Geography Chapter 14

Front 1

acid deposition

Back 1

sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, emitted by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere--where they combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid--and return to Earth's surface

Front 2

acid precipitation

Back 2

conversion of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides to acids that return to Earth as rain, snow, or fog

Front 3

active solar energy systems

Back 3

solar energy system that collects energy through the use of mechanical devices such as photo-voltaic cells or flat-plate collectors

Front 4

air pollution

Back 4

concentration of trace substances, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and solid particulates, at a greater level than occurs in average air

Front 5

animate power

Back 5

power supplied by people or animals

Front 6

biodiversity

Back 6

the number of species within a specific habitat

Front 7

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Back 7

a gas used as a a solvent, a propellant in aerosols, a refrigerant, and in plastic foams and fire extinguishers

Front 8

conservation

Back 8

the sustainable use and management of a natural resource, through consuming at a less rapid rate than it can be replaced

Front 9

ferrous

Back 9

metals, including iron ore, that are utilized in the production of iron and steel

Front 10

fossil fuel

Back 10

energy source formed from the residue of plants and animals buried millions of years ago

Front 11

greenhouse effect

Back 11

anticipated increase in Earth's temperature, caused by carbon dioxide (emitted by burning fossil fuels), trapping some of the radiation emitted by the surface

Front 12

nonferrous

Back 12

metals utilized to make products other than iron and steel

Front 13

nonpoint-source pollution

Back 13

pollution that originates form a large, diffuse area

Front 14

nonrenewable energy

Back 14

a source of energy that is a finite supply capable of being exhausted

Front 15

ozone

Back 15

a gas that absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation, found in the stratosphere, a zone between 15 and 50 kilometers (9 to 30 miles) above Earth's surface

Front 16

passive solar energy systems

Back 16

solar energy system that collects energy without the use of mechanical devices

Front 17

photochemical smog

Back 17

an atmospheric condition formed through a combination of weather conditions and pollution, especially from motor vehicle emissions

Front 18

photovoltaic cell

Back 18

solar energy cells, usually made from silicon, that collect solar rays to generate electricity

Front 19

point-source pollution

Back 19

pollution that enters water from a specific source

Front 20

pollution

Back 20

addition of more waste than a resource can accommodate

Front 21

potential reserve

Back 21

the amount of energy in deposits not yet identified but thought to exist

Front 22

presrvation

Back 22

maintenance of a resource in its present condition, with as little human impact as possible

Front 23

proven reserve

Back 23

the amount of a resource remaining in discovered deposits

Front 24

recycling

Back 24

the separation, collection, processing, marketing, and reuse of unwanted material

Front 25

renewable energy

Back 25

a resource supply that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by humans

Front 26

resource

Back 26

a substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use

Front 27

sanitary landfill

Back 27

a place to deposit waste, where a layer of Earth is bulldozed over garbage each day to reduce emissions of gases and odors from the decaying trash, to minimize fires, and to discourage vermin

Front 28

sustainability

Back 28

the use of Earth's limited resources by humans in ways that do not constrain resources use by people in the future

Front 29

sustainable development

Back 29

the level of development that can be maintained in a country without depleting resources to the extent that future generations will be unable to achieve a comparable level of development

Front 30

What is the environment?

Back 30

the totality of things that in any way affect an organism

Front 31

Who came up with the IPAT equation?

Back 31

Jerome Fellman

Front 32

What is the IPAT equation?

Back 32

I (Impact on the environment)= P (Population) x A (Affluence as measured by per capita income) x T (Technology); aka "The greater the population, and the increase in the standards of living, lead to greater use of natural resources and the greater production of waste."

Front 33

What is the biosphere (ecosphere)?

Back 33

atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; must work together

Front 34

What is the atmosphere?

Back 34

a blanket of air, with more than half of its mass within 4 miles of Earth

Front 35

What is the hydrosphere?

Back 35

the surface and subsurface waters in oceans, rivers, lakes, and glaciers

Front 36

What is the lithosphere?

Back 36

upper reaches of the Earth's crust containing the soil

Front 37

What are biomes?

Back 37

major communities of plants and animals (including humans) occupying the Earth's surface

Front 38

How many different species are lost in the rain forest each year?

Back 38

50,000

Front 39

What are ecosystems?

Back 39

smaller, self-contained communities

Front 40

When did human impact to the environment become significant?

Back 40

later half of the 20th century

Front 41

What is overcooling?

Back 41

the icebox effect: radiation form the sun is deflected back into space; caused by aerosols and natural occurences

Front 42

What environmental issues arose in the 1980s?

Back 42

"greenhouse effect", acid precipitation, ozone depletion

Front 43

How is excess carbon dioxide produced?

Back 43

from burning of fossil fuels and deforestation by slash/burn

Front 44

How is excess methane produced?

Back 44

from decomposition process and is emitted from intestinal tracks of livestock and flooded rice paddies

Front 45

How is excess nitrous oxide produced?

Back 45

byproduct of increased fertilizer use

Front 46

What are some negative results of human's harmful impact on the environment?

Back 46

summer sea ice melting, sea levels rising, spreading droughts, increasing heat waves, intensity of tropical storms

Front 47

How does acid precipitation work?

Back 47

increased height of smokestacks, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, upper level winds, washed from air by rain, snow, and fog

Front 48

How does ozone depletion work?

Back 48

produced by sunlight and oxygen (3 oxygen atoms), protects the earth by blocking cancer-causing ultraviolet light that damages DNA, too much ozone can injure plants (stunt growth, reduce yields, death), photochemical smog (sunlight/pollution), motor vehicles are leading contributor

Front 49

Who are the polluters of water?

Back 49

industry (largest contributor), sewage, and agriculture

Front 50

What are "The R's"?

Back 50

resources, renewable, non-renewable, proven reserve, potential reserve, recycling