Environment: a lexicon for children

Explanation of environmental terms to children

The Bio

“Organic” products, for organic products, are 100% natural and do not contain any synthetic chemical element. Their range is increasingly wide: fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat, eggs, baby food … but also cosmetics and certain textiles, such as cotton or linen. Organic foods are easily recognizable thanks to their white and green logo, AB, for organic farming, that is to say from seeds without GMOs and grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Biodegradable explained to children

Once consumed, biodegradable products decompose naturally in the environment thanks to a progressive simplification of their chemical structure under the effect of bacteria. But the ecosystem does not absorb them all at the same speed. A dead leaf is thus completely digested by the biological medium in a few weeks, while the same process takes about 400 years for a plastic bottle.

Biodiversity explained to children

Composed of the words “biology” and “diversity”, biodiversity designates the interactions and interdependencies between different living species. For example, bees forage in flower fields, which not only reproduces plant species through pollination, but also allows them to produce the honey that we consume. However, for several decades, biodiversity has been threatened by the disappearance of certain species, due in particular to the destruction of their environments by human activity (deforestation, pollution, etc.).

Sustainable development explained to children

Sustainable development is a mode of economic development that is supposed to meet the needs of today’s society without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is thus based on respect for the environment, the renewal of resources and their reasonable use, in order to preserve the raw materials of our planet.

Ecology explained to children

The field of ecology brings together a large number of disciplines: geology, physics, geography, biochemistry, genetics, etc. It is a science that studies the relationships between living beings (plants and animals), as well as the evolution of these relationships according to the modifications undergone by their environment.

Energy saving explained to children

Energy savings are achieved by limiting the production and consumption of energy, the main factors of which are heating, hot water production and electricity requirements. A reduction necessary for economic reasons, but also environmental ones. Non-renewable energies, produced from oil, gas or coal, in fact release CO2, which is harmful to the planet, and their reserves are depleted.

The ecosystem explained to children

An ecosystem designates a set of living beings and non-living elements which constitute a natural environment and develop a network of interdependencies allowing life. It is a basic unit in ecology. We speak, for example, of an aquatic or mountain ecosystem.

The environment explained to children

Our environment is made up of all the natural and artificial elements that surround us. An environment that includes air, water, soil, natural resources, fauna, flora, living beings, etc., as well as their interactions.

Greenhouse gases explained to children

Greenhouse gases are gases present in the atmosphere that absorb the infrared rays emitted, thanks to the reverberation of the sun’s rays, by the earth’s surface. It is a natural and beneficial phenomenon because it has made life on Earth possible by warming it. However, human activities have led to a considerable increase in the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere, which is the cause of what is called global warming.

Pollution explained to children

Pollution is the introduction of substances or heat into water, air or soil, due to human activity and harmful to health, the environment or the climate. It can be local (atmospheric pollution caused by cars, factories, airplanes, etc.) or global (increase in the greenhouse effect).

Global warming explained to children

Since the beginning of the 0,6th century, the average temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by XNUMX ° C. This global warming is due to certain forms of air pollution and causes significant damage such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, a reduction in biodiversity and the spread of tropical diseases.

Recycling explained to children

Recycling consists of treating waste, industrial or household, in order to reintroduce them into the production cycle of a product. For example, by making new bottles from the glass of used bottles. This process reduces the volume of waste and preserves natural resources.

The ozone hole explained to children

The ozone layer is the part of the atmosphere with the highest concentration of ozone (a particular chemical form of oxygen). It protects us from ultraviolet solar radiation (UVB) and plays a determining role in the earth’s temperature. Over Antarctica, its thickness decreases by up to 60% from September to November. This is called the “hole in the ozone layer”, a consequence of the emission of destructive gases, manufactured by man for industrial purposes.