we need them but we really don’t, and recent studies dispel the myth
A recent report from the United States shows that New York State can produce all its energy needs from renewable sources without any natural …
PAST 1 Apr 2013Biocidal Products
Biocidal products, often called biocides, are used to control harmful organisms, and are found in such products as disinfectants, preservatives, rodenticides, insecticides anti-fouling products, …
1 Feb 2012Biodiversity
In its simplest meaning, “biodiversity” is a shortened form of the phrase “biological diversity.” Biodiversity means the diversity of life in all its forms …
4 Jan 2010Cap and Trade
The term refers to ways of trying to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by controlling how much GHGs are emitted from major sources
1 Oct 2012Carbon Capture And Storage
The term “carbon capture and storage,” or CCS, refers to the process by which carbon dioxide (CO2) gases are separated from other material in …
1 Sep 2010Climate Computer Modeling
Using computer models to estimate future global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions
30 Nov 2012Common Fisheries Policy (Eu)
The European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the way the EU manages fisheries and aquaculture throughout the EU. At the beginning of the …
1 Mar 2010Disaster Risk Reduction
The concept, disaster risk reduction (DRR), is a modern form of emergency relief.
In the past when a disaster struck, and we’re talking generally about …
Distributive Justice
The term from philosophy and politics is somewhat abstract, relying on two Latinate words, but it encompasses a simple idea: to each her or …
24 Jan 2012Ecosystems
The term is most often used in speaking of biodiversity or nature. A simple and effective definition is, “A community of organisms that depend …
3 Jan 2011Enteric Fermentation
The term is a bit abstract and Latinate which is ironic in light of what it represents — the gas that comes from cows, …
3 Oct 2011Eutrophication
When a lake or surface water body or groundwater gets too many nutrients added to it, then certain organisms in the water grow rapidly …
1 Mar 2011Feed-In Tariff
The term refers to a scheme through which people who generate electricity from renewable sources, e.g., solar or wind, are guaranteed a price for …
1 Jun 2011Geoengineering
Climate change risks can be addressed by individual action, by community initiatives, and by national and international policies and agreements. Another weapon in the …
1 Dec 2009Ghost Estates
The term refers to empty, usually abandoned, homes in developments in Ireland that remain unfinished …
30 May 2012Global Warming Potential
Global climate change results from the emissions into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide …
1 Dec 2011Grass-Fed Farming
Grass-fed farming contrasts with farming that relies on grain-feed or chemical-based feedstock as the prime, often only, source of food for cows or other animals.
1 Feb 2013Green Infrastructure
There is no standard understanding of Green Infrastructure (GI), but there are a number of common strands. GI refers to natural, semi-natural and managed …
2 Nov 2009Green New Deal
The term “Green New Deal” is derived from the term “New Deal” coined by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who became President of …
2 Nov 2009Green Public Procurement
The European Union Commission states that “Green public procurement means that public purchasers take account of environmental factors when buying products, services or works”. …
1 Feb 2010Greenwashing
Greenwashing is a play on the term “whitewash” which means to “gloss over or cover up, or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory …
1 Dec 2009Habitats
A habitat refers to the physical dimensions of an environment or place or site that serves as home for an organism or community of …
1 Jul 2011Hydraulic Fracturing
Using pressurized fluids to crack rocks to extract natural fossil fuels is called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process is used to extract oil …
4 Aug 2010Indirect Land Use Change
Grass-fed farming contrasts with farming that relies on grain-feed or chemical-based feedstock as the prime, often only, source of food for cows or other animals.
1 Mar 2013Landscape Character Assessment
Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying the features that give a locality its particular ‘sense of place’ and can be used …
1 Apr 2010Life Cycle Assessment
The term “life cycle assessment” (LCA) refers to a way of measuring the environmental impact of the production of things and services. It allows …
1 Dec 2010Mechanical Biological Treatment
The term, abbreviated as MBT, refers to a process for handling waste that serves as an alternative to landfilling or incineration, or a process …
4 Oct 2010Methane
Methane (CH4) is the principal component of natural gas, a significant source of energy for heating buildings or producing electricity. It also has its …
1 Nov 2011Natural Wealth Accounts
The term is used in the field of biodiversity to refer to the economic value of all biodiversity services and assets in a particular …
16 Nov 2010One-Off Housing
The term sounds innocuous enough but it can raise strong emotions. In Ireland, it most often refers to the practice of building single homes, …
28 Jun 2010Particulate Matter
“Particulate matter,” or PM, can refer to matter found in sea spray and dust but it is most often used to refer to the …
21 Sep 2009Planetary Boundaries
Ways of talking about how to identify and measure limits to our natural resouces
4 Nov 2012Polluter Pays Principle
This principle holds that if you pollute the environment, you should be held to account, i.e., you should be made to pay for the costs associated with that pollution
31 Jul 2012Precautionary Principle
The standard definition, according to the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), is: “Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack …
1 May 2013Radiation
In its simplest terms, radiation is defined as the emission and propagation of energy in the form of rays or waves. There are two …
1 Apr 2011Rainwater Harvesting
The term encompasses a variety of systems and facilities for collecting and storing rainwater for use in homes or businesses. Perhaps the simplest form …
1 Feb 2011Renewable Energy
Renewable energy refers to those sources for generating energy that naturally renew, or replenish, themselves after being used to produce energy. For example, wind …
1 Aug 2011Risk Assessment
The meaning of “risk assessment” can be elusive as many people and professions use the term in different ways and for different purposes. So …
5 May 2010Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
“short-lived climate pollutants” include methane, black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons and they contribute to warmer climates and air pollution
1 Jan 2013Smart Growth
The concept is another term that encompasses many of the same principles as “sustainable development.” While “sustainable development” grew out of a concern for …
16 Jan 2010Smart Metering
You are familiar with electric meters located outside your house or apartment that measures the amount of electricity you use, measured in kilowatts per …
2 Jun 2010Sustainable Development
The concept of a “sustainable development” arose in the early 1980s, following a decade of activism in support of environmental protection. It was generally …
21 Mar 2009Sustainable Intensification
The term is used to mean simultaneously raising productivity, increasing resource use efficiency, and reducing environmental impacts in agriculture.
1 Sep 2012Tar Sands
The term refers to a form of sandstone which contains sand, clay and water and is saturated with a dense viscous form of petroleum …
1 Mar 2012Tipping Point
The term “tipping point” is used in a number of disciplines with the same basic meaning but slight variations. Generally it means a turning …
1 Apr 2013Tobacco Strategy
As originally used, the term refers to a political campaign by the tobacco industry to undermine attempts by government to regulate the sale or …
1 Apr 2012Unconventional Gas
“unconventional gas” is that gas found in low permeability rock or sand formations that do not allow for free movement of the gas.
2 Jul 2012Urban Sprawl
The negative connotations of the term derive from the word, “sprawl,” which means to spread out in an ungainly or untidy, disorganized way. It …
21 Sep 2009Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)
Computers, MP3 players, cell phones, TVs, blackberries, video games: they all end up as waste, sooner or later. The issue of how they end …
21 Sep 2009Water Framework Directive
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a water management program based on river basins as the natural geographical and hydrological units for such management. …
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