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| Languages Directory>English>for Specific Purposes>Environmental English Terms,ESL Definitions |
English for Science & Nature Glossary of Terms
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Cairo Plan -
recommendations for
stabilizing world
population agreed upon
at the U.N.
International Conference
on Population and
Development, held in
Cairo in September 1994.
The plan calls for
improved health care and
family planning services
for women, children and
families throughout the
world, and also
emphasizes the
importance of education
for girls as a factor in
the shift to smaller
families.
cancer
- unregulated growth of
changed cells; a group
of changed, growing
cells (tumor).
carbon dioxide
(CO2) - a naturally
occurring
greenhouse gas in
the
atmosphere,
concentrations of which
have increased (from 280
parts per million in
preindustrial times to
over 350 parts per
million today) as a
result of humans'
burning of coal, oil,
natural gas and organic
matter (e.g., wood and
crop wastes).
carbon tax - a
charge on fossil fuels
(coal, oil, natural gas)
based on their carbon
content. When burned,
the carbon in these
fuels becomes carbon
dioxide in the
atmosphere, the
chief
greenhouse gas.
carcinogens -
substances that cause
cancer,
such as tar.
carpooling -
sharing a car to a
destination to reduce
fuel use, pollution and
travel costs.
caucus - a
meeting of a political
party, usually to
appoint representatives
to party positions.
CFC - see
chlorofluorocarbons.
chlorination
byproducts -
cancer-causing chemicals
created when
chlorine used for
water disinfection
combines with dirt and
organic matter in water.
chlorine - a
highly reactive halogen
element, used most often
in the form of a pungent
gas to disinfect
drinking water.
chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) - stable,
artificially-created
chemical compounds
containing carbon,
chlorine, fluorine
and sometimes hydrogen.
Chlorofluorocarbons,
used primarily to
facilitate cooling in
refrigerators and air
conditioners, have been
found to damage the
stratospheric ozone
layer which protects the
earth and its
inhabitants from
excessive ultraviolet
radiation.
clean fuel -
fuels which have lower
emissions than
conventional gasoline
and
diesel. Refers to
alternative fuels as
well as to reformulated
gasoline and diesel.
cleanup -
treatment, remediation,
or destruction of
contaminated material.
clearcutting -
a logging technique in
which all trees are
removed from an area,
typically 20 acres or
larger, with little
regard for long-term
forest health.
climate change
- a regional change in
temperature and weather
patterns. Current
science indicates a
discernible link between
climate change over the
last century and human
activity, specifically
the burning of
fossil fuels.
coastal pelagic
- fish that live in the
open ocean at or near
the water's surface but
remain relatively close
to the coast. Mackerel,
anchovies, and sardines
are examples of coastal
pelagic fish.
commercial
extinction - the
depletion of a
population to the point
where fisherman cannot
catch enough to be
economically worthwhile.
community
right-to-know -
public accessibility to
information about toxic
pollution.
compact
fluorescents -
florescent light bulbs
small enough to fit into
standard light sockets,
which are much more
energy-efficient than
standard incandescent
bulbs.
compost -
process whereby organic
wastes, including food
wastes, paper, and yard
wastes, decompose
naturally, resulting in
a product rich in
minerals and ideal for
gardening and farming as
a soil conditioners,
mulch, resurfacing
material, or
landfill cover.
contamination
- pollution.
contraceptive
- preventing conception
and pregnancy.
creek - a
watercourse smaller
than, and often
tributary to, a river.
critical mass
- the minimum mass of
fissionable material
that will support a
sustaining chain
reaction.
crop dusting -
the application of
pesticides to plants by
a low-flying plane.
cryptosporidium
- a protozoan
(single-celled organism)
that can infect humans,
usually as a result of
exposure to contaminated
drinking water.
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