Carbon footprint, carbon-neutral, and carbon trading are no longer obscure terms banded about by environmental anoraks. They are new entries in the latest edition of the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, which means they have officially entered the English language.
With the plethora of newsprint and commentary about climate change in the last couple of years, reflecting its meteoric rise up the political and media agenda, it is perhaps little surprise that these green buzzwords have entered the lexicon.
So next time someone looks at me blankly when I tell them their Chelsea tractor is increasing their carbon footprint, I can add "A large, four-wheel-drive vehicle used in urban areas" is causing a rise in "the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the activities, especially the consumption of fossil fuels, of a particular person"(i.e.you).
Many will take issue with the definition for carbon-neutral, which many businesses are claming to be by "making no net release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere". The SOD describes it as a practice achieved "especially through offsetting emissions by planting trees" - but it is a hotly contested issue whether planting trees is the best way to offset emissions.
For the equally contentious carbon trading see "emissions trading" which is defined as "a system whereby countries and organisations are given permits to produce a particular amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which they may trade with others."
Green audit is an "an assessment of a business as regards its observance of practices which seek to minimize harm to the environment".
What has the SOD missed? Just this morning I have heard the following new green term 'carbon positive' , when you offset more Co2 than you emit. I spoke about 'personal carbon trading' - a system whereby individuals are given permits to produce a particular amount of carbon dioxide which they can trade with other people - and I wrote about 'reverse vending' - a vending machine that pays you to recycle your plastic bottle. How long before these terms enter every day parlance?
My money's on a term I've just coined 'carbon lite' - for consumer goods that are produced using little CO2.
What green terms do you think should be added to the dictionary?
