Environmental Terms

 …the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide [CO2] and methane) that are generated by our actions. 

...infers that some emissions are generated but offset somewhere else to make overall emissions “zero”. This is an accounting term.  

...means that no carbon emissions are being produced from an activity, product, or service. 

...is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the term. Fossil records indicate that the earth has undergone a vast number of climate changes. Humanity's contribution to Global Warming increases climate change.

...Indirect emissions are those that result from an individual or organization's activities and are actually emitted from sources owned by other entities at another location. Deforestation is one of the main sources of indirect CO2 emissions. Direct emissions are created by an individual or organization's activities; these emissions are controllable and connect an organization to their direct influence on the environment. E.g., Fossil fueled power plant.

...are sources of non-renewable energy, formed from the remains of living organisms that were buried millions of years ago. Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil to produce energy is where the majority of greenhouse gases originate. As the world has developed and demand for energy has grown, we’ve burned more fossil fuels, causing more greenhouse gases to be trapped in the atmosphere and air temperatures to rise.

...is the long-term heating of Earth's surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere. This term is not interchangeable with the term "climate change."

...is a process that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere, and potentially much warmer when greenhouse gases abnormally increase in concentration.

...(also known as GHGs) are gases in the earth's atmosphere that trap heat. The main ones: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), and Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).

...is used to describe when a brand's marketing around sustainability doesn't align with its actual business practices. 

...a heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high-pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops, and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven.

...is to collect and treat used objects and materials instead of throwing them out, in order to produce materials that can be used again. 

...is a source of energy that is not depleted by use, such as water, wind, or solar power.

...as it relates to climate change is caused by two main factors. First, more water is released into the ocean as glaciers and land ice melts. Second, the ocean expands as ocean temperatures increase. Both of these consequences of climate change are accelerating sea-level rise around the world, putting millions of people who live in coastal communities at risk.

...means that the activity, product or behavior in question must be possible to produce and/or consume it in a way that doesn't result in harm or destruction. If the production of a product requires nonrenewable resources, damages the environment, or results in harm to individuals or society, it is unlikely to be considered sustainable.