Environmental Vocabulary

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1. acid rain precipitation that is more acidic than normal 20. Gasohol a mixture of gasoline and alcohol that is
because of air pollution used as a fuel
2. biodegradable capable of being readily decomposed into 21. geothermal energy derived from the heat in the interior
harmless substances by microorganisms energy of the earth
3. biodiesel processed fuel made from vegetable oil or 22. global Theory that the average temperature of the
animal fats which can be used in unmodified warming earth's atmosphere is gradually warming as a
diesel engines result of an enhanced greenhouse effect
caused by ever-increasing amounts of
4. biodiversity the number of different species in a given
carbon dioxide from human sources (burning
area
of fossil fuels).
5. biomass plant materials and animal waste used as
23. greenhouse a gas that contributes to the greenhouse
fuel
gas effect by absorbing infrared radiation. For
6. bioremediation treating waste or pollutants by the use of example water, carbon dioxide and methane
microorganisms (as bacteria) that can break
24. Hazardous any material that can be harmful to human
down the undesirable substances
waste health or the environment if it is not properly
7. Brownfield Previously used or developed land that disposed of
may be contaminated with hazardous waste
25. Hybrid car which uses combination of internal
or pollution.
automobile combustion engine (burns gas) and electric
8. Carbon cycle movement of carbon in different chemical battery
forms from the environment to organisms
26. Hydroelectric electrical energy produced by falling water,
and then back to the environment.
energy such as waterfalls and damns
9. Carrying largest number of individuals of a
27. Incandescent light bulb that glows when a filament inside
capacity population that a given environment can
bulb it gets white hot; traditional household bulb
support
28. indoor air Compounds that affect breathing that occur
10. CFC's Chlorinated Fluorocarbons are chemicals
pollution indoors. Examples: woodstove smoke,
that break down the ozone layer
furnace emissions, formaldehyde, radon,
11. climate long-term significant change in the weather household chemicals
change patterns of an area
29. Kyoto agreement to control global warming by
12. Coal fossil fuel consisting of carbonized Protocol setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for
vegetable matter deposited in the developed countries.
Carboniferous period
30. LEDs abbreviation for light-emitting diode, an
13. Cogeneration production of two useful forms of energy electronic device that makes light using
from the same fuel, usually electricity and solid-state technology instead of a hot
heat filament.
14. Deforestation process of stripping the land of its trees 31. Montreal an agreement to phase-out of ozone
15. erosion mechanical process of wearing or grinding Protocol depleting substances
something down 32. Natural gas a fossil fuel in the gaseous state, methane
16. Exponential Population growth that is unhindered 33. natural any material in nature that people use and
growth because of the abundance of resources for resource value
an ever-increasing population
34. Nitrogen the transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere
17. Fluorescent A light bulb that uses neon or argon gas cycle to the soil, to living organisms, and back to
bulb with small amounts of mercury gas. It gives the atmosphere
off white light, little heat, and uses less
35. non-point water pollution that does not have a specific
electricity.,
source point of origin
18. fossil fuels nonrenewable resources formed from the pollution
remains of ancient plants and animals
36. non- a resource that cannot be reused or replaced
19. Fuel cell Device that combines hydrogen, or other renewable easily (ex. gems, iron, copper, fossil fuels)
fuels, and oxygen and produces electricity resource
in the process.
37. nuclear energy produced when an atom splits apart 57. Wind The energy captured by transforming the motion
energy (fission) or when two atoms join to form one energy of air into electrical energy using a turbine
atom (fusion)
58. Yucca national geologic depository planned to be built
38. Nuclear radioactive waste material produced by Mountain to store radioactive waste
waste nuclear power plants
39. Ozone a form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms
in each molecule instead of the usual two
40. Ozone thinning of the layer of the gas ozone high in
depletion the earth's atmosphere; ozone serves as a
protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays
41. Ozone a layer in the stratosphere (at approximately
layer 20 miles) that contains a concentration of
ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet
radiation from the sun
42. particulate mixture of fine particles that can impact
matter human health.
43. photovoltaic Cells, usually made of specially-treated
cells silicon, that transfer solar energy from the sun
to electrical energy
44. point source water pollution that comes from a known and
pollution specific location
45. pollutant a material found in air, water, or soil that is
harmful to humans and other organisms
46. potable water that is safe to drink
water
47. radon gas Radioactive material that comes up from the
ground and can penatrate basements, causing
indoor pollution
48. recyclable items that can be processed and used again
49. renewable natural resource that can be used and
resource replaced over a relatively short time
50. smog visible air pollution produced by the action of
sunlight on air pollutants
51. solid waste landfills (usually)
disposal
52. Superfund federal program design to clean up hazardous
waste sites.
53. Sustainable management of earths natural resources to
energy ensure that current and future energy needs
will be met without harming the environment
54. Turbine a large wheel that rotates and provides
mechanical energy to a generator for
electricity
55. Water gains and losses of water from a region
budget
56. Water cycle the continuous process by which water moves
from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and
back