Land Use
This forestry practice involves cutting down all trees in an area at once and then replanting.
Clear-cutting
These energy sources are finite and formed over millions of years, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Fossil fuels
This gas, produced by burning fossil fuels, is a major contributor to climate change.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
This type of pollution comes from a single, identifiable source such as a pipe or smokestack.
Point source pollution
This natural process traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere and keeps the planet warm enough to support life.
Greenhouse effect
This agricultural movement increased crop yields through fertilizers, irrigation, and high-yield crop varieties.
Green Revolution
This renewable energy source uses sunlight to generate electricity.
Solar energy
These tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air can harm respiratory health.
Particulate matter (PM)
This process occurs when excess nutrients cause rapid algae growth in water bodies.
Eutrophication
This gas, produced by burning fossil fuels, is the primary contributor to increased greenhouse warming.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
This measure estimates how much land and water area a person needs to produce the resources they consume.
Ecological Footprint
This fossil fuel is primarily composed of methane and is considered the cleanest-burning.
Natural gas
This type of smog forms when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Photochemical smog
These disease-causing organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Pathogens
This atmospheric layer contains ozone that protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Stratosphere
This pest control method uses natural predators or parasites to reduce pest populations.
Biological control
This renewable energy source uses moving water to generate electricity, often via dams.
Hydroelectric power
This atmospheric condition traps pollutants near the ground due to a layer of warm air above cooler air.
Thermal inversion
These chemicals interfere with hormone systems and can affect development and reproduction.
Endocrine disruptors
This phenomenon occurs when chemicals like CFCs break down ozone molecules in the stratosphere.
Ozone depletion
This type of livestock production involves raising animals in confined spaces with high-density feeding.
CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)
This process in nuclear power plants splits atomic nuclei to release energy.
Nuclear fission
This indoor air pollutant is a radioactive gas that seeps from the ground and can cause lung cancer.
Radon
This process describes the buildup of toxins in an organism over time.
Bioaccumulation
This international agreement successfully reduced the use of ozone-depleting substances.
Montreal Protocol
This mining method removes the top of a mountain to access mineral resources below.
Mountaintop removal mining
This environmental impact of coal burning results from sulfur dioxide reacting with water in the atmosphere.
Acid rain
This pollutant, often produced by incomplete combustion, binds to hemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in the body.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
This process describes the increase in concentration of toxins at higher trophic levels in a food chain.
Biomagnification
This occurs when oceans absorb excess atmospheric CO₂, lowering pH levels.
Ocean acidification
This integrated approach to pest management combines biological, cultural, and chemical methods to minimize harm.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
This unconventional fossil fuel extraction method involves injecting high-pressure fluid to release oil or gas from rock.
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
This catalytic device in vehicles reduces nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons in exhaust.
Catalytic converter
These long-lasting toxic chemicals resist environmental breakdown and accumulate in organisms.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
This term describes species introduced to a new environment that cause harm to native ecosystems.
Invasive species
This environmental impact of urbanization occurs when natural land is replaced with impervious surfaces, increasing runoff.
Urban runoff (or increased stormwater runoff)
This renewable energy source uses heat from within the Earth to generate electricity.
Geothermal energy
This type of pollution results from excessive or harmful levels of sound, often from urban or industrial sources.
Noise pollution
This measurement represents the dose of a substance that kills 50% of a test population.
LD50 (lethal dose 50%)
This process occurs when coral expel their symbiotic algae due to stress from increased water temperature.
Coral bleaching
This mining impact occurs when sulfide minerals react with air and water to produce sulfuric acid.
Acid mine drainage
This ratio compares the amount of energy gained from a resource to the energy used to obtain it.
EROI (Energy Return on Investment)
This group of chemicals, often emitted from paints and solvents, reacts with NOx to form photochemical smog.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
This curve shows the relationship between the dose of a toxin and the response of an organism.
Dose-response curve
This category of species is at high risk of extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, or human activity.
Endangered species
This agricultural practice increases vulnerability to pests and disease by growing a single crop species over a large area.
Monocropping
This type of coal has the highest carbon content and energy output.
Anthracite
This device removes large particles from industrial emissions using filters or screens.
Electrostatic precipitator (or baghouse filter)
This step in sewage treatment removes large debris like sticks, rags, and plastics using screens.
Primary treatment (screening stage)
This greenhouse gas is released in large amounts from livestock digestion and rice paddies.
Methane (CH₄)