Environmental Science Second Semester Exam Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering Fossil Fuels, Waste Management, Land Use, Climate Change, Air Pollution, Biodiversity, and Human Population Trends based on the SEMEX 2 study guide.

Nonrenewable energy

Energy sources that consist of fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Fossil fuels

Remains of ancient organisms that can be burned for energy.

Coal

A fuel made from fossilized remains of ancient plants; it is the most abundant fuel underground and the main fossil fuel used to produce electricity in the USA.

Petroleum (oil)

A liquid fossil fuel pumped up from the ground, with large deposits found in Alaska and Texas.

Natural gas

A fossil fuel that can be obtained by fracking shale, primarily consisting of methane ($CH_4$).

Methane hydrate

The term used for solid natural gas.

Nuclear energy

Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom; it was seen as the power of the future during the $1950s$.

Fission

The process of splitting an atomic nucleus.

Fusion

The process of combining atomic nuclei.

Uranium

The radioactive element involved in the process to make nuclear energy.

Chernobyl

The site of the worst nuclear accident in history.

Three Mile Island

The site of the worst nuclear accident in US history.

Recycling

The process of using existing materials to create new products, such as using milk jugs to make park benches.

Reuse

Extending the life of a product by using it again, such as using canvas bags for shopping.

Composting

A waste management method that enriches the soil.

Deep-well injection

A method of hazardous waste disposal below the groundwater level.

Surface impoundment

A disposal method where waste is allowed to settle in a pond.

Hazardous waste

Wastes that are corrosive, toxic, acidic, or potentially radioactive.

Leachate

Liquids that pass through landfill waste.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

A law passed in $1974$ to regulate waste disposal.

Superfund Act (CERCLA)

A $1980$ law that funded the clean-up of hazardous waste.

Ferrous metals

Metals that contain iron.

Nonferrous metals

Metals that do not contain iron and are more valuable to recycle.

Plastic #1

PETE/PET

Plastic #2

HDPE

Plastic #3

PVC/V

Plastic #4

LDPE

Plastic #5

PP

Plastic #6

PS (Styrofoam); not recyclable.

Urban sprawl

The rapid expansion of cities into the countryside; Atlanta, Georgia is a prime example.

Old-growth forest

A climax forest that has never been harvested.

Montreal Protocol

An international agreement designed to combat worldwide ozone depletion.

Kyoto Protocol

A treaty that regulates greenhouse gas emissions.

Ozone

A molecule ($O_3$) found in the stratosphere that protects Earth from UV radiation; it is thinnest near the poles.

El Niño

The warm phase of pacific oscillation mainly caused by warming Pacific Ocean waters.

La Niña

The cold phase of pacific oscillation.

Coriolis effect

The phenomenon that causes opposite circulation directions in the atmosphere.

Climate

Long-term prevailing atmospheric conditions.

Weather

Current atmospheric conditions at a given time.

Sick building syndrome

Severe indoor air pollution resulting from poor circulation.

Radon

A radioactive gas from rocks; the second leading cause of lung cancer in the USA.

Asbestos

Silica-fiber products used in older schools that can cause lung damage and cancer.

Primary pollutant

A pollutant released directly by human activity.

Secondary pollutant

A pollutant formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

Temperature inversion

An atmospheric condition that traps pollutants near the surface.

Scrubber

A device that uses water to filter pollutants.

Electrostatic precipitator

A device that uses static electricity to remove pollutants.

VOCs

Organic chemicals that release toxic fumes.

Endemic species

A species that is native to and limited to one specific geographic area.

Keystone species

A species that is critical to the functioning of an ecosystem.

Extirpated

The status of a species that no longer lives in a specific area but exists elsewhere.

Sea lamprey

An Atlantic parasitic fish that harms lake trout in the Great Lakes.

Demography

The study of human populations.

Arable land

Land that is suitable for farming.

Fertility rate

The average number of children a woman will have; usually lower in developed nations.

Replacement level

The number of children needed to replace parents in a population.