Articles

Browse our latest pieces on court cases, legislation, and more.

written by students

meant for everyone

Category: EnviroGlossary

invasive species

A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew

Read More »

greenhouse gases

Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew

Read More »

runoff

Water that moves across the land surgace and into streams and rivers. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by

Read More »

Dead zone

When oxygen concentration becomes so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd

Read More »

Eutrophication

A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by

Read More »

Fisheries

A commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew

Read More »

Estuary

An area along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP®

Read More »

Endagered Species Act

A 1973 U.S. act designed to protect species from extinction. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew Friedland,

Read More »

Lacey Act

A U.S. act that prohibits interstate shipping of all illegally harvested plants and animals. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd

Read More »

Endangered species

A species that is in danger of extinction within the forseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. — Source: Environmental Science

Read More »

Extinction

The death of the last member of a species — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew Friedland, Rick

Read More »

Wood-burning-stove Pollution

Air pollution caused by emissions of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, total suspended particulates, and polycyclic organic matter from wood-burning stoves. — Source: Arizona Department of

Read More »

Wetlands

An area that is saturated by surface or groundwater with vegetation adapted for life under those soil conditions, as swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries

Read More »

Watershed

The land area that drains into a stream; the watershed for a major river may encompass a number of smaller watersheds that ultimately combine at

Read More »

Water Regional Air Partnership

Voluntary partnership of states, tribes, federal land managers, local air agencies and the EPA whose purpose is to understand current and evolving regional air quality

Read More »

Water Body

Any significant accumulation of water — Source: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

Read More »

Wastewater Treatment Plant

A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters, and other processes by which pollutants are removed from water. Most treatments include chlorination to attain

Read More »

Wastewater

The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter. — Source: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

Read More »

Waste prevention

An aspect of waste management that involves reducing the amount of waste we produce and minimising the potential harm to human health or the environment

Read More »

Volatile Organic Compound

Any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate, that participate in reactions of radiant energy,

Read More »

meet our contributors