Sun, wind, water, and plant matter—to produce
electricity, heat, and transportation fuel.
Clean fuels Low-pollution fuels that can replace
ordinary gasoline. Also known as alternative fuels,
they include gasohol (gasoline–alcohol mix-
tures), natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas.
Clean Water Act Enacted by US Congress in
1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
was designed to control water pollution. As
amended in 1977, this law became commonly
known as the Clean Water Act. The Act estab-
lished the basic structure for regulating dis-
charges of pollutants into the waters of the USA.
It gave USEPA the authority to implement
pollution control programs such as setting
wastewater standards for industry. The Clean
Water Act also continued requirements to set
water quality standards for all contaminants in
surface waters. The Act made it unlawful for
any person to discharge any pollutant from a
point source into navigable waters unless a
permit was obtained under its provisions. It also
funded the construction of sewage treatment
plants under the construction grants program,
and recognized the need for planning to address
the critical problems posed by nonpoint-source
pollution.
There are water regulations to protect con-
sumers in almost every country of the world.
They are based on recommendations made by
the World Health Organization (WHO), which
is part of the United Nations. WHO’s goal is to
see the gradual raising of general health levels
in all countries in the world.
Cleanup Term used to describe remedial
actions following the release, or threat of
release, of hazardous substance(s) that could
adversely affect humans and the environment.
Other terms used for this action include reme-
dial action, removal action, response action,
and corrective action. See also:
Brownfield site
Clearcut Cutting and harvesting all the trees
and/or forests at one time, leaving vast expanses
of exposed fallow land. This practice can result
in erosion, soil runoff into streams and bodies of
water, sediment accumulation, flooding, and
dislocation of species that live in the biota.
Cleavage of lateral epitaxial films for transfer
(CLEFT) Process for making inexpensive gal-
lium arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaic cells. Thin
film of GaAs is grown on a thick single-crystal
GaAs substrate and then cleaved from the sub-
strate and incorporated into a cell, allowing the
substrate to be reused to grow more thin film
GaAs. Gallium arsenide is a high-efficiency,
low-cost solar cell and semiconductor material.
CLEFT See:
Cleavage of lateral epitaxial films
for transfer
Climate 1. The characteristic condition of the
atmosphere near the Earth’s surface at a certain
location/point on Earth. It is the long-term
weather of that area, and includes the region’s
general pattern of weather conditions, seasons,
and weather extremes such as hurricanes,
droughts, or rainy periods. Two of the most
important factors determining an area’s climate
are air temperature and precipitation.
2. Prevailing average weather conditions at a
specific location for a long period, normally
more than 70 years.
World biomes are controlled by climate. The
climate of a region will determine what plants
will grow there, and what animals will inhabit
it. All three components—climate, plants, and
animals—create the make-up of a biome.
A basis for bioclimatic or passive mode design
is an understanding of the climate of a given local-
ity. Ecodesign utilizes all passive mode strategies
before adopting other low-energy designs.
Climate change Refers to all forms of climatic
inconsistency, but especially to significant
54 Clean fuels
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