The removal or clearance of forests or stands of trees, often in an effort to extend areas of development or agriculture. By permanently clearing forest lands, native habitats are lost and the vast interconnecting network of plant roots which keep soils in place are destroyed, resulting in flooding and soil erosion.

The process in which a land loses its fertility due to drought, agricultural practices, and/or the removal of vegetation, thus gradually transforming the landscape into a desert environment. According to the United Nations, about 50 million people might be displaced due to desertification within the next decade (Pardikar, 2019).

Agricultural practices that take place in semi-arid regions but do not require irrigation. Instead, crops are grown utilizing naturally available rainfall and groundwater. As drought plagues more areas, such practices will be crucial for supporting nearby populations.

The third planet from The Sun within our solar system. The only place in the universe yet confirmed to support life, including us.

The sum of interactions and feedback between the Earth’s various physical, geographic, chemical, and biological systems. In a broad sense, it is essentially the science of how everything on the planet comes together to interact and influence all processes and relationships which take place within the confines of the Earth.

A date which recognizes the specific day within a calendar year in which the world’s population consumes more resources than it produces. While there is criticism regarding how the specific day is calculated, it does attempt to showcase how Earth and its resources are finite when harvested without sustainable practices. In 2020, the Earth hit its overshoot day on August 22nd.  However, this date might coincide with impacts from Covid19 as the EOD in 2019 fell on July 29th, and 2018 occurred on August 1st. For the most part, there has been a gradual trend of the EOD moving up earlier in the year since the 1970s when 3.7 billion people inhabited the Earth. As of 2021, the global population is just shy of 8 billion people (“Earth Overshoot Day,” 2021).

 A measurement used to represent the amount of impact that an individual, community, or commodity requires from the environment in terms of resources used and pollutants created. It is expressed in units of area called global hectares (GHA).

The shared space, existence, and interactions between living organisms as well as their physical environment.

A structured system designed to spread knowledge and facts to individuals. By offering quality education to the public, there is an increased likelihood that new concepts, innovations, and solutions can be developed. Furthermore, when coupled with democracy, having a well educated, free-thinking populace empowers citizens to determine which policies are truly in their greater self-interests. In contrast, limiting access to education permits a limited number of individuals and organizations to utilize mass media and propaganda to sway mass opinion against self governance.

Gaseous or radioactive particles produced as a byproduct of different reactions or processes such as combustion.

Legislation passed in the United States of America to protect species and their habitats which are at risk of extinction. Upheld by the US government, the law is regarded as one of the strongest pieces of legislation passed in American history. However, its structure and power is susceptible to change under administrations with ulterior political agendas.

The ability to perform a function through utilizing less energy than previously required. Essentially, less energy is consumed and/or wasted, reducing consumer costs and byproducts of energy use.

The space and conditions in which a life form lives and relies upon for survival.  Generally speaking, “the environment” often refers to the natural world or ecosystem found within an area.

The intentional and accidental destruction of an ecosystem as a byproduct of human action.

An ideology or mindset which focuses on actions intended to protect the health and well being of the natural world.

The process in which the mutations, adaptations, or traits of a few individuals within a species allows members to successfully reproduce and consequently pass along favorable characteristics via genetic or cultural reproduction until the genetic makeup of future generations becomes a new, distinct species.

The rapid increase of individuals within a population brought on by steady or increased rates of reproduction while outpacing the death rate of individuals within the same population. As a result, the population continues to increase larger and faster over time. The challenge then becomes how to accommodate the needs of so many individuals over a short time frame without exhausting resources.

The term used to designate when a specific species is believed to have no  living members remaining.

The contradictory observation that life should be relatively abundant throughout the universe given the colossal number of stars, planets, and moons, yet there remains no confirmed proof that life exists outside of Earth.

A hierarchical line of different plant and animal species which rely on each other as a food source.

The complex and interconnected relationships between multiple food chains within an ecosystem.

A phenomenon in which forests, stands of trees, or specific tree species die or suffer from various ailments due to drought, disease, parasites, acid rain, or climate change. Scientists fear that the forest diebacks occurring within the Amazon rainforest and boreal evergreen forests of Canada and Russia could trigger a tipping point in the next 50 years (Attenborough, 2020).

Energy sources such as coal or gas derived from organisms which began decomposing millions of years ago.