Connected to the Grid: Vocabulary

Key Terms:

Greenhouse Effect: the process in which the sun's energy is trapped within Earth's atmosphere, causing the planet to get warmer

Greenhouse Gases: compounds in the atmosphere that absorb the sun's radiation. Most notably: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

Energy Conservation: reducing one's energy consumption by using less energy-intensive resources Energy Efficiency: reducing the amount of energy required to complete a service Phantom Power: the power consumed by electronic devices when they are switched off, but remain plugged in

Biofuel: A fuel retrieved from a living source, usually renewable and better for the environment

Fossil Fuel: A fuel like coal, oil, or gas that formed in the geological past and is used as fuel today from once living organisms

Nuclear Energy: Energy obtained from the splitting of hydrogen atoms

Non-Renewable Resource: A resource that has a limited source and can only be sustained for a duration of time (e.g. fossil fuels)