Lesson 2 Vocabulary: The Environment

Vocabulary terms and definitions related to environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability as discussed in Lesson 2.

Jeopardy

A state of danger or risk mentioned in relation to the wellbeing of the planet Earth.

Global warming

Also known as climate change, a major factor causing melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and new weather patterns like stronger storms, droughts, and flooding.

Air pollution

Environmental damage primarily caused by excessive and unregulated emissions of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) into the air.

Pollutants

Substances that mostly emerge from the burning of fossil fuels, chemicals, toxic substances, and improper waste disposal.

Smog

A combination of smoke and fog that occurs in valleys when air pollutants are absorbed into the atmosphere.

Acidic precipitation

A phenomenon produced by air pollutants that affects areas far away from the initial pollution source.

Deforestation

The clearing of trees, representing an unsustainable use of natural resources that impacts the environment.

Mining

The extraction of natural gases, which can have deleterious effects on the environment and animal habitats.

Oil spills

Economic strategies involving natural resources can lead to these accidental environmental disasters.

Repercussions

The consequences or effects of human actions on the environment that must be considered to establish sustainable habits.

Endangered species

Species that face potential extinction if measures are not taken to protect the environment from worldwide pollution.

Uninhabitable

A state in which the planet would be completely unfit for living organisms to reside.