Human Impact

Question 1

climate change

Answer 1

A change in the normal weather patterns that lasts for an extended period of time (decades or more).

Question 2

fossil fuels

Answer 2

A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Question 3

greenhouse effect

Answer 3

Trapping of the sun’s radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere due to the presence of greenhouse gases.

Question 4

greenhouse gases

Answer 4

Gases that contribute to global warming, such as CO2, water vapor and methane.

Question 5

industrialization

Answer 5

The process by which an economy is transformed from primarily agricultural to one based on the manufacturing of goods.

Question 6

Pollution

Answer 6

Contamination of air, water or soil by substances that are harmful to living things.

Question 7

urban heat island effect

Answer 7

An effect that occurs in the city, when that area is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities.

Question 8

smog

Answer 8

A form of pollution produced when sunlight reacts with hydrocarbons and nitrogen compounds that are released into the atmosphere.