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Acid deposition
Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxidees, emitted by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere-where they combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid-and return to Earth's surface.
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Acid precepitation
Conversion of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides to acids that return to earth as rain, snow, or fog.
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Active solar energy systems
Solar energy systems that colldct energy through the use of physical devices like photovoltaic cells or flat-plate collectors.
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Air pollution
Concentration of trace substances, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and solid particulates, at a greater level than occurs in natural air.
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Animate power
Power supplied by people or animals.
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Biochemical oxygen demand
Amount of oxygen required by aquatic bacteria to decompose a given load of organic waste; a measure of water pollution.
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Biodiversity
The number of species within a specific habitat.
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Biomass fuel
Fuel that derives from plant material and animal waste.
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Breeder reactor
A nuclear power plant that creates its own fuel from plutonium.
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Chlorofluorocarbon
A gas used as a solvent; a propellant in aerosols, a refrigerent, and in plastic foams and fire extinguishers.
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Conservation
The sustainable use and management of a natural resource through consuming it at a less rapid rate than it can be replaced.
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Ferrous
Metals, including iron, that are utilized in the production of iron and steel.
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Fission
The splitting of an atomic nucleus to release energy.
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Fossil fuel
Energy source formed from the residue of plants and animals buried millions of years ago.
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Geothermal energy
Energy from steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks.
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Greenhouse effect
Anticipated increase in Earth's temperature caused by carbon dioxide (emitted by burning fossil fuels) trapping some of the radiation emitted by the surface.
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Hydroelectric power
Power generated from moving water.
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Inanimate power
Power supplied by machines.
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Nonferrous
Metals utilized to make products other than iron and steel.
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Nonrenewable energy
A source of energy that it a finite supply capable of being exhausted.
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Ozone
A gas that absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation, found in the stratosphere, a zone between 15 and 50 kilometers (9 to 30 miles) above Earth's surface.
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Passive solar energy systems
Solar energy systems that collect energy without the use of mechanical devices.
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Photochemical smog
An atmospheric condition formed through a combination of weather conditions and pollution, especially from motor vehicle emissions.
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Photovoltaic cell
Solar energy cells, usually made from silicon, that collect solar rays to generate electricity.
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Pollution
Addition of more waste than a resource can accomodate.
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Potential reserve
The amount of a resource in deposits not yet identified but thought to exist.
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Preservation
Maintenance of a resource in its present condition with as little human impact as possible.
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Proven reserve
The amount of a resource reaining in discovered deposits.
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Radioactive waste
Materials from a nuclear reaction that emit radtiation; contact with such particles may be harmful or lethal to people; therefore, the Materials muct be safely stored for thousands of years.
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Recycling
The separation, collection, processing, marketing, and reuse of unwanted material.
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Renewable energy
A resource that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by humans.
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Resource
A substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use.
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Sanitary landfill
A place to deposit solid waste, where a layer of earth is bulldozed over garbage each day to reduce emissions of gases and odors from the decaying trash, to minimize fires, and to discourage vermin.
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Sustainable development
The level of development that can be maintained in a country without depleting resources to the extent that future generations will be unable to achieve a comparable level of development.
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