APES Crunch Study

Clean Air Act

Intended to reduce and control air pollution nationwide. Enforced by U.S, enacted in 1963

Clean Water Act

regulates water pollution and aims to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's water. The CWA also includes provisions for regulating the discharge of dredged and fill material into these waters, including wetlands.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora

an international agreement that regulates the trade of endangered plants and animals to prevent their extinctio

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Superfund

federal law enacted in 1980 to address the cleanup of contaminated sites where hazardous substances are present. It grants the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to investigate and clean up such sites, with the goal of protecting public health and the environment. CERCLA also defines the liability of parties responsible for the contamination.

Montreal Protocol

a landmark international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989, and has been universally ratified by all countries

Kyoto Protocol

an international treaty, adopted in 1997 and effective in 2005, that extended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It committed industrialized countries and economies in transition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by agreed-upon targets. The protocol's first commitment period (2008-2012) aimed for a 5% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels.

Endangered Species Act

a US federal law designed to protect and conserve endangered and threatened species and their habitats

Safe Drinking Water Act

primary federal law in the US that ensures the quality of public drinking water. It was enacted in 1974 and has been amended several times, most recently in 2018. The SDWA authorizes the EPA to set national standards for drinking water, which states and local authorities then implement and enforce.

Delaney Clause

prohibits the FDA from approving any food additive found to induce cancer in humans or animals. It was established in 1958 as part of the Food Additives Amendment. This means that if a food additive is determined to be carcinogenic, it cannot be used in food products, regardless of the level of risk.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

enacted in 1976, the primary U.S. law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste

GPP

Gross Primary Productivity, total amount of organic matter produced by organisms. Equation: NPP+R (respiration)

NPP

Net Primary Productivity, net carbon gain from vegetation. Equation: GPP-R