Glossary - Essential Environment A-C Flashcards
1
Q
abiotic
A
Nonliving. Compare biotic.
2
Q
acid deposition
A
The settling of acidic or acid forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto the Earth’s surface. This can take place by precipitation, fog, gases, or the deposition of dry particles. Compare acid rain; acid precipitation.
3
Q
acidic
A
The property of a solution in which the concentration of hydrogen ions is greater than the concentration of hydroxide ions. Compare basic.
4
Q
acid rain
A
Acid deposition that takes place through rain. Compare acid precipitation.
5
Q
activation
A
A rare process in which enzymes that detoxify harmful substances within organisms convert nontoxic substances into toxic compounds.
6
Q
active solar energy collection
A
An approach in which technological devices are used to focus, move, or store solar energy. Compare passive solar energy collection.
7
Q
acute exposure
A
Exposure to a toxicant occurring in high amounts for short periods of time. Compare chronic exposure.
8
Q
adaptation
A
A response to global climate change, consisting of an attempt to minimize its impacts on us. The goal is to adapt to change. Compare mitigation.
9
Q
adaptive management
A
The systematic testing of different management approaches to improve methods over time.
10
Q
adaptive trait
A
A trait that confers greater likelihood that an individual will reproduce.
11
Q
aerosols
A
Very fine liquid droplets or solid particles aloft in the atmosphere.
12
Q
affluenza
A
Term coined by social critics to describe the failure of material goods to bring happiness to people who have the financial means to afford them.
13
Q
age distribution
A
The relative numbers of organisms of each age within a population. Age distributions can have a strong effect on rates of population growth or decline and are often expressed as a ratio of age classes, consisting of organisms (1) not yet mature enough to reproduce, (2) capable of reproduction, and (3) beyond their reproductive years.
14
Q
age structure diagram (population pyramid)
A
A diagram of demographers use to show the age structure of a population. The width of each horizontal bar represents the relative number of individuals in each age class.
15
Q
agricultural revolution
A
The shift around 10,000 years ago from a hunter gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural way of life in which people began to grow their own crops and raise domestic animals. Compare industrial revolution.
16
Q
agriculture
A
The practice of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock for human use and consumption.
17
Q
A horizon
A
A layer of soil found in a typical soil profile. It forms the top layer or lies below the O horizon (if one exists). It consists of mostly inorganic mineral components such as weathered substrate, with some organic matter and humus from above mixed in. The A horizon is often referred to as topsoil. Compare B horizon; C horizon; E horizon; R horizon.
18
Q
air pollutants
A
Gases and particulate material added to the atmosphere that can affect climate or harm people or other organisms.
19
Q
air pollution
A
The act of polluting the air, or the condition of being polluted by air pollutants.
20
Q
airshed
A
The geographic area that produces air pollutants likely to end up in a waterway.
21
Q
albedo
A
The capacity of a surface to reflect light. Higher albedo values refer to greater reflectivity.
22
Q
allergen
A
A toxicant that over-activates the immune system, causing an immune response when one is not necessary.
23
Q
allopatric speciation
A
Species formation due to the physical separation of populations over some geographic distance.
24
Q
alloy
A
A mixture of a metal with another metal or with a nonmetallic substance.
25
alpine tundra
Tundra that occurs at the tops of mountains.
26
ambient air pollution
Outdoor air pollution
27
amino acids
Organic molecules that join in long chains to form proteins.
28
anaerobic
Occurring in an environment that has little or no oxygen. The conversion of organic matter to fossil fuels (crude oil, coal, natural gas) at the bottom of a deep lake, swamp, or shallow sea is an example of anaerobic decomposition.
29
anthropocentrism
A human-centered view of our relationship with the environment.
30
anthropogenic
Caused by humans.
31
application
An applied use use of science, such as a new technology, policy decision, or resource management strategy.
32
aquaculture
The raising of aquatic organisms for food in controlled environments.
33
aquifer
An underground water reservoir.
34
artificial selection
Natural selection conducted under human direction. Examples include the selective breeding of crop plants, pets, and livestock.
35
asbestos
Any of several types of mineral that form long, thin microscopic fibers - a structure that allows asbestos to insulate buildings for heat, muffle sound, and resist fire. When inhaled and lodged in lung tissue, asbestos scars the tissue and may eventually lead to lung cancer or asbestosis.
36
asbestosis
A disorder resulting from lung tissue scarred by acid following prolonged inhalation of asbestos.
37
asthenosphere
A layer of the upper mantle, just below the lithosphere, consisting of especially soft rock.
38
atmosphere
The thin layer of gases surrounding planet Earth. Compare biosphere; hydrosphere; lithosphere.
39
atmospheric deposition
The wet or dry deposition on land of a wide variety of pollutants, including mercury, nitrates, organochlorines, and others. Acid deposition is one type of atmospheric deposition.
40
atom
The smallest component of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element.
41
atomic number
The number of protons in a given atom.
42
autotroph (producer)
An organism that uses energy from sunlight to produce its own food by photosynthesis. Includes green plants, algae, and cyanobacteria.
43
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
A naturally occurring soil bacterium that produces a protein that kills many pests, including caterpillars and the larvae of some flies and beetles.
44
background rate of extinction
The average rate of extinction that occurred before the appearance of humans. For example, the fossil record indicates that for both birds and mammals, one species in the world typically became extinct every 500 to 1000 years. Compare mass extinction event.
45
bagasse
Crushed sugarcane residue, whose sugars are used in Brazil to make ethanol that helps powers millions of vehicles.
46
baghouse
A system of large filters that physically removes particulate matter from incinerator emissions.
47
basic
The property of a solution in which the concentration of hydroxide ions is greater than the concentration of hydrogen ions. Compare acidic.
48
bedrock
The continuous mass of solid rock that makes up Earth's crust.
49
benthic
Of, relating to, or living on the bottom of a water body. Compare pelagic.
50
benthic zone
The bottom layer of a water body. Compare littoral zone, limnetic zone.
51
B horizon
The layer of soil that liew below the E horizon and above the C horizon. Minerals that leach out of the E horizon are carried down into the B horizon (or subsoil) and accumulate there. Sometimes called the "zone of accumulation" or "zone of deposition." Compare A horizon; O horizon; R horizon.
52
bioaccumulation
The buildup of toxicants in the tissues of an animal.
53
biocentrism
A philosophy that ascribes relative values to actions, entities, or properties on the basis of their effects on living things or on the biotic realm in general.
54
biochemical blocker
A toxicant that interrupts vital chemical processes in organisms, causing injury or death. Examples include cyanide (which interrupts chemical pathways in mitochondria) and the herbicide atrazine (which blocks biochemical pathways in photosynthesis).
55
biodiesel
Diesel fuel produced by mixing vegetable oil, use cooking grease, or animal fat with small amounts of ethanol or methanol (wood alcohol) in the presence of a chemical catalyst.
56
biodiversity (biological diversity)
The variety of life across all levels of biological organization, including the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities.
57
biodiversity hotspot
An area that supports an especially great diversity of species, particularly species that are endemic to the area.
58
bioenergy (biomass energy)
Energy harnessed from plant and animal matter, including wood from trees, charcoal from burned wood, and combustible animal waste products, such as cattle manure.
59
biofuel
Fuel produced from biomass energy sources and used primarily to power automobiles.
60
biogenic
Type of natural gas created at shallow depths by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by bacteria. Consists of nearly pure methane. Compare thermogenic.
61
biogeochemical cycle
Nutrient cycle.
62
biological control (biocontrol)
The attempt to battle pests and weeds with organisms that prey on or parasitize them, rather than by using pesticides.
63
biological diversity
Biodiversity
64
biological hazard
Human health hazards that result from ecological interactions among organisms. These include parasitism by viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens. Compare infectious disease; chemical hazard; cultural hazard; physical hazard.
65
biomagnification
The magnification of the concentration of toxicants in an organism caused by its consumption of other organisms which toxicants have bioaccumulated.
66
biomass
(1) In ecology, organic material that makes up living organisms; the collective mass of living matter in a given place and time. (2) In energy, organical material derived from living or recently living organisms, containing chemical energy that originated with photosynthesis.
67
biomass energy
Bioenergy
68
biome
A major regional complex of similar plant communities; a large ecological unit defined by its dominant plant type and vegetation structure.
69
biophilia
An instinctive love for nature; an emotional bond people fee with other living things.
70
biopower
The burning of biomass energy sources to generate electricity.
71
biosphere
The sum total of all the planet's living organisms and the abiotic portions of the environment with which they interact.
72
biosphere reserve
A tract of land with exceptional biodiversity that couples preservation with sustainable development to benefit local people. Designed by UNESCO following application by local stakeholders.
73
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
74
biotechnology
The material application of biological science to create products derived from organisms. The creation of transgenic organisms is one type of biotechnology.
75
biotic
Living. Compare abiotic.
76
biotic potential
An organism's capacity to produce offspring.
77
birth control
The effort to control the number of children one bears, particularly by reducing the frequency of pregnancy. Compare contraception.
78
bisphenol A (BPA)
A substance widely used in plastics and to line food and drink cans, which has raised health concerns because it is an estrogen mimic.
79
bitumen
A thick and heavy form of petroleum rich in carbon and poor in hydrogen.
80
bog
A type of wetland in chich a pond is thoroughly covered with a thick floating mat of vegetation. Compare freshwater marsh; swamp.
81
boreal forest
A biome of northern coniferous forest that stretches in a broad band across much of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Scandinavia. Also known as taiga, boreal forest consists of a limited number of species of evergreen trees, such as black spruce, that dominate large regions of forests interspersed with occasional bogs and lakes.
82
Borlaug, Norman (1914-2009)
American agricultural scientist who introduced specially bred crops to developing nations in the 20th century, helping to spur the Green Revolution.
83
bottle bill
A law that allows consumers to return bottles and cans to stores after use and receive a monetary refund. Bottle bills have proven highly successful in reducing litter and boosting recycling rates.
84
bottom-trawling
Fishing practice that involves dragging weighted nets across the sea floor to catch benthic organisms. Trawling crushes many organisms in its path and leaves long swaths of damaged sea bottom.
85
breakdown product
A compound that results from the degradation of a toxicant.
86
brownfield
An area of land whose redevelopment or reuse is complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous material.
87
bycatch
That portion of a commercial fishing catch consisting of animals caught unintentionally. Bycatch kills many thousands of fish, sharks, marine mammals, and birds each year.
88
Calvin cycle
In photosynthesis, a series of chemical reactions in which carbon atoms from carbon dioxide are linked together to manufacture sugars.
89
campus sustainability
A term encompassing a wide variety of efforts by students, faculty, staff, and administrators of colleges and universities to make campus operations more sustainable. Includes efforts toward energy efficiency, water efficiency, emission reductions, transportation improvements, sustainable dining, landscaping improvements, renewable energy, curricular changes, and more.
90
cap-and-trade
A permit trading system in which government determines an acceptable level of pollution and then issues polluting parties permits to pollute. A polluting party receives credit for amounts it does not emit and can then sell this credit to other parties. A type of emissions trading system.
91
capitalist market economoy
An economy in which buyers and sellers interact to determine which goods and services to produce, how much of them to produce, and how to distribute them. Compare centrally planned economy.
92
captive breeding
The practice of capturing members of threatened and endangered species so that their young can be bred and raised in controlled environments and subsequently reintroduced into the wild.
93
carbohydrate
An organic compound consisting of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
94
Carbon
The chemical element with six protons and six neutrons. A key element in organic compounds.
95
carbon capture
Technologies or approaches that remove carbon dioxide from power plant or other emissions, in an effort to mitigate the global climate change.
96
carbon cycle
A major nutrient cycle consisting of the routes that carbon atoms take through the nested networks of environmental systems.
97
carbon dioxide
A colorless gas used by plants for photosynthesis, given off by respiration, and released by burning fossil fuels. A primary greenhouse gas whose buildup contributes to global climate change.
98
carbon footprint
The cumulative amount of carbon, or carbon dioxide, that a person or institution emits, and is indirectly responsible for emitting, into the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change. Compare ecological footprint.
99
carbon monoxide
A colorless, odorless gas produced primarily by the incomplete combustion of fuel. An EPA criteria pollutant. Attaches more effectively than oxygen to hemoglobin in the blood thus making it very lethal.
100
carbon neutrality
The state in which an individual, business, or intitution emits no net carbon to the atmosphere. This may be achieved by reducing carbon emissions and/or employing carbon offsets to offset emissions.
101
carbon offset
A voluntary payment to another entity intended to enable that entity to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that one is unable or unwilling to reduce oneself. The payment thus offsets one's own emissions.
102
carbon sequestration
Technologies or approaches to sequester, or store, carbon dioxide from industrial emissions (e.g., underground under pressure in locations where it will not seep out) in an effort to mitigate global climate change. We are still a long way from developing adequate technology and secure storage space to accomplish this. Also known as carbon storage.
103
carbon tax
A fee charged to entities that pollute by emitting carbon dioxide. A carbon tax gives polluters a financial incentive to reduce pollution, and is thus foreseen as a way to address global climate change.
104
carcinogen
A chemical or type of radiation that causes cancer.
105
carrying capacity
The maximum population size that a given environment can sustain.
106
categorical imperative
An ethical standard described by Immanuel Kant, which roughly approximates Christianity's "golden rule": to treat others as you would prefer to be treated yourself.
107
cell
The most basic organizational unit of organisms.
108
cellular respiration
the process by which a cell uses the chemical reactivity of oxygen to split glucose into its constituent parts, water and carbon dioxide, and thereby release chemical energy that can be used to form chemical bonds or to perform other tasks within the cell. Compare photosynthesis.
109
celluosic ethanol
Ehtnaol produced by treating the cellulose in plant tissues with enzymes. Techniques for producing cellulosic ethanol are under development because of the desire to make ethanol from low value crop waste (residues such as corn stalks and husks), rather than from the sugars of the high-value crops.
110
centrally planned economy
An economy in which a nation's government determines how to allocate resources in a top-down manner. Also called a "state socialist economy." Compare capitalist market economy.
111
chaparral
A biome consisting mostly of densely thicketed evergreen shrubs occurring in limited small patches. It's "Mediterranean" climate of mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers is induced by oceanic influences. In addition to ringing the Mediterranean Sea, chaparral occurs along the coasts of California, Chile, and southern Australia.
112
chemical energy
Potential energy held in the bonds between atoms.
113
chemical formula
A shorthand way to indicate the type and number of atoms in a molecule using numbers and chemical symbols.
114
chemical hazard
Chemicals that pose human health hazards. These include toxins produced naturally, as ell as many of the disinfectants, pesticides, and other synthetic chemicals that our society produces. Compare biological hazard; cultural hazard; physical hazard.
115
Chernobyl
Site of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), where in 1986 an explosion caused the most severe nuclear reactor accident the world has yet seen. As with Three Mile Island, the term is often used to denote the accident itself.
116
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
One of a group of human made organic compounds derived from simple hydrocarbons, such as ethan and methane, in which hydrogen atoms are replaced by chlorine, bromine, or fluorine, CFCs deplete the protective ozone layer in the stratosphere.
117
chlorophyll
The light absorbing pigment that enables photosynthesis and makes plants green.
118
chloroplast
A cell organelle containing chlorophyll in which photosynthesis occurs.
119
C horizon
The layer of soil that lies below the B horizon and above the R horizon. It contains rock particles that are larger and less weathered than the layers above. It consists of parent material that has been altered only slightly or not at all by the process of soil formation. Compare A horizon; E horizon; O horizon.
120
chronic exposure
Exposure for long periods of time to a toxicant occurring in low amounts. Compare acute exposure.
121
circum-Pacific belt
A 25,000 mile arc of subduction zones and fault systems that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean basin. Popularly called the "ring of fire," 90% of earthquakes and over half the world's volcanoes occur here.
122
city planning
The professional pursuit that attempts to design cities in such a way as to maximize their efficiency, functionality, and beauty.
123
classical economics
Founded by Adam Smith, the study of the behavior of buyers and sellers in a free-market economy. Holds that individuals acting in their own self-interest may benefit society, provided that their behavior is constrained by the rule of law and by private property rights and operates within competitive markets.
124
clean air act
US federal legislation to control air pollution that funds research into pollution control, sets standards for air quality, imposes limits on emissions from new stationary and mobile sources, enables citizens to sue parties violating the standards, and introduces an emissions trading program for sulfur dioxide. First enacted in 1963 and amended multiple times, particularly in 1980 and 1990.
125
clean coal technologies
A wide array of techniques, equipment, and approaches that seek to remove chemical contaminants (such as sulfur) during the process of generating electricity from coal.
126
clear-cutting
The harvesting of timber by cutting all the trees in an area, leaving only stumps. Although it is the most cost-efficient method, clear cutting is also the most damaging to the environment.
127
Climate
The pattern of atmospheric conditions found across large geographic regions over long periods of time. Compare weather.
128
climate diagram (climatograph)
A visual representation of a region's average monthly temperature and precipitation.
129
climate model
A computer program that combines what is known about weather patterns, atmospheric circulation, atmosphere-ocean interactions, and feedback mechanisms to simulate climate processes.
130
climax community
In the traditional view of ecological succession, a community that remains in place with little modification until disturbance restarts the successional process. Today, ecologists recognize that community change is more variable and less predictable than originally thought, and that assemblages of species may instead form complex mosaics in space and time.
131
cloud forests
Moist forests, generally at high elevations in the tropics and subtropics, that derive much of their moisture from low-moving clouds.
132
clumped distribution
Distribution pattern in which organisms arrange themselves in patches, generally according to the availability of the resources they need.
133
coal
A fossil fuel composed of organic matter that was compressed under very high pressure to form a dense, solid carbon structure.
134
coalbed methane
Methane that emanates from coal seams, which commonly leaks to the atmosphere during coal mining. To avoid this waste and reduce methane emissions, engineers are trying to capture more of this gas for energy.
135
coevolution
Process by which two or more species evolve in response to one another. Parasites and hosts may coevolve, as may flowers and their pollinators.
136
Co-firing
A process in which biomass is combined with coal in coal fired power plants. Can be relatively easy and inexpensive way for fossi-fuel based utlities to expand their use of renewable energy.
137
cogeneration
A practice in which excess heat produced in electricity generation is captured and used to heat nearby workplaces and homes and to produce other kinds of power.
138
colony collapse disorder
An undiagnosed cause of mass die-offs of honeybees in recent years.
139
command and control
An approach to protecting the environment in which government sets strict legal limits and threatens punishment for violations of those limits.
140
community
An assemblage of populations of organisms that live in the same place at the same time.
141
community based conservation
The practice of engaging local people to protect land and wildlife in their own region.
142
community ecology
The study of the interactions among species, from one-to-one interactions to complex interrelationships involving entire communities.
143
community supported agriculture
A system in which consumers pay farmers in advance for a share of their yield, usually in the form of weekly deliveries of produce.
144
competition
A relationship in which multiple organisms seek the same limited resource.
145
compost
A mixture produced when decomposers break down organic matter, including food and crop waste, in a controlled environment.
146
composting
The conversion of organic waste into mulch or humus by encouraging, in a controled manner, the natural biological processes of decomposition.
147
compound
A molecule whose atoms are composed of two or more elements.
148
concentrated solar power (CSP)
An array of technologies by which energy from the sun is harnessed from a large area and focused onto a small area in order to generate electricity.
149
concession
The right to extract a resource, granted by a government to a corporation. Sometimes conservation organizations purchase concessions to preserve habitat.
150
conservation biology
A scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and among ecosystems.
151
conservation ethic
An ethic holding that humans should put natural resources to use but also have a responsibility to manage them wisely.
152
conservation geneticist
A scientist who studies genetic attributes of organisms, generally to infer that status of their populations in order to help conserve them
153
Conservation Reserve Program
US policy in farm bills since 1985 that pays farmers to stop cultivating highly erodible cropland and instead place it in conservation reserves planted with grasses and trees.
154
conservation tillage
Agriculture that limits the amount of tilling (plowing, disking, harrowing, or chiseling) of soil. Compare no-till.
155
consumptive use
Use of fresh water whereby water is removed from a particular aquifer or surface water body and is not returned to it. Irrigation for agriculture is an example of consumptive use. Compare non-consumptive use.
156
continental collision
The meeting of two tectonic plates of continental lithosphere at a convergent plate boundary, wherein the continental crust on both sides resists subduction and instead crushes together, bending, buckling, and deforming layers of rock and forcing portions of the buckled crust upward, often creating mountain ranges.
157
contour farming
The practice of plowing furrows sideways across a hillside, perpendicular to its slope, to help prevent the formation of rills and gullies. The technique is so named because the furrows follow the natural contours of the land.
158
control
The portion of an experiment in which a variable has been left unmanipulated. Serves as a point of comparison with the treatment.
159
control rods
Rods made of a metallic alloy that absorbs neutrons, which are placed in a nuclear reactor among the water-bathed fuel rods of uranium. Engineers move these control rods into and out of the water to maintain the fission reaction at the desired rate.
160
controlled experiment
An experiment in which the effects of all variable are held constant, except the one whose effect is being tested by comparison of treatment and control conditions.
161
convective circulation
A circular current (of air, water, magma, etc.) driven by temperature differences. In the atmosphere, warm air rises into regions of lower atmospheric pressure, where it expands and cools and then descends and becomes denser, replacing warm air that is rising. The air picks up heat and moisture near ground level and prepares to rise again.
162
conventional law
International law that arises from conventions, or treaties, that nations agree to enter into. Compare customary law.
163
Convention on Biological Diversity
A 1993 international treaty that aims to conserve biodiversity, use biodiversity in a sustainable manner, and ensure the fair distribution of biodiversity's benefits.
164
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
A 1973 international treaty that protects endangered species by banning the international transport of their body parts.
165
convergent evolution
Evolutionary change in populations that occurs when natural selection causes distantly related species to converge in appearance, generally as a result of similar selective pressures in similar environments.
166
convergent plate boundary
Area where tectonic plates converge or come together. Can result in subduction or continental collision. Compare divergent plate boundary and transform plate boundary.
167
coral
Tiny marine animals that build coral reefs. Corals attach to rock or existing reef and capture passing food with stinging tentacles. They also derive nourishment from photosynthetic symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae.
168
coral reef
A mass of calcium carbonate composed of the skeletons of tiny colonial marine organisms called corals.
169
core
The innermost part of the Earth, made up mostly of iron, that lies beneath the crust and mantle.
170
Coriolis effect
The apparent deflection of north-south air currents to a partly east-west direction, caused by the faster spin of regions near the equator than of regions near the poles as a result of Earth's rotation.
171
corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards
Miles per gallon fuel efficiency standards set by the US Congress for auto manufacturers to meet, by a sales-weighted average of all models of the manufacturer's fleet.
172
correlation
A relationship among vairables
173
corridor
A passageway of protected land established to allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat.
174
corrosive
Able to corrode metals. One criterion for defining hazardous waste.
175
cost benefit analysis
A method commonly used by neoclassical economists, in which estimated costs for a proposed action are totaled and then compared to the sum of benefits estimated to result from the action.
176
conventional law
International law that arises from conventions, or treaties, that nations agree to enter into. Compare customary law.
177
Convention on Biological Diversity
A 1993 international treaty that aims to conserve biodiversity, use biodiversity in a sustainable manner, and ensure the fair distribution of biodiversity's benefits.
178
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
A 1973 international treaty that protects endangered species by banning the international transport of their body parts.
179
convergent evolution
Evolutionary change in populations that occurs when natural selection causes distantly related species to converge in appearance, generally as a result of similar selective pressures in similar environments.
180
convergent plate boundary
Area where tectonic plates converge or come together. Can result in subduction or continental collision. Compare divergent plate boundary and transform plate boundary.
181
coral
Tiny marine animals that build coral reefs. Corals attach to rock or existing reef and capture passing food with stinging tentacles. They also derive nourishment from photosynthetic symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae.
182
coral reef
A mass of calcium carbonate composed of the skeletons of tiny colonial marine organisms called corals.
183
core
The innermost part of the Earth, made up mostly of iron, that lies beneath the crust and mantle.
184
Coriolis effect
The apparent deflection of north-south air currents to a partly east-west direction, caused by the faster spin of regions near the equator than of regions near the poles as a result of Earth's rotation.
185
corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards
Miles per gallon fuel efficiency standards set by the US Congress for auto manufacturers to meet, by a sales-weighted average of all models of the manufacturer's fleet.
186
correlation
A relationship among vairables
187
corridor
A passageway of protected land established to allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat.
188
corrosive
Able to corrode metals. One criterion for defining hazardous waste.
189
cost benefit analysis
A method commonly used by neoclassical economists, in which estimated costs for a proposed action are totaled and then compared to the sum of benefits estimated to result from the action.
190
covalent bond
A chemical bond formed by atoms "sharing" electrons.
191
criteria pollutants
Six air pollutants - carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, tropospheric ozone, particulate matter, and lead - for which the Environmental Protection Agency has established maximum allowable concentrations in ambient outdoor air because of the threats they pose to human health.
192
cropland
Land that humans use to raise plants for food and fiber.
193
crop rotation
The practice of alternating the kind of crop grown in a particular field from one season or year to the next
194
crude oil (petroleum)
A fossil fuel produced by the conversion of organic compounds by heat and pressure. Crude oil is a mixture of hundreds of different types of hydrocarbon molecules characterized by carbon chains of different length.
195
crust
The lightweight outer layer of the Earth, consisting of rock that floats atop the malleable mantle, which in turn surrounds a mostly iron core.
196
cultural hazard
Human health hazards that result from the place we live, our socioeconomic status, our occupation, or our behavioral choices. These include choosing to smoke cigarettes, or living or working with people who do. Compare biological hazards; chemical hazard; physical hazard.
197
current
The flow of a liquid or gas in a certain direction.
198
Customary Law
International law that arises from long standing practices, or customs, held in common by most cultures. Compare conventional law.
199
cyclone
A cyclonic storm that forms over the ocean but can do damage upon its arrival on land.
