Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
141 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
chronically undernourished
|
Receiving less than 90 percent of the minimum caloric intake needed for normal growth and development and a healthy, productive life.
|
|
|
contour plowing
|
Plowing along hill contours; reduces erosion.
|
|
|
cover crops
|
Plants such a rye, alfalfa, or clover, that can be planted immediately after harvest to hold an protect the soil
|
|
|
famines
|
Acute food shortages characterized by large-scale loss of life, social disruption, and economic chaos.
|
|
|
food security
|
The ability for individuals to obtain sufficient food on a day-by-day basis.
|
|
|
genetic engineering
|
Laboratory manipulation of genetic material using molecular biology.
|
|
|
green revolution
|
Dramatically increased agricultural production brought about by miracle strains of grain.
|
|
|
gully erosion
|
Removal of layers of soil, creating channels or ravines too large to be removed by normal tillage operations.
|
|
|
malnourishment
|
A nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients.
|
|
|
mulch
|
Protective groundcover that protects the soil, saves water, and prevents weed growth.
|
|
|
reduced tillage
|
Farming methods that preserve soil and save energy and water through reduced cultivation.
|
|
|
rill erosion
|
The removing of thin layers of soil as little rivulets of running water gather and cut small channels in the soil.
|
|
|
salinization
|
A process in which mineral salts accumulate in the soil, killing plants; occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated profusely.
|
|
|
sheet erosion
|
Peeling off thin layers of soil from the land surface; accomplished primarily by wind and water.
|
|
|
soil horizons
|
Horizontal layers that reveal a soil's history, characteristics and usefulness.
|
|
|
strip-farming
|
Planting different types of crops in alternating strips along land contours.
|
|
|
subsoil
|
A layer of soil beneath the topsoil that has lower organic content and higher concentrations of fine mineral particles.
|
|
|
sustainable agriculture
|
Ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just agricultural system. Stewardship, soil conservation, and IPM are essential for sustainability.
|
|
|
terracing
|
Shaping the land to create level shelves of earth to hold water and soil; enables farmers to farm very steep hillsides.
|
|
|
topsoil
|
The first true layer of soil; layer in which organic material is mixed with mineral particles.
|
|
|
waterlogging
|
Water saturation of soil that fills all air spaces and causes plant roots to die from lack of oxygen; a result of overirrigation.
|
|
|
acute effects
|
A sudden onset of symptoms or effects of exposure to some factor.
|
|
|
allergens
|
Substances that activate the immune system and cause an allergic response.
|
|
|
antigens
|
Substances that stimulate the production of, and react with, specific antibodies.
|
|
|
bioaccumulation
|
The selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells.
|
|
|
biomagnification
|
Increase in concentration of certain stable chemicals in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or web.
|
|
|
carcinogens
|
Substances that cause cancer.
|
|
|
chronic effects
|
Long-lasting results of exposure to a toxin; can be a permanent change caused by a single, acute exposure or a continuous, low-level exposure.
|
|
|
DALYs
|
Disability-adjusted life years. A health measure that assesses the total burden of disease.
|
|
|
emergent diseases
|
A new disease or one that has been absent for at least 20 years.
|
|
|
endocrine hormone disrupters
|
Chemicals that interfere with the function of endocrine hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, etc.
|
|
|
LD50
|
A chemical dose lethal to 50 percent of a test population.
|
|
|
morbidity
|
Illness or disease
|
|
|
mortality
|
Death rate in a population, such as number of deaths per thousand people per year.
|
|
|
mutagens
|
Agents, such as chemicals or radiation, that damage or alter genetic material (DNA) in cells.
|
|
|
neurotoxins
|
Toxic substances such as lead or mercury, that specifically poison nerve cells.
|
|
|
pathogens
|
Organisms that produce disease in host organisms.
|
|
|
POPs
|
Persistent organic pollutants. Chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for a long time.
|
|
|
teratogens
|
Chemicals or other factors that specifically cause abnormalities during embryonic growth and development.
|
|
|
toxins
|
Poisonous chemicals that react with specific cellular components to kill cells or to alter growth and development in undesirable ways.
|
|
|
acid precipitation
|
Acidic rain, snow, or dry particles deposited from the air due to increased acids released by anthropogenic or natural resources.
|
|
|
aerosols
|
Minute particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air.
|
|
|
albedo
|
A description of a surface’s reflective properties
|
|
|
ambient air
|
The air immediately around us.
|
|
|
carbon management
|
Projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel or to ameliorate their effects.
|
|
|
carbon monoxide
|
Colorless, odorless, nonirritating but highly toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion of fuel, incineration of biomass or solid wastes, etc.
|
|
|
chloroflurocarbons
|
Chemical compounds with a carbon skeleton and one of more attached chlorine and fluorine atoms.
|
|
|
climate
|
A description of the long term pattern of weather in a particular area.
|
|
|
convection currents
|
Rising or sinking air currents that stir the atmosphere and transport heat from one area to another. Convection currents also occur in water.
|
|
|
conventional pollutants
|
The seven substances identified by the Clean Air Act that make up the largest volume of air quality degradation.
|
|
|
Coriolis effect
|
The tendency for air above the earth to be deflected to the right (N. Hemisphere) or the left S. Hemisphere) because of the earth’s rotation.
|
|
|
dust domes
|
High concentrations of dust and aerosols in the air over cities.
|
|
|
el Niño
|
A climatic change marked by shifting of a large warm water pool from the western Pacific Ocean toward the east.
|
|
|
fugitive emissions
|
Substances that enter the air without going through a smokestack, such as dust from soil erosion, strip mining, rock crushing, etc.
|
|
|
greenhouse effect
|
Trapping of heat by the earth’s atmosphere, which is transparent to incoming visible light waves but absorbs outgoing longwave radiation.
|
|
|
heat islands
|
Areas of higher temperatures around cities.
|
|
|
IPCC
|
A group of scientists from a wide variety of fields assembled by the United Nations to assess the current state of knowledge about climate change.
|
|
|
jet streams
|
Powerful winds or currents of air that circulate in shifting flows, similar to oceanic currents in extent and effect on climate.
|
|
|
Kyoto Protocol
|
An international treaty adopted in 1997, in which 160 nations agreed to roll back CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.
|
|
|
latent heat
|
Stored energy in a form that is not sensible (detectable by ordinary senses).
|
|
|
Milankovitch cycles
|
Periodic variations in tilt, eccentricity, and wobble in the earth’s orbit, possible responsible for cyclic weather changes.
|
|
|
monsoons
|
Seasonal reversals of wind patterns caused by the differential heating and cooling rates of the ocean’s and continents.
|
|
|
nitrogen oxides
|
Reactive gasses formed when nitrogen in fuel or air is heated with oxygen, or when soil bacteria or water oxidize nitrogen-containing compounds.
|
|
|
ozone
|
Reactive molecule containing 3 oxygen atoms; dangerous pollutant in ambient air, but in the stratosphere protects us from ultraviolet radiation.
|
|
|
particulate material
|
Atmospheric aerosols, such as dust, ash, soot, lint, smoke, pollen, spores, algal cells, droplets of liquids and other suspended materials.
|
|
|
photochemical oxidants
|
Products of secondary atmospheric reactions, such a smog.
|
|
|
stratosphere
|
The zone in the atmosphere extending from the tropopause to about 50 km above the earth’s surface.
|
|
|
sulfur dioxide
|
A colorless, corrosive gas directly damaging to both plants and animals.
|
|
|
temperature inversions
|
Atmospheric conditions in which a layer of warm air lies on top of cooler air and blocks normal convection currents.
|
|
|
troposphere
|
The layer of air nearest the earth’s surface; both temperature and pressure usually decrease with increasing altitude.
|
|
|
unconventional pollutants
|
Toxic or hazardous substances not listed in the original Clean Air Act because they were not released in large quantities.
|
|
|
volatile organic compounds
|
Organic chemicals that evaporate readily and exist as gases in the air.
|
|
|
weather
|
The physical conditions of the atmosphere (moisture, temperature, pressure, and wind).
|
|
|
aquifers
|
Porous, water- bearing layers of sand, gravel, and rock below the earth’s surface; reservoirs for groundwater.
|
|
|
BOD
|
Biochemical oxygen demand.
|
|
|
consumption
|
The water lost from the system through evaporation, absorption or contamination.
|
|
|
eutrophic
|
Rivers and lakes rich in organic material.
|
|
|
flux
|
The amount of material transferred between compartments per unit time.
|
|
|
groundwater
|
Water held in gravel deposits or porous rock below the earth’s surface.
|
|
|
hydrologic cycle
|
The natural process by which water is purified and made fresh through evaporation and precipitation.
|
|
|
infiltration
|
The process of water percolation into the soil and pores and hollows of permeable rocks
|
|
|
oligotrophic
|
Condition of rivers and lakes that have clear water and low biological productivity.
|
|
|
oxygen sag
|
Decline in oxygen downstream from a pollution source that introduces materials with high biological oxygen demands.
|
|
|
transpiration
|
The evaporation of water from plant surfaces, especially through stomates.
|
|
|
residence time
|
The length of time a component, such as an individual water molecule, spends in a particular compartment or location before it moves on through a particular process or cycle.
|
|
|
runoff
|
The excess of precipitation over evaporation; the main source of surface water and, in broad terms, the water available for human use.
|
|
|
watershed
|
All the land drained by a stream or river.
|
|
|
water table
|
The top layer of the zone of saturation.
|
|
|
withdrawal
|
The total amount of water taken from a water supply.
|
|
|
zone of aeration
|
Upper soil layers that hold both air and water.
|
|
|
zone of saturation
|
Lower soil layers where all spaces are filled with water.
|
|
|
active solar systems
|
Mechanical systems that use moving substances to collect and transfer solar energy.
|
|
|
chain reaction
|
A self-sustaining reaction in which the fission of nuclei produces subatomic particles that cause the fission of other nuclei.
|
|
|
cogeneration
|
The simultaneous production of electricity and steam or hot water in the same plant.
|
|
|
control rods
|
Neutron-absorbing material inserted into spaces between fuel assemblies in nuclear reactors to regulate fission reactions.
|
|
|
energy
|
The capacity to do work, such as moving matter over distance.
|
|
|
fossil fuels
|
Petroleum, natural gas, and coal created by geologic forces from organic wastes and dead bodies of formerly living organisms.
|
|
|
fuel assembly
|
A bundle of hollow metal rods containing uranium oxide pellets; used to fuel a nuclear reactor.
|
|
|
fuel cells
|
Mechanical devices that use hydrogen or hydrogen-containing fuel, such as methane, to produce an electric current.
|
|
|
gasohol
|
A mixture of gasoline and ethanol.
|
|
|
green pricing
|
Plans in which consumers can voluntarily pay a premium price for renewable energy.
|
|
|
joule
|
A unit of energy. The energy expended in one second by a current of one amp flowing through a resistance of one ohm.
|
|
|
nuclear fission
|
The radioactive decay process in which isotopes split apart to create two smaller atoms.
|
|
|
oil shales
|
Fine-grained sedimentary rock rich in solid organic material called kerogen. When heated, the kerogen liquefies to produce a fluid petroleum fuel.
|
|
|
passive heat absorption
|
The use of natural materials or absorptive structures without moving parts to gather and hold heat; the simplest and oldest use of solar energy.
|
|
|
photovoltaic cells
|
An energy-conversion device that captures solar energy and directly converts it to electrical current.
|
|
|
power
|
The rate of energy delivery; measured in horsepower or watts.
|
|
|
proven-in-place reserves
|
Energy sources that have been thoroughly mapped and are likely to be economically recoverable with available technology.
|
|
|
reformer
|
A device that strips hydrogen from fuels such as natural gas, methanol, ammonia, gasoline, or vegetable oil so they can be used for power plants.
|
|
|
tar sands
|
Geologic deposits composed of sand and shale particles coated with bitumen, a viscous mixture of long-chain hydrocarbons.
|
|
|
wind farms
|
Large numbers of windmills concentrated in a single area; usually owned by a utility or large-scale energy producer.
|
|
|
work
|
The application of force through a distance; requires energy input.
|
|
|
cost-benefit analysis
|
An evaluation of large scale public projects by comparing the costs and the benefits that accrue from them.
|
|
|
ecological economics
|
Application of ecological insights to economic analysis; incorporating ecological principles and priorities into economic accounting systems.
|
|
|
externalizing costs
|
Shifting expenses, monetary or otherwise, to someone other than the individuals or groups who use a resource.
|
|
|
GPI
|
An alternative to GNP or GPD for economic accounting that measures real progress in quality of life and suatainability.
|
|
|
GNP
|
The sum total of all goods and services produced in a national economy.
|
|
|
internalizing costs
|
Planning so that those who reap the benefits of resource use also bear all the external costs.
|
|
|
marginal cost
|
The cost to produce one additional unit of a good or service.
|
|
|
megacity
|
An urban area with more than ten million inhabitants.
|
|
|
nonrenewable resources
|
Minerals, fossil fuels, and other materials present in essentially fixed amounts (within human time scales) in our environment.
|
|
|
renewable resources
|
Resources normally replaced or replinished by natural proceses; resources not depleted by moderate use.
|
|
|
resources
|
In economic terms, anything with potential use in creating wealth or giving satisfaction.
|
|
|
smart growth
|
The efficient use of land resources and existing urban infrastructure.
|
|
|
steady-state economy
|
Characterized by low birth and death rates, use of renewable energy sources, recycling of materials, and emphasis on durability, efficiency, and stability.
|
|
|
tragedy of the commons
|
An inexorable process of degredation of communal resources due to selfish self-interest of “free riders” who use or destroy more than their fair share of common property.
|
|
|
adaptive management
|
A management plan designed from the onset to "learn by doing" and to actively test hypotheses and adjust treatments as new information is available.
|
|
|
arbitration
|
A formal process of dispute resolution resulting in a legally binding decision that all parties must obey.
|
|
|
case law
|
Precedents from both civil and criminal court cases.
|
|
|
citizen science
|
Projects in which trained volunteers work with scientific researchers to answer real world questions.
|
|
|
community-based planning
|
Involving community stakeholders in pluralistic, adaptive, inclusive, proactive planning.
|
|
|
environmental law
|
Legal rules, decisions, and actions involving environmental quality, natural resources, and ecological sustainability.
|
|
|
environmental policy
|
The official rules or regulations concerning the environment adopted, implemented, and enforced by some government agency.
|
|
|
legal standing
|
The right to take part in legal proceedings.
|
|
|
lobbying
|
Using personal contacts, public pressure, or political action to persuade legislators to vote in a particular manner.
|
|
|
mediation
|
An informal dispute resolution process in which parties try to reach agreement through discussion and compromise.
|
|
|
NEPA
|
Law that established the Council on Environmental Quality; requires environmental impact statements for federal projects with significant impacts.
|
|
|
NGOs
|
Nongovernmental organizations such as pressure and research groups, advisory agencies, etc., concerned about environmental or other issues.
|
|
|
policy cycle
|
The process by which problems are identified and acted upon in the public arena.
|
|
|
precautionary principle
|
The rule that we should leave a margin of safety for unexpected developments
|
|
|
SLAPP
|
Lawsuits that have no merit but are brought merely to intimidate and harass private citizens who act in the public interest.
|
