Crossword: Environmental Problems

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Across
  1. 2. BLEACHING The process where corals expel the colorful, microscopic algae living in their tissues, turning completely white due to environmental stress (such as warming ocean temperatures) and leaving them vulnerable to starvation and disease.
  2. 6. Layer in the stratosphere that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation
  3. 7. The process of collecting, processing, and converting waste materials into new, reusable objects to prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce raw material consumption
  4. 10. A wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, prized for their durability and flexibility but known for persisting in the environment as pollution.
  5. 12. A measure (aka a footprint) of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems and resources
  6. 13. DIVERSITY The total variety of genes and inherited traits within a single population or species, which gives them the adaptability to survive changing environments.
  7. 15. An increase or warming in the average temperature of the Earth's surface
  8. 16. The clearing or removal of large areas of forests
  9. 17. Air pollution by a mixture of smoke and fog
  10. 18. A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate it is consumed
  11. 20. Improperly discarded solid waste (like plastic wrappers, cans, or bottles) left in public or natural spaces rather than being thrown in a proper bin.
  12. 21. LOSS The destruction, degradation, or fragmentation of a natural environment, rendering it unable to support the native species that live there.
Down
  1. 1. The capacity or largest number of individuals an environment can support over time
  2. 3. Coal, oil, and natural gas that produce carbon emissions when burned
  3. 4. The controlled mating of plants or animals to produce offspring with specific, desired traits.
  4. 5. RAIN Precipitation with high concentrations of acids, often due to sulfur dioxide emissions
  5. 8. A chemical substance or biological agent used to kill, repel, or control pests (such as insects, weeds, or rodents) that damage crops or spread disease.
  6. 9. An animal—such as a bee, butterfly, bird, or bat—that transfers pollen between flowers, allowing plants to reproduce and produce seeds and fruits.
  7. 11. The use of Earth's renewable and non-renewable natural resources in ways that do not deplete resource supply
  8. 14. Short for biological diversity, referring to the variety of life in an ecosystem
  9. 19. Effect caused by the trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by certain gases