Do you feel a bit lost when people refer to certain environmental sustainability topics and aren't sure where to start when it comes to learning more? Sustainability 101 is a blog series that you can turn to for information about different environmental sustainability terms that may come up at work,during discussions with friends, and even at your annual holiday gathering.

 We hear the term "climate change" often these days: what is it, and what do greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to do with it?

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Climate Dictionary:

• Climate"is the average of weather patterns in a specific area over a longer period of time, usually 30 or more years. Human activity in the industrial age, and particularly during the last century, is significantly altering our planet's climate through the release of harmful [GHGs]." 
• GHGs"are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change. The main [GHGs] released by human activity are carbon dioxide [CO₂], methane, and nitrous oxide, as well as fluorinated gases used for cooling and refrigeration. To prevent catastrophic climate change, the world's governments must work together to significantly reduce [GHG] emissions and keep global warming below the dangerous threshold of 1.5