Eesc 101 Chapter 21 Terms

Front 1

asthma

Back 1

chronic inflammatory respiratory disorder characterized by "attacks" during which airways narrow, making it hard to breathe, can be fatal

Front 2

air pollution

Back 2

any material added to the atmosphere (naturally of by humans) that harms living organisms, affects the climate, or impacts structures

Front 3

primary air pollutants

Back 3

air pollutants released directly from both mobile sources and stationary sources

Front 4

secondary air pollutants

Back 4

air pollutants formed when primary air pollutants react with one another or with other chemicals in the air

Front 5

ground-level ozone

Back 5

secondary pollutant that forms when some of the pollutants released during fossil fuel combustion react with atmospheric oxygen in the presence of sunlight

Front 6

Particulate Matter (PM)

Back 6

particles or droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air for long periods of time

Front 7

smog

Back 7

hazy air pollution that contains a variety of pollutants including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, tropospheric ozone, and particulates

Front 8

point source pollution

Back 8

pollution that enters the air from a readily identifiable source such as a smokestack

Front 9

non-point source pollution

Back 9

pollution that enters the air from dispersed or mobile sources

Front 10

environmental justice

Back 10

concept that access to a clean, healthy environment is a basic human right

Front 11

environmental racism

Back 11

occurs when minority communities face more exposure to pollution than average for the region

Front 12

acid deposition

Back 12

precipitation that contains sulphuric or nitric acid; dry particles may also fall and become acidified once they mix with water

Front 13

transboundary pollution

Back 13

pollution that is produced in one area but falls in a different area, possibly a different nation

Front 14

command and control

Back 14

regulations that set an upper allowable limit of pollution release which is enforced with fines and/or incarceration

Front 15

Clean Air Act

Back 15

Law passed that sets standards for dangerous air pollutants

Front 16

Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

Back 16

Law passed to set standards aimed at preventing pollution and protecting the environment and human health

Front 17

green tax

Back 17

tax assessed on environmentally undesirable activities

Front 18

tax credit

Back 18

reduction in tax one has to pay in exchange for some desirable action

Front 19

subsidies

Back 19

free government money or resources intended to promote desired activities

Front 20

cap-and-trade

Back 20

regulations that set upper limits for pollution release. Producers are issued permits that allow them to release a portion of that amount; if they release less, they can sell their remaining allotment to other who did not reduce their emissions enough.