Environmental Science Terms

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Dam

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Big wall built across a river to stop the flow of water and make a reservoir.

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Fossil Fuel

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Fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are made from dead plants and animals and they take millions of years to form.

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Habitat Loss

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When places where animals live, like forests or wetlands, are destroyed or changed by things.

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Hydroelectric Energy

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The electrical energy created by moving water.

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Natural Resources

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Things that come from nature, like air, water, plants and minerals, that people use to live and build things.

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Non-renewable Energy

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A type of energy that we can’t make more of, like coal or oil.

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Nuclear Energy/Fuel

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Kind of power made by splitting tiny atoms inside special materials to make heat that turns into electricity.

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Oil

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A thick, dark liquid that comes from underground and can be used to make things like gasoline.

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Petroleum

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A type of oil that we find underground.

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Pollution

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When harmful things like trash, chemicals or smoke get into the air, water, or soil, making the environment dirty and unhealthy for plants and animals.