Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wildfire season | The part of the year when conditions favor wildfires. In many regions it has become longer and more severe because of higher temperatures, earlier snowmelt, and drier vegetation. Climate Change |
| Work | Energy transferred when a force moves an object over a distance. Science General |
| World Health Organization | The United Nations agency for international public health, which coordinates global immunization programs and sets vaccine standards. Commonly known as WHO. Vaccines |
| Worldview Defence | The psychological tendency to react defensively - such as displaying prejudice, increasing adherence to cultural values, or rejecting opposing ideas - when an individual's core beliefs are challenged. It typically acts as a psychological mechanism to suppress existential anxiety, restore personal control, and maintain a sense of order. Antiscience |
| Yellow fever vaccine | A live attenuated vaccine that protects against yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease. A single dose provides lifelong protection for most people. Vaccines |
| Zero-carbon | Producing no carbon dioxide emissions, as with electricity from wind, solar, or nuclear power during operation. Climate Change |
| Zero-risk bias | A preference for eliminating a small risk completely over reducing a larger risk substantially, which can lead to poor decisions. Science Literacy |
| Zombie fires | Fires that smolder underground in peat or organic soils through winter and reignite the following spring. They have become more common in the Arctic as it warms. Climate Change |
| Zoonosis | A disease that spreads from animals to humans, such as rabies, Ebola or avian influenza. Public Health |