The most common definition used for "volatile" in the media would probably be dangerous, but this is not always true to scientific application. "Volatile" in this context could pertain to a chemical spill perhaps, indicating the volatility in the chemical means that it could soon be not only a ground spill but also contaminate the air surrounding the area as well.

It can take 500-1000 years for an inch of soil to develop naturally. However, under the right conditions, new soil can be created in a few weeks or months. These time periods are considerably shorter than the renewal periods of oil, coal, iron ore, and gold, which take millions or billions of years to develop via the geologic cycle.

Tragedy of the Commons by definition is when individuals act in their own interest towards a common resource (fish, timber, buffalo, etc.) which, when done by everybody, is not in the best interest of conservation. The result is maximized short-term profit for all parties but also depletion of the resource. 

The decline of the New England cod fishery was due to many individuals harvesting for their own personal profit with no consideration toward the collective impact on the fish population, and the result was a population decline that has yet to recover.

While taxpayers initially foot the bill for a superfund cleanup, the company responsible is financially obligated to reimburse the EPA for the cost of cleanup. Individual employees are not accountable, but the cost of funding an environmental cleanup can bankrupt a firm, leaving their employees jobless. 

Pure phosphorus cannot be found in nature due to it's reactive nature. It can be purified and isolated in laboratories, but generally, you can find phosphorous in baking powder, soil, fireworks, and it often is a component of minerals.

The correct answer choice is "regulating services." A regulating service is any service that minimizes negative impacts to humans (e.g. flood control), or facilitates human production (e.g. honeybees that pollinate crops). 

NEPA was a set of policies intended to protect the environment from humans, and required statements on the environmental impact of construction projects in order to better carry out its purpose.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ensured that land under the Bureau of Land Management would be multiple-use and have sustained yield. The Lacey Act of 1990 prohibits the transport of live or dead wild animals (parts or whole) across state lines without a permit. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) regulates the restoration of surface coal mines. The Price-Anderson Act promotes nuclear power by limiting the liability of the owner of a power plant and the government in the event of a major accident.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a 1973 international treaty signed by most world nations that limits and prevents the sale and transportation of endangered species. The intent here was to ensure that international trade of animal and plant products would not cause the rapid decline or extinction of a species. The international shipping and sale of ivory would be banned under this treaty, due to its negative impact on African Elephant populations.

Sustainability is often defined as the ability to endure. This definition can be applied to organisms and ecosystems as well as societies and economies. The 2005 World Summit on Social Development identified the three pillars of sustainability as economic development, social development and environmental protection. The goal of sustainability is to balance human needs (economic and social) with environmental needs. Put another way, sustainability improves the quality of human life without causing environmental degradation.

Some actions that promote sustainability, or as the very least are less wasteful of natural resources, include using renewable energies (e.g., wind and solar power), conserving water, following the three R’s (i.e., reuse, reduce and recycle), and protecting wildlife and biodiversity. Deforestation refers to the practice of cutting down trees in an unsustainable manner. There are ways to sustainably harvest trees which are considered renewable resources, but they must be managed carefully.