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tragedy of the commons
situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up shared/public but limited resources, leading to environmental degradation
ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land
clearcutting
The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once
selective cutting
cutting down only some trees in a forest and leaving a mix of tree sizes or species behind
carbon sequestration
a process by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored, such as by trees via photosynthesis.
slash-and-burn
A farming method involving the cutting of trees, then burning them to provide ash-enriched soil for the planting of crops. Releases stored CO2.
prescribed burn
A fire deliberately set under controlled conditions in order to reduce the accumulation of dead biomass on a forest floor
saltwater intrusion
an infiltration of salt water in an area where groundwater pressure has been reduced from extensive drilling of wells
runoff
water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground
sustainability
meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
urban sprawl
The process of urban areas expanding outwards, often in the form of suburbs or unplanned spread.
overburden
Layer of soil and rock overlying a mineral deposit. Surface mining removes this layer.
slag and tailings
leftover waste material separated from the valuable metal or mineral within ore. Often stored in ponds at mine site. Proper disposal can be an environmental issue.
ore
a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine
reclamation
the process of returning land to its "original" condition after mining is completed
surface mining
Removal of overburden to access ore at surface (i.e. strip mining, mountaintop removal, open pit). Cheaper and can remove more minerals; less hazardous to workers
suburface Mining
Mine shaft drilled into/underground to access ore deposits. More expensive and hazardous, but increasingly used as ores near surface are depleted
acid mine drainage
Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams.
urbanization
An increase in the percentage/number of people living in urban settlements.
impermeable
Impassable, not allowing passage through (such as by water). Many urbanized areas disrupt water cycle due to increasing these surfaces.
bycatch
The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing, such as getting caught in fishing equipment
overfishing
capturing fish faster than they can reproduce
sustainable yield
Highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply
Quota
A limit placed on how much of a product that can be harvested, such as fishing. Can be a sustainable solution.
aquaculture
The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions or "fish farms."
fair market value
agreed upon price of a product (for example, of timber) based on an understanding of its impacts
mountaintop removal
a mining technique in which the entire top of a mountain (overburden) is removed with explosives and moved downhill
strip mining
involves the removal of strips of the Earth's surface to expose ore
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