The problems, consequences and solutions of global warming cover a wide range of scientific, technological, environmental and social issues.  The glossary of terms aims to define and clarify the language used in these pages.

Albedo effect: refers to the reflecting properties of a surface.  Snow and ice have albedos close to 1, reflecting most of the incident radiation.  Once thawed the ground has a lower albedo value so the ground absorbs more heat.

Algal farms: are ponds or containers that can mass produce seaweed and marine algae that photosynthesise carbon from the atmosphere.

Alternative Energy: or renewable energy is energy from a resource that is replaced by a natural process at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which that resource is being consumed.  It includes solar, wave, tide, hydroelectricity and wind energy; and biomass.

Aquaculture: is the cultivation of marine or freshwater fish, shellfish or aquatic plants in natural or controlled environments.

Biodegradable: is the description of material that will decompose by itself by natural processes.

Bio-alcohol: is alcohol obtained by fermentation of sugars and starches from natural plant matter.

Bio-diesel: is derived from biological sources and has physical properties similar to fossil-fuel based diesel.

Bio-ethanol: is the conversion of agricultural feedstock into ethanol as a substitute for petrol.

Bio-fuels: such as bio-diesel and bio-ethanol, are any fuels derived from biomass.  It is a renewable energy source.

Bio-gas: is the flammable gas produced by the decomposition of organic matter and used as a fuel.

Biomass: is derived from plant or animal matter, including agricultural and forestry wastes or residues, as well as energy crops, to be used for fuel or the extraction of combustible oils.

Bioreactor: is an apparatus, such as a fermentation chamber, for the biotechnological production of micro-organisms such as bacteria or enzymes.

Bio-technology: is used to make or modify the products of living organisms in order to improve plants or animals, or to develop useful micro-organisms such as bacteria or enzymes.

Carbon capture: Removal of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels either before or after combustion.  In the latter the carbon dioxide is extracted from the flue gas.

Carbon credits: A credit or permit arising from a greenhouse gas emissions reduction scheme, such as emissions trading.

Carbon emissions trading scheme: A scheme in which greenhouse gas emissions are controlled by setting a cap on total emissions and allowing the market to trade carbon credits.

Carbon storage: The long-term storage of carbon in the forests, soils, ocean, or underground in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, coal seams, and saline aquifers.

Carbon Trading: or cap and trade, is used to control carbon emissions by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of carbon through trading carbon credits.

Carbon Trust: An independent not for profit company set up by the Government with support from business to encourage and promote the development of low carbon technologies.

CO2: Carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas.

Carbonates: are usually organic chemical compounds derived from carbon dioxide or its water solution, carbonic acid.

Clean Development Mechanism: is a means for countries and companies to finance and undertake projects in countries without a Kyoto target. 

Climate Exchanges: are where carbon certificates created under the Kyoto Protocol can be traded to reduce carbon emissions.

Cloning: is the production of genetically identical cells or organisms originating from a single parent.  Techniques range from taking cuttings from plants; to bio-technology processes that can mass produce the original parent;.

Convention on Biological Diversity: is dedicated under the United Nations Environment Programme to promoting sustainable development.  The Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live.

Desalination: is the removal of soluble salts from a substance, usually water, rendering the water suitable for drinking, irrigation, or industrial uses.

Ecosystem: is a complete ecological system of a community of living organisms and the nonliving materials of their surroundings - that interact with each other and their natural environment.

Energy crops: are plants grown to produce as a harvest to make bio fuels or to exploit its energy content.

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): is the increased production of oil from an oil field, brought about by injecting gas such as carbon dioxide or water to raise the oil pressure and extract more oil.

Fauna: are all species of animals that are found in a particular region or environment.

Fermentation: is the process where sugar is converted into alcohol.

Flora: are all species of plant life that are found in a particular region or environment.

Fossil fuels: are fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.

Fuel cells: are electrical cells that convert the energy of a reaction between a fuel, such as liquid hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as liquid oxygen, directly into electrical energy.

Geology:  is the science of the Earth, the materials such as rocks and even fossil fuels; and underground formations within the Earth.

Geothermal: is heat energy available from within the Earth.

Germ Plasm Bank: is a collection of the parts of plant cells that contain the key components for replicating plants.

Global Warming: is an increase in the average temperature of the earth as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse effect: is when the earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the presence in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth's surface.

Greenhouse gases: contribute to global warming by preventing heat reflected from the ground from escaping out of the atmosphere.  The gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, amongst others.

Hydrolysis: is the reaction of a chemical compound with water to produce other compounds.

Hybrid vehicles: are vehicles which use batteries or fuel cells as part of their power source in combination with a traditional internal combustion engine.

Hydrocarbons: are organic compounds composed only of carbon and hydrogen.

IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a body of scientists of international renown and covering all disciplines bearing on global warming and climate change.

Joint Implementation Projects: are a means to finance and undertake projects in countries with a Kyoto target. 

Kyoto Protocol: A Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreed in 1997. Developed nations are required to cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels over the period 2008-2012.

Land Banks: is a collection of land of low value that is expected to have high value after being regenerated.

Magnesol Dry Wash: is a commercial product that removes contaminates from impure bio-diesel.

Marine algae: is a group of aquatic plants that range from minute phytoplankton to giant seaweeds.

Microclimate: is the local climate of a specific place where environmental conditions such as shade, wind, rain and drainage are different from surrounding areas.

Micro Refineries: are small localised production facilities that are setup close to key markets.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: is an international work program designed to meet the needs of decision makers and the public for scientific information concerning the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and options for responding to those changes.

Nutriceutical: is a food or naturally occurring food supplement thought to have a beneficial effect on human health.

Particulate Matter: are tiny solid particles usually suspended in the emission gases after combustion.

Pharmacology: is the science of the effects of drugs or other chemicals on biological systems.  The pure chemicals or mixtures may be of natural origin (plant, animal, or mineral) or may be synthetic compounds.

Photosynthesis: is the process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source.  Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen as a by-product.

Photovoltaics: is the direct conversion of solar radiation into electricity by the interaction of light with the electrons in a semiconductor device or cell.

Phytoplankton: are minute, free-floating aquatic plants that use carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and convert minerals to a form that animals can use.

Renewable energy: or alternative energy, is energy from a resource that is replaced by a natural process at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which that resource is being consumed.  It includes solar, wave, tide, hydroelectricity and wind energy; and biomass.

Saline aquifers: are underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock containing salt water.  These layers can be confined and are free from evaporation and pollution

Salt domes: are formed when salt pans from isolated oceans move up through their covering sediment.  The domes are usually geologically separated from fresh water.

Seed banks: are collections of seeds that are conserved and are available for use for our propagation systems and nurseries.

Sequester: is to capture and permanently store greenhouse gases.

Serpentine rock formations: is comprised mostly of Serpentinite, which can combine with carbonates to store carbon permanently.

Silviculture: is the science of trees

Sustainable development: is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'

Terra Preta: is soil that has been improved by using low temperature charcoal.  The soil becomes more fertile and continues to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

Tissue culture: the technique for mass producing plantlets from small quantities of the original plant.

Transesterification: is the chemical process for converting vegetable oils into bio-diesel.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): the international framework established in 1992 to tackle the issue of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.