accelerate - v. to move faster : to gain speed
comfortable - adj. not causing any physically unpleasant feelings : producing physical comfort
degradation - n. the act or process of damaging or ruining something
permafrost - n. a layer of soil that is always frozen in very cold regions of the world
account for - phrasal verb. to be the cause of (something)
emissions - n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source
footprint - n. the area occupied or affected by something
profound - adj. very great; absolute or complete
utilize - v. to use (something) for a particular purpose