Definitions

Biodiversity

• the sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi, and microbial organisms living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live.

Carrying Capacity

1. the number of things or people a vehicle or container can hold
2. the number of humans and animals a region can support
3. the number of individuals a region's resources can support

Conservation

• the sustainable use and protection of natural resources including plants, animals, mineral deposits, soils, clean water, clean air, and fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Cultural Diversity

1. social - the varieties of humans, gender, race, nationality, etc.
2. ecological - the number of different types of organisms

Environmental Criteria

• a standard used for making decisions or judgements about something that uses ecology in the process.

Geographic Perspective

• in this context, operating in a fashion that does not require other areas to bear an unsustainable burden.

Renewable Energy

1. a resource that may be replaced over time by natural processes, such as fish populations or natural vegetation, or is inexhaustible, such as solar energy.
2. forms of energy that are not based on fossil fuels but are either renewable or sustainable without depleting a finite resource. Examples of renewable energy are Biofuel; Geothermal Energy; Solar Energy; Tidal Energy and Wind Energy.

Temporal Perspective

• a time-based view of things and events.

Sources:

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php

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