# data[].attributes.body
genuine progress indicator an economic indicator that includes the cost of environmental harm in the accounting of a nation's economy
full-cost pricing involves including the cost of environmental harm in the market costs of goods and services
economy a nation's system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods

1.Another way to get to more sustainable economic development is to use full-cost pricing. 2.This involves including the costs of environmental harm in the market price of goods and services.
3. Full cost pricing would encourage producers to invent more resource-efficient and less-polluting methods of production.
4.But it is difficult to put a price tag on the costs of environmental harm, and so this solution may not be used more than it currently is.
5.On the other hand, the very low cost of tap water does not account for the cost of cleaning up our water at the local water treatment plant.

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zoning use of land-use laws to limit certain pieces of land to specific uses
urban sprawl the outward spread of cities as they gobble up the rural areas around them
urban area an area that has a higher density of human population than the areas around it
smart growth urban land-use planning that strives to make cities more sustainable and to mitigate the harmful environmental impacts of cities

megalopolis a mega city with more than 10 million people in one large urban area

1.Urban sprawl destroys land habitat, including farmland, forests, and wetlands.
2. It also leads to greater dependence on cars as more people begin living farther away from their places of work.
3. It leads to increased traffic, increased air and water pollution, and more noise pollution.
4.It is especially bad in the United States where we have ample land around cities and a lack of strict rules about how cities can grow.
5.Although city-dwellers take up only about 2 percent of the earth's land area, they use nearly 75 percent of the earth's natural resources.

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vector control minimizing or preventing the amount of contact between humans and disease vectors
vector an organism that transmits a disease-causing pathogen
toxicology science that examines how harmful substances in the environment affect human health
toxicity a measure of how harmful a given substance is to humans, wildlife, or the ecosystem
teratogen a substance that causes birth defects

1.Chronic or acute exposure to toxic chemicals can also cause respiratory failure, damage to skin and other body tissues and death.
2.It's the job of the environmental health specialist to study these chemicals and how they move in the environment, determine how they can affect human health, and make recommendations for their use and control.
3.Chemical hazards come from industrial processes, nuclear waste, hazardous waste, medical waste, and even household chemicals.
4.This is the dose required to kill 50 percent of a population of living organisms.
5.LD50 is typically expressed in terms of the amount of the substance per kilogram of body mass.

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toxic poisonous to living organisms
reactive describes a substance that undergoes violent chemical reactions
phytoremediation using plants to take up or filter out hazardous waste from soil and water
ignitable easily catches fire
hazardous waste any unwanted or discarded material that is harmful to human health or the environment

1.Toxic substances that get into the soil can be taken up by plants, and then by the animals that eat the plants.
2.The leaky poisons make their way to groundwater and harm drinking water supplies.
3.Many hazardous substances also give off toxic gases or fumes, making air pollution a concern.
4.Paint and cleaning solvents are especially bad in this way.
5. In all these cases, the effects on human health include cancer, genetic damage, birth defects, and increased sickness.

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solid waste any unwanted or discarded material that is not liquid or gas
landfill a large area of land used for burying solid waste
integrated waste management a three-tier framework for dealing with solid waste that places emphasis on reducing the amount of waste generated, recycling waste, and disposing of the waste
incineration the process of disposing of solid waste by burning it

1.The production of solid waste leads to several effects on the environment.
2.Solid waste simply pollutes the natural beauty of the environment.
3.No one wants to look at a big pile of garbage! And it smells bad, too. 4.Managing our wastes requires trucking them somewhere. This leads to air pollution, noise, and traffic.
5.Most solid waste in the United States is buried in huge land areas called landfills.

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tertiary treatment a physical and chemical process that continues the removal of nutrients fromwastewater
sewage the waste water that comes from human communities
septic tank an underground tank that collects household waste water and lets solids settle to the bottom and be decomposed by bacteria
secondary treatment a chemical process in which wastewater is treated with helpful bacteria to remove more solid wastes
primary treatment a physical process wherein large materials are screened out of wastewater and solid wastes are settled to the bottom

1.Wastewater treatment plants treat sewage in three main steps.
2.The first of these is called primary treatment. 3.In primary treatment, the water that comes into the plant, called influent, is first screened to remove large objects such as rags, sticks, and garbage (such as pieces of food that go down a kitchen garbage disposal). 4.Primary treatment is a physical process.
5.After large materials are screened out, the water flows into a primary settling tank called a clarifier where solid waste (mostly human fecal material) settles to the bottom.

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water pollution any chemical, biological, or physical change to water that makes it hazardous to living organisms or makes it otherwise unsuitable for use
point source pollution pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source
non-point source pollution pollution that comes from scattered sources or is diffuse over a large area

1.The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary where salt and freshwater meet.
2.The bay has a history of pollution that dates to the 1940s.
3. The waters in and surrounding the bay bear the brunt of the pollution problems as more factories contribute to the pollution problem, more people use chemicals that add to the runoff, population's sizes increase, and more people burn fossil fuels for transportation.
4.A non-point source of pollution comes from scattered points of origin and we cannot trace all of it back to one single point of origin.
5. An example would be storm runoff that flows over many different types of land before making its way into a river, and it will enter the river at not just one place but at points all along the banks of the river.

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noise pollution any human-made or machine-generated noise that disrupts human or animal life
decibel a unit of measure that expresses sound loudness

1.Hearing impairment is the most-studied effect of noise pollution.
2.Sound levels are measured in units called decibels (dB).
3.Sound becomes damaging about 85 dB, painful about 120 dB, and can kill at 180 dB. 4.Sound energy can cause harm because it exerts pressure.
5.Decibel scales are logarithmic, meaning sound pressure is multiplied tenfold for each 10 dB rise.

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wet scrubber a pollution control technology that uses a fine mist of water vapor to collect particulates
secondary standards air pollution standards aimed at protecting the environment and buildings
primary standards air pollution standards aimed at protecting human health
national ambient air quality standardsestablish maximum levels at which certain pollutants can safely exist in the air
electrostatic precipitator a pollution control technology that works by putting a negative charge on particulates as they enter a smokestack and then collecting them on a positively-charged collection plate

1.The Clean Air Act of 1970 set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
2.These standards regulate six common outdoor air pollutants known as "criteria pollutants."
3.They include primary standards, which are set to protect human health, and secondary standards, which are set to prevent environmental and property damage.
4.Each standard specifies the maximum allowable level for certain pollutants in ambient (outdoor) air.
5.The Clean Air Act of 1970 also allowed citizens the right, for the first time, to take legal action against an organization, including the government, that violates the NAAQS restrictions.

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greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrogen oxides, and some CFCs that absorb heat and keep it in the earth's atmosphere
greenhouse effect a term used to describe the role that greenhouse gases play in keeping the earth warm
carbon sequestration technology used to capture the carbon released from smokestacks and store it in some part of the environment to keep it out of the atmosphere

1.Carbon dioxide, as well as a few other gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide and some CFCs, is called a greenhouse gas. 2.Greenhouse gases absorb solar radiation and keep it from being emitted back out to space from the earth's surface.
3. We call this the greenhouse effect.
4.Without greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, Earth would be too cold to inhabit. 5.In the perfect world, the amount of heat that greenhouse gases absorb is balanced by the amount of heat that leaves the earth's surface.

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pH measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution
base a substance that accepts hydrogen ions in water
acid rain rain that has an acidic ph and caused by sulfur and nitrogen pollutants in the air
acid deposition precipitation or fog that is acidic in nature
acid a substance that gives off hydrogen ions in water

1.Scientists have found that acid rain is caused when substances, namely sulfur and nitrogen oxides, combine with water in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric and nitric acids.
2. It is more accurately called acid deposition.
3.These acids then fall back down to the earth as rain, snow, ice, or fog.
4.The sulfur and nitrogen oxides get into the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion—from cars and factories.
5.Prevailing winds can carry these substances hundreds and thousands of miles across the globe.

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air pollution substances in the air that can harm organisms, ecosystems, or buildings
air quality index a measure of how polluted the air in a certain area is for a given time
particulates particles of dust or fine materials suspended in the air
photochemical smog forms when certain primary air pollutants combine and react with sunlight to form smog
smog a combination of chemicals including sulfur dioxides, smoke, and fog

1.Toxic metals are also primary air pollutants.
2.Lead, mercury, cadmium, and copper are the main ones.
3.These metals come from the combustion of fossil fuels and from industrial processes.
4.Lead was once a major component of motor vehicle emissions because it was a widely used gasoline additive, put into gasoline to help prevent engine knocking. 5.But government regulations in the 1970s have provided great reductions here, and new cars now require unleaded gasoline.

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energy sustainability the concept that the future generations' access to energy should not be compromised by our present energy use
energy efficiency the ratio of useful work we get out of a given amount of energy
energy conservation the reduction or elimination of unnecessary waste of energy

1.In the United States, we use nearly a million dollar's worth of energy every minute of the day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
2.And as we do so, fossil fuel supplies are being depleted, and pollution is produced from their use.
3.If we got useful work out of all the energy we consume, it would be one thing, but much of it is wasted, either due to the second law of thermodynamics or by our careless use.
4.Wasting energy hurts us financially and environmentally.
5.(Think about how much money it costs to fill up the gas tank of a car and how much environmental damage is done by oil production and combustion.)

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EQ: How do humans activities affect the globalecosystem?
Standard: SEV5 Recognize that humans are part of the global ecosystem and will evaluate and will evaluate the effects of human activities and technology on ecosystems.

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hydrogen vehicle a vehicle that runs on hydrogen, either by combusting hydrogen directly or by using a fuel cell to covert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electric energy
hydrogen fuel hydrogen gas used to fuel motor vehicles
fuel cell a device that converts the energy in fuel directly to electricity and heat

1.Hydrogen is an alternative fuel that can be used to power motor vehicles (cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.).
2.Its use instead of fossil fuels would eliminate almost all the air pollution we have today.
3. Its only byproduct after combustion is water vapor, which is completely non-polluting.
4.And, hydrogen releases more energy per gram than any other fuel, it is obtained from readily available water, and it is completely renewable. 5.In light of all of these benefits, some people have argued for a transition from a hydrocarbon economy to a hydrogen economy.

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geothermal energy energy derived from hot rocks and fluids beneath the earth's surface

1.Geothermal energy (from "geo" for earth and "thermal" for heat) consists of energy stored in soil, underground rocks, and fluids in the earth's mantle.
2.In general, the temperature of rocks increases as you move downward through the earth's interior.
3.The rate of this temperature increase with depth is known as the geothermal gradient.
4.Just 300 to 400 feet down, the temperatures become quite warm, and once you get about 10,000 feet below the earth's surface, the temperature is hot enough to boil water.
5.Sometimes water makes its way downward close to the hot rocks and magma below the earth's surface.

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wind vane instrument that measures wind direction
wind power generation of electricity from the movement of wind turning a turbine
wind farms large area of land where many wind turbines are clustered together and used to power a wind power plant

small wind the small-scale use of wind power for individual homes or businesses
anemometer instrument that measures wind speed

1.Wind power is the generation of electricity from wind.
2.The windmill has blades that turn as wind passes through them.
3.This causes a turbine to spin and generate electricity.
4.Wind power accounts for about 1 percent of global electricity, but some countries use a greater percentage than others.
5.Denmark leads the world in wind energy, getting about 20 percent of its electricity from the wind.

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solar power plant a facility that uses solar energy to generate electricity
solar energy energy derived from the radiant energy of sunlight
photovoltaic cells thin wafers of a semi conductive material that emit electrons when struck by sunlight
passive solar heating heating spaces or water by orienting a structure to receive the maximum amount of sunlight, involves no use of special mechanical devices
insolation a measure of the amount of solar radiation striking a given area

1.A measure of the amount of solar radiation striking a given area varies throughout the world.
2.It is highest near the equator and lowest near the poles.
3.This is because the earth is tilted on its axis, and the poles are tilted away from the sun for various times of the year.
4.In addition, sunlight is more diffuse at the poles and more direct at the equator.
5.Insolation also varies by season, time of day, and weather conditions on a daily basis.

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wave power power produced by harnessing the energy of ocean surface waves
tide power generated by the movements of tides twice a day in a predictable way
tidal barrage a large dam built over an estuary or bay to generate tidal power
offshore turbines turbines that are much like wind turbines but work underwater to generate electricity from the tides

1.Wave power captures the energy of ocean surface waves and uses that energy to do work, including electricity generation.
2.Waves are produced by wind moving over the surface of the ocean.
3.In some parts of the world, the waves are powerful and consistent enough that a generator can be placed in the water to take advantage of the wave energy.
4.Wave power cannot be used everywhere, and the technology is still new, but some places where wave power holds the most promise are the western coast of Scotland, northern Canada, southern Africa, Australia, and the northwestern coast of the United States.
5.The largest of these is used on the northern coast of France, and there are plans to build one across the Severn River in the United Kingdom.

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hydropower derived from the energy of moving water
hydroelectric power electricity generated when moving water is used to turn a turbine
fish ladders structures used to help migrating fish get around the barrier of a dam

1.These are also called sustainable energy resources because they cannot run out and their environmental and social impacts are minimal compared with those of fossil fuel use. 2.For nearly two centuries, we have relied largely on fossil fuels to supply our energy needs, but for thousands of years before that, sunlight, wind, and running water were the main energy sources.
3. Many are calling for an energy revolution of sorts, in which we come full circle and return to more widespread use of "alternative" energy, or energy from renewable sources and not fossil fuels.
4.Water mills have been used for centuries to grind grains into flour or to saw timber.
5.The Burwell-Morgan mill has been operating for more than 225 years.

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transuranic waste an intermediate level of radioactive waste that comes mostly from the reprocessing of spent fuel rods
millirems a unit of measure used to express an amount of radiation exposure
low level waste a relatively safe form of radioactive waste that poses little environmental harm
high level waste a type of radioactive waste that is highly radioactive and requires special handling, transporting, and disposal in deep geological repositories

1.Chernobyl once was home to more than 50,000 people.
2Today, it is largely a ghost town.
3.By 2005, fifty-six recorded deaths had been attributed to the accident.
4.The United Nations estimates that ultimately 4,000 more deaths will occur.
5.This is because the radiation that escaped to the environment that day is extremely persistent.

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EQ: how are chemical equations and reactions balanced?
Standard: SC2 Relate how the Law of Conservation of matter is used to determine chemical compositons on compounds

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boiling water reactor a type of nuclear reactor where there is only one circuit of water; the water enters the reactor, is heated, and produces steam
control rods rods of metal used to slow down the nuclear fission chain reaction in a nuclear reactor
cooling tower part of a nuclear power plant where waste heat is allowed to escape out to the atmosphere
fast breeder reactor a type of nuclear reactor that breeds more fuel than it uses
fuel rods long narrow rods that contain the nuclear fuel used in a nuclear reactor

1.One more type of nuclear reactor that you will learn about here is the fast breeder reactor (FBR).
2.It is used in only about 1 percent of all nuclear power plants. 3.It was once used more commonly, but it has a very high cost and a bad safety record, so few countries are making them anymore.
4.However, they have the ability to use uranium more efficiently and so still hold some appeal.
5.In China, India, Japan, and South Korea, these reactor types are still being used, with the hopes of finding new ways to make them safer and more cost-effective.

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chain reaction occurs when an isotope's nucleus fissions and releases neutrons that in turn cause more nuclei to fission, setting off a chain reaction
half-life the period of time required for half of the atoms in a sample to decay
isotope a variant of an element with a different number of neutrons but the same number of protons
natural radioactive decay a type of nuclear change in which the nucleus of an isotope spontaneously emits particles and energy
nuclear change changes that take place in an atom's nucleus

1.Al is the symbol for the element.
2.Elements' symbols are either one capital letter or two letters, with the first letter capitalized, like Al for aluminum.
3. The whole number given on the periodic table is the atomic number, which also represents the number of protons within the nucleus of the atom.
4.The reason that this is generally not a whole number is because it represents the weighted average of all the isotopes known to exist for the element.
5.However, when we make use of the atomic mass, we round it according to our math rules and then it is called the mass number.

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biofuels a category of liquid fuels derived from biomass, or plant materials and organic wastes
coal liquefaction the process of converting solid coal to a liquid fuel
syngas a synthetic gas made by heating coal in the presence of steam and oxygen

synfuel another name for a synthetic fuel
synthetic fuels liquid petroleum-like fuels made from coal, natural gas, or biomasss

1.In 2008, crude oil prices reached record highs, and many people began to wonder how we could get relief from the pain at the gas pump.
2.One possible answer is a technology that was first developed in the 1930s.
3.It's been around for decades, but is now resurfacing as a "new" idea.
4.It's called synthetic fuel, or fuel made from coal or natural gas that is fabricated to have petroleum-like properties.
5.Basically, it's like taking coal or natural gas, subjecting them to complex chemical reactions, and getting oil out of the deal.

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coal washing a type of clean coal technology used to remove impurities from coal before it is burned
anthracite a desirable form of coal because of its high carbon content
bituminous coal a type of coal with a higher carbon content than lignite and used worldwide for electricity production
clean coal term used to describe technologies aimed at reducing coal's environmental impact
electrostatic precipitator a type of clean coal technology used to collect particulate dust as it comes out of the flue

1.Lignite is also called brown coal.
2.It is the youngest of all the coal types and has only 25 to 35 percent carbon.
3.It is used almost exclusively for electric power plants, where it is burned to produce steam.
4.It has a low energy yield and so is not usually transported internationally or even locally because it's just not worth it.
5.It is often used in power plants close to where it is mined.

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conventional oil oil extracted from a traditional oil well
crude oil liquid petroleum as it comes out of the ground as distinguished from refined oils manufactured out of it
natural gas a gas used as a fuel formed naturally in the earth by the decay of organic materials
non-conventional oil oil extracted from oil shale or oil sands
oil refinery a manufacturing facility that uses special processes to convert crude oil into usable products

1.After its extraction from the earth, petroleum is used to make everything from automotive oil to plastics to asphalt and grease and wax.
2.Most of the products we use in daily life are somehow connected to oil, and the oil industry is the world's largest business.
3.The diagram shows you how oil is refined by heating it to various temperatures.
4.Fractional distillation is the process of separating crude oil into various hydrocarbons.
5.This is the first step required to obtain these different products.

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ethanol a type of liquid fuel used largely in the transportation sector and derived from plant materials

1.For almost all of humanity's history, renewable energy sources such as biomass (wood), wind, and water, were the dominant sources of energy.
2.This changed in the 1800s when fossil fuels took over.
3.Some scientists believe the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end, since they are nonrenewable and consumption of them has been so high in the last century.
4.More and more, there is a push to move back toward renewable energy.
5.This push comes not only from the fact that fossil fuel supplies might dry up, but also from the fact that burning fossil fuels has a polluting effect on the environment.

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chemical energy stored energy that is released during chemical reactions
electrical energy the energy of moving electric particles
energy the ability to do work
energy efficiency the amount of usable energy you get out of a system
heat energy a type of energy associated with changes in temperature

1.When dealing with energy transformations, we often talk of energy efficiency.
2.Energy efficiency is the amount of useful energy you get from a system.
3.A machine that is 100 percent energy efficient would transform all the energy put into it to useful work.
4.But this is an impossible dream—converting energy from one form to another always results in a loss of usable energy.
5.An example of this is the human body, which is only about 5 percent efficient.

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chemical energy stored energy that is released during chemical reactions

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chemical energystored energy that is released during chemical reactions