Global Environmental Challenges

A set of vocabulary flashcards to help understand key concepts and terms related to global environmental challenges. Each card features a term along with its definition.

Ottawa Climate Stripe

A visual representation of Ottawa's annual temperature changes from 1850-2023.

Environmental Policy

Regulations and guidelines that govern how human activity impacts the environment.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

A UN body responsible for assessing the science related to climate change, established to provide an objective view of climate change.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Adaptation to Climate Change

Adjusting practices, processes, and structures to minimize damage caused by climate change.

Mitigation

Efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases.

Carbon Pricing

A method for reducing global warming emissions in which a fee is imposed on the burning of carbon-based fuels.

Vulnerability to Climate Change

The susceptibility of a community to the impacts of climate change based on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as ‘forever chemicals,’ found in numerous consumer products with harmful health effects.

Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP)

A framework for understanding the possible future societal developments and their impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Geoengineering

Large-scale interventions aimed at altering the climate system in order to counteract climate change.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Paris Agreement

An international treaty aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Climate Projections

Forecasts of future climate conditions based on current trends and models.

Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Urban Growth Boundary

A regional boundary that is intended to control urban sprawl by restricting development outside certain areas.

Clean Power Plan

A policy aimed at reducing carbon pollution from electricity generation.