Global Warming Phrases & Meanings

To get an idea about global warming I thought I should look up phrases and meanings

Global warming

Global warming is the measurement of the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century was caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation. The IPCC also concludes that variations in natural phenomena such as solar radiation and volcanism produced most of the warming from pre-industrial times to 1950 and had a small cooling effect afterward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 40 scientific societies and academies of science.

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would be on average about 33 °C colder than at present. Human activities since the start of the industrial era around 1750 have increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Measurements from Antarctic ice cores show that before industrial emissions started atmospheric CO2 levels were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv), and stayed between 260 and 280 during the preceding ten thousand years. Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have gone from 280 parts per million to 387 parts per million in 2009. Because of the way air is trapped in ice (pores in the ice close off slowly to form bubbles deep within the firn) and the time period represented in each ice sample analyzed, these figures represent averages of atmospheric concentrations of up to a few centuries rather than annual or decadal levels.Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the concentrations of most of the greenhouse gases have increased. Recent data also shows the concentration is increasing at a higher rate. The other greenhouse gases produced from human activity show similar increases in both amount and rate of increase.

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event or product". An individual, nation, or organization's carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a greenhouse gas emissions emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it. The mitigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting.
Carbon offset

A carbon offset is a financial instrument aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases

There are two markets for carbon offsets. In the larger, compliance market, companies, governments, or other entities buy carbon offsets in order to comply with caps on the total amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit. And in the much smaller, voluntary market, individuals, companies, or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. For example, an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel. In 2008, about $705 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market, representing about 123.4 million metric tons of CO2e reductions.[4]

Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. The most common project type is renewable energy, such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects

Offsets may be cheaper or more convenient alternatives to reducing one's own fossil-fuel consumption. However, some critics object to carbon offsets, and question the benefits of certain types of offsets.

Carbon diet

A carbon diet refers to reducing the impact on climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (principally CO2) production. Individuals and businesses produce carbon dioxide from daily activities such as driving, heating, and the consumption of products and services. To reduce the effects of climate change, we could reduce our carbon output by going on a carbon diet.

Key components of a carbon diet - A carbon diet is similar to a food diet. It starts with assessing weight (measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide) and then determining where the ideal weight should be. The following outlines the steps of a carbon diet:

1. Calculate a carbon footprint to understand the amount of carbon dioxide emissions
2. Measure the carbon footprint against peers (e.g., similar company size or for individuals, a national average)
3. Determine the ideal carbon footprint
4. Identify the source of the most significant carbon dioxide emissions
5. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by starting with the most significant sources first