Human Impact on the Environment

2. precipitation that has a lower pH than that of normal rainwater.
4. food scraps that can be used to make fertilizer instead of going to a landfill.
6. a process in which mined land is restored with soil and replanted with vegetation.
10. any change in Earth's climate, including global trends in warming, cooling, precipitation, wind directions, and other related measures.
11. lowering the number of items you use on a daily basis.
13. an increase in the average temperature of Earth’s surface.
14. the careful use of Earth's materials to reduce damage to the environment.
17. finding other ways to use an item instead of throwing it away.
18. an area of permeable sediment or rock that holds significant amounts of water.
19. the development of towns and cities on previously natural areas.

1. the natural process that occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere absorb and reradiate thermal energy from the Sun.
3. the removal of large areas of forests for human purposes.
4. the loss of color in corals that occurs when stressed corals expel the colorful algae that live in them.
5. process of planting trees to replace trees that have been cut or burned down.
7. the contamination of the environment with substances that are harmful to life.
8. a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation.
9. When carbon dioxide mixes with seawater, a weak acid called carbonic acid forms and lowers the pH of the water, making it acidic.
12. air pollution that forms from the interaction between chemicals in the air and sunlight.
15. the variety of living things in an ecosystem.
16. using an item multiple times before disposing of it.