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Glossary of Terms & Incredible Facts
More than four babies are born every second. In the time you've spent
reading this paragraph, there have been 20 new arrivals. For every
four babies born, fewer than two people die, which is why the population keeps growing. If we keep on at this rate, there would be 44 billion people on Earth by the end of this century!
A stable atmosphere is crucial for supporting life on Earth. But in recent years, that balance has been put out of kilter, by burning fossil fuels in ever-increasing amounts (due to our hunger for 'things' and technology' and our ever expanding population) we're releasing unprecedented levels of CO2 into the atmosphere. The Earth is getting hotter, the climate is changing and debate rages about how we should address what is now probably the biggest challenge of our age.So, where do you start? Below, we have tried to give you simple explanations to words or phrases that you have no doubt heard in the media or on the show
Some of the terms below are as explained in Earth Matters
The greenhouse effect
Water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and some other gases in the atmosphere absorb long-wave heat radiation, and send it back to Earth again. It's like what happens when you wrap yourself in a duvet. The heat from your body doesn't escape, but some is absorbed by the duvet. Some of it goes back to your body, and gradually you warm up, but you don't keep getting hotter and hotter because some of the duvet's warmth escapes into the air.
Climate change
Climate change is the long-term alteration in global weather patterns, especially increases in temperature and storm activity, regarded as a potential consequence of the greenhouse effect
The ozone layer
Ozone is a highly reactive molecule that exists in a 7km thick layer in the stratosphere. The ozone layer absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, preventing it from reaching Earth. Without it, sunlight would be very damaging to our bodies, causing sunburn, skin cancer and eye cataracts.
The carbon cycle
Carbon is a natural substance, and one of the chemical elements. In it's pure form, it mainly exists as a black solid (coal) or in an extrememly hard transparent crystal (diamond). Carbon forms only a small part of the earth itself -less than one percent - but it's a vital element in our bodies. All the chemicals in living things have an underlying structure of carbon. It also joins with oxygen to form an important gas in the Earth's atmosphere - carbon dioxide. Carbon moves around on Earth more than any other element in something called the 'carbon cycle'.
Global warming
Because people on Earth are burning so much fossil fuel and cutting down so many forests, the carbon cycle is off-balance. There is more carbon going into the atmosphere through burning than leaving it through photosynthesis.
The amount of greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) being released into the atmosphere has gone up dramatically, and so have world temperatures. This is because more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap more heat.
Fossil fuels
Once the remains of living things, fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas come from underground. They are fairly cheap, so people use their energy to do things that they could do just as well by themselves, like travelling short distances in a car. But fossil fuels wont last forever, and burning them is harming our atmosphere - they are responsible for over 80 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions caused by humans. If we carry on burning them until they run out, the world's temperature could rise by more than 4 degrees celcius. We urgently need to reduce energy use, and find new sources.
Nuclear energy
Nuclear reactors generate electricity using energy from inside atoms. Here, uranium atoms are split apart, releasing masses of energy. The first nuclear power plant opened in the United States of America in 1960, and there are now 435 similar plants around the world - 104 of them in the USA. Some countries rely more on nuclear power than others - it provides half of Sweden's electricity, and a huge 78 per cent of France's electricity.
Renewable energy
Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources will never be used up - the energy just keeps on coming. Among the natural sources that can generate electricity or make fuels are sunlight (collected with solar panels), wind (powering tall turbines), water (harnessed to make hydroelectricity from waterfalls and dams), ocean waves, eath's heat trapped under the ground, and growing plants.
Waste - our high waste society
Hundred of thousands of tonnes of plastic, glass, metal and even electronics, are thrown away every day. A hundred years ago, this kind of waste hardly existed. People re-used things at home. They burned or composted waste paper, food, and garden cuttings. They didn't buy large quantities of packaged goods. We need to go back to how we used to be and reduce, re-use and recycle.
Recycling
60% of what you can throw away can be recycled or composted. Glass, paper, cardboard, metals and plastics can be crushed, pulped, or melted, and used again.
What is your eco-footprint?
One way of seeing how sustainable your activities are is to measure your ecological footprint. This is not a foot-shaped mark in the ground! It is a number that tells you how much of the Earth's resources you use. An ecological footprint is the amount of land that would be needed to grow all the food, fuel, and materials you use. It is measured in hectares. (One hectare equals 0.001 sq km or 21/2 acres.) 1.8 hectares per person is a sustainable footprint for today's population.
What is your carbon footprint?
Your carbon footprint is the number of tonnes of carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) released into the Earth's atmosphere per year as a result of your daily life. Carbon footprints meausre your contribution to climate change. To be completely sustainable, each person should have a carbon footprint of close to zero. In theory, this is possible because carbon you emit can be 'offset' (recovered) buy things that remove carbon from teh atmosphere, like planting a tree.
Ecosystems and biomes
The biosphere includes all the water on the Earth's surface, the soils, the rocks, and much of the air. It extends to the bottom of the sea, and reaches as high in the sky as birds fly. The deepest place life has been found is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean near the Phillipines, where bacteria live in the mud 11km under the sea. The highest recorded animal is a Ruppell's vulture, which crashed into an aircraft flying 11,300m (37,000 ft) above West Africa in 1973.
Life on Earth is organised into distinctive tyoes of habitat, definited by the plants that grow there, plus temperature and wetness. Each type is called a 'biome'. Similar biomes have different plant and animal species in different parts of the world.
The worlds biomes are broken down as follows:
- Polar regions
-
Temperate forest
- Deserts
- Grasslands
- Tropical Forests
- Mountains
- Freshwater
- Oceans
Construction Terms
There are a variety of construction terms used during the course of the series. You will find simple explanations for these terms below.
Smart Materials
Choosing construction and home finish materials for their low environmental impact, sustainable production, low toxicity, durability and recyclability
Natural Systems
Increasing reliance on the sun, wind and plants for electricity, lighting, heating, cooling and air quality
Air Quality & Minimal Pollution
Ensuring healthy indoor air with non-toxic materials and effective ventilation; minimising outdoor usage of environmental polluters such as pesticides and fertilizers.
Natural Systems
Increasing reliance on the sun, wind and plants for electricity, lighting, heating, cooling and air quality
Energy-Saving
Reducing energy demands through everyday conservation; energy-efficient appliances and an airtight, well insulated skin for your home structure.
Alternative Energy
Environmental friendly, sustainable energy not derived from burning fossil fuels - solar and sun energy is two examples.
Green Washing
When corporations and products claim to be environmentally friendly, but in fact have not addressed the cradle to grave manufacture and distribution process - their green claims are suspect
Site Clearing
Removal of trees, shrubs and rubble for starting construction work
Set out
Markingout the footprint of the house on the ground
Excavating
Digging out trenches for foundations
Backfill
Material and act to refill cut/excavated areas
Campacting
Method of mechanically increasing the density of soil; increasing the load bearing capability
Foundations
Caombination of concrete footings, foundation brickwork and soil compacted to create support for the building and transfer load to the earth.
Surface bed
Concrete slab cast on top of completed foundation/compacted ground level with damp proofing, creating a floor area later covered with screed.
Curing
Maintaining a satisfactory moisture content and temperature for cncrete to strengthen.
Superstructure
Top structure continuing above load bearing walls (foundation walls)
Mortar
Cementitious materials used as a binding agent for various brick and stonework in the building industry
Slab
Reinforced concrete roof/floor structure i.e. rib and block
Rib and Block
Concrete ribs (lintels) and hollow cncrete blocks packed per engineers specifications and concrete cast on. This is a cost effective way to do a first floor or roof slab.
Propping
Temporary steel support for any horizontal height construction work i.e. support system for rib and block during curing of concrete and settlement of slab.
Formwork
Temporary works required to support and shape the concrete during placing
Soffit
Plastered underside of concrete slab
Beam fill
Brickwork between truss spaces on external walls to seal roof properly
Roof structure
Supporting structure (combination of trusses, purlilns, wall plates and braces_ for roof covering i.e. roof tiles
Roof trusses
A rigid framework, as of wooden beams or metal bars forming part of roof structure
Flashing
Different mechanical methods used to make roof watertight
Pitch of roof
Roof, the slope of which is generally greater than 10 degrees to the horizontal.
Screed
A smooth and level final surface of a substance, such as concrete applied to a floor for finishing floor covering i.e. carpets, tiles, wood etc
Riser
Vertical height between two steps
Expansion joint
An engineers joint built into structure to allow for movement
Masonry
The building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar
Brick protection
Where brick protrudes from normal brick facade
Cavity Walls
Two build walls (usually masonry) seperated by hollow space. Walls are connected will wall ties
Ceiling bulkhead
Build out to ceiling - architectue detail/feature that allows recess to do detail lighting, curtain rails etc
Dropped/suspended ceiling
Secondary ceiling hung below main (structural ceiling)
Gully
In a drainage system, a fitting at the upper end of a drain that receives the discharge from waste pipes or rain water
Rodding eye
Permanent access point to underground drainage pipes to clean/unblock
Drain
Discharging of water i.e. from a sink
Electrical conduit
Purpose designed electrical piping system used for protecting and routing of electrical wiring.
Ironmongery
Door and window hardware i.e. handles, locks, door stops etc