Waste-to-energy is the process in which waste is used to generate useful energy –electricity, heat or both. This is possible (and convenient) when the heat generated by burning the waste is high enough to warrant satisfactory combustion conditions and make available enough energy to overcome losses and auxiliary consumption: in practice, a lower heating value of at least 4 megajoules per kilogram.
Atolls are circular, oval, or horseshoe-shaped arrays of coral reef islands that are perched around an oceanic volcanic seamount and encircle a shallow central lagoon. The small islands are separated from each other by channels that lead from the sea into the central lagoon.
Governance is the central issue for water resources, especially in the light of water scarcity and environmental change, and is critical for maximizing available opportunities.
Transpiration is the term used to describe the transport of water through an actual, vegetated plant into the atmosphere. Transpiration is an important part of the evapotranspiration process, and a major mechanism of the water cycle in the atmosphere.
Desertification is the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by variations in climate and human activities. Home to a third of the human population in 2000, drylands occupy nearly half of Earth’s land area.
Surface water is precipitation that does not infiltrate into the ground or return to the atmosphere by transpiration or evaporation. It may be loosely defined as water that stands or flows on the surface of the Earth and is commonly referred to as runoff.
An object’s kinetic energy can be classified as internal or external. For example, a falling coin has a certain external kinetic energy that is related to its overall mass and to its velocity as it falls. The coin is also composed of particles that, like all particles, are moving in a random way, independent of the overall motion (or position) of the coin. The particles in the coin are constantly moving, colliding, changing direction, and changing their velocities.
