Human Impacts
What do we call human-caused changes to the environment?
Anthropogenic impacts
Which Earth system includes air and gases?
Atmosphere
What does “mitigation” mean?
Reducing or preventing environmental impacts
A town has smog. What’s the best mitigation solution?
Reduce vehicle emissions
What happens when too much CO₂ enters the atmosphere?
Global warming increases
What human activity is the biggest contributor to air pollution?
Burning fossil fuels
Which Earth system includes all water on Earth?
Hydrosphere
What is one simple way communities reduce air pollution?
Using public transportation
A river is polluted by fertilizer runoff. What’s the best solution?
Plant riparian buffers
What happens when forests are removed?
Soil erosion increases
What is the main cause of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas
How does pollution in one system affect another?
Systems are interconnected; impacts spread between them
What structure helps reduce runoff and soil loss?
Vegetative buffer or barrier
A city is losing trees rapidly. What’s the best solution?
Reforestation programs
What happens when factories release chemicals into rivers?
Water quality decreases
How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle?
It reduces carbon absorption and increases atmospheric CO₂
What system is most affected by soil erosion?
Geosphere
How do renewable energy sources help Earth’s systems?
They reduce emissions and pollution
A community faces frequent flooding. What’s the best solution?
Build wetlands or permeable surfaces
What happens when wetlands are destroyed?
Flooding risk increases
What human activity most disrupts biodiversity?
Habitat destruction
What system interaction occurs when ocean warming affects weather patterns?
Hydrosphere–atmosphere interaction
What long-term strategy helps restore damaged ecosystems?
Environmental remediation
A coastal town is losing land to erosion. What’s the best solution?
Install breakwaters or living shorelines
What happens when humans overuse groundwater?
Aquifers deplete and land subsidence occurs