Current topic enviorhton 2025-2026 SC

ad hominem

Attacking the person making an argument rather than the argument itself (e.g., calling an environmentalist "brainwashed" rather than addressing their data).

appeal to tradition

occurs when a belief or action is claimed to be correct or superior solely because it has "always been done that way"

appeal to authority

Citing a non-expert or biased source to support a scientific claim.

appeal to emotion

occurs when someone uses emotional manipulation—such as fear, pity, joy, or rage—to win an argument, rather than presenting factual evidence. It substitutes logical reasoning with feelings, making it a common tactic in advertising, politics, and daily persuasion to obscure lack of evidence.

appeal to ignorance

a logical fallacy claiming a statement is true simply because it hasn't been proven false, or false because it hasn't been proven true

argumentum ad populum

a fallacious argument concluding that a proposition is true, good, or right simply because many or most people believe it

argument from personal incredulity

a logical fallacy where a person concludes that because they find a concept difficult to understand or believe, it must be false. It is an informal fallacy that wrongly equates personal lack of understanding with evidence of impossibility, often disregarding established

association fallacy

an informal logical error where someone wrongly assumes that because two things share a similarity or connection, they must be alike in other, unrelated ways. Often used to discredit, this "guilt by association" fallacy links a person or idea to a demonized group to shift focus from merit to reputation.

cherry picking

the logical fallacy of selectively presenting only the data, facts, or evidence that support a specific position while ignoring contradictory evidence. Also known as suppressing evidence or the fallacy of incomplete evidence, it creates a skewed, misleading, or one-sided argument.

fallacy fallacy

the mistaken assumption that because an argument contains a logical fallacy, its conclusion must be false. A flawed argument can still produce a true conclusion, just not through valid reasoning. Identifying a fallacy proves the argument is weak, not that the claim is wrong.

false cause

occurs when a causal relationship is assumed between two events simply because they occur together (correlation) or because one happens after the other (temporal order), without sufficient evidence. It is an informal fallacy often described as "mistaking correlation for causation"

hasty generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion based on a small, insufficient sample size.

red herring

irrelevant information is introduced to distract from the original argument, allowing a speaker to abandon the main issue. It is a deliberate diversionary tactic, often used in politics and daily conversation, to avoid answering difficult questions or to shift focus away from a central point.

single cause

occurring when a complex event with multiple contributing factors is attributed to one, simple cause. It stems from a desire for simple explanations for complex problems, often leading to scapegoating or ignoring a broader, interconnected web of factors.

slippery slope

Asserting that a relatively small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of disastrous events.

straw man

occurs when someone misrepresents, exaggerates, or fabricates an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack. Instead of addressing the actual, nuanced position, they "knock down" a weak, distorted version

loaded questions

a question containing an unproven, controversial assumption that is "loaded" into the question, forcing the respondent to implicitly admit to the assumption regardless of whether they answer "yes" or "no".

fertilizers, car washing, pet waste

common products or practices in daily life that contribute to non-point source pollution

through indirect pathways

NPS pathways

stormwater runoff, agricultural fields, and impervious surfaces.

community

storm drain marking campaigns, rain garden installations, stream cleanups are all _____ based solutions

TMDL

a regulatory "pollution budget" under the Clean Water Act, calculating the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive while meeting water quality standards. It identifies sources of pollution (point and non-point), sets reduction targets, and outlines action plans to restore impaired

CWA 303

Section 303 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to establish water quality standards (WQS) and identify "impaired waters" that fail to meet these standards, even after applying pollution controls. It mandates that states submit a list of these impaired waters—known as the 303(d) list—and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to restore them.

CWA 319

establishes a national program to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution—runoff from rainfall or snowmelt carrying pollutants like fertilizers, sediment, and chemicals. The EPA provides competitive grant funding (319(h) grants) to states, territories, and tribes to implement watershed management plans, restore impaired waters, and support best management practices.

rain gardens

absorb stormwater:

pocket parks

add green space:

landscaping

improves parking lots:

permeable paving

helps to reduce flooding:

MS4

designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches),

• not a combined sewer, and

• not part of a sewage treatment plant, or publicly owned treatment works (POTW).”

rain garden

Runoff is collected from paved and other surfaces and directed into the garden

• Native plants do not require fertilizer (fertilizer = eutrophication)

• help filter pollutants from the runoff Native plants provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators!

bioswale

• captures the stormwater and slows it down, keeping the water from flooding homes, the Greenway path, and nearby streets, where it creates potholes

• helps clean the water before it enters the San Francisco Bay as well.

• native plants in the bioswale also create habitats for birds and butterflies.

non point

Agriculture

non point

Hydromodification

non point

urban Runoff

non point

roads, Highways and Bridges

non point

Abandoned Mine Drainage

non point

Atmospheric Deposition

non point

Marinas and Boating

non point

Timber Harvest

non point

Septic System

point

Factory

point

Wastewater Treatment Plant

point

Stormwater Discharge

Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948

was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution. Growing public awareness and concern for controlling water pollution led to sweeping amendments in 1972. As amended in 1972, the law became commonly known as the Clean Water Act:

storms

____ can overrun combined stormwater/sewer systems leading to flooding with pollution-laden water

green infrastructure

used to describe how networks of natural ecosystems also function as crucial community infrastructure

natural ecosystems

provide ecosystem services and improves environmental susbtability

green infrastructure

green roofs, bioswales, biorentention ponds, permeable pavements are all examples of local____:

green roofs

can retail 40-60% of stormwater hitting rooftops

bioswales, retention ponds

can absorb water and channel or hold excess run-off, cleansing pollutants in the process

evergreens, conifers

type of trees found to intercept 35% of water hitting them:

green infrastructure

implication of these can lower air temperatures —> crucial in cities facing the Urban Heat Island effect

green roofs

can double up as roof-top parks, farms, and natural habitats for wildlife

cost-effective

for communities facing tight budgets, green infrastructure are the most ____ way to manage stormwater when compared with rebuilding crumbling underground pipes

Philadelphia

city which charges homeowners and local companies for their runoff

forestry NPS

removal of stream side vegetation

forestry NPS

road construction and use

forestry NPS

timber haresting

forestry NPS

mechanical preparation for the planting of trees

road construction

the primary sources of NPS pollution of forested lands, contributing up to 90% of the total sediment from forestry operations

sediment

impacts water quality and can reduce the ability of aquatic organisms to successfully live, osage, and spawn

reducing

harvesting in the area beside a stream can affect water quality by ____ the streambank shading that regulates water temperature

stabilizes

harvesting in the area by a stream can affect water quality by removing vegetation that ____ the stream banks

harvesting trees

________ harms aquatic life by limiting sources of food shade, and shelter, as well as decreasing areas suitable for species intolerant of warmer temperatures

dead zone

an area of low to no oxygen thet can kill fish and marine life

algae

an overgrowth of ____ creates dead zones

hypoxia

low oxygen levels, can cause animals like fish and shrimp to leave the area

hypoxic waters

exposure to _____ has been found to alter fish diets, growth rates, reproduction, habitat use and availability of commercially harvested species such as shrimp

EPA

established the gulf hypoxia program

gulf hypoxia program

set to further accelerate nutrient reduction actions by the Task Force to make significant progress the Task Force’s Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan

gulf of mexico

major dead zone

N and P

synthetic fertilizers mainly consist of ____, which are vital nutrients for plan growth

eutrophication

when N and P wash into waterways with rain, they can lead to ____

algal bloom

fertilizers that wash into the waterway leading to an ______

sunlight

the dense mat of algae can block ____ from the plants beneath the surface

carrying capacity

algae will eventually reach a ______ in the water and being to die back

aerobic bacteria

algae dying back provides and abundant food source for decomposers like _____ that use oxygen to break them down

drop

the dissolved oxygen in the water begins to ___ as decomposers use it to break down the algal bloom

oxygen

aquatic organisms like fish and amphibians begin to suffer and potentially die as the ____ levels drop

hypoxic

dying aquatic organisms creates a ____ environment that keeps this cycle going (positive feedback)

summer

eutrophication is often seasonal - worse in the ___ when dissolved oxygen is already low

• heat makes oxygen naturally escape the water

Karenia brevis

cause red tides

brevotoxins

red tides create ___

Respiratory

wind can open up bacteria and crates ___ issues and irritation

oysters, clams

bacteria for red tides can accumulate in ___ or ____

red tides

besides eutrophication, fertilizer run-off also contributes to _____:

non target species

species that pesticides are not designed to kill, but does so anyways

ex. one for mosquitoes can also kill butterflies

endocrine disrupters

pesticides disrupt horomes

ex. can cause male animals to develop female characteristics from changes in estrogen

silent spring

Rachel Carson wrote ____ to discuss pesticides

• first mention of non point source pollution

turbidity

how murky or cloudy the water is (less sunlight can penetrate)

sediment

___ causes less sunlight, so plants get less and so then less photosynthesis —> less growth means less food for other organisms

changes in temperature

_______ occurs from an increase in sediment because more rocks trap heat and hold heat in water, 

heat

less oxygen in water because ____ causes the oxygen to be related into the atmosphere

point source

pollutants carried to the waterbody by an individual and direct conveyance, such as a pipe or a storm drain

CWA

protects the quality of America’s waters through direct regulation of water pollutants and their points of origin

directly connect

to qualify for the CWA, the polluted waterbody must _____ to large rivers, lakes, and oceans used for shipping and commerce

navigable waters

the pollutants being discharged through the point source must reach _____

groundwater

____ is not subject to CWA jurisdiction

NPDES

must apply for and receive a permit that authorizes the discharge of water pollution under very strict standards and in specifically limited amounts

32,500

CWA violation can be up to _____ per violation per day

EPA

___was initially charged with the enforcement of the NPDES program and other CWA requirements