GLOSSARY: Terms related to Season 2
The purpose of this season is to really learn and grow our understanding as well as our vocabulary. So, each episode includes some terms mentioned in the episode that will help you better understand conversations related to climate change and variability. All of these lists will be compiled here in alphabetical order.
Alternative energy – Energy generated in ways that are less harmful to the environment because they are not as dependent on finite natural resources, particularly fossil fuels such as oil, coal or natural gas. Examples are solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric. Mentioned in episode 5
Amortise - Gradually write off the initial cost of an asset over a period of time. Reduce or pay off a debt with regular payments. Mentioned in episode 2
Anthropocentric - Regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals. Mentioned in episode 2
Anthropogenic - of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings on nature. Mentioned in episode 1
Aquifer - An underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Mentioned in episode 2
Bonnet Carre Spillway - A flood control operation in the St. Charles Parish. It’s located about 12 miles west of New Orleans. It allows floodwaters from the Mississippi River to flow into Lake Pontchartrain and then into the Gulf of Mexico. It was constructed between 1929 and 1931, following the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. It has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mentioned in episode 3
Carbon bank - by changing their farming practices, farmers can store carbon in the soil, helping to reduce carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere and slow global warming. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 4
Chaos Theory - a mathematics theory that is still in development. It is the study of apparently random or unpredictable behavior in systems governed by deterministic law. Mentioned in episode 1
Clausius-Clapeyron Equation - related the heat of vaporization and vapor pressure. Vapor pressure rises non-linearly as temperature rises since the y-term in this case is a natural log of the vapor pressure. The equation can be used to solve for the heat of vaporization or the vapor pressure at any temperature. Mentioned in episode 1
Community Solar - The U.S. Department of Energy defines community solar as any solar project or purchasing program, within a geographic area, in which the benefits of a solar project flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and other groups. Mentioned in episode 5
Cover crops - a long-term investment in improved soil health and farm management. It involves a plant that is used primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, smother weeds, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. Cover crops have also been shown to increase crop yields, break through a plow pan, add organic matter to the soil, improve crop diversity on farms and attract pollinators. Mentioned in episode 4
Cry Wolf Syndrome - a behavioral syndrome that leads the manufacturer to become less compliant with the forecaster’s valuable recommendations after the forecaster is proven guilty of false alarms. Mentioned in episode 1
Electrical (or electric or utility) grid – The interconnected network of equipment that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers. Often called "the grid," this infrastructure is made up of generating stations that produce electrical power; high-voltage transmission lines that carry power from distant sources to demand centers; and distribution lines that connect individual customers to the system. In other words, the poles and wires that transport electricity from where it's made to your home or business. Mentioned in episode 5
Eutrophication - excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 2 & 3
Farm subsidies - also known as agricultural subsidies, are payments and other kinds of support extended by the U.S. federal government to certain farmers and agribusinesses. While some people consider this aide vital to the U.S. economy, others consider the subsidies to be a form of corporate welfare. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 4
Fauna - all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. Mentioned in episode 2
Flora - the plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period. Mentioned in episode 2
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 - The most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with 27,000 square miles inundated with up to 30 feet of water over the course of several months in early 1927. About 500 people died and over 630,000 people were directly affected. To prevent future floods, the federal government built the world’s longest system of levees and floodways. Mentioned in episode 3
Gulf South for a Green New Deal - launched in May 2019 in New Orleans with more than 800 attendees formally representing more than 30 tribal nations, neighborhood associations, faith groups, student groups, and community organizations. The policy platform is a living document that serves as a foundational starting point for informing localized policy development, communications and actions. It has been submitted to multiple U.S. congressional committees, including The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, House Committee on Natural Resources, Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 4
Herbicides - a substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation. It is also known as weedkillers. Mentioned in episode 4
Impermeable - Not allowing fluid to pass through. Impermeable surfaces contribute to a variety of problems including increased run-off and pollution. The aquifers in the ground are not being replenished as fast as they are being used since most of the water cannot penetrate through the surface. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 2
Mounting hardware – The racking and mounting equipment used to secure solar panels to rooftops (or to trackers in ground mounted power plant installations) and to each other; often made with lightweight aluminum frames and clips capable of withstanding the elements while minimizing impact to the roof. Mentioned in episode 5
Nutria - They are known as coypu or swamp rats. They are large rodents that live in areas with lots of freshwater. They are mammals and are native to South America. They grow to between 17 and 25 inches long from head to rump, which is about the same size as a raccoon. Their tail adds another 10-16 inches and they weigh between 15-22 pounds. They were introduced into the United States between 1899 and 1930 through the fur industry, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Nutria are now considered a nuisance in the U.S. and other parts of the world where their populations have grown and their presence has disrupted the native ecosystem. They are native to the marshes and coastal lakes in Bolivia and Southern Brazil. Their populations in those locations are kept in check by the seasonal drought-flood cycles. Periods of drought decimate their population, but thanks to their rapid reproduction rate, they are able to recover during the flooding season. They breed year-round and can have up to three litters a year with between two and 13 offspring per litter, allowing their populations to rapidly grow. They are now considered one of the most ecologically harmful invasive species on the planet. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mentioned in episode 3
Parity in vegetable production - The word “parity” for general non-farm use is the quality or state of being equal or equivalent. Applied to farming, parity represents economic equality for farmers that is also economic justice. Comparison of equality can be made in a variety of ways, such as in comparison to other times, the rest of the economy, or parts of it, and various comparisons within agriculture. CLICK HERE for more information. Mentioned in episode 4
Permeable - allowing liquids or gases to pass through it. Alternatives to traditional pavement can help reduce runoff by infiltration rainwater and melting snow. These alternative materials which include pervious asphalt, pervious concrete, interlocking pavers, and plastic grid pavers, allow rain and snowmelt to seep through the surface down to underlying layers of soil and gravel. In addition to reducing the runoff from the rain that falls on them, permeable pavements can help filter out pollutants that contribute to water pollution. Mentioned in episode 2
Pesticides - a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals. Mentioned in episode 4
Photovoltaic (PV) – PV technologies convert sunlight to electricity through a naturally occurring process in certain types of material, which are called semiconductors. When photons (energy particles) from the sun hit semiconducting materials such as silicon, electrons are knocked free from their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a solar cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When electrons flow through such a circuit, they generate electricity, powering electrical devices or sending electricity to the grid. Mentioned in episode 5
Recency bias - is a cognitive bias that favors recent events over historic ones; a memory bias. Recently bias gives “greater importance to the most recent event.” An article published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science published in 2016 states, “In the domain of climate change in particular, a number of psychological barriers and biases may disrupt typical discourse and reflection and may even prevent those who are aware of climate change from taking action to mitigate or reduce its impact.” Mentioned in episode 1
Risk Communicators - the real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who face a threat (from a hazard) to their survival, health, or economic or social wellbeing. Mentioned in episode 1