a useful material that can be replenished over short time spans such as months, years, and decades
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nonrenewable resource
a useful material that requires millions of years to form and accumulate
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fossil fuel
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
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tar sand
mixtures of clay and sand combined with water and varying amounts of a thick, black tar called bitumen
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oil shale
sedimentary rock that contains a waxy mixture of hydrocarbons called kerogen
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ore
a useful metallic mineral that can be mined at a profit
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hydrothermal deposit
hot, metal-rich water moves through surrounding rock, it cools and the metallic ions separate out of solution producing veins of ore
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placer deposit
eroded heavy/dense, durable, chemically resistant minerals settle quickly from moving water while less dense particles continue moving
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conservation
the careful use of resources
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Clean Air Act (1970)
established standards for the six criteria air pollutants known to cause health problems - carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates
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Clean Water Act (1972)
requires industries to reduce or eliminate point source pollution into surface waters
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Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)
sets maximum contaminant levels for pollutants that could harm the health of people
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contour plowing
plowing across the contour of hillsides, which decreases runoff
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selective logging/cutting
some trees are cut while others are left to continue growing, thus preserving topsoil and habitat
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compost
partially decomposed organic material that can be used as fertilizer
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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act aka RCRA (1976)
requires companies to store, transport, and dispose of hazardous waste according to strict guidelines
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Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act aka Superfund (1980)
mandates the cleaning up of abandoned hazardous waste sites that are a danger to the public or the environment
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recycling
collecting and processing of used items so they can be made into new products
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point source pollution
Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, containers of various types).
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nonpoint source pollution
water pollution that does not have a specific point of origin; such as, an entire farming region, a suburban community with many lawns and septic systems, or storm runoff from streets and parking lots.
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runoff
water that neither soaks into the ground nor evaporates, but instead flows across Earth's surface picking up pollutants and/or sediments before entering streams, lakes, and ponds
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air
the mixture of gases present of the Earth's atmosphere
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greenhouse gas
a gas that absorbs the heat energy emitted by the Earth's surface
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global warming
a gradual increase in the overall average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere generally attributed to increasing levels of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide and ozone
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land resources
soil, forests, mineral and energy resources that make up the accessible areas of the Earth's crust
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solar energy
using the sun's rays to supply heat or electricity
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passive solar collector
using south-facing windows to allow sunlight to heat objects within the interior of a building
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active solar collector
large, dark-colored box used to heat air or liquids
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photovoltaic cell
devices, usually made from silicon, that convert the sun's energy directly into electricity
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nuclear fission
nuclei of heavy atoms are bombarded with neutrons causing the original nuclei to split into smaller nuclei and emitting neutrons and heat energy
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wind turbine
a machine that converts the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy in the turbine, which is then converted to electricity by a generator
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hydroelectric power
electricity produced by a generator driven by a turbine which is set in motion by falling water
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geothermal energy
hot water and steam from natural underground reservoirs can be used to heat or to spin turbines, driving generators, producing electricity
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tidal power
movement of sea water, caused by the tides, spins turbines, driving generators producing electricity
Studied by 12 people
