Human Impact on the Environment — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The total greenhouse gases caused by your actions is your carbon footprint.
Carbon footprint sums emissions from food, travel, and energy use combined.
2. Eating more plants and less meat usually lowers a family's emissions.
Meat, especially beef, has a much larger climate impact than vegetables.
3. Buying local produce cuts the fuel used to truck food long distances.
Local food travels fewer miles, so less diesel fuel is burned.
4. Foods grown in their natural season usually need less energy to produce.
Seasonal produce avoids heated greenhouses and long refrigerated shipping routes.
5. Throwing away uneaten food wastes the energy used to grow it.
Food waste squanders water, fuel, and farmland that produced the meal.
6. Animals that lived in an area for thousands of years are called native species.
Native species evolved with local plants and balance the area's ecosystem.
7. Plants brought in that crowd out locals are called invasive species.
Invasive species often have no natural predators, so populations explode.
8. Strips of habitat connecting protected areas are called wildlife corridors.
Corridors let animals migrate, find mates, and avoid getting trapped.
9. Eating plant proteins like beans creates fewer emissions than beef.
Plant proteins skip the methane and feed costs of raising livestock.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
National parks
→ Preserve scenic land and habitats
Preserve scenic land and habitats
Protected marine zones
→ Allow fish populations to recover
Allow fish populations to recover
Hunting limits
→ Stop overharvest of game animals
Stop overharvest of game animals
Wildlife corridors
→ Connect fragmented animal habitats
Connect fragmented animal habitats
Each program targets a different threat: habitat loss, overfishing, hunting, and fragmentation.