Studied by 12 people
renewable resource
a useful material that can be replenished over short time spans such as months, years, and decades
nonrenewable resource
a useful material that requires millions of years to form and accumulate
fossil fuel
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
tar sand
mixtures of clay and sand combined with water and varying amounts of a thick, black tar called bitumen
oil shale
sedimentary rock that contains a waxy mixture of hydrocarbons called kerogen
ore
a useful metallic mineral that can be mined at a profit
hydrothermal deposit
hot, metal-rich water moves through surrounding rock, it cools and the metallic ions separate out of solution producing veins of ore
placer deposit
eroded heavy/dense, durable, chemically resistant minerals settle quickly from moving water while less dense particles continue moving
conservation
the careful use of resources
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
Clean Water Act (1972)
requires industries to reduce or eliminate point source pollution into surface waters
Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)
sets maximum contaminant levels for pollutants that could harm the health of people
contour plowing
plowing across the contour of hillsides, which decreases runoff
selective logging/cutting
some trees are cut while others are left to continue growing, thus preserving topsoil and habitat
compost
partially decomposed organic material that can be used as fertilizer
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act aka RCRA (1976)
requires companies to store, transport, and dispose of hazardous waste according to strict guidelines
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
recycling
collecting and processing of used items so they can be made into new products
point source pollution
Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, containers of various types).
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.
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
air
the mixture of gases present of the Earth's atmosphere
greenhouse gas
a gas that absorbs the heat energy emitted by the Earth's surface
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
land resources
soil, forests, mineral and energy resources that make up the accessible areas of the Earth's crust
solar energy
using the sun's rays to supply heat or electricity
passive solar collector
using south-facing windows to allow sunlight to heat objects within the interior of a building
active solar collector
large, dark-colored box used to heat air or liquids
photovoltaic cell
devices, usually made from silicon, that convert the sun's energy directly into electricity
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
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
hydroelectric power
electricity produced by a generator driven by a turbine which is set in motion by falling water
geothermal energy
hot water and steam from natural underground reservoirs can be used to heat or to spin turbines, driving generators, producing electricity
tidal power
movement of sea water, caused by the tides, spins turbines, driving generators producing electricity
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