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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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acid precipitation
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Has a pH below 5.6; occurs when air pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels react with water to form strong acids; can pollute water, kill fish and plants, and damage soils.
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erosion
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Movement of soil from one place to another.
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fossil fuels
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Nonrenewable energy resources--coal, oil, and natural gas--that have formed in Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years.
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geothermal energy
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Heat energy within Earth's crust, available only where natural geysers or volcanoes are located.
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greenhouse effect
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Natural heat-trapping feature; occurs when certain gases in Earth's atmosphere, such as methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, trap heat and keep Earth warm enough to support life.
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hazardous wastes
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Waste materials, such as pesticides and leftover paints, that are harmful to human health or poisonous to living organisms.
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hydroelectric power
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Electricity produced when the energy of falling water turns the blades of a generator turbine.
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natural resources
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Parts of Earth's environment that supply materials useful or necessary for the survival of living organisms.
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nonrenewable resources
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Natural resources, such as petroleum, minerals, and metals, that are used more quickly than they can be replaced by natural processes.
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nuclear energy
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Energy produced from the splitting apart of billions of uranium nuclei by a nuclear fission reaction.
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ozone depletion
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Thinning of Earth's ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons leaking into the air and reacting chemically with ozone, breaking the ozone molecules apart.
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petrolium
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Nonrenewable resource formed over hundreds of millions of years mostly from the remains of microscopic marine organisms buried in Earth's crust.
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pollutant
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Substance that contaminates any part of the environment.
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recycling
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Conservation method that is a form of reuse and requires changing or reprocessing an item or natural resource.
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renewable resources
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Natural resources, such as water, sunlight, and crops, that are constantly being recycled or replaced by nature.
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