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Glossary
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Bituminous coal
Type of coal that typically has a medium to high sulphur
content.
Blanket bog
An area, often very extensive, of acid peatland, found
in constantly wet climates, characteristic of broad flat
upland areas, which develops where drainage is impeded
and the soil is acid.
Carbon dioxide (CO
2
)
A naturally occurring gas which is also a by-product of
burning fossil fuels and biomass, land-use changes and
industrial processes. It is the principal anthropogenic
greenhouse gas that affects the earth’s radiative balance.
It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse
gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming
Potential of 1.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Colourless gas emitted by road traffic. It is harmful to
human health above specified limits.
Carbon tax
A policy instrument introduced in 2009 and designed
to encourage and accelerate fuel switching away from
carbon-intensive fuels
Carcinogen
A substance that causes or is believed to cause cancer
in humans.
Climate change
A range of earth system changes caused by global
warming.
Commercial waste
The waste that is produced from a number of diverse
sources, including shops, offices and commercial
premises, and consists of materials such as paper
and cardboard, plastics, organics and glass.
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste
All waste that arises from construction, renovation and
demolition activities and all wastes mentioned in Chapter
17 of the European Waste Catalogue (EWC).
Critical load
Level of a pollutant above which environmental damage
is inevitable
Cryptosporidium
A coccidian protozoan parasite that infects vertebrates
such as sheep and cattle. It can infect humans and is a
particularly dangerous parasite when its oocysts enter
public water supply systems due to, for example, cattle
slurry contamination.
Daughter Directive
EU directive associated with a parent ‘framework
directive’. For air, the framework directive sets out the
general approach and the daughter directive specifies
the limit values for each pollutant.
Deforestation
The removal of trees in an area.
Diffuse source pollution
Pollution that arises from diffuse areas in a catchment
such as septic tanks from rural housing or fields adjacent
to a river or stream during heavy rainfall when surface
runoff occurs.
Dioxins
A collective name given to a group of 75 closely
related chemical compounds known as polychlorinated
dibenzodioxins (PCDDs). Dioxins can form during
combustion of organic materials containing chlorine,
as undesirable by-products during chemical manufacture
and bleaching operations.
Ecology
The study of the relationship among organisms
and between those organisms and their non-living
environment.
Ecosystem
A community of interdependent organisms together
with the environment they inhabit and with which they
interact, and which is distinct from adjacent communities
and environments.
Ecosystem Services
Benefits people obtain from ecosystems, for example,
provision of food and shelter, breaking down waste and
purifying water.
Eco-tourism
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local people.