ch 1 enviromental science

Natural resource

a material or energy source provided by nature that people need to survive

Ethics

the study of right and wrong

Independent variable

a factor scientists manipulate in an experiment

Peer review

formal examination of a research report by the scientific community

Environment

all living and nonliving things with which organisms interact

Dependent variable

a factor determined by the conditions set up in an experiment

Sustainable

used at a rate equal to the rate of replenishment into the foreseeable future

Data

information gathered from a study

Theory

a broad explanation for a wide range of situations and observation

Environmentalism

a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world

Hypothesis

a testable idea that attempts to explain a phenomenon

Ecological footprint

the environmental effects of an individual or group in terms of resources used and waste produced

Controlled study

an experiment that tests one variable while keeping all others the same

Environmental ethics

the study of how humans should treat the environment and living things