Environment

4. When livestock eat too much vegetation leaving the soil unprotected.
6. The transformation of fertile land into desert due to degradation and drought.
8. trading A system where companies buy and sell the right to emit greenhouse gases.
12. The buildup of salt in the soil often caused by irrigation without drainage.
13. Chemical substances used to increase soil fertility that can lead to contamination.
15. warming The increase in Earth's temperature caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

1. The process by which plants absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into biomass.
2. The clearing of forests which reduces carbon absorption and increases erosion.
3. fuels Energy sources like coal and oil that release carbon dioxide when burned.
5. degradation The process where soil loses its productivity and quality due to human activity.
7. compaction The pressing together of soil particles by heavy machinery or livestock.
9. Greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere primarily from burning fossil fuels.
10. footprint The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person or a product.
11. cycle The natural process where carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, plants, and the ocean.
14. erosion The physical removal of topsoil by the forces of water or wind.