Rechargeable electric car symbol marked on the ground in a parking bay in a car park. This facility allows electric cars to be connected to a power supply to recharge their battery. Such on-street facilities have been provided since around 2008 when the numbers of electric cars being manufactured increased.

Atlas robot, conceptual image. Atlas was a Titan in Ancient Greek mythology, condemned to hold up the Sky for eternity. This image could represent robots being used to support the global environment or economy.

Atlas robot, conceptual image. Atlas was a Titan in Ancient Greek mythology, condemned to hold up the Sky for eternity. This image could represent robots being used to support the global environment or economy.

Robot lamenting Earth. Conceptual image of a Hamlet-inspired robot lamenting the demise of the Earth. In a famous scene from the play Hamlet by English poet and author William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet holds aloft the skull of a character named Yorick and laments his death. This image may represent future sentient robots or cyborgs pondering the death of the Earth and human extinction.

Robot lamenting Earth. Conceptual image of a Hamlet-inspired robot lamenting the demise of the Earth. In a famous scene from the play Hamlet by English poet and author William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet holds aloft the skull of a character named Yorick and laments his death. This image may represent future sentient robots or cyborgs pondering the death of the Earth and human extinction.

Global warming. Artwork showing the sun (top left) warming the Earth (bottom). Most scientists agree that human emissions of greenhouse gases are the cause of the current rate of global warming and climate change.

Global environment, conceptual artwork. Trees growing from a symbolic Earth globe set against a starry background. This image can represent global environmental issues, and the presence of life on Earth amid the vastness of the cosmos.

Carbon dioxide bomb, conceptual artwork. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It is produced naturally by plants and animals during respiration, but is also produced by combustion and the burning of fossil fuels.

Methane bomb, conceptual artwork. Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Potentially large amounts may be released from thawing Arctic permafrost and from oceanic methane clathrates (the clathrate gun hypothesis).

Carbon dioxide bomb on the Earth, conceptual artwork. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It is produced naturally by plants and animals during respiration, but is also produced by combustion and the burning of fossil fuels.

Methane bomb on the Earth, conceptual artwork. Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Potentially large amounts may be released from thawing Arctic permafrost and from oceanic methane clathrates (the clathrate gun hypothesis).

Smart energy grids. Conceptual artwork of a city on a globe with the grid representing a smart energy grid. This technology is where energy is shared between communities and beyond, moving power and energy (white lines) where it is needed and to make the most efficient use of both existing energy sources and renewable energy.

Brain as bonsai tree. Conceptual artwork of a bonsai tree grown in the shape of a human brain, representing environmental awareness, as well as broccoli or vegetarianism.

Earth's biomes, global map. Terrestrial biomes (also called ecosystems) are geographic land areas with similar climatic conditions, often characterised by the plants and animals found there. Nine biomes are shown here, though more complex classifications subdivide these biomes further. The colour-coded key (lower left) names the biomes (examples given in brackets): temperate broadleaf forest (northern Europe); coniferous forest (Russia); temperate grassland (North America's Great Plains); Mediterranean (Spain); tropical rainforest (the Amazon); desert (the Sahara); mountain (the Himalayas); tundra ( Arctic Canada); and polar (the Arctic and Antarctic).

Earth vegetation globes. Artwork of Earth globes with vegetation cover pictured as a scale, or index of greenness. Greenness is based on several factors: the number and type of plants, how leafy they are, and how healthy they are. In places where foliage is dense and plants are growing quickly, the index is high, represented in dark green. Regions where few plants grow have a low vegetation index, shown in tan. The index is based on measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite (operating in Earth orbit since 2000). Areas where the satellite did not collect data are grey.

Carbon fixation. Computer artwork showing the main systems involved in carbon fixation in a typical countryside habitat. Carbon capture (fixation) consists of the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through biological or physical processes, and its subsequent storage in 'sinks' such as oceans, forests and the soil. CO2 is assimilated by plants and used in photosynthesis. The carbon is fixed into the tissues of trees. A fraction of the captured carbon is absorbed by consumer organisms (heterotrophs). By breathing, these organisms emit CO2 into the atmosphere. Finally, the carbon returns to the environment as CO2, but a significant fraction remains retained within the plants.

Carbon fixation. Computer artwork showing how carbon fixation occurs in a typical countryside habitat. Carbon capture (fixation) consists of the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through biological or physical processes, and its subsequent storage in 'sinks' such as oceans, forests and the soil. In this image, the process is illustrated in five steps: 1) CO2 is assimilated by plants and used in photosynthesis. 2) The carbon is fixed into the tissues of trees. 3) A fraction of the captured carbon is absorbed by consumer organisms (heterotrophs). 4) By breathing, these organisms emit CO2 into the atmosphere. 5) The carbon returns to the environment as CO2, but a significant fraction remains retained within the plants.

Carbon fixation. Computer artwork showing the main systems involved in carbon fixation in a typical countryside habitat. Carbon capture (fixation) consists of the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through biological or physical processes, and its subsequent storage in 'sinks' such as oceans, forests and the soil. CO2 is assimilated by plants and used in photosynthesis. The carbon is fixed into the tissues of trees. A fraction of the captured carbon is absorbed by consumer organisms (heterotrophs). By breathing, these organisms emit CO2 into the atmosphere. Finally, the carbon returns to the environment as CO2, but a significant fraction remains retained within the plants.

Carbon fixation. Computer artwork showing how carbon fixation occurs in a typical countryside habitat. Carbon capture (fixation) consists of the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through biological or physical processes, and its subsequent storage in 'sinks' such as oceans, forests and the soil. In this image, the process is illustrated in five steps: 1) CO2 is assimilated by plants and used in photosynthesis. 2) The carbon is fixed into the tissues of trees. 3) A fraction of the captured carbon is absorbed by consumer organisms (heterotrophs). 4) By breathing, these organisms emit CO2 into the atmosphere. 5) The carbon returns to the environment as CO2, but a significant fraction remains retained within the plants.

Natural environment, computer artwork.