1 Environmental Challenges

Question 1

deforestation

Answer 1

the process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else

Question 2

global warming

Answer 2

the observed and projected increase of the Earth’s average temperature due to burning of fossil fuels and deforestation

Question 3

acid precipitation

Answer 3

any form of precipitation that is high in sulfuric and nitric acids as a result of pollution in the air

Question 4

CO2 emissions

Answer 4

Carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning of fossil fuels; largest contributor to global warming

Question 5

groundwater

Answer 5

Water beneath Eart’s surface in underground streams and other forms

Question 6

aquifer

Answer 6

an underground layer of rock, gravel, etc., from which water can be drawn ‘for’ wells and which is a source of springs

Question 7

greenhouse gases (GHG)

Answer 7

various gases in the atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone

Question 8

ultraviolet radiation (UV)

Answer 8

invisible rays from the sun that can cause skin cancer

Question 9

ozone layer

Answer 9

a thin layer of ozone in the atmosphere 15 to 30 kilometres above the Earth; the ozone layer filters the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays

Question 10

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Answer 10

Made of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. Chemicals used in coolants, solvents, and aerosol cans that damage the ozone layer.

Question 11

Montreal Protocol

Answer 11

an international agreement signed in 1987 to phase out the ozone-depleting chemicals CFCs

Question 12

Kyoto Protocol

Answer 12

an international agreement that sets binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; the average target is 5 percent of 1990 levels by 2008-2012