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Category: EnviroGlossary

Particulate Matter

Fine solid or liquid particles that pollute the air and are added to the atmosphere by natural and man-made processes at the Earth’s surface. Examples

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Ozone Layer

The thin protective layer of gas 10 to 50km above the Earth that acts as a filter for ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. High

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Organic food

Plants and animals that are grown or reared without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or hormones. — Source: Environmental Protection Agency

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Noise Pollution

Noises that disturb the environment and people’s ability to enjoy it, for example continually sounding house alarms, loud music, air conditioning or other electrical units

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Municipal Waste

Waste produced in urban areas, mainly made up of household waste but also some small commercial waste that is similar to household waste. — Source:

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Kyoto Protocol

An international agreement signed in Japan in 1997, attached to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Under the agreement, which has been in force

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Habitat

The area occupied by a community or species (group of animals or plants), such as a forest floor, desert or sea shore. — Source: Environmental

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Greenhouse Effect

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by increasing levels of gases, such as water vapour and carbon dioxide. These gases absorb radiation emitted naturally

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Global Warming

The gradual increase in temperature of the Earth’s surface caused by human activities that cause high levels of carbon dioxide and other gases to be

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Fossil Fuels

Fuels – such as coal, gas, peat and oil – that are formed in the ground over a long time from dead plants and animals

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Ecotourism

Small-scale tourism in fragile and protected areas that aims to have a low impact on the environment, benefit local communities and enable tourists to learn

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Ecosystem

A community of organisms that depend on each other and the environment they inhabit. — Source: Environmental Protection Agency

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Deforestation

The reduction of trees in a wood or forest due to natural forces or human activity such as burning or logging. — Source: Environmental Protection

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Compost

A rich soil-like material produced from decayed plants and other organic matter, such as food and animal waste, that decomposes (breaks down) naturally. Most food

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Climate Change

A change in the climate of a region over time due to natural forces or human activity. In the context of the UN Framework Convention

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Chemical weathering

The breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, the dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP®

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Cellulosic ethanol

An ethanol derived from cellulose, the cell wall material in plants. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew

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Cellular respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew

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Carrying capacity (K)

The limit of how many individuals in a population the environment can sustain. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition)

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Carcinogen

A chemical that causes cancer. — Source: Environmental Science for the AP® Course 3rd Edition (3rd Edition) by Andrew Friedland, Rick Relyea

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