Human Interaction with Earth Vocabulary

to properly dispose of used resources so they can be reprocessed into new products

to protect resources and avoid wasteful and destructive use

catastrophe caused by nature that causes great damage or loss of life (flood, tornado, hurricane)

a disastrous event caused directly by human actions (oil spills, nuclear explosions, fires)

the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment

a resource that can be replenished as fast as it is used (oxygen, water, solar, biomass)

a resource that takes longer than our lifetime to replenish such as fossil fuels (oil also known as petroleum, coal, and gas)

the region or area drained by a river or stream

the loss of soil as it is carried off by wind or water

energy that can replace or reduce the need for traditional fossil-fuel sources (solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal)

materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used (minerals, forests, water, fertile land)

- a system that maintains its own kind by using techniques that allow for continual use Important words to know

an embankment designed to prevent the flooding of a river

- capable of decaying through the action of living organisms

- to clear trees from an area