In spite of the fact that climate change is taking a back burner to unemployment, the financial crisis, and the global recession (*cough* depression *cough*), there’s still an awful lot going on right now in the world of climate change policy. Indeed, we should be looking for a House climate change bill by the end of this week.
It can be easy to get lost in the sea of technical jargon accompanying any detailed discussion on climate change. While they are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, knowing these ten climate change terms will help you to understand what everyone is carrying on about.
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
Naturally occurring compounds in the Earth’s atmosphere that allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere. When sunlight is reflected off the Earth’s surface, these gases trap the heat in the atmosphere. Six GHGs – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – will be classified as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
CO2
Of the greenhouse gases, CO2 is receiving the most press these days. Our cars and factories breathe it out. Plants breathe it in. The problem is that these days, we have more cars and factories and fewer plants. There is some debate if other GHGs will be addressed in climate change legislation. There is no debate about CO2.
Tipping Point
“The levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.” In climate change terms, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 at which some scientists argue there will be no chance of preventing negative consequences of climate change. Some refer to it as a scenario of “irreparable change” – for example, the loss of polar ice sheets that might never be regained. There is still debate about whether a tipping point exists and, if so, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere at which this would occur. However, some scientists are concerned that we are approaching the tipping point more quickly than originally predicted.
Mitigation
The process by which human beings attempt to prevent or reduce climate change. Emissions reductions, a shift towards renewable energy, reforestation and prevention of further deforestation, and carbon capture and sequestration all fall under the broader term of mitigation.
Adaptation
The process by which human beings adjust to global changes brought on by climate change. One extreme example of adaption is can be found in the Maldives, an island nation which is preparing to relocate its entire population in the event that the country is submerged by rising ocean waters.
Business As Usual (BAU)
The current emissions level and trajectory for emissions growth. Many models have a projection for results based on BAU emissions.
Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS)
Also known as carbon capture and storage, CCS is an umbrella term for the theoretical process by which CO2 is collected from the atmosphere or at the emission source, and then stuck somewhere not in the atmosphere. While this technology is not yet deployable, it is getting a big chunk of money.
Renewables
Add it to your spellchecker, because this new word is here to stay. Renewables are sources of energy that are continually naturally replenished, such as wind, solar, geothermal heat, rain, and tides. In contrast, while fossil fuels are natural, they are not naturally replenished in a reasonable time for our species.
Cap & Trade
The type of climate change policy proposed by the draft House bill released in April. A cap and trade program is based on a government-mandated ceiling of sector/industry emissions with a system of permits allowing companies a certain amount of emissions, generally measured in millions of metric tons. (For reference, the average carbon footprint of a U.S. resident is 20 metric tons per year.) Companies can then buy and sell permits, which should create a market mechanism for the pricing of carbon.
Copenhagen
The Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009 is the last meeting of the members of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change before the renewal of an international agreement on climate change. At this conference, world leaders will come to an agreement to be adopted upon the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 – or they won’t. Only time will tell.
