The number of deaths per 1,000 individual for certain period of time

A rate of changes that increases more and more rapidly over time

Contamination of Earth's land, water, or air

A condition in which the number of humans grows beyond what the available resources can support

The practice of using less of a resource so that it can last longer

The practice of allowing renewable resources time to recover and replenish

A specific source of pollution that can be identified

A widely spread source of pollution that is difficult to link to a specific point of origin

Pollutants that are released into the air

A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two; toxic to organism where it forms near Earth's surface

Rain or another form of precipitation that is more acidic than normal, caused by the release of molecules of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the air

The removal of forest to use the land for other reasons

The process by which water, ice , wind, or gravity moves weathered particles of rock and soil

The advance of desert-like conditions into areas that previously were fertile; caused by over-farming, overgrazing, drought, and climate change

Using a resource in ways that maintain it at a certain quality for a certain period of time

The water and human wastes that are washed down sinks, toilets, and showers

Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or the remains of organisms: earth materials deposited by erosion

A type of pollution caused by factories and power plants releasing superheated water into bodies of water