SciDev.Net
Science and Development Network
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Definitions
Below is a directory of terms used in the field of climate change. Most of the definitions have been taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, with a few from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the European Commission.
Climate change is the greatest challenge facing the world today. Long-term development planning must now include measures to deal with it.
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Particulates
Tiny pieces of solid or liquid matter, such as soot, dust, fumes, or mist, that can be suspended in the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis
The process by which green plants use light to synthesise organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water. In the process oxygen and water are released. Increased levels of carbon dioxide can increase net photosynthesis in some plants. Plants create a very important reservoir for carbon dioxide.
Precautionary Approach
The approach promoted under the Framework Convention of Climate Change to help achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. The ‘precautionary principle’ is often used to describe a strategy which is based on the argument that the potential price of not taking action can outweigh the cost of taken an action, even when scientific uncertainty exists about the need and likely outcome.
