Unit 7: Sustainability Flashcards

Natural resources

Materials from the Earth used to support life and meet people's needs

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Area between Hawaii and California, twice as large as Texas. Has tons of plastic debris that accumulated because of the swirling of ocean [ocean currents].

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Hidden water

Water that goes into creating the items we consume , energy we use and food we eat but we don't see it.

Citarum

A river in Indonesia that stretches from Mount Wayang to the Java sea and is the most polluted river in the world " The World's Dirtiest River"

Waste management system

The way for waste to hygienically be disposed of.

Textile factory

a place where fibers like cotton are turned into fabrics or clothing using machines and workers.

Environmentalist

People who take actions to protect the environment.

Fossil fuels

Term used to describe a group of energy sources coal, oil, natural gas that were formed hundreds of millions of years ago due to the decomposition of plants and organisms during the carboniferous period. [360 million years ago].

Non-renewable resource

Resources that take millions of years to form and once used up can not be replaced.

Renewable resource

Resources that can naturally be replaced over time and won't run out if used responsibly.

Ocean acidification

Rise of the acidity and decrease in pH of the ocean's chemistry as a direct effect from CO2 in the atmosphere reacting with salt water.

Climate change

Long term shifts in temp. and weather patterns mainly due to human activities.

Air pollution

The presence of chemicals and particles in the atmosphere that poses serious health and environmental threats.

Alternative energy

Sources of energy that are clean for the environment and can help solve the problem of global warming. (solar, wind, geothermal, etc)

OPEC

Group of countries that work together to control the production and price of oil around the world. [global organization of countries that sell oil] "Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries."

hydro-electric power

The generation of power from falling or streaming water. To produce power, dams are constructed on rivers. The constant running flow of water is then used to move the turbines

Solar power

Energy derived from the sun. The energy can be used directly to heat and light homes or converted into electricity using solar energy technologies like solar panels.

Geothermal power

Heat that comes from inside the Earth. We can use this heat to generate electricity or to warm buildings.

Biofuel

Fuels extracted from biomass — basically plants, algae, or animal waste.

Off the grid living

Not relying on nonrenewable energy sources and not connected to public utilities like water, gas, or electricity instead you create your own energy from sustainable resources.

landfill

Designated areas where garbage is taken to when you throw it away.

Consumerism

Global culture of wanting to accumulate material possession as a sign of status in a society.

Zabaleen

Informal garbage collectors collect the garbage of Cairo's residents in a door-to-door service for a small fee and then transport it via donkey carts or pick-up trucks to their homes in Manshiyat Naser.

Zero waste living

Lifestyle where you try to create as little trash as possible in your everyday life. The goal is to send nothing to landfills or incinerators by reusing, and recycling.

Environmental footprint

Measure how your daily actions affect the planet. It includes things like how much energy you use, how much trash you create, how much water you waste, and how much pollution you contribute to—especially through things like transportation, food, and shopping.