Where we live
all the living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts
Environment
a study in which only one factor is manipulated, or changed
Controlled study
information collected using scientific methods
Data
any of the natural materials and energy sources provided by nature that humans need to survive
Natural resource
a statement of what a scientist expects to observe if a hypothesis is true
Prediction
a testable idea that attempts to explain a phenomenon or answer a scientific question
Hypothesis
a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world—and by extension, people—from the harmful changes produced by human activities
Environmentalism
the branch of philosophy that involves the study of good and bad, and of right and wrong
Ethics
the environmental impact of an individual or population in terms of the total amount of land and water required (1) to provide the raw materials the individual or population consumes and (2) to dispose of or recycle the waste the individual or population produces
Ecological footprint
the application of ethical standards to relationships between humans and their environment
Environmental ethics
a well-tested explanation of observations and experimental findings
Theory
the variable that is manipulated, or changed, in an experiment
Independent variable
the study of how the natural world works, how the environment affects humans, and how humans affect the environment
Environmental science
the formal process of submitting research for examination by the scientific community
Peer review
the variable that changes in response to the conditions set in an experiment
Dependent variable