Environment

Waste Incineration: Combustion, Energy Recovery, and Environmental Controls Incineration Overview of waste incineration: how controlled combustion reduces waste, recovers thermal energy for electricity or district heating, and relies on emission controls and ash manage…

Indian Solar Loan Programme (UNEP) Indian Solar Loan Programme A UNEP-backed initiative that enabled household loans for solar home systems in India, financing over 16,000 systems via banks in largely off-grid southern regions and receiving an…

Indigenous Protected Area (Australia) Indigenous Protected Area Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are lands or seas owned and managed by Indigenous Australians under agreements with the Australian Government to conserve biodiversity and cultura…

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN Red List A global inventory assessing species' extinction risk using standardized categories and criteria; used by conservationists, policymakers, researchers, and the public.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment: roles, programs, and structure Kansas Department of Health and Environment State agency overseeing public health, environmental protection, vital records, disease surveillance and related services in Kansas; coordinates local, state and federal health eff…

Keystone species: definition, roles, examples, and conservation Keystone species A keystone species has an outsized effect on ecosystem structure and function. This article explains what keystone species are, types and examples, how they are identified, and why…

Kyoto Protocol — international treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions Kyoto Protocol An international agreement under the UNFCCC that set binding emission reduction targets for developed countries, established market mechanisms, and influenced later climate negotia…

Landfill: design, environmental effects, and management Landfill Overview of landfills: how they are built and operated, their environmental impacts (methane, leachate), energy uses, and approaches to reduce harm and recover resources.

Least Concern (IUCN Red List category) Least concern Least Concern is the IUCN Red List category for species evaluated as widespread and abundant and not meeting the criteria for threatened status; it still requires monitoring and pe…

Light Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Ways to Reduce It Light pollution Light pollution is the excessive or misdirected artificial light that degrades night skies, disrupts ecosystems and human circadian cycles, wastes energy, and impedes astronomy.

List of ecologists by country and specialty List of ecologists An organized guide to ecologists, explaining what ecologists do, how country lists are structured, criteria for inclusion, major subfields, historical development, and representati…

Logging: methods, uses, impacts and sustainable practices Logging Logging is the cutting and removal of trees for timber, pulp, fuel and land use. This article describes methods, equipment, history, environmental effects, economic role and sustai…

Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) Man and the Biosphere Programme UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme promotes conservation, sustainable development, and research through a global network of biosphere reserves that integrate people and natur…

Medieval Warm Period (Medieval Climatic Anomaly) Medieval Warm Period A regional interval of relatively warm climate in parts of the North Atlantic and adjacent lands between roughly the 10th and 14th centuries, with variable impacts and debated caus…

Miss Earth: International Environmental Beauty Pageant Miss Earth Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant that emphasizes environmental advocacy, combining traditional pageant elements with campaigns, education and community projects…

Mixed forest (temperate): structure, ecology, and human uses Mixed forest A mixed forest is a woodland with both deciduous and coniferous trees. This article explains its layers, species composition, ecological roles, human uses, threats, and distinction…

Monoculture: practice, effects, history and alternatives Monoculture Monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop over a large area. This article explains its features, benefits, risks, history, common examples and management al…

National Parks of Costa Rica Overview of Costa Rica's 26 national parks, their ecosystems, management by SINAC (MINAE), major parks, conservation role, ecotourism value, and notable facts.

Nuclear or Not? — Does Nuclear Power Have a Place in a Sustainable Energy Future? Nuclear or Not? Edited by David Elliott, this 2007 essay collection brings together contrasting expert perspectives on whether nuclear power can fit within sustainable energy strategies and stimul…

Oil spill: causes, impacts, response, and prevention Oil spill An overview of oil spills: how they occur, how oil behaves in water, environmental and economic effects, major incidents, response techniques, and prevention measures.

Osage Plains: the Tallgrass Region of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Osage Plains A regional overview of the Osage Plains (also Lower, North Central or Rolling Plains): geography, ecology, history, land use, and conservation of this tallgrass prairie area.

Over-harvesting: causes, impacts and approaches to sustainable use Over-harvesting Over-harvesting occurs when natural resources are removed faster than they can regenerate. This article explains causes, examples, ecological and social impacts, and approaches to…

Overfishing: causes, consequences, and responses Overfishing Overfishing is harvesting fish faster than populations can replace them. This article explains causes, ecological and economic impacts, notable collapses, management tools, and act…

Overpopulation: Causes, Consequences, and Responses Overpopulation Overpopulation occurs when the number of individuals in a place exceeds what the environment can sustain, leading to resource strain, ecological harm, and social challenges.

Ozone depletion: causes, consequences, and recovery Ozone depletion Ozone depletion refers to the thinning and seasonal loss of stratospheric ozone caused mainly by human-made halogen compounds; it affects ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth and i…

Paris Agreement: global framework to limit climate change Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement is a global climate pact under the UNFCCC that seeks to limit warming well below 2°C, strengthen adaptation and mobilize climate finance through nationally dete…

Peat swamp forest Tropical and subtropical wetlands where waterlogged soils preserve plant material as peat; they support distinctive forest communities, store carbon, and face major threats from dr…

Persistent organic pollutant (POP): overview, properties, sources, and impacts Persistent organic pollutant Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are long-lived, bioaccumulative organic chemicals that resist degradation, travel long distances, and pose risks to human health and ecosystems…

Peter Hitchcock: Australian environmentalist and World Heritage advocate Peter Hitchcock (environmentalist) Peter Hitchcock (1944–2019) was an Australian conservationist who helped secure protection for rainforest areas and led major UNESCO World Heritage nominations and site management…

Plastic pollution: causes, impacts, and responses Plastic pollution An accessible overview of plastic pollution, its forms and sources, environmental and human impacts, and common strategies to prevent and reduce plastic waste.

Pollutant: causes, types, effects and mitigation Pollutant Overview of pollutants: what they are, main categories and sources, environmental and human health effects, chemistry of secondary pollutants, and approaches to control and regulat…

Pollution: causes, types, impacts and mitigation Pollution Comprehensive overview of pollution: major types, causes, history, environmental and health effects, and common strategies to reduce contamination including renewables and regulati…

Prairie restoration: recovering native grassland ecosystems Prairie restoration Prairie restoration is the ecological practice of returning converted or degraded grasslands to native prairie conditions using techniques like reseeding, prescribed fire, invasive…

Preservation: protecting objects, environments, and cultural heritage Preservation Preservation is the practice of protecting physical, biological, digital, and cultural resources from decay or loss through preventive care, legal measures, documentation, and rest…

Product stewardship and extended producer responsibility Product stewardship Product stewardship assigns responsibility for a product’s full lifecycle — design, distribution, use and end-of-life — to producers, retailers and consumers through measures like…

Radioactive contamination: causes, effects, and remediation Radioactive contamination Overview of radioactive contamination — what it is, how it spreads, health risks, detection and cleanup methods, and how it differs from irradiation.

Radioactive waste: types, management, history, and risks Radioactive waste Comprehensive overview of radioactive waste: sources, classification, storage and disposal methods, environmental and health concerns, regulation, policy history, and future direct…

Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance) Ramsar Convention International treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands, recognizing their ecological, economic, cultural and recreational values and designating wetlands of internation…

Recycling: processes, materials, benefits and practical guidance Recycling A concise, neutral overview of recycling: what it is, common materials, history, environmental benefits, and practical tips for households and communities.

Recycling symbol Internationally recognized mark of recycling: a three-arrow loop often called the Möbius loop indicating recyclability or recycled content and used on packaging and products worldw…

Reforesting: restoring trees and plant communities Reforesting Reforesting (reforestation) is the intentional restoration of trees and plants to land where vegetation has been removed, promoting ecological recovery, biodiversity, and long‑term…

Renewable energy: sources, development, uses, and key distinctions Renewable energy Overview of renewable energy: principal sources, historical development, characteristics, common uses, environmental benefits, and challenges of integrating renewables into modern…

Renewable energy commercialisation in Australia Overview of how renewable technologies have moved from research to market in Australia: major technologies, policy drivers, regional patterns, grid integration, challenges and outl…

Commercialization of Renewable Energy: Technologies, Markets and Deployment Renewable energy commercialization A comprehensive overview of renewable energy commercialization: major technologies, market trends, business models, benefits, barriers, rural applications and policy drivers shapin…

Renewable energy commercialization in the United States Overview of U.S. commercialization for wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal and hydroelectric power: current status, key projects, drivers, policy role, challenges and distinctions.

Renewable energy in developing countries: resources, benefits and challenges Renewable energy in developing countries Overview of renewable energy use in developing countries, covering main resources (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass), benefits, deployment approaches, and common technical, financi…

Renewable resource: definition, types, uses and sustainability Renewable resource Overview of renewable resources: definition, main types (solar, wind, water, geothermal, biomass), benefits and limits, sustainable management, policy approaches and comparison wit…

Salt evaporation pond Artificial shallow ponds used to produce salt by evaporating seawater; notable for vivid colors produced by microorganisms and for their ecological, historical and economic roles.