Carbon cycle - The cycle by which
carbon in various forms moves between the various components of the
Earth's biosphere, between the atmosphere, hydrosphere (seas and
oceans), lithosphere (rocks, soils and mineral deposits, including
fossil fuels) and biological material including plants and animals.
Carbon is constantly moving between some of these forms,
maintaining a state of dynamic equilibrium. Other forms, most
notably fossil fuels, can potentially store carbon indefinitely,
however if they are burned the carbon is released and makes a net
addition to the carbon cycle and raising the total free carbon. If
biomass is used without replacement, as for instance can happen in
the case of forest clearance such as in the Amazon rain forest,
this too can make a net addition to the carbon cycle. Sustainable
use of biomass, however, makes no such direct net addition as
growing replacement plant material absorbs the carbon released by
the harvested biomass.
Carbon emissions - term generally used to describe
the level of carbon, usually in the form of carbon dioxide,
exhausted into the atmosphere by a process.
Carbon neutral (low carbon) - a term used to
describe processes that have a zero or very low contribution to
atmospheric carbon. Using woodfuel for heat and power can be
described as carbon neutral because the carbon emitted during
combustion is equal to the carbon absorbed by the trees when they
were growing.
Fossil fuels - fossilised fuel such as coal,
mineral oil and natural gas that, when burnt, releases carbon into
the atmosphere that has been trapped beneath the earth's surface
for millions of years. Burning fossil fuel can contribute to an
increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Global warming - the rise in the earth's
atmospheric temperature. Consider to be partly due to man-made
atmospheric pollution contributed to by the use of fossil
fuels.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) - gas capable of absorbing
infra-red radiation before it escapes the earth's atmosphere (e.g.
carbon dioxide, methane).
Renewable energy - energy that has been obtained
from a potentially infinite resource such as wood, sunshine or the
wind.
Renewable fuel - fuel that is considered to be an
infinite resource if its source is sustainably managed. Examples
can include woodfuel, miscanthus or the wind.
Sustainable - meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.
Sustainable forest management - the process of
managing forests to provide goods and services without degradation
of the site quality, and without a decline in the yield of goods
and services over time. These goods and services can be disparate
and may include, for example, timber, amenity value, inherent
biodiversity, landscape value (see 'sustainable').