The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security Glossary

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

The way people and animals change as a result of their environment such as building sea walls, or moving away from danger areas.

Question 2

Carbon capture and storage

Answer 2

The process of trapping carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and storing it so its is unable to affect the atmosphere

Question 3

Carbon fixation

Answer 3

The incorporation of carbon into organic compounds by living organisms, chiefly by photosynthesis in green plants.

Question 4

Carbon neutral

Answer 4

A process or activity that results in no net release of carbon into the atmosphere.

Question 5

Carbon pathway

Answer 5

The steps involved in moving carbon to a store where it is fixed.

Question 6

Carbon pool

Answer 6

A system that has the capacity to store or release carbon (of which there are five)

Question 7

Carbon sink

Answer 7

A carbon reservoir that takes in and stores (sequesters) more carbon than it releases. Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and oceans are both large carbon sinks.

Question 8

Climate belt

Answer 8

Often called a climate zone, this refers to the climates of specific areas of the world roughly delineated by lines of latitude.

Question 9

COP Conferences

Answer 9

A conference held by the decision making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Question 10

Energy pathway

Answer 10

The route by which an energy type is transferred from the production area to the consumption area e.g. an oil pipeline.

Question 11

Energy security

Answer 11

A situation where there is secure and affordable supply of energy to meet the needs of consumers.

Question 12

Energy transition

Answer 12

The long-term structural change in energy resources, such as fuelwood to coal.

Question 13

Flux

Answer 13

The rate of exchange between reservoirs.

Question 14

Fracking

Answer 14

Drilling into bedrock, usually sedimentary, which contains methane in small air pockets. Firing a high pressure mixture of water, chemicals and sand to break down the rock and release the gas.

Question 15

Koppen-Geiger climate zone classification system

Answer 15

A widely used system through which climate is categorised.

Question 16

LNG

Answer 16

Liquefied natural gas: methane that has been cooled until it becomes a liquid. (this has a higher ‘carbon footprint’ than normal methane)

Question 17

Longwave radiation

Answer 17

Radiation returning from the earth in the form of infrared radiation or heat

Question 18

Mitigation

Answer 18

Where people try to stop the root cause of an issue and thereby reduce the changes of the impacts, e.g. switching to renewable energies to reduce climate change.

Question 19

Ocean acidification

Answer 19

The reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide.

Question 20

Peak production

Answer 20

A date where maximum production has been reached, beyond which production rates will diminish.

Question 21

Pollution havens

Answer 21

A hypothesis based on the reasoning that developed countries often move their heavy polluting industries to the cheapest locations, generally in developing or emerging countries due to low costs and low environmental regulations.

Question 22

Sequestration

Answer 22

Processes by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored for a long period of time.

Question 23

Shortwave radiation

Answer 23

Solar radiation from the sun in the form of visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

Question 24

Stern review

Answer 24

An influential report that set out to examine the economic impacts of climate change.

Question 25

Thermohaline circulation

Answer 25

The flow of ocean water caused by changes in density.