Humanities Study Definitions

Sustainability: the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Human impact: Human impact on the environment or anthropogenic impact
on the environment includes changes to biophysical environments and
ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly.
Climate change: a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a
change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed
largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the
use of fossil fuels.
Global warming: a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's
atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased
levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants.
Trend: a general direction in which something is developing or changing.
Sea level rise: Since at least the start of the 20th century, the average global
sea level has been rising. Between 1900 and 2016, the sea level rose by 16–21
cm.
Fossil fuels: a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past
from the remains of living organisms.
Land degradation: Land degradation is a process in which the value of the
biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced
processes acting upon the land.
Invasive species: An invasive species is a species that is not native to a specific
location, and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause
damage to the environment, human economy or human health.