Adaptation: Adjusting to the current climate and its effects, as well as the expected shifts in climate and those effects. We can't undo the effects of climate change at this point, so Concern's climate change response focuses on adaptation. We do this in order to reduce the risks and harm associated with climate events, especially within families and communities with fewest resources. When possible, we also look for nature-based solutions.
Carbon emissions (aka Carbon footprint): The amount of carbon released into the air, measured by the parts per million within the atmosphere. On its own, carbon is an essential element to all life on earth. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a Greenhouse gas (see below), which means that it traps heat in the earth's atmosphere. Some of this is emitted naturally, but much of the current carbon emissions are man-made (from fossil fuels, for example).
Climate: Broadly, climate is the long-term patterns of weather in an area over time, usually 30 years — a date defined by the World Meteorological Organisation. More narrowly, however, we define climate as the average weather qualities over a period of time (which can be 30 years, 30 days, or 30 million years).
Climate change: A shift in the state of weather patterns that can be identified and measured over an extended period — decades or longer. There are many causes of climate change — including some that are natural. But when we talk about climate change, we normally are talking about the changes that are attributed directly and indirectly to human activity that alter the composition of the global atmosphere.
Climate extreme (aka: climate event or extreme weather): A significant departure from the "normal" weather or climate in a given area. Both extreme weather and extreme climate events are referred to as "climate extremes" (see also: Extreme weather, below, for more).
Climate justice: A system of equity that links human rights and development to the issues of climate change, specifically that those who have done least to cause climate change are the ones suffering most from its effects.
Climate projection: We can make an educated guess as to what the climate will be like in the case of future emissions or changes in current habits. This is why the Paris Climate Agreement is important. Climate projections are made based on emissions, concentration, and radiative forces.
Climate Smart Agriculture: Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a set of farming methods designed to increase the resilience and productivity of land affected by climate change.
Climate system: A global system consisting of five major components and how they interact:
- Atmosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Cryosphere
- Lithosphere
- Biosphere
The climate system changes over time due to its own dynamics, as well as due to external forces both natural (e.g., a volcanic eruption) and man-made.