unit 6
What is hydroelectric power?
renewable energy that generates electricity from the movement of water
What is a thermal inversion?
A weather phenomenon where a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the ground, preventing it from rising.
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
This is the name of the large floating trash patch in the Pacific Ocean.
What are invasive species?
These species are introduced to an ecosystem and can cause harm to native species and habitat.
What is carrying capacity?
This term describes the maximum number of individuals an environment can sustainably support.
What is geothermal energy?
uses heat from the Earth’s interior to make electricity.
What is the Clean Air Act?
Laws that regulate air pollutants in the U.S.
What is e-waste (electronic waste)?
This type of waste includes TVs, computers, and other discarded electronic devices.
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?
A chemical that was banned due to depletion of the ozone layer.
What is the crust?
The outermost layer of Earth, where soil and life exist.
How does coal form?
This forms from dead plant material under pressure and heat.
How is acid rain affecting aquatic life?
Causes PH to rise.
What is the Clean Water Act?
U.S. law was passed in 1972 to regulate pollutant discharges into surface waters.
What is resilience?
This term describes the ability of a system or community to survive and recover from environmental stressors.
What are indicator species?
Species that are particularly sensitive to environmental changes are used to assess ecosystem health and indicate that the environment is changing.
What are biofuels?
A type of renewable energy made from plant or animal waste.
What is radon?
A radioactive gas from rocks that seeps into basements.
What is biodegradable?
This term refers to materials that break down naturally by microorganisms.
What is habitat fragmentation?
This term describes the phenomenon where related populations are divided by roads, agriculture, or urban development, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to extinction.
What are estuaries?
These ecosystems, found near coastlines, act as buffers and provide nursery habitats for fish.
A ratio used to determine the energy gained vs. the energy invested.
Energy return on energy investment (EROEI)
Two pollutants that cause acid deposition
sulfer olxide, nitrogen oxides
What is the Montreal Protocol?
This international treaty successfully phased out substances that deplete the ozone layer.
What is the Paris Agreement?
This international agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to limit global warming to below 2°C.
What is slash-and-burn agriculture?
This method of agriculture involves clearing and burning forests for short-term use.