List of Frequently Used Terms

Bioaccumulation

the accumulation of a substance (as a pesticide) in a living organism

Biomagnification

the process by which a compound (such as a pollutant or pesticide) increases its concentration in the tissues of organisms as it travels up the food chain

Climate Change

changes in the Earth's weather patterns

Digital Lives

the idea that people who use devices in the digital age have separate online realities. This is not to say that people who use digital devices have separate personalities online, it is simply to acknowledge that human life has evolved to the point of two existent realities: on and offline.

E-Waste

waste consisting of discarded electronic products (such as computers, televisions, and cell phones)

Environment

1: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded

2a: the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival

2b: the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community

3: the position or characteristic position of a linguistic element in a sequence

4: a computer interface from which various tasks can be performed

Environmentalism

1: a theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group

2: advocacy of the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment

especially : the movement to control pollution

Environmentalist

1: an advocate of environmentalism
2: one concerned about environmental quality especially of the human environment with respect to the control of pollution

Planned Obsolescence

the practice of making or designing something (such as a car) in such a way that it will only be usable for a short time so that people will have to buy another one