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Native
A species living in the area where it is originally from.
Natural gas
A fossil fuel formed underground over millions of years from the remains
of tiny dead sea plants and animals that were buried on the ocean floor.
Natural gas burns cleaner and has fewer emissions than coal or oil.
Natural resource
A material which is found naturally in the environment and is used for
food or energy or to produce other materials. eg coal, timber.
Nickel
A silvery-white metal which is used in steel alloys to make them strong
and resistant to corrosion.
Nitrogen
A colorless, odorless, unreactive gas.
Nitrogen dioxide
A major component of photochemical smog, produced by oxygen combining
with nitric acid from vehicle emissions in the atmosphere.
Nitrogen oxides
A product of burning fossil fuels, and major contributor to the formation
of ozone in the lower atmosphere and the formation of acid rain and
photochemical smog.
Non-renewable energy
Energy which comes from a source which can only be used once and cannot
be replaced once it is used up, eg energy from burning fossil fuels.
Non-renewable resource
A natural resource which can only be used once and cannot be replaced
once it is used up, eg coal, oil and natural gas.
Nuclear Power
Electricity produced by capturing the heat of nuclear reactions.
Nutrients
Substances which are used by plants or animals as food.
Oil
A fossil fuel formed underground over millions of years from the remains
of tiny dead sea plants and animals that were buried on the ocean floor.
Old-growth
Forests or trees which have originated naturally (not planted by humans)
and have not experienced any human impact.
Organic
Anything that is, or comes from, a living organism.
Organic compounds
Substances containing mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.
Organic food
Plant or animal products which are produced without using certain pesticides,
fertilizers, antibiotics and other chemicals.
Organic waste
Any waste which comes from plant or animal matter.
Oxygen
A colorless, odorless gas which is necessary for life in most organisms
and makes up about 20% of the atmosphere.
Ozone
A colorless toxic gas. Ozone is important in the upper levels of the
atmosphere, to protect us from the radiation of the sun. But when
it
is produced close to the ground in photochemical smog it is a dangerous
pollutant.
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