Listed below are definitions for some of the more challenging terms used in the Action for the Environment Kit. Boost your environmental-vocabulary by reading on!
Key words index
Ready, Set, Recycle!
- Landfill - An area where garbage is managed by burying it under layers in the ground.
- Recycle - To turn waste materials into items that can be used again.
- Redemption centre - The place where you return your beverage containers to be sorted for recycling. Upon return, a portion of the original bottle deposit($) is refunded.
Be Energy Efficient
- Climate change - Human activities are altering the atmosphere through the build-up of greenhouse gases. This is resulting in changes to our climate, including a rise in global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events.
- Energy - The ability to do work. When we refer to the environment we usually mean light, heat, electricity and the chemical energy found in fossil fuels.
- Idling of vehicles - A measure of the amount of energy used.
- Fossil fuels - Ancient fuels that, when burned, produce energy
- Natural resources - Materials that occur in nature such as wood and coal.
- Pollution - Occurs when poisons are released into the air, land and/or water making it unclean and causing harm to the environment.
- Renewable energy - Power, like wind and water, that can be used over and over again..
Be Host to Compost!
- Compost - Rich, earthy smelling, soil-like substance made from disposed waste like food items and plant life.
- Compost bin - A bin or closed-in structure that holds compost materials.
- Compost materials - Compost materials are items such as leaves and apple cores (browns and greens) that are suitable for the compost bin.
- Decompose - To decompose means to breakdown or decay, like an apple would in a compost bin. Tiny organisms work within a compost bin to naturally decompose materials.
