Final Up to date on December 15, 2021 by AIFS Overseas
As international warming and local weather change proceed to have a bigger impression on our on a regular basis lives, the subject of sustainability is turning into more and more extra prevalent in our authorities’s laws, in our newsfeeds, and in most people discourse. There may be an understanding that in an effort to fight local weather change, society must develop into extra sustainable. However what does that really imply?
When speaking about sustainability, scientists, journalists, politicians, and local weather fans use a wide range of phrases to explain the impression that we’ve got on the setting and potential options which will assist to mitigate these impacts. As these phrases could be actually laborious to grasp in case you are not already entrenched within the local weather change dialog, we created an inventory of definitions and assets round the important thing sustainability phrases that will help you have interaction extra efficiently.
Sustainability Key Phrases
A Carbon Footprint is the overall greenhouse fuel emissions expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide attributable to an particular person, occasion, group, service, place or product. Calculate your carbon footprint HERE!
Carbon Neutrality is the balancing of greenhouse fuel emissions with an equal quantity of independently verified carbon offsets to realize net-zero greenhouse fuel emissions. To study extra about carbon neutrality on a world scale take a look at Carbon neutrality by 2050: the world’s most pressing mission.
Carbon Offsetting is a discount in emissions of carbon dioxide or different greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. AIFS Overseas has partnered with The Gold Commonplace to offset our carbon emissions!
Local weather Motion is actions which might be designed to fight local weather change and its impacts. Go to the UN Web site to study extra about Local weather Actions which might be going down around the globe!
Local weather Change is the long-term change in international climate patterns and common temperatures. Rising temperatures can result in excessive climate similar to droughts, sea-level rise, and retreating glaciers. Click on HERE to study extra about what local weather change is, what causes it, and why you ought to care about it.
Environmental Justice is the honest remedy and significant involvement of all folks no matter race, coloration, nationwide origin, or earnings with respect to the event, implementation, and enforcement of environmental legal guidelines, laws, and insurance policies. Study Environmental Justice within the US HERE!
Honest Commerce is commerce agreements between firms in developed international locations and producers in growing international locations to realize sustainable and equitable commerce relationships during which honest costs are paid to the producers. Go to the World Honest Commerce Group web site to study extra about honest commerce firms and the significance of honest commerce merchandise.
International Warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s local weather system as a consequence of human actions, primarily fossil gas burning which will increase the quantity of greenhouse gases within the ambiance which, in flip, lure extra warmth. To get the latest details about international warming, take a look at the UN’s IPCC Report.
Greenhouse Gases are gases that lure warmth within the ambiance similar to carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor. Try this video to study extra about Greenhouse Gases!
The Paris Local weather Settlement is a legally binding worldwide treaty on local weather change. It was created to handle the problem of local weather change on a world scale. The treaty’s categorical aim is to restrict international warming to beneath 2℃ (That is about 3.6℉), ideally 1.5℃ (about 2.7℉) in comparison with pre-industrial ranges. Try The Paris Settlement.
Recycling is processing supplies that might in any other case be thrown away and turning them into reusable materials. In closed-loop recycling, supplies from a product are recycled to make the identical, or a related, product with out vital degradation or waste. This may be executed repeatedly. In open-loop recycling, supplies from a product are used to make a distinct sort of product. Be taught extra about recycling HERE.
Renewable power is power that comes from pure sources that aren’t depleted when used like wind and photo voltaic energy. Try this hyperlink to study extra about renewable power sources!
Sustainability is a time period with no agreed-upon definition. Some of the extensively used definitions for sustainability is assembly our personal wants with out compromising the power of future generations to satisfy their very own wants. For extra data on sustainability and its parts, take a look at the UN’s Sustainable Growth Objectives.
