Glossary

Absolute standards approach see Strong sustainability approach.

Accuracy the degree of correctness of a quantity. Accuracy is measured by the deviation of the measured quantity from the true quantity.

Acid precipitation nitrogen and sulphur oxides react in the atmosphere with water vapour to produce sulphuric and nitric acids that eventually fall to the earth as rain, snow or mist.

Acid rain see Acid precipitation.

Acidification an increase in the degree of acidity of an ecosystem which can be caused by natural processes, acid deposition and acid fertilizers.

Activity a human pursuit.

Adaptation adjustment of society or ecosystem to a new conditions.

Adaptation cost the cost of adaptation of society to an impact.

Additive impact an impact which is the result of two or more agents acting together and which is the simple sum of the effects of the agents acting independently.

Aerobic ability to live, grow or take place only in the presence of free oxygen.

Aerosol fine particulate matter generated in the atmosphere through the transformation of contaminants such a sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

Aesthetic concerned with the degree of sensory appeal or beauty.

Aforestation the process of reforesting areas that are devoid of trees. In addition to planting trees, this could include other silvicultural prescriptions such as site preparation, seedling protection and fertilization.

Agency cost the capital, and operating costs associated with the provision of a service or facility to the general public.

Aggregate (1) total, combined; (2) sand, gravel, pebbles and stone added to cement to mix concrete, or added to bitumen to make asphalt mixes.

Air quality standard the maximum levels of specified pollutants designated by a regulatory authority as permissible in an airshed (or portion thereof). Generally based on air quality criteria.

Airshed a unit of atmosphere in which air and air pollution tends to circulate, such as the area over a region or valley. The term originates from the concept of watershed.

Ambient pollution concentration the general characteristic concentration of a pollutant for a geographic area.

Amenity the quality of being pleasing or agreeable in situation, prospect, disposition, etc.

Anaerobic ability to live, grow or take place only where there is no air of free oxygen present.

Annoyance a displeasing, troubling or slightly irritating disturbance.

Anthropocentric human-centred; with reference to the environment, viewing the value of nature solely from a human perspective and utility.

Anthropogenic man-produced or induced; originating from human sources and activities.

Appraisal see Evaluation.

Appropriated carrying capacity surface area of planet earth appropriated to serve human needs of habitation, food, fuels, fibres, wood products and waste processing by nature.

Aquifer an underground geologic formation of stratum that contains water and transmits it from one point to another in quantities capable of yielding an appreciable supply of water for human needs.

Area source multiple point sources of pollution dispersed over an area, where each point contributes a small amount of pollution.

Articulated bus a bus composed of two segments which can rotate about one joint, giving extra manoeuvrability to the long vehicle.

Articulated truck combination of a truck tractor and one or more trailers; not a straight truck.

Asphalt (1) see Bitumen; (2) a mixture of bitumen with aggregates used as a paving material. (1) tar-like substance used as a binder

Assimilative capacity the ability of ecosystems to assimilate some amount of a stressor before harmful effects begin to take place.

Atmosphere the envelope of air surrounding the earth. Most of the total mass of the atmosphere lies within the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Atmospheric change global atmospheric alteration resulting from human influences. Global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion are two manifestations of atmospheric change.

Atom the smallest unit of matter which can exist by itself and still retain its chemical properties.

Attribute an inherent, quantifiable characteristics of a decision criteria.

B-train double trailer truck a truck tractor pulling two trailers. The first trailer behind the tractor has an extended frame for attaching the second trailer.

Background concentration the level or concentration of a substance found in the air, water, or soil of a geographical area due to natural processes alone; the starting point for the determination of enhanced chemical concentrations caused by human activities.

Backstop technology futuristic substitutes for present-day technology, with supposedly lesser negative impacts on the environment.

Bacteria microscopic organisms having round, rodlike, spiral, or filamentous single-celled or noncellular bodies often aggregated into colonies. They inhabit soil, water, organic matter, or the bodies of plants, animals and humans.

Barrier effect the interference of a road or other transportation facility with human and wildlife activities requiring the crossing of the facility.

Base case an existing situation against which proposed projects or policies are compared. Also see Do minimum.

Benefit the value of a good or service to a consumer; the increase in welfare to an individual as a result of a good or service; a decrease in cost.

Benefit forgone the lost opportunity for realising a benefit; arising because economic resources, such as land, labour and materials, used in a project, could have been put to alternative uses which also would have generated benefits.

Benthic organisms all the plants or animals living on or closely associated with the bottom of a body of water.

Bequest value the merit derived from preserving the option for later generations to use or access environmental benefits or resources in the future.

Bioaccumulation see Bioconcentration.

Bioassay an assessment of the nature of pollutants in a sample which is made by using living organisms as the sensors. Changes in the biological activity of the living organisms due to a pollutant are used as a qualitative or quantitative measure of the effect of the pollutant on other living organisms.

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) the amount of dissolved oxygen required for the bacterial decomposition of organic waste in water; large amounts of organic waste use up large amounts of dissolved oxygen, thus the greater the degree of pollution, the greater the BOD.

Bioconcentration the increase in levels of toxic substances in an organism over time due to continued exposure.

Biodiversity biological diversity; the variety of life in an area, from small areas such as a pond to the whole biosphere. Biodiversity is recognized at three main levels: ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. It also involves the countless, complex ways in which living things function and interact.

Biofuel fuel derived from biomass by an industrial process.

Biomagnification the increase in the concentration of contaminants as they move up the food chain.

Biomass total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each level in a food chain.

Biophysical limits the limits placed on resource consumption and, therefore, economic growth by resource availability and the ability of ecosystems to absorb wastes, replace lost ecological capital and continue to function productively.

Biosphere the total space on planet earth where life can survive, including the soil, water and the lower atmosphere. The biosphere is a thin layer compared to the bulk of the planet.

Biotechnology branch of technology exploiting biological processes, especially using micro-organisms in industry and medicine.

Bitumen a tarlike oil product used as the cementing material in road pavement.

Blight an impaired condition.

Boreal northern.

Box car an enclosed multi-purpose rail car.

Box source see Line source.

British Columbia Environmental provincial legislation requiring environmental assessment of

Assessment Act (BCEAA) projects proposed in British Columbia.

Brominated fluorocarbons see Halons.

Bromine (Br) a member of the halogen family of nonmetallic elements

Brundtland Report Our Common Future report by the World Commission on Environment and Development, published in 1987. It was commissioned in 1986 by United Nations and was led by Norway's Prime Minister Brundtland. The report brought the concept of sustainable development to the global arena.

Budget programming see Planning, program.

Business-as-usual a situation in which abatement strategies are not sought and environmental damages continue at an unimpeded level.

Capital stock man-made (not natural) stock such as financial capital, means of production, knowledge and infrastructure.
 
 

Carbon (C) a nonmetallic element found native in diamond and graphite or as a constituent of coal, petroleum, natural gas and asphalt, of limestone and other carbonates, and of organic compounds of living and dead organisms.

Carbon cycle the path of carbon and carbon-containing compounds in nature, from carbon sources to carbon sinks.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) a non-toxic, greenhouse gas normally present in the ambient air and also produced when a substance containing carbon, such as fossil fuels, is burned in the presence of adequate oxygen.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent the mass of CO2 necessary to produce a greenhouse effect which is equivalent to the greenhouse effect produced by non-CO2 greenhouse gas.

Carbon monoxide (CO) a toxic gas produced as a result of the incomplete combustion of fuels containing carbon.

Carbon oxides (COX) gases formed when carbon combines with oxygen.

Carbon sink An environmental medium that assimilates and stores carbon or its compounds.

Carbon source a carbon sink which releases the stored carbon due to natural or anthropogenic processes. Carbon sources include fossil fuel burning, warming of the oceans, forest fires, cultivation of carbon-rich soils, decomposition of organic matter, deforestation, and many other.

Carbon tax a means of using economic incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels by charging polluters a fee for each unit of mass of carbon or carbon equivalent emitted to the atmosphere.

Carcinogen a substance or combination of substances that cause cancer.

Carrying capacity the limited capacity of the biosphere to provide for human needs.

Cascading impact impact resulting from a previous impact.

Catalytic converter air emission control device for internal combustion engine.

Chlorine (Cl) a member of the halogen family of nonmetallic elements.

Chlorofluoro carbons (CFCs) a family of manufactured inert, nontoxic gases composed of chlorine, fluorine and carbon. Along with halons CFCs are the main cause of stratospheric ozone depletion. CFCs are also extremely potent greenhouse gases.

Climate the synthesis of day-to-day temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, and wind velocity variations in a locality over a fairly long period.

Climate change see Global warming.

CO2 doubling doubling of atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, relative to the concentration prior to the Industrial Revolution.

CO2 equivalent see Carbon dioxide equivalent.

Coastal wetland wetland that extends back from an estuary; includes salt marshes, tidal basins, marshes, and mangrove swamps.

Cold start starting the engine cold, as opposed to starting it before it cooled off from previous running.

Combination truck a truck tractor or straight truck connected to one or more trailers.

Concentration the amount of chemical or substance in a given environmental medium. Concentration is typically expressed in units such as mg/L (in water), mg/kg (in soil or food) and mg/m³ (in air).

Congruent agreeing; in agreement or harmony.

Conjoint analysis a monetization technique assessing perceptions of environmental benefits relative to each other and not in absolute terms as does the contingent valuation method.

Conservation value the value of conserving an ecosystem for the future.

Consumer surplus the excess in monetary value an individual would be willing to pay over and above the total expenditures that would be made for a good at a fixed price.

Consumptive benefit direct benefit to humans.

Consumptive use value see Direct use value.

Container a shipping container that can be carried by various vehicles on the same trip; for example, truck, rail and ship.

Contingent valuation method a monetization technique in which a representative sample of society is surveyed on how much they value a particular non-market good or service.

Control cost the cost of avoiding or reducing a stressor at the source, or its impact on a receptor

Control cost approach a monetization technique that approximates the cost of environmental impacts with the costs of mitigation and adaptation.

Conventional economics the study, description and analysis of the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services by humans.

CORE Commission on Resources and the Environment, an independent commission established by the British Columbia provincial government in January 1992 with a mandate to develop and implement a process that will create a comprehensive land use plan for the province. The Commission is also charged with initiating a regional process to resolve resource use disputes.

Correlate to derive a mutual or reciprocal relation; to connect systematically.

Corridor planning identifying and evaluating alternative corridors to serve travel demand defined during system level planning.

Cortical cataracts a medical condition involving the clouding of the outer lens of the eye that obstructs vision and that can result from the over-exposure to UV-B rays.

Cost the outlay or expenditure made to achieve an object; the foregone benefits associated with the consumption of a good or service; a reduction in benefits.

Cost benefit analysis an evaluation method of the economic efficiency of a project, programme or policy. Usually, impacts are measured in monetary terms. The monetized value of a beneficial impact is called a "benefit" and the monetized value of an adverse impact is called a "cost". If the sum of the benefits exceeds the sum of the costs, it is presumed that the proposed action should be adopted from the economic efficiency point of view.

Cost effectiveness analysis relating the benefits of a project to the investment cost. The benefits must all be expressed in a common unit, for example number of severe accidents prevented.

Criterion standard on which judgement or decision may be based. Criteria are derived from objectives. Also see Attribute. (Plural: criteria.)

Critical load the threshold which must be exceeded for environmental harm to take effect.

Crustaceans Animals with a hard outside shell, antennae, mouthparts and compound eyes, living in water. These include: lobster, crab, shrimp, amphipods and barnacles.

Crystal Ball software performing Monte Carlo simulations on calculations coded into a standard spreadsheet software.

Cumulative impact the impacts which result from the incremental impact of an action when added to other past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions.

Damage a loss of inherent quality suffered by an entity.

Damage cost the sum total monetary cost of environmental damages including market and non-market costs.

Damage cost approach a monetization technique which involves summing all damage costs resulting from the loss or reduction of benefits derived from natural goods and services.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyl a chlorinated hydrocarbon that has been widely used as a

trichloroethane) pesticide and has been proven to have negative effects on the biological productivity of predatory species.

Decibel (dB) a logarithmic measure of noise.

Decibel A-weighted (dB(A)) a measure of noise that emphasizes the frequency sensitivities of human beings.

Deficit deficiency in amount or quality.

Desertification the process by which land is converted to a desert or desert-like state.

Direct externality externality produced directly by road construction, maintenance and the use of motor vehicles.

Direct impact an impact which occurs at the same time and place as the source activity.

Direct use value the worth or usefulness of environmental products, such as timber or various species of plants used for food and medicine, which are directly consumed by humans and must be managed to prevent depletion.

Disbenefit see Cost.

Discount rate the numerical rate used to compare monetary values occurring at different points in time.

Discounting application of a discount rate to convert future monetary value to a present value.

Dispersion scattering or spreading a pollutant widely in space.

Disutility the quality of causing inconvenience, harm, distress, etc. Also see Cost.

Diurnal evaporative losses the evaporative loss of volatile organic compounds caused by temperature changes resulting from daytime warming, leading to the air-fuel mixture in the tank expanding and expelling vapour.

Diverted traffic traffic which changes its origin or destination due to changes in transportation infrastructure.

Do minimum a modified base case used in project and policy evaluation, comprising existing situation plus minimum improvements which would have occurred in the absence of capital investment.

Dose the amount of a stressor received, per unit of body weight, per unit of time.

Dose response assessment the process of characterizing the relationship between the dose of a stressor and the incidence of an adverse health effect in exposed populations.

Dose response function a relationship expressing how much biological damage, including morbidity or mortality of humans, is produced per unit dose of a stressor.

Double counting accounting for the same cost, benefit or impact more than once in the evaluation of the same project.

Double trailer truck a truck tractor pulling two trailers.

Downstream occurring after the end-use of a product or an activity.

Downstream emissions the sum total of emissions resulting from downstream activities.

Downstream energy the sum total of all forms of energy (fossil fuels, hydroelectric, etc.) used by downstream activities.

Downstream externality an externality that arise from downstream activities; for example, environmental impacts of a vehicle disposal site.

Eco-catastrophe an upheaval caused by an ecological disturbance.

Eco-centric having regard for the biosphere as the support system of all life on earth, including human life.

Eco-crisis ecological crisis; a state of the ecological environment which has reached a critical phase of local, regional or global concern as a result of human actions.

Eco-forest a term used to describe a forest which is harvested for long term sustainable yield using cutting regimes that preserve the integrity of the stand and only selectively remove individual trees.

Eco-refugee a person forced to flee their place of habitation due to an eco-crisis or eco-catastrophe.

Ecological economics considers all of the possible values of a natural system including conventional economic values, those intangibles considered within environmental economics and the value of ecosystems as sources of economic resources and sinks for wastes produced by human activities.

Ecological niche a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species.

Ecological resource see Natural capital.

Ecological system see Ecosystem.

Ecology a branch of science concerned with the interrelationships the interactions of organisms and their environments.

Economic Analysis Project research and development project launched by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways in 1990 to develop and implement cost-benefit analysis framework and tools.

Economic demand the desire for a commodity together with the ability to pay for it; the amount of some commodity that people are ready and able to buy at a certain price.

Economic efficiency maximizing real economic gains to consumers and producers, including gains in the quality of life and protection of the environment.

Economic impact assessment accounting for the impacts of a project on regional or local employment, income, sales tax revenues, etc. The method does not consider economic efficiency.

Economic instruments the provision of incentives for environmentally desirable behaviour by influencing price levels.

Economics the science concerned with the material welfare of mankind.

Ecosphere see Biosphere.

Ecosystem the physical, chemical and biological environment.

Ecosystem rehabilitation cost the cost of repairing or rehabilitating damaged habitat or ecosystem.

Ecosystem replacement cost the cost of replacing habitats or ecosystems that have been destroyed by human activity.

Efficiency accomplishment of or ability to accomplish an objective in the best possible and least wasteful manner.

Effluent liquid which is released into the environment and which contains contaminating waste material.

Elasticity elasticity of a function is a unit-free measure of the degree to which one variable changes in response to a change in another variable.

Electromagnetic energy radiant energy that can move through a vacuum or through space as waves of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Embedded see Embodied.

Embodied contained in a man-made product or service prior to using them in another activity.

Emission the total of substances discharged into the air from a discrete source.

Emission rate standard rate of emission per unit of activity, such as grams per kilometre travelled under a given set of operating conditions.

End use part of a full life cycle preceding disposal or dispersion in the environment.

Endangered species species on the verge of immediate extinction or extirpation.

Enforcement exercise of supervision over the application of measures prescribed by direct regulation and, if necessary, the punishment of defaulters.

Engineered wetland wetland area created by humans; usually performed to replace the loss of naturally occurring wetlands that have been destroyed or damaged by human industrial actions such as road building and residential land development on wetland habitats.

Enhanced greenhouse effect the normal greenhouse effect altered as a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases. Less energy is re-radiated by the earth to space and a greater amount is absorbed in the atmosphere, warming the natural temperature of the earth's surface.

Environment the complex of physical, chemical and biotic factors (as climate, soil, water and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival.

Environmental amenity see Environmental benefit

Environmental assessment a process required by regulation, by which all available information and public concerns associated with a single proposed project are reviewed.

Environmental benefit any change in an environmental good or service that increases net benefits to society, either by increasing quantity of the good or service or quality of the good or service.

Environmental charge a fee paid by polluters per amount of pollutant, that is used as an incentive to reduce emissions.

Environmental cost any change in an environmental good or service that decreases net benefits to society, either by decreasing quantity of the good or service or quality of the good or service. May also include some social costs such as barrier effect.

Environmental economics considers the conventional market values of a resource, such as sales, employment, tax revenue, as well as the non-traditional values that are not directly priced in the market place, such as recreation, aesthetics, option, existence and bequest values.

Environmental efficiency the efficiency with which resources are used and wastes are produced per unit of output from the economy.

Environmental good see Environmental benefit.

Environmental impact negative or positive change in the state of the environment as a result of human activity.

Environmental impact assessment a study by government agencies or the proponent of the probable changes in the various socio-economic and biophysical characteristics of the environment which may result from a proposed project or impeding action. Typically includes methods and conditions for reducing or compensating for adverse impacts.

Environmental media Air, land, water and biomass.

Environmental service see Environmental benefit.

Environmental space see Carrying capacity.

Epidemiology the statistical study of categories of persons and the patterns of diseases from which they suffer in order to determine the events or circumstances causing these diseases.

Equity the concept of the fairness of the distribution of income; in contrast to efficiency which concentrates on income maximization regardless of its distribution.

Estuary the tidal mouth of a river.

Ethanol alcohol; an alternative fuel produced through the distilling of grains, wood or other biomass.

Eutrophication the process by which a body of water becomes either naturally or by pollution rich in dissolved nutrients (as nitrates and phosphates) and often shallow with a seasonal deficiency in dissolved oxygen.

Evaluate to ascertain the merit of an alternative.

Evaluation the process of determining measures of merit of an alternative against stated objectives and comparing that measure with those of other alternatives.

Evaporative losses the loss of volatile organic compounds contained in fuel by the process of evaporation.

Ex-urbanite a person residing in the semi-rural environment of outer urban fringe or urban shadow, but not dependent on the country for livelihood.

Exacerbate to increase the severity or worsen the condition or situation.

Existence impact indirect impact due to the fact that a transportation facility provides access to the general area, for example, increased industrial activity, urban shadow, increased usage of wilderness for hunting and recreation, etc.

Existence value the inherent value of each and every recognized plant, animal and natural system simply because it exists; this value is recognized by humans as the ethical need to respect and preserve nature.

Exposure the process by which a stressor is delivered to a receptor, resulting in a dose

External benefit benefit not designed or not intended to accrue to provider or user of a transportation facility.

External cost impact affecting those who are not targeted by a project; for example, air pollution from traffic affects those who do not own or drive motor vehicles.

Externality a residual or side effect of an economic activity in which a benefit or cost is conferred upon a party who is not a party to the original transaction either as a producer, consumer, or agent.

Extinct species species no longer existing anywhere.

Extirpate to remove, destroy or wipe out locally.

Extirpated species species no longer found in the wild in a region or country, although they exist elsewhere.

Extrapolate to infer more widely from a limited range of known facts, or to calculate on the basis of known facts to estimate unknown facts.

Exurban (outer) fringe a wide urban-oriented zone which lies beyond the relatively narrow suburban zone and in which urbanization is evident, but not predominant.

Eye cataracts see Cortical cataracts.

Fate a description of the movement of a stressor through various environmental media.

Fecundity the ability to produce offspring.

Feedback the reaction of some results of a process serving to alter or reinforce the character of the process. Negative feedback serves to weaken the process, positive feedback reinforces it.

Fine particulates particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 m m aerodynamic particle size diameter.

Fluff the residue of rubber, plastic and other non-metal materials that remain following the removal of the commercially recyclable components of a motor vehicle.

Fluorine (F) a member of the halogen family of nonmetallic elements.

Food chain a specific energy and food pathway in ecosystems linking producers and consumers.

Food web the totality of all food chains within an ecosystem. At the bottom of the food web are plants and bacteria, and large carnivores are at the top.

Forest dieback the dying of trees caused by any of several parasites, environmental conditions, etc.

Fossil fuel fuel such as coal, natural gas and oil, which is derived from the remains of ancient plants and animals.

Free-rider problem a problem encountered in greenhouse abatement policy, whereby any individual nation does not have an incentive to take abatement measures, because other countries who do not follow suit would enjoy the benefits of abatement without enduring the costs.

Fresh water wetland wetland without the influence of sea water; includes swamps, marshes, and bogs.

Fuel efficiency the efficiency of fuel use for road vehicles. It is typically measured in distance driven per unit volume of fuel (f. ex. km/L).

Fuel intensity the inverse of fuel efficiency, and refers to the intensity of fuel use for road vehicles. It is typically measured in litres per 100 km.

Fugitive dust atmospheric dust arising from disturbance of granular matter exposed to the air; called "fugitive" because it is not released to the atmosphere in a confined flow stream.

Fugitive emissions emissions other than those released to the atmosphere in a confined flow stream. The main fugitive emissions from mobile sources occur through the evaporation of fuel from gasoline vehicles and the release of fluorocarbons from vehicle air-conditioners.

Full fuel cycle the sequence of activities associated with fuel use, including the end-use combustion plus the production, transport, storage and disposal of the fuel.

Functional planning development of concepts for specific routes and nodes of transportation corridors identified in reconnaissance planning.

Fungi any of a major group ) of lower plants that lack the green photosynthetic matter (chlorophyll) and include moulds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms and yeasts.

Generated traffic change in the volume of traffic due to travel demand that has not existed prior to a change in transportation infrastructure. The change may be positive (due to transportation infrastructure improvement), or negative (due to transportation infrastructure deterioration or decline of its performance). Also see Induced traffic and Latent demand.

Global climate change see Global warming.

Global cooling the cooling of the earth's atmosphere.

Global warming the warming of the earth's atmosphere caused by human-generated emissions of certain gases that enhance the greenhouse effect. An increase in global temperatures could lead to substantial changes in climate globally world, including altered precipitation patterns and a rise in global sea level.

Global warming potential (GWP) the ability or strength of a substance to contribute to the greenhouse effect; it is a relative unit, measured against CO2, which has a global warming potential of 1.0.

Goal the end towards which effort is directed.

Goal programming an evaluation method which chooses the alternative whose criteria values are closest to a set of predefined goals, defined as an acceptable, desirable or ideal level of each criteria measure.

Greater Vancouver Regional District a jurisdiction comprising 18 municipalities and other minor

(GVRD) jurisdictions in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

Greenhouse effect a natural warming of the earth's atmosphere caused by the presence of greenhouse gases that trap solar radiation received by the earth. The earth would be cold and dry without the effect.

Greenhouse gases include water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O₃), and halocarbon species that can trap solar energy within the atmosphere.

Greenspace wetlands, forests, farmlands, parks and other biologically productive lands found within urban field.

Gross domestic product (GDP) total value of the goods produced and services provided domestically in a country in one year. It is equivalent to gross national product minus net investment incomes from foreign nations.

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) the total weight of a vehicle loaded with its contents, fuel and driver(s). GVW is expressed in units of mass.

Ground-level ozone main component of smog, found near the earth's surface, as opposed to the ozone found in the stratosphere. Also called tropospheric ozone. It is formed by the reaction of VOCs and NOx in the presence of sunlight and warm temperatures.

Habitat the place in which an animal or plant lives. The sum of environmental circumstances in the place inhabited by an organism, population or community.

Halocarbons a group of chemicals formed from carbon and one or more members of the halogen family of non-metallic elements, i.e. fluorine, chlorine, bromine.

Halons industrial halocarbons which contain bromine. Halons are used as fire extinguishing agents. They are the strongest ozone depletors and can destroy up to 16 times as much ozone as CFCs. Also called brominated fluorocarbons.

Harm a loss to a species or individual consequent on damage which is a function of the concentration to which the organism is exposed and of the duration of exposure.

Hazard any inherent physical or chemical characteristic of a material or system which gives it the capability of damaging the environment or adversely affecting human health and well-being.

Hazardous waste a waste or combination of wastes, which may cause or significantly contribute to present or potential hazard to human life, health or the environment when improperly managed.

Heavy metals metals with a high molecular weight, such as mercury, lead, cadmium and chromium. Heavy metals are generally toxic to plants and animals even in low concentrations. Some are also essential to life, i.e. copper, zinc

Hedonic pricing a monetization technique in which values for non-market goods are inferred from consumer decisions in the market; this is done by finding associated market-priced goods, (property values, wages) that correlate to the non-market good under consideration (traffic noise, increased toxicity of the environment).

Heritage value the value resulting from the need of a people to identify with environmental goods and services that historically provided food, water, clothing and shelter, or spiritual meaning, or well being.

High-level planning system level, reconnaissance and corridor planning; development of broad governmental planning and policy objectives.

High occupancy vehicle (HOV) a car, van, bus or other passenger road vehicle carrying at least three people, including the driver.

Holistic considering whole entities as more than merely the sums of their parts.

Hopper car an enclosed railway car used to haul bulk commodities such as grain or potash.

Hot soak evaporative losses the evaporative loss of volatile organic compounds resulting from engine heat after the engine is stopped.

Hot-in-place recycling a process used to recycle road pavement surface; the road is heated and scarified to a pre-determined depth, the old material is re-mixed with asphalt rejuvenators, re-laid and then may also be reinforced with a thin overlay of new asphalt.

Hydro hydroelectric energy.

Hydrocarbons class of organic compounds containing carbon and hydrogen. Hydrocarbons often occur as air pollutants from unburned or partially burned gasoline and from evaporation of industrial solvents. In the presence of sunlight and oxides of nitrogen, they can form photochemical smog.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) organic substances composed of hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, and carbon atoms. These chemicals are less stable than CFCs, and are, therefore, less damaging to the ozone layer.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) chemicals with fluorine but no chlorine, and therefore likely not damaging to the ozone layer. However, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases.

Hydrogen a nonmetallic element that is the simplest, lightest of all elements; a colourless odourless highly flammable diatomic gas.

Hydrologic involving changes in surface and ground water flow, such as increase in flooding frequency and reduction of groundwater recharge.

Hydrology the study of the properties, distribution, and flow of water on or in the earth.

Immunological disorder a disease of the immune system.

Impact chemical or biophysical consequences expected in a receptor after a change in exposure to stressors.

Incremental cost a positive or negative change in the value of a cost.

Indirect benefit environmental benefit which is not directly considered in the market but influences the value of other benefits that are examined within the market; for example, forests support hunting and fishing by providing necessary habitat for fish and animal species.

Indirect effects the indirect impacts of transportation on land use; may include growth-induced effects and other effects related to induced changes in the pattern of land use, population density or growth rate, and related effects on air and water and other natural systems.

Indirect emissions emissions resulting from all aspects of motor vehicle maintenance and manufacture aside from the direct burning of fuels to run motor vehicle engines.

Indirect energy represents the energy consumed in the production of building materials and their associated transportation during processing; the largest component of embodied energy.

Indirect externality externality resulting from changes in land use and resource consumption, the production of fuels, vehicles, road materials, and machinery and not directly associated with road construction, maintenance or use.

Indirect impact not direct impact.

Indirect use value the usefulness of environmental products, such as aesthetics, which are not reduced in quantity as a result of consumption.

Induced benefit see Indirect benefit.

Induced traffic the change in diverted traffic plus the generated traffic volumes following transportation infrastructure changes.

Industrial halocarbons a group of synthetic chemical compounds containing carbon and one or more of chlorine, fluorine, or bromine. Only those industrial halocarbons containing chlorine or bromine pose a threat to the ozone layer.

Infrastructure cost the cost of constructing and maintaining transportation, communications, schools, hospitals and other facilities.

Inhalable particulates (PM10) particulate matter less than or equal to 10 m m aerodynamic particle size diameter.

Inland wetland not a coastal wetland.

Insularization fragmentation and separation of a habitat or an area from surrounding environment as a consequence of development.

Intangible (1) not capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value; not capable of being precisely identified or realized by the mind; (2) entity known neither quantitatively nor qualitatively.

Intangible impact impact which has no physical presence, not capable of being perceived, and often difficult to define and quantify.

Integrated cost approach a monetization technique in which the damage cost method, supplemented with an estimation of mitigation and adaptation costs, and of monetary equivalents of non-use values, provides an estimate of a shadow price of an environmental impact.

Inter-species equity the relative distribution of environmental goods and services benefits between species.

Intergenerational equity the relative distribution of benefits between various generations.
 
 

Intergovernmental Panel on an international panel of several hundred scientists convened

Climate Change (IPCC) by the United Nations Environmental Program to work on scientific resolution of question regarding man-induced global climate change.

Intermittent alternately ceasing and beginning again.

Intermodal involving the interaction of different modes of transportation.

Internal combustion engine an engine in which the process of combustion takes place within the cylinder or cylinders.

Internal cost cost which is assumed by the user or provider of the facility and which does not directly impact non-users; for example, vehicle repairs are largely a cost borne by the owner of the vehicle.

Internalize charge external costs to those who give rise to them.

International equity the relative distribution of benefits between various countries.

Intertidal marsh a marsh with its surface confined between the low-water mark and the high-water mark, and thus inundated by all tides.

Intrinsic value a value belonging to a thing by its very nature.

Invertebrate animals not having a spinal column.

Itinerary detailed plan.

Joule (J) a unit of energy.

Judgmental cost benefit analysis an evaluation framework in which benefits and costs are compared, but are not reduced to common units such as the dollar.

L10 the noise level in dB(A) which is exceeded for 10 percent of the time over a one hour period.

L10 (18 hours) the mean of the hourly L10 values taken over an 18 hour period, typically from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Lagoon natural surface impoundment or impoundment designed to hold liquid wastes or wastes containing free liquids.

Land use impacts the general impacts of low density, urban expansion and specific damage to wildlife habitat and greenspace that results from increased mobility and automobile use.

Landfall the land sighted or reached.

Landfill a facility at which landfilling takes place; an engineered method of disposing of solid wastes on land by spreading the wastes in thin layers, compacting the wastes to the smallest practical volume, and covering them with a layer of earth.

Landtake appropriation of farmland, parkland and undeveloped land for residential, industrial, institutional and transportation developments.

Latent demand potential travel demand, capable of emerging following transportation improvements.

Leach to dissolve out material from permeable matter by the solvent action of a liquid such as water passing through it.

Leachate liquid emanating from a land disposal site that contains dissolved, suspended and/or microbial contaminants from the solid waste.

Leq the equivalent continuous sound level in dB(A) weighted over a period in which the measurement is taken.

Level of service (LOS) a measure of road facility performance, expressed on a scale from A (optimum functioning facility) to F (poorly functioning facility). LOS is calculated from several variables describing the traffic and the facility.

Life cycle a series of stages through which an organism or an object passes during its lifetime, from the conception to death or scrappage.

Life cycle cost cost of impacts generated during the life cycle of an activity or product.

Line haul the inter-city portion of the transportation of a shipment.

Line source a source of emissions that is linear or thin and narrow in geographic area and that is usually associated with the continuous fluctuating emissions from vehicle exhaust. Also called box source.

Load the concentration or amount of environmental impact received by a receptor.

Lobby a group of persons who conduct a campaign to influence the voting of legislators.

Logit modelling a modelling technique which disaggregates complex preferences of respondents, obtained empirically, into component utilities.

Lower Fraser Valley (LFV) see Lower Mainland.

Lower Mainland common term used to describe the Lower Fraser Valley west of Hope in British Columbia, Canada, in which Greater Vancouver is located.

Malignant tumour variety of cancerous tumour that does not respond to treatment and tends to be life threatening.

Margin the point of monetary return below which production is unprofitable: the point of consumer satisfaction below which consumption is not attractive.

Marginal benefit benefit at the margin; the benefit from one additional unit.

Marginal cost the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied.

Marginal damage cost the cost of additional unit of damage from a harmful impact.

Market a conceptual term used to describe the sale and purchase of goods and services under controlled conditions.

Market cost the cost of a good or a service which is directly bought and sold in the marketplace.

Market economics see Neo-classical economics.

Market imperfection deviation from the assumptions of a perfect market.

Market price the dollar value of a good or a service that is bought, sold or traded in the marketplace.

Material cost one or more of repair, rehabilitation, replacement, cleaning, abatement, physical adaptation, and defence costs.

Maximum sustained yield a concept that attempts to estimate how much of a renewable natural resource can be used before use exceeds renewal and the resource begins to be depleted; often the rate of renewal is modelled without complete ecological knowledge of the harvested species or resource resulting in inaccurate yield estimates and the threat of overharvesting.

Mean the arithmetic average equal to the sum of the items in a group divided by the number of items.

Measure an activity or policy instrument which contributes immediately or in the longer term, to improving environmental quality.

Measure of merit measure of worth; value.

Median the middle number in an increasing or decreasing series of numbers, such that the same number of values appears above the median as do below it.

Melanoma a form of malignant skin cancer that can be caused by over-exposure to UV-B rays and is one of the major human health concerns of ozone depletion.

Methane (CH4) a colourless, odourless gas which is the main constituent of natural gas and may be created by decomposition of plant matter in the absence of oxygen

Methane clathrates ice crystal structures containing methane molecules trapped between water molecules. They are significant global sinks of methane and can be found at sub-zero temperatures under the bottom of deep oceans.

Methanol methyl alcohol; used as an automotive fuel, solvent and an antifreeze liquid.

Microorganism microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa and viruses, that can not be viewed by the unaided human eye.

Migratory waterfowl water birds that pass periodically from one region to another.

Mite any of numerous small to very small insect-like organisms that often infest animals, plants, and stored foods and include important disease vectors.

Mitigation Preventing a stressor from being produced, or reducing its degree, intensity or quantity before it causes impacts on receptors.

Mobile source vehicles of all types: road motor vehicles, off-road vehicles, mobile machinery, trains, ships and aeroplanes.

Molecule a group of atoms held together by chemical force.

Monetization the process of determining a monetary value for non-market goods, such as recreation.

Monetized cost benefit analysis an evaluation framework in which costs and benefits are reduced to the same monetary unit to permit direct comparison, but only so far as monetization is credible.

Monte Carlo simulation an interactive modelling technique where parameter values are drawn at random from defined probability distributions and the process is repeated until a stable distribution of solutions results.

Montreal Protocol a landmark international agreement signed by 77 countries on September 16, 1987, to protect the ozone layer. The Protocol committed its signatories to a gradual phase-out of ozone depleting substances through controls on production and use of these chemicals

Morbidity the relative incidence of ill health.

Mortality the number of deaths in a given time or place; the proportion of deaths to population.

Multi-attribute utility analysis evaluation method which considers numerous decision criteria, each characterized by an attribute.

Multi-lateral participated in by two or more states.

Multi-modal involving more than one transportation mode.

Multiple account evaluation (MAE) comprehensive accounting framework for multiple criteria decision making, accounting for financial performance, customer service, environment, economic development, and social .implications of alternative plans and projects.

Multiple counting see Double counting

Multiple criteria evaluation evaluation method which considers numerous decision criteria measured in more than one unit, for example monetized costs, non-monetized impacts, qualitative criteria, and intangibles.

Mutagenic a substance or combination of substances that promote genetic mutation.

Myopic nearsighted.

Natural capital the environmental goods and services that ecosystems provide, such as timber or the regulation of essential life-supporting processes which provide clean air, water and productive soil.

Natural greenhouse effect the warming effect of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere that are not of human origin.

Natural stock see Natural capital.

Neo-classical economics emphasizes values that are captured in the market, such as taxation, wages and sales, while ignoring benefits and costs that are not reflected directly in market transactions, growth, resource exploitation and unrestricted market activity.

Net present value present value of benefits minus present value of costs; used in comparing the economic efficiency of competing projects.

Nitrate NO3 radical in salts formed from chemical reactions of nitric acid (HNO3) with metals.

Nitric oxide (NO) has no direct effect on human health and is produced in the greatest quantities during combustion of fuels. It converts to nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen a colourless, odourless, gaseous element that constitutes about four fifths of the volume of the atmosphere.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has numerous direct effects on human health, is precursor of ground-level ozone, and gives smog the reddish-brown colour.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) gases formed when nitrogen combines with oxygen, can cause numerous health problems and contribute to ground level ozone and fine particulates formation, acid rain, the greenhouse effect and stratospheric ozone depletion.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) a very potent greenhouse gas.

Non-consumptive use value see Indirect use value.

Non-market cost the cost of a good or a service which is not directly bought and sold in the marketplace, such as aesthetics, health and community cohesion.

Non-market good good that can not be directly bought or sold in the marketplace, such as travel time.

Non-point source (NPS) a source of pollution which is not a point source, such as saltwater intrusion, urban stormwater runoff.

Non-point water pollution water pollution that originates from a variety of dispersed sources. Non-point sources, such as stormwater runoff from urban and agricultural areas, are one of the primary sources of pollution to receiving waters.

Non-renewable resource finite natural resource, such as minerals and biodiversity, which can not be restored in the short term by natural or industrial processes.

Non-use benefit non-consumptive benefit of an environmental or cultural resource, such as the recreation and aesthetic benefits obtained during wildlife viewing.

Non-use value existence, bequest, option and quasi-option value.

Normative relating or conforming to, or prescribing norms or standards.

Nutrient fixing and cycling the process by which matter is converted from inactive to biologically active forms.

Objective (1) something toward which effort is directed; (2) the value of a quantity relevant for a policy area, which this policy aims to achieve.

Ocean dynamics the motion and equilibrium of ocean systems under the action of outside influences.

Open space see Greenspace.

Opportunity cost the benefit of the next best alternative forgone when one makes a choice of a specific good or service.

Opportunity cost of capital (OCC) discount rate applied in cost benefit analysis, reflecting the view that current resources increase the wealth through investment and therefore have a greater value than future resources.

Optimal control level the point at which the marginal control cost of an environmental impact are equal to the marginal damage costs of avoided impact. From an economic efficiency point of view this is the level of control that should be sought.

Option something that may be or is chosen.

Option value the value derived from the option to use or access environmental benefits or resources in the future.

Order of magnitude a range extending from some value to ten times that value. Two orders of magnitude is a range extending to a hundred times the value.

Organism a living being.

Oxides of nitrogen see Nitrogen oxides.

Ozone (O3) a gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere, and is also produced from anthropogenic emission that react with sunlight near the earth's surface. Ozone in the stratosphere protects life from sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. In high concentrations at ground level it is toxic to organisms. Ozone also acts as a greenhouse gas.

Ozone depletion the thinning of the earth’s protective stratospheric ozone layer. The major causes of stratospheric ozone depletion are manufactured chemicals, primarily chlorofluorocarbons and halons.

Ozone depletion potential (ODP) a measure of the capability of a particular chemical to destroy ozone. It is measured against CFC-11, which has an ozone depletion potential of 1.0.

Ozone hole dramatic thinning of stratospheric ozone concentrations.

Ozone layer thinly scattered ozone molecules found in the stratosphere at an altitude of 10 to 40 km. The ozone molecules partially filter UV-B radiation emitted from the sun, preventing it from reaching the earth.

Particulate matter see Particulates.

Particulates airborne solid or liquid matter.

Pathway see Fate.

Payload the weight of contents transported in a vehicle.

Pelagic living or occurring in the open sea.

Perfect market consists of price-taking producers and consumers, and assumes that: if the price is high enough supply will meet it; property rights are specified over all goods (no public goods); utility functions of consumers have the property that 'more is better'; production functions have no unpriced or joint products; and all external costs can be efficiently internalized.

Perflourocarbons CFC substitutes, but extremely powerful greenhouse gases.

Permafrost continually frozen soil in arctic and subarctic regions.

Perpetuity endless or indefinitely long duration or existence.

Petrochemicals typically oil based fuels or substances used to operate and maintain machinery; includes such items as lubricating oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, transmission and brake fluid.

pH a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a material, liquid or solid. It is represented on a scale of 0 (the most acid) to 14 (the most alkaline), with 7 being a neutral state.

Phosphorus a nonmetallic element.

Photochemical oxidants substances in the air which make oxygen or oxygenated compounds available for chemical reaction. They are formed by the reaction of certain reactive hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide, under the influence of sunlight.

Photochemical process chemical reactions activated by light.

Photosynthesis the process by which plants use solar energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar and other carbohydrates; oxygen is released in the process.

Physical damage function a relationship expressing how much damage to a non-living receptor is produced per unit dose of a stressor.

Physiological characteristic of or appropriate to an organism's healthy or normal functioning.

Phytoplankton tiny plant organisms passively floating in the surface layer of an ocean, lake or other water body. Phytoplankton are the vital first step in many aquatic food chains.

Pick-up truck a small truck used for passenger and light goods transport.

Piggyback a truck trailer carried on a railway flat car.

Planning the act or process of making or carrying out plans for the establishment of goals, policies or procedures.

Planning blight an impaired condition of a developed area resulting from extended land use planning processes under uncertain status. Property owners tend to defer maintenance and improvements to buildings and other structures and surrounding land, while land owners tend to degrade the original use of land, for example, from farm to vacant land.

Planning process a systematic series of actions to produce a plan; it involves institutions, information and procedures to arrive at a preferred plan, usually through iterative steps.

Point source stationary commercial and industrial establishments with significant pollution impacts.

Policy a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions.

Policy evaluation the systematic assessment of the content, realization, execution or effects of policy.

Pollution space see Assimilative capacity.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) a group of chemical compounds that are widely used as fire retardants in insulating and heat exchange fluids in electrical transformers and capacitors, as plasticizers, as waterproofing agents, and in inking processes. PCBs resist biodegradation, accumulate in the food chain, are toxic and are suspected carcinogens.

Population a group of individuals within a specified location in space and time.

Precautionary principle a conservative method of planning which asserts that rather than await certainty, planners and decision makers should act in anticipation of any potential environmental harm in order to prevent or reduce it.

Precision the degree to which the correctness of a quantity is expressed. Precision is measured by statistical variance or standard deviation of the quantity in question.

Preference setting or holding before or above another in an evaluation.

Preliminary/detail design the specific nodes and routes identified during functional planning are refined to the design detail necessary for selection of the recommended option to implement the transportation project.

Present value the value of future monetized costs or benefits, calculated by discounting them to one date near the present.

Price the amount of money or item for trade given as the consideration for sale or trade of a specific item or service; compensation for a lost item or service would also be subject to a price.

Primary particulates particles which are emitted directly from a source.

Primary productivity the amount of biochemical energy captured by photosynthesis in a particular area per unit of time.

Priority setting giving precedence to certain measures because resources are insufficient to do all things at once. Priority setting determines the sequence in which tasks are completed.

Program planning analysis of priorities of projects within fixed budget.

Programming see Program planning.

Project planning reconnaissance, corridor and functional planning.

Protozoa any of minute acellular or unicellular animals. Protozoa are represented in almost every kind of habitat and some of them are serious parasites.

Proximity impact impacts from the proximity of a transportation facility, such as noise, aesthetic blight, change in drainage pattern.

Proxy estimate value that represents and serves as substitutes for the true, yet unknown, value.

Psychological relating to the mental and behavioural characteristics of an individual or group.

Psychological cost cost ascribed to option, bequest and existence values, as elicited by contingent valuation surveys.

Public transit a means or system of public transportation for passengers in an urban area.

Public transportation transportation open to all persons, serving a community, region or country.

Quasi-option value the value derived from preserving an environmental good or service until its full value is understood.

Radiative forcing see Greenhouse effect.

Rating matrix an evaluation tool in which alternatives are scored on criteria, and the scores are weighted with arbitrary weights.

Receptor the living entity (e.g., organism, population, community, ecosystem) or materials that might be affected by changes in exposure to a stressor of concern.

Reclamation the reprocessing of a recovered substance to 'new product' specifications.

Reconnaissance planning corridor planning carried out in more qualitative than quantitative terms.

Recovery the collection and storage of substances, such as lubricating oil, from machinery, equipment, containment vessels, etc., during servicing or prior to disposal.

Recycling the reuse or reprocessing of previously used materials or waste.

Reformulated gasoline a variety of improved (unleaded) gasoline blends which are being developed to improve air quality.

Regulation the prescription of behaviour by government.

Rehabilitation restoration to good operating condition of original specifications.

Rehabilitation cost the cost of repairing something that has been damaged by human activity.

Renewable resource natural resource which, if managed properly, will be constantly replenishing and available for long-term human and ecosystem use.

Replacement cost the cost of replacing something that has been destroyed by human activity.

Residual damage impact remaining after abatement of, and adaptation to, a stressor have taken effect.

Resource a natural source of wealth or revenue.

Respirable particulates see Inhalable particulates.

Revealed preference method monetization technique structured so that consumers reveal their values indirectly to the analyst. Unlike other more direct surveys, revealed preference surveys do not directly ask for the subject's willingness to pay to preserve an environmental benefit or willingness to accept compensation for a lost benefit.

Right-of-way (ROW) the strip of land over which is built a public transportation facility or a public utility.

Riparian relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse, lake or tidewater.

@Risk software performing Monte Carlo simulations on calculations coded into a standard spreadsheet software.

Risk a combination of a hazard and a potential for this hazard to do damage. Risk arises when there is a probability greater than zero that there will be some unfavourable outcome affecting individuals or firms. In the context of resource management, risk exists when there is some probability that a particular type of damage will result from development, or when there are a set of potentially harmful conditions, each with an associated probability.

Risk analysis the process and techniques that are used to identify and evaluate the nature and magnitude of a risk, as well as methods to best use the resulting information. Risk analysis includes risk assessment, risk communication, and risk management.

Risk assessment the evaluation of potential hazards, the mechanisms and pathways by which these hazards might impact on the environment, and the probability that this impact might occur.

Riverine living or situated on the banks of a river; related to, formed by, or resembling a river.

Road furniture permanent objects added to the road pavement and structures, such as traffic signs and signals, reflectors, light posts, safety barriers.

Road pricing determining a price to be charged road users for using a transportation facility to manage travel demand, reduce adverse impacts of transportation and raise revenue.

Road user cost the costs of travel time, stress, comfort, accidents and vehicle operation incurred or experienced by drivers, passengers, and firms using road transportation facilities.

Running losses the evaporative loss of volatile organic compounds during vehicle operation.

Safe minimum standard approach see Weak sustainability approach.

Scientific inquiry scientific method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data gathered, a hypothesis formulated, and the hypothesis empirically tested.

Scientific value the intrinsic value arising from the study of environmental goods or services.

Secondary benefit benefit of reducing an impact achieved when measures are aimed at another impact.

Secondary particulates particles which form through reactions in the atmosphere of gases and particulate matter emitted from a variety of sources.

Semi-trailer a freight trailer that when attached is supported at its forward end by the truck tractor.

Sensitivity The degree to which a receptor will respond to a stressor

Sensitivity analysis analysis which seeks to identify whether project rankings or decisions are sensitive to changes in important parameters or variables whose values are uncertain.

Sequestration of carbon the normal biological process of plant life, phytoplankton, bacteria, corals and certain shellfish, assimilating atmospheric carbon during growth.

Serendipity value see Bequest value.

Severance see Barrier effect.

Shadow price a surrogate for the price of a good or a service which is not traded in the market.

Simulation imitation of a system, process or phenomenon using a computer model.

Single occupancy vehicle a passenger car, pickup truck or other light vehicle carrying not more than two people, including the driver.

Sink a natural medium that assimilates and stores a pollutant.

Smog the colloquial term used for photochemical air pollution which includes ozone and numerous other contaminants.

Social cost (1) the full cost of a resource including both internal costs as well as external costs; (2) impact specifically affecting the social fabric.

Social cost benefit analysis (SCBA) a cost benefit analysis augmented by consideration of criteria, for which standard monetary valuation may not exist.

Social costing an appraisal accounting for all costs borne by society as a whole.

Social equity the relative distribution of benefits between various groups in society.

Social impact a change in the state of the social fabric as a result of human activity.

Social instrument the promotion of environmentally desirable behaviour by persuasion, the provision of information, increasing the possibilities for social control and the improvement of facilities and infrastructure such as to facilitate the desired changes in behaviour.

Social rate of time preference the rate used to discount the future benefits and costs to society, reflecting the view that individuals have higher preference for earlier consumption, but this preference diminishes as wealth rises over time.

Socio-economic pertaining to a combination of social and economic factors.

Source of stressor the physical origin of a stressor.

Species (1) a class of individuals having some common characteristics or qualities; (2) the major subdivision of a genus or subgenus, regarded as the basic category of biological classification, composed of related individuals that resemble one another and are able to breed among themselves but not able to breed with members of another species.

Species chauvinism bias towards human needs and perceptions of nature, often manifested in the recognition of projects or species that are appealing to or benefit humans.

Species extinction irreversible loss of a species forever.

Sprawl see Urban sprawl.

Stakeholder an individual or group of people holding a stake in a decision.

Standard criteria established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model, example and/or a measure of quality.

Stated preference method see Contingent valuation method.

Status quo the existing state or condition.

Stochastic random.

Straight truck a truck with no trailers.

Strategic planning the pro-active planning for broad goals and long-term so that the objectives are achieved with a pre-determined method and an anticipated result.

Strategy the choice of objectives and means.

Stratified formed in strata, layers or levels.

Stratosphere the layer of the atmosphere that begins 9-16 km above the earth and lies between the troposphere and the upper atmosphere.

Stratospheric ozone see Ozone layer.

Street dose dose produced by emissions from traffic on the street.

Stressor chemical or biophysical changes in the environment caused by emissions and habitat alterations.

Strip development low-density, automobile-dependent commercial development fronting a road or highway.

Strong sustainability approach a decision making philosophy requiring that natural capital be kept constant and that the decision maker avoid future environmental damages.

Substitutable capable of acting or serving in place of another.

Suburban (inner) fringe a fairly narrow belt of land which is being actively converted from rural to urban uses.

Sulphate SO4 radical in salts formed from chemical reactions of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) with metals.

Sulphur a nonmetallic element.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) a gas formed primarily by the combustion of sulphur-containing fossil fuels; one of the main contributors to acid precipitation and secondary fine particulates.

Sulphur oxides the common air pollutants which are produced when coal or oil containing small amounts of sulphur is burned.

Sulphur trioxide (SO3) can react with water vapour to produce sulphuric acid (H2SO4) containing sulphate radical SO4, which is implicated in secondary particulate matter formation in the form of aerosols.

Surrogate market market that is used as a substitute to value non-market goods.

Sustainability ability of humans to live in harmony with nature and with each other.

Sustainability approach a decision making philosophy that is unconcerned with numerical evaluations and uses the decision-maker's aversion to risks of significant and irreversible damage to natural capital as the over-riding decision criteria.

Sustainable development economic and social development within the limits required to sustain long-term environmental well-being. Such development ensures that our use of the environment and natural resources today does not jeopardize the prospects for their use in the future.

Sustainable transportation transportation that serves the objectives of sustainable development.

Synergistic effect an effect of two chemicals acting together which is greater than the simple sum of their effects when acting alone.

System-level planning in transportation, the development of plans to serve and shape anticipated travel demand using objectives and policy instruments identified under strategic planning of land use and transportation.

Tactical planning planning to implement actions conceived under strategic planning.

Tandem trailer truck a truck tractor pulling two trailers.

Tangible capable of being appraised at an actual value.

Threatened species species likely to become endangered if the pressure from humans or natural causes threatening them are not reversed.

Total ozone the ozone present in a column of earth's atmosphere, including both tropospheric and stratospheric ozone.

Toxicity the production of any type of damage, permanent or impermanent, to the structure or functioning of any part of the body.

Toxin a toxic organic substance produced by a living organism.

Tractor-trailer semi-trailer; a truck tractor pulling one trailer.

Tractor-trailer combination a truck tractor pulling one or more trailers; includes the semi-trailer and double and triple trailer combinations.

Traffic noise the sounds originating from stationary and moving vehicles.

Transboundary pollution pollution that crosses the borders of a jurisdiction.

Transit (1) see Public transit; (2) passage from one place to another.

Transport 2021 a joint project of the Province of British Columbia and the Greater Vancouver Regional District to recommend a long range transportation plan for Greater Vancouver.

Transportation mode one means by which movement of people or goods is accomplished; for example, walking, private automobile, aeroplane, ship, road truck.

Transportation system cycle all activities involved in (i) vehicle lifecycle (fuel production and supply, vehicle manufacture, vehicle operation and disposal), (ii) manufacture, construction and operation of transport infrastructure (such as roads, railways and airports), and, (iii) provision and operation of urban form supported by a given transportation system.

Transportation system-wide see Transportation system cycle.

Transportation work the effort required to move people and goods, expressed in physical units; for example, passenger kilometres travelled, tonne-kilometres of goods moved.

Transportation/ land use system cycle all activities involved in the transportation system cycle plus urban and rural land use activities induced by transportation.

Travel cost method a monetization technique that uses the cost of travelling to, and visiting a recreation area, to estimate the consumer benefits of a site.

Trolley a bus driven by electric power provided through overhead wires.

Troposphere the bottom layer of the atmosphere that contains about 95% of the earth's air and typically extends up to 8-12 km from the earth's surface.

Tropospheric ozone see Ground-level ozone.

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of 200 to 400 nanometres (nm).

Uncertainty the lack of sureness due to the stochastic variability or the lack of knowledge about an item.

Upstream pertaining to the activities preceding vehicle use, such as fossil fuel exploration, production and distribution; production of materials used in vehicle manufacture; and, vehicle and parts manufacture, vehicle assembly, delivery and retail; see also Downstream.

Upstream emissions the sum total of emissions resulting from upstream activities.

Upstream energy the sum total of all forms of energy (fossil fuels, hydroelectric, etc.) used by upstream activities.

Upstream externality an externality that arise from upstream activities; for example, environmental impacts of a hydroelectric power plant supplying electricity for the smelting of steel for autobodies.

Urban blight run-down appearance of an urban area due to land use planning uncertainty.

Urban centre the centre of an urban development, consisting of the core, usually with the central business district in it, and the frame area around it characterized by less intensive development, lower land values, older buildings and urban blight.

Urban dose dose produced by the general pollution from all sources in an urban area.

Urban field the area of influence and domination of an urban centre.

Urban form the structure of an urban development.

Urban fringe area existing outside the developed urban area and extending to the outer limit of the commuting range of a city.

Urban shadow a zone outside the urban fringe resulting from the encroachment of urban development on agricultural areas and which leads to increases in land value and tax assessments, land speculation, land use conflicts and changing community needs all of which deter long-term planning and investment to improve, further develop or expand agricultural lands.

Urban sprawl continual extension of the urban fringe, characterized by lower density than in the suburbs, discontinuity, and irregularity of development. Urban sprawl is facilitated by easily accessible and subsidized transportation, and it causes a number of social, economic and aesthetic problems.

User benefit incremental reduction in user costs as a result of improvement project or policy.

User Benefit Cost Spreadsheets project cost benefit analysis software (UBCS) developed in Lotus 123 by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways.

User cost cost to the users of a service or facility.

Utility (1) the capacity of a good or service to satisfy human need; (2) a public service such as telephone, railroad, urban transit, or electricity-supply system.

Utility vehicle pick-up truck or passenger van.

UV-A wavelength between 320 and 400 nm; it is the least damaging form of UV and reaches the earth in the greatest quantity.

UV-B 280-325 nm in wavelength; it affects many chemical and biological processes and has adverse effects on living tissue.

User Benefit Cost Spreadsheets Project cost benefit analysis software developed in Lotus 123 by

(UBCS) the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways.

UV-C potentially the most damaging type of ultraviolet radiation; wavelength between 200 and 280 nm. It is absorbed by oxygen and ozone in the atmosphere.

Value (1) attributed or relative worth, merit, or usefulness; (2) equivalent worth or return; (3) monetary worth; (4) a quantity represented by a number.

Value judgement an estimate of the worth or goodness of something or someone.

Value of statistical life (VOSL) the average amount people actually pay for small reductions in risk, extrapolated to a willingness-to-pay for a life lost.

Vehicle life cycle stages of life of a vehicle, from manufacture, through usage, to disposal. Vehicle life cycle embodies the life cycle of fuel production, supply and combustion.

Viewshed the area of land that is encompassed in a scenic view. The term originates from the concept of watershed.

Virus any of a large group of extremely simple micro-organisms or extremely complex molecules, that cause various diseases in humans, animals, or plants.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) easily evaporating chemicals which contain hydrogen and carbon; VOCs are one of the primary components in the formation of ground level ozone.

Vulnerability the extent to which a stressor may harm a receptor. It is determined by sensitivity and adaptability of the receptor.

Vulnerable species species at risk because of low numbers or restricted range.

Water quality criteria the maximum levels of pollutants judged allowable in waters designated for various uses, such as drinking, swimming, raising fish, farming, or industrial purposes.

Water quality standard the maximum levels of specified pollutants designated by a regulatory authority as permissible in a water body (or portion thereof).

Watershed land area collectsing water that flows into a certain surface or ground water body.

Weak sustainability approach strong sustainability approach moderated by a constraint to avoid unacceptable costs to the present generation, i.e. some depletion of the natural capital is tolerated.

Weather the day-to-day local variation in the state or condition of the atmosphere with respect to air temperature, precipitation, amount of overcast and wind.

Wetland an area that is regularly wet or flooded and has a water table that stands at or above the land surface for at least part of the year.

Wildlife corridor corridors of sufficient width and of suitable habitat by which wildlife may pass through an altered landscape from one habitat patch to another.

Willingness to accept (WTA) the amount of payment that a person would be willing to accept to allow a reduction or loss of an environmental benefit.

Willingness to pay (WTP) the amount that a person would be willing to pay to prevent or reduce the loss of an environmental benefit.

Last Update October 7, 2001
DF