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apes: key terms
AP Environmental Science Key Terms
24
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
08/19/2020

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Term
Primary Air Pollutants
Definition
produced by humans & nature (CO, CO 2 , SO 2 , NO, hydrocarbons, particulates)
Term
Particulate Matter
Definition
sources include burning fossil fuels and car exhaust. Effects include reduced visibility, respiratory irritation. Methods of reduction include filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy)
Term
Ozone
Definition
Secondary pollutant, NO 2 + UV 1 NO + O; O + O 2 1 O 3 , with VOCs. O3 causes respiratory irritation and plant damage. Reduced by reducing NO emissions and VOCs
Term
Sulfur Oxides
Definition
(SO x ) Primary source is coal burning. Primary and secondary effects include acid deposition, respiratory irritation, plant damage. Reduction methods include: scrubbers, burn low sulfur fuel
Term
Carbon Dioxide
Definition
(CO 2 ) Sources include the combustion of fossil fuels. Effects: greenhouse gas- contributes to global warming. Reduction accomplished by increased fuel efficiency (gas mileage), mass transit (reduction
Term
Ozone Depletion
Definition
caused by CFCs, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, halon, methyl bromide all of which attack stratospheric ozone. Negative effects of ozone depletion include increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, and decreased plant growth
Term
Greenhouse Gases
Definition
Most significant: H 2 O, CO 2 , methane (CH 4 ), CFCs. Trap outgoing infrared energy (heat) causing earth to warm
Term
Greenhouse Effect
Definition
a vital process, required for life to exist on Earth. If accelerated, bad, leads to global warming
Term
Effects of Global Warming
Definition
rising sea level (due to thermal expansion not melting ice), extreme weather, droughts (famine), and extinctions
Term
Electricity Generation
Definition
steam, from water boiled by fossils fuels or nuclear energy, or falling water is used to turn a generator
Term
Petroleum (Crude Oil) Formation
Definition
microscopic aquatic organisms in sediments converted by heat & pressure into a mixture of hydrocarbons
Term
Petroleum Pros
Definition
cheap, easily transported, high-quality energy. Cons: reserves depleted soon, pollution during drilling, transport and refining, land subsidence, burning oil produces CO 2
Term
Coal Formation
Definition
prehistoric plants buried un-decomposed in oxygen-depleted water of swamps/bogs converted by heat and pressure
Term
Ranks of Coal
Definition
peat, lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite coal
Term
PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)
Definition
Stable, long-lived, carcinogenic chlorinated hydrocarbons. Produced by the electronics industry
Term
Multiple Use Public Lands
Definition
National Forest & National Resource lands
Term
Moderately Restricted Use Public Lands
Definition
National Wildlife Refuge
Term
Restricted Use Public Lands
Definition
National Parks & National Wilderness Preservation System
Term
Rachel Carson
Definition
published Silent Spring in 1962; documented the environmental damage done by DDT and other pesticides which heightened public awareness at the start of the modern environmental movement
Term
John Muir
Definition
founded Sierra Club in 1892; fought unsuccessfully to prevent the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park
Term
Gifford Pinchot
Definition
first chief of the US Forest Service; advocated managing resources for multiple use using principles of sustainable yield
Term
Aldo Leopold
Definition
wrote A Sand County Almanac published a year after his death in 1948; promoted a "Land Ethic" in which humans are ethically responsible for serving as the protectors of nature
Term
Sustainable development
Definition
the idea that economic improvement for the world's poorest populations is possible without devastating the environment
Term
Ecological footprint
Definition
to measure the demands placed on nature by individuals and nations. A simple questionnaire of 16 items gives a rough estimate of your personal footprint
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