acid rain - Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It has been shown to have adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters and soils, killing insect and aquatic life-forms as well as causing damage to buildings and having impacts on human health. , endangered species - A type of organism that is threatened by extinction, exhaust fumes - Gases ejected from an engine as waste products. They can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, and are a risk to health by breathing in, fossil fuels - They are made from decomposing plants and animals. They are found in Earth’s crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy. Examples: coal, oil, natural gas., global heating - The long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere., greenhouse effect - The natural warming of the earth that results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space., habitat loss - The reduction or elimination of the space in which a species or community of organisms lives and reproduces. It is primarily, though not always, human-caused., ozone layer - A region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation., renewable energy - Energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished., soil erosion - It occurs primarily when dirt is left exposed to strong winds, hard rains, and flowing water. In some cases, human activities, especially farming and land clearing, leave soil vulnerable to erosion., toxic waste - Chemical waste material capable of causing death or injury to life. Waste is considered toxic if it is poisonous, radioactive, explosive, carcinogenic (causing cancer), mutagenic (causing damage to chromosomes), teratogenic (causing birth defects), or bioaccumulative (that is, increasing in concentration at the higher ends of food chains)., vehicle emissions - Substances (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc) emitted from a vehicle as a result of internal combustion. , water scarcity - The lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity namely physical and economic water scarcity., wind turbine - A device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy.,

Threats to the environment

Print
Embed

Leaderboard

Visual style

Options

Switch template

Continue editing: ?