Carbon buying/offsetting
Financially supporting an activity (such as a wind farm or reforestation) that helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in order to make up for the carbon footprint of an individual or business.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
A naturally-occurring, colorless and odorless chemical compound produced by plants and animals. A so-called “greenhouse gas,” CO2 is also produced through the burning of wood and fossil fuels, and many believe that a high concentration in the atmosphere contributes to global warming.
Carbon footprint
The amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere either directly or indirectly by an individual or entity. Measurements are made in tons of carbon dioxide.
Carbon neutral
Balancing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere with the amount of carbon offset, achieving a zero, or neutral balance.
Cellulosic ethanol
A biofuel that can be produced from wood and grass more efficiently than starch-based ethanol commonly made from corn
Clean diesel
A term used in association with today’s ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and the new generation of cleaner diesel-powered vehicles
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)
As a domestically produced fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline, CNG is popular with environmentalists
CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)
Instead of five or six (or seven or eight) gears, a CVT seamlessly provides an infinite number of ratios, allowing the engine to operate more frequently in its most efficient ranges
Cylinder Deactivation
A fuel-saving feature that cuts fuel delivery to some of an engine’s cylinders in light-load cruising situations, allowing an eight-cylinder engine, for instance, to run on four cylinders