Chloroplasts

are a form of organelle (internal compartments) that are specialized for a specific type of chemical reaction—in this case, photosynthesi

Light Reactions

capture the energy from the sun and transfer it to high-energy molecules. These reactions occur in the thylakoid of the chloroplast and use the photosynthetic pigments noted in the previous slide

Calvin Cycle Reactions:

These are the reactions that actually form the carbohydrate molecules from CO2 and the energy captured by the light reactions. Notice that some of the output from these reactions are recycled back to the light reactions

invasive species

is one that has been introduced into places outside its natural range, usually through human actions—an introduction that often negatively impacts the biodiversity, community structure, and functioning ecosystem of the native area.

ecosystem

refers to a level of biological organization that represents the interaction of biological communities (the biotic factors) and abiotic factors, such as climate (temperature and precipitation).

biome

to indicate the general characteristics of similar ecosystems across the globe. This includes the climate and the types of organisms living in that area.

carbon footprint

is a calculation of the amount of carbon - usually measured in tons of carbon dioxide - that is directly or indirectly released into Earth’s atmosphere by the actions of a specific entity

energy choices

may refer to several things. The actual source of the energy is important when considering carbon emissions; for example, power from fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide than from wind or solar.

alternative energy

is used to describe an energy source that does not require the use of fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas. The most commonly considered alternative energy sources are solar and wind power, but alternative energy also includes geothermal, biofuel and hydroelectric sources, among many other options. Sometimes, these energy methods are referred to as renewable energy sources.

Nuclear

is sometimes considered an alternative energy source because it does not directly use fossil fuels, but it is not renewable. • Due to its potential environmental impact, it is not generally referred to as being “clean” energy. • r works through splitting the tightly-knit nucleus of an atom, usually using materials such as uranium.

Carbon dioxide removal

technologies focus on lowering the current level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. These include geoengineering - technology that directly impacts the environment - as well as some forms of genetic engineering of plants and animals.

Geoengineering

also called climate engineering, is the development of technology focused on altering Earth’s environment primarily to combat climate change. There are two main forms of geoengineering.