Conservation & Pollution Terminology

Pollution
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Terms in this set (12)
Pollution
the contamination of air, water, soil by the discharge of harmful or poisonous materials
Acid Precipitation
precipitation that has a pH lower than 5.6; it washes nutrients out of soil which kills trees, ruins lakes and the life in them
Greenhouse Effect
the heat trapping feature of the atmosphere that occurs as light energy is turned to heat that can't escape due to certain gases like carbon dioxide
Global Warming
the average annual temperature of Earth is 1 degree C higher than it was 100 years ago; possibly caused by the rise in use of fossil fuels
Climate Change
The climate is changing due to higher global temperatures; rainfall patterns change, more storms and hurricanes, higher temperatures, melting icecaps, flooding coastal areas.
Ozone Depletion
the thinning of the ozone layer (which is a shield from ultraviolet radiation) partially caused by the use of fossil fuels
Hazardous Wastes
waste that is harmful to human life or poisonous to living organisms; include: pesticides, oil, radioactive wastes, points, batteries, drain cleaners, medicines
Conservation
careful use and protection of natural resources and ecosystems
Reduce
using less natural resources, car pool, ride bike, shorter showers, turn off or unplug unused electric items
Reuse
use an item over that you might otherwise throw away; plastic containers, clothes, bags
Relocation programsmoving wild organisms to a new area with suitable habitatSeed banksstores seeds of endangered plants