CH1: VOCABULARY - INTRO TO ENV SCIENCE

Ecological footprint

• The total amount of land and water required to provide raw materials and dispose of waste

• A measure of biodiversity in an ecosystem

• The amount of carbon emissions produced by an individual

• The total energy consumption of a population

Independent variable

• the variable that is manipulated, or changed, in an experiment

• the variable that is measured in an experiment

• the variable that remains constant throughout the experiment

• the variable that is observed for changes

Environmental science

• The study of how the natural world works, how the environment affects humans, and how humans affect the environment

• The analysis of economic impacts on environmental policies

• The examination of historical events related to environmental changes

• The exploration of technological advancements in environmental protection

Fossil fuel

• a carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the remains of living things

• a renewable energy source derived from solar power

• a type of fuel that is created from nuclear reactions

• a synthetic fuel made from chemical processes

Dependent variable

• the variable that changes in response to the conditions set in an experiment

• a variable that remains constant throughout the experiment

• the variable that is manipulated by the researcher

• the variable that is measured at the beginning of the experiment

Environmentalism

• A social movement focused on economic growth and development.

• A social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world—and by extension, people—from the harmful changes produced by human activities.

• A political ideology that promotes industrialization and urbanization.

• A cultural trend that emphasizes individualism over community responsibility.

Renewable natural resource

• a resource that is replenished, or renewed over short periods of time

• a resource that is finite and cannot be replaced

• a resource that is only available in certain seasons

• a resource that is harmful to the environment

Peer review

• the formal process of submitting research for examination by the scientific community

• a method of collecting data through surveys

• a technique for analyzing statistical data

• a way to publish articles without scrutiny

Sustainable

• able to meet the current demand for a resource without depleting the future supply

• a method of production that increases waste and pollution

• a practice that focuses solely on short-term gains

• a concept that ignores environmental impacts

Theory

• a well-tested explanation of observations and experimental findings.

• a simple guess about a phenomenon.

• a collection of unrelated facts.

• an untested hypothesis.