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Environmental Science Exam > Environmental Science Exam General and Key Terms > Flashcards

Environmental Science Exam General and Key Terms Flashcards

1
Q

What are Abiotic Factors?

A

Non-living Things: Air, light, temperature, etc.

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2
Q

What is the environment?

A

The sum of the surrounding conditions that influence life, health and growth

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3
Q

What are Biotic Factors?

A

Living Things: Trees, plants, bacteria, animals, etc.

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4
Q

What is Environmental Science?

A

The study of interactions between human systems and natural systems.

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5
Q

What is a system?

A

A set of interacting components that influence one another by changing energy/matter.

Human Systems - Trains, highways

Natural Systems - Ecosystems

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6
Q

What is an Environmental indicator?

A

Tools of measurement to determine the health and quality of natural systems

*Measure human population, biodiversity, global temperature, CO2 levels

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7
Q

What are the 5 Primary Environmental Indicators?

A
  1. Biodiversity
  2. Food Production
  3. CO2 and Global Temperatures
  4. Human Population
  5. Resource Depletion
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8
Q

What is Biodiversity?

A

The variety of life in an ecosystem.

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9
Q

What are the 3 Levels of Biodiversity?

A
  1. Species diversity - # of species in an area or type of habitat
  2. Genetic diversity - Measure of genetic variation (higher the better)
  3. Ecosystem diversity - Diversity of ecosystems or habitats in an area
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10
Q

What is a Species?

A

Organisms distinct from other organisms in morphology, behavior, etc.

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11
Q

What is Food Production?

A

The ability to grow food for humans

*Healthy soils support food production

*Technology (irrigation, fertilization, genetic modification)

*Weather

(more grain used for livestock than humans!)

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12
Q

What is CO2’s Impact on Global Temperatures?

A

Greenhouse gasses like CO2 act as blanket to trap heat near Earth’s surface causing climate change.

Climate change is Anthropogenic (human based) from fossil fuels and net loss of forests.

*Last 200 years CO2 has increased in atmosphere and rising

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13
Q

What are some Dangers of CO2 Emissions?

A

Extreme heat, difficulty breathing, rising water levels, stresses circulator systems

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14
Q

Resource Depletion Examples

A

Land degradation from mining, waste and landfill pollution, air pollution, non-renewables.

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15
Q

What is Science?

A

A process that produces knowledge involving the Scientific Method.

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16
Q

What are the Scientific Method Steps?

A
  1. Observation - Brings about questions
  2. Hypothesis - Testable statement
  3. Collect Data (through experiments)
  4. Interpret Results and reject/support hypothesis (reject or fail hypothesis)
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17
Q

What is a Theory?

A

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

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18
Q

What is a Scientific Law?

A

A scientific law takes a broad view of numerous observations, but never exactly explaining ‘why’.

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19
Q

What is Matter?

A

Anything that has mass and takes up space (Measured in grams).

Weight - force from gravity (N)

Mass - Quantity of matter regardless of gravity (g)

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20
Q

What is an Atom?

A

The smallest particle of an element

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21
Q

What is a Molecule?

A

A group of atoms bonded together. Electrons (negative) on outside, with protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral) in nucleus.

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22
Q

What is a Compound?

A

A combination of more than one element

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23
Q

What is an Atomic Number?

A

Number of protons in an atom

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24
Q

What is an Atomic Mass?

A

Number of protons plus neutrons in an atom

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25
Q

What is an Isotope?

A

Same element, but with different number of nuetrons

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26
Q

What is Radioactive Decay?

A

Radioactive isotopes release heat spontaneously from nucleus

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27
Q

How is an Element Radioactive?

A

An isotope with an unstable nuclei

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28
Q

What is an Element’s Half Life?

A

Time it takes for 1/2 the original atoms to decay

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29
Q

What are the 3 Types of Radioactive Emissions?

A
  1. Alfa Particles - Helium Nuclei, tend to be weak.
  2. Beta Particles - High speed electrons and antineutrinos, or positrons and neutrinos. (Can be stopped with sheet of aluminum foil).
  3. Gamma Radiation - High energy protons. (Can be stopped with block of led).
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30
Q

What is Carbon Dating?

A

Carbon in atmosphere is always found in same ratio - 12C is 99%, 13C is 1%, and 14C is 1 part per trillion. Half life of Carbon 14 is 5,730 years. Using this information, we can measure the amount of 14C in an object compared to the atmosphere to date it.

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31
Q

What is a Covalent Bond?

A

Elements sharing electrons

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32
Q

What is an Ionic Bond?

A

Opposite charged atoms form ions through bonds. (Cation - negatively charged, Anion - positively charged).

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33
Q

What is a Hydrogen Bond?

A

Very weak bonds between two hydrogen molecules

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34
Q

What is an Acid?

A

A substance that adds hydrogen to a solution by adding H+

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35
Q

What is a Base?

A

A substance that decreases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution by adding OH-

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36
Q

What is pH?

A

Concentration of Hydrogen in a solution: ranges from 0-7 (acidic) to 7-14 (basic), with 7 being neutral. pH is the negative log of H+ concentration

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37
Q

What is Energy?

A

The ability to do work (power x time)

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38
Q

What is Power?

A

The rate at which work is done (energy/time)

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39
Q

What is Potential Energy?

A

Energy that has been stored, but not yet released

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40
Q

What is Kinetic Energy?

A

Energy of motion

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41
Q

What is Chemical Energy?

A

Energy in chemical bonds

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42
Q

What is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics?

A

Energy is neither created nor destroyed

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43
Q

What is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics?

A

When energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes. Energy forms are transformed into heat (Thermal Energy).

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44
Q

What is Photosynthesis?

A

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy, common in plants.

(6H20 + 6C02 –> C6H12O6 + 6O2)

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45
Q

What is Chemosynthesis?

A

Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

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46
Q

How Does Thermodynamics Govern the Life of Living Organisms?

A

Thermodynamics allows for energy to transfer between ecosystems and trophic levels. It is what makes up for an ecological balance that keeps our ecosystems running.

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47
Q

Where do Ecosystems Get Their Energy?

A

Most all of it is from the sun (photosynthesis), other organisms may produce energy in chemosynthesis on hot springs an sea floors

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48
Q

What is Cellular Respiration?

A

Chemical energy in glucose released through respiration, then used to grow, move, and metabolize. Used by all organisms, but is animals main source of energy.

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49
Q

What are 3 Types of Consumers in a Trophic System?

A
  1. Primary Consumers - Herbivores that eat producers (plants)
  2. Secondary Consumers - Carnivores that eat primary consumers
  3. Tertiary Consumers - Rare, eat secondary consumers
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50
Q

What are Trophic Levels?

A

Organism’s levels of feeding and acquiring energy within a food web.

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51
Q

What are Some other Trophic Positions than the 3 Big Ones?

A

Omnivores - Eat plants and animals.

Scavengers - “Carnivores” that eat dead organisms.

Detrivores - Animals that consume dead plant material

Decomposers - Complete breakdown process and recycle nutrients

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52
Q

What is the Ten Percent Law?

A

10 percent law of energy flow states that when the energy is passed on from one trophic level to another, only 10 percent of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

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53
Q

What is Biomass?

A

A measure of the total mass of organisms within a particular region, standing crop is measure of total dry mass

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54
Q

What is Ecological Efficiency?

A

Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web, usually around just 10% each level

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55
Q

What are the 4 Chemical Reservoirs of Earth?

A
  1. Atmosphere
  2. Lithosphere
  3. Biosphere
  4. Hydrosphere
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56
Q

What is Carbon?

A

4th most abundant element in universe, found in all organic matters. Photosynthesis removes C from atmosphere, is returned in the form of CO2 or Methane (CH4). Can enter atmosphere through respiration, forrest fires, diffusion, and decomposition.

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57
Q

What is Carbon - Methane?

A

Potent greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than CO2. Mostly occurs naturally through respiration, but can also be a product of fermentation and human activities.

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58
Q

What is Nitrogen?

A

Important for life (Amino Acids, Protein, and DNA). In 80 % of atmosphere as gas and can only be captured by bacteria. Animals can receive N by eating other organisms with N.

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59
Q

What is Eutrophication?

A

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria. Nitrogen - Saltwater, Phosphorous - Freshwater

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60
Q

What is Phosphorous?

A

A vital element in DNA, RNA, and ATP. Comes from sediments in biosphere through weathering and captured by plants. Animals obtain P by eating other organisms with P.

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61
Q

What is Ammonitication?

A

Break down of organic molecules to release Nitrogen. (Nitrification converts ammonia to Nitrogen)

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62
Q

What are the 4 Layers of Atmosphere?

A
  1. Troposphere (0 to 10 miles, mostly Nitrogen and Oxygen. Gets colder as you go up)
  2. Stratosphere (10-30 miles, gets hotter as you go up due to UV radiation, Ozone layer here)
  3. Mesosphere (31 - 65 miles, temp decreases as you go up)
  4. Thermosphere (65 - 370 miles, temp increases as you move up, and blocking most X rays)
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63
Q

What are the Causes of Unequal Earth Heating?

A
  1. Solar energy’s angle - Less atmosphere to travel to at equator vs. poles
  2. Surface area impacted - More concentrated at equator
  3. Albedo % - % incoming light reflected by surface (snow, water, etc)
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64
Q

How Does Earth Air Circulate?

A

Warm air is less dense than cold air, causing warm air to rise. Warm air has higher water vapor capacity, causing warm days to be more humid.

65
Q

What is Climate Change?

A

Increase in average temperature due to greenhouse gasses keeping heat close to the Earth’s surface.

66
Q

What are some Examples of Climate Change?

A

Has caused sea levels to rise 3 inches, glaciers shrinking, trees flowering sooner, coral reef destruction, and overall increase of 2 degrees F.

67
Q

What are Species?

A

A group of organisms different from another in size, shape, behavior, or biomechanics.

68
Q

What is Species Richness?

A

The number of species in a given area

69
Q

What is Species Evenness?

A

Relative proportion of different species in a given area

70
Q

What is Evolution?

A

Change in the genetic composition of a population over time.

71
Q

Microevolution vs. Macroevolution?

A

Microevolution - small scale (within a single population)
Macroevolution - scale that transcends the boundaries of a single species, creating a new one.

72
Q

What is Genetic Diversity?

A

The range of genetic material present in a gene pool or population of a species.

73
Q

What are the 3 Processes that Drive Evolution?

A
  1. Artificial Selection - Human’s breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms
  2. Natural Selection - A natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment.
  3. Random Processes
  • Mutation
  • Genetic Drift
  • Bottleneck Effect: When pops reduced, genetic variation reduced
  • Founder Effect: Few colonizers give rise to new population
74
Q

What is Mutation?

A

A change in a gene or chromosome

75
Q

What are the Key Features of Natural Selection?

A
  1. Individuals produce an excess of offspring
  2. Not all offspring survive
  3. Individuals differ in their traits
  4. Trait differences can be passed onto offspring
  5. Trait differences affect the ability to survive and reproduce
76
Q

How Can Environmental Change Cause Extinction?

A

No favorable environment to move to, new environment may be already occupied, environmental change occurs too fast with no time to adapt

77
Q

How Has Extinction Changed Since Arrival of Humans?

A

Half of vertebrate are extinct, habitat destruction, over harvesting, many invasive species, climate change, and emerging diseases.

78
Q

What is Population Ecology?

A

Study of dynamics within a population (grow/shrink?)

79
Q

What are the Levels of Complexity (Population Ecology)?

A
  1. Individual
  2. Population (All individuals of same species in given area)
  3. Community (All populations within a given area)
  4. Ecosystem (All biotic and abiotic components of area)
  5. Biosphere (Biomes)
80
Q

What are the 5 Population Characteristics?

A
  1. Population size
  2. Population density (# in given area)
  3. Population distribution (clumped/even?)
  4. Population sex ratio
  5. Population age structure (determines speed of growth)
81
Q

What are Density Dependent Factors?

A

Influence survival and reproduction

ex: Limiting resource, carrying capacity

82
Q

What are Density Independent Factors?

A

Unpredictable events

ex: Natural disasters

83
Q

What are Population Growth Models?

A

Growth Rate - # of offspring - death rate

Intrinsic Growth Rate - Max rate of growth

Exponential Growth - dN/dt equals r*N

Logistic Growth - dN/dt equals r*(N(1-N/k)

84
Q

What are K Selected Species?

A

Species that produce a few, often fairly large offspring but invest a great deal of time and energy to ensure that most of those offspring reach reproductive age. Seldom overshoot carrying capacity.

ex: Deer

85
Q

What are R Selected Species?

A

Species that produce large numbers of usually small and short-lived offspring in a short period. Often overshoot carrying capacity.

ex: Fish

86
Q

What is a Niche?

A

Each species’ unique way of obtaining a limiting resource

87
Q

What is Lieberg’s Law of the Minimum?

A

What ever resource is in lowest supply relative to its demand will limit the expanse of a population

88
Q

What is Resource Partitioning and Its Types?

A
  1. Temporal - Being active at different periods of time

ex: Wolves and Coyotes

  1. Spacial - Using different areas of a system

ex: Fish and Wolves

  1. Morphological - Differences in body or shape to consume different types of resources

ex: Darwin’s Finches

89
Q

What is a True Predator?

A

What is a True Predator?

90
Q

What are Some Types of defenses against predation?

A
  1. Behavioral - playing dead when seen
  2. Morphological - camouflage or prickles
  3. Chemical - toxic or distasteful
  4. Mimicry - mimicking different organism
91
Q

What are the Types of Symbiotic Relationships?

A
  1. Mutualism - benefits both species

ex: humans and dogs

  1. Commensalism - benefits one species while the other is neither harmed nor helped

ex: fish hiding behind coral

  1. Parasitism - benefits one species at the detriment of the other

ex: tape worms

92
Q

What is a Keystone Species?

A

When loss can disproportionately have a large effect on ecosystem (usually in low #’s)

ex: kelp in trophic cascades (direct actions that control ecosystems)

93
Q

What is Predator Mediated Competition?

A

When a predator increases competition of other species for resources

94
Q

What is an Ecological Engineer?

A

Species that creates/maintains habitat for other species

ex: beaver dams

95
Q

What is Ecological Succession and its Types?

A

Ecological Succession - Process by which species and habitat changes over time

  1. Primary Succession - Occurs on surface devoid of soil (lava, glaciers)
  2. Secondary Succession - Disturbed areas that have not lost soil (forrest fire, post hurricane)
96
Q

What Did Thomas Malthus Conclude?

A

Human population was growing exponentially while food growth was linear. (Alternate view is that innovation could alter Earth’s carrying capacity)

97
Q

What is Demography? Immigration, Emmigration, Crude Birth Rate, Crude Death Rate?

A

The study of populations and how they grow

Immigration - moving into

Emigration - moving out of

Crude Birth Rate - # births per 1,000

Crude Death Rate - # deaths per 1,000

98
Q

What is Doubling Time?

A

Years it takes for population to double (70/growth rate)

(US is 35 years)

99
Q

What is Fertility?

A

Average # of children each woman will have, education is #1 way to reduce. (US is 2.1 children)

100
Q

What is Replacement Level Fertility?

A

The total fertility rate required to offset the average number of deaths

101
Q

What are Age-Constructed Population Pyramids?

A

*Crude death rate can be balanced by large # of old people.

Population pyramids give age structure for countries

  • If even, no growth, if inverted, more younger than old, if pyramidal, fast growth because more young than old
102
Q

What is the Theory of Demographic Transition?

A

As country moves from subsistence economy (not money) to industrialization, undergoes predictable shift in population growth.

  1. Preindustrial - birth rate and death rate are high and equal
  2. Early industrial - birth rate is high, death rate very low
  3. Mature industrial - birth rate collapses and matches death rate
  4. Postindustrial - birth rate and death rate fluctuate but remain relatively even
103
Q

What is the IPAT Equation?

A

Estimation of human lifestyle on earth

(Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology)

Total impact =

(population) x (consumption per person) x (impact per person)

104
Q

What are Earth Layers?

A
  1. Core - innermost layer
  • dense, mostly nickel and iron
  1. Mantle - molten rock
  • magma circulates in convection cells
  1. Asthenosphere - outer mantle
  • semi-molten rock
  1. Crust - outermost layer
  • chemically distinct
  • Lithosphere: made up of plates that sit on top of Asthenosphere
105
Q

What are Convection Cycles?

A

Outer core’s high temp causes magma to move in convection cells under crust. Also occurs with radioactive decay of elements (potassium, uranium)

106
Q

What Did Alfred Wagner Propose?

A

Proposed Pangea in 1912 from rock formations and similar fossils

107
Q

What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

A

Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates, most of which are in constant motion

108
Q

What are the Types of Tectonic Plates?

A

Oceanic Plates - beneath ocean, high in iron and dense

Continental Plates - beneath land high in silicon dioxide and less dense

109
Q

*What Causes Earth’s Plates to Move?

A

All plate movement is driven by convection cells beneath the surface (move 1.4 inches yearly)

110
Q

What are the 3 Types of Plate Contact?

A
  1. Divergent - plates move away from each other causing seafloor spreading and creation of mid ocean ridge
  2. Convergent - plates collide and create coastal mountains and deep sea trenches
  3. Transform - plates move sideways past each other producing earthquakes
111
Q

What is a Rock Cycle?

A

Constant formation and destruction of rocks. All rocks come from deposited material and eventually become sub-ducted turning into magma

112
Q

Difference between Rocks vs. Minerals?

A

Minerals - solid chemical substances with uniform structures

Rocks - substance found in the lithosphere composed of one or more minerals

113
Q

What is Weathering?

A

Rocks breaking up through erosion

114
Q

What is an Igneous Rock? How are they Formed?

A

Formed directly from magma

  • Intrusive Igneous: when magma rises and cools in place underground
  • Extrusive Igneous: when magma cools above Earth’s surface by volcano or seafloor spreading

Basaltic Rock - dark, high in iron, dominant in ocean plates

Granitic Rock - light color, high in mica and quartz, dominant rock of continental plates

115
Q

What is a Sedimentary Rock? How are they Formed?

A

Formed when mud, sand, or gravel fused together over long time

  • Sandstone: made from compressed sand
  • Conglomerate: mixed cobbles, gravel, and sand
116
Q

*What is a Metamorphic Rock? How are they Formed?

A

When sedimentary, igneous, or other rocks are subjected to high temperature and pressure

ex: slate or marble

117
Q

*What is a Metamorphic Rock? How are they Formed?

A

When sedimentary, igneous, or other rocks are subjected to high temperature and pressure

ex: slate or marble

118
Q

What is a Soil Cycle?

A

Mix of geologic and organic components that connect overlaying biology with underlaying geology

119
Q

What are the Functions of Soil?

A
  1. Medium for plant growth
  2. Recycling system
  3. Habitat for organisms
  4. System for water supply & purification
120
Q

How is Soil Formed?

A

Comes from the physical and chemical weathering of rocks plus accumulation of organic material

121
Q

What are the Soil Determining Factors?

A
  1. Parent material - base rock material
  2. Climate - don’t develop below freezing
  3. Topography - steep slopes more erosion
  4. Organisms - plants remove nutrients, animals mix soil
  5. Time - older soils have more organic matter
122
Q

What are the Physical Properties of Soil?

A

Texture - determined by % of sand (large particles), silt (medium), and clay (small)

Porosity - How quickly water drains through soil, determined by texture (sand - fast, clay - slow)

123
Q

What is Groundwater’s Function? Water Table? Groundwater Recharge? Artisan Wells?

A

Allows plants to get water through roots and provides water to springs

Water Table - uppermost level at which water is fully saturated in rock or soil

Groundwater Recharge - when rain water or surface water pores through soil into an aquifer at a “recharge area”

Artisan Wells - pressure of overlaying rock pushes water to surface

124
Q

What is the Difference Between Unconfined vs. Confined Aquifers?

A

Unconfined - found in porous rock covered with soil, recharges in days or weeks (more likely to be polluted because closer to surface)

Confined - surrounded by a layer of impermeable rock or clay, recharges in up to 20,000 years

125
Q

What are the Consequences of High Water Withdrawl?

A
  • Spring fed streams may dry up
  • Shallow wells no longer reach water table
  • *Cone of depression: water table near well is deeper than others
  • *Saltwater intrusion: adjacent saltwater fills fresh groundwater
126
Q

What is a Floodplain? How can it be Formed?

A

Lakes surrounding rivers

*Formed 2 ways

  • Tectonic: formed by land
  • Glaciers: large depression of land
127
Q

How are Lake’s Classified by Productivity?

A

(based on level of primary productivity)

*low nutrients is low productivity

Oligotrophic - low productivity

Mesotrophic - moderate productivity

Eutrophic - high productivity

128
Q

What are Wetland’s Functions

A
  1. Absorb water to help prevent floods
  2. Clean and purify water
  3. Food (rice feeds half of worlds pop.)
  4. Shoreline and storm protection
  5. Cultural (hunting, fishing, and sightseeing)
  6. Habitat (contain 40% of planets species and 12% of animal species
  • Nursery for important finfish and shellfish
  • Migratory birds stay as well
129
Q

What are some Drought Consequences?

A
  • Direct loss of human life, livestock, and crops
  • Can alter nutrient cycling and soil fertility
  • Poor land use can worsen during drought
130
Q

What are Impermeable Surfaces?

A

Surfaces like pavement or buildings that prevent water penetration causing streams and river to possibly overflow

*In healthy systems, porous soils and wetlands can soak up excess rain water

131
Q

What is a Levee?

A

Bank of soil on both sides of river sed to prevent flooding in floodplains (dike-ocean levee)

Problems:

  • Reduces fertility of soils
  • Nutrients carried downriver, settling in estuaries
  • Can cause greater flooding downstream
  • Encourages building in floodplains
132
Q

What are Resovoirs?

A

Water help back by dam to control water for supply, electricity, flood creation and recreation

  • can cause great floods
  • fish must use ladder to get back up to optimal point
133
Q

What are Aqueducts?

A

Ditches that carry water from one location to another

  • can cause rivers to dry up

Aral Sea lost 60% of its size and formed two smaller lakes creating hotter summers and cooler winters

134
Q

What is Desalination?

A

Removing salt from seawater

  • Distillation: boiling water and capturing steam
  • Reverse Osmosis: water forced through semipermeable membranes that saltwater cant pass through, creates brine that can causes environmental problems)
135
Q

What is Non-Renewable Energy?

A

Used once and cannot be replaced

*Includes:

  • Fossil fuels (coal, petroleum), nuclear energy, and natural gas
136
Q

What is a Joule?

A

Basic unit of energy

  • Total world consumption is 500EJ per year
137
Q

What is Energy Efficiency?

A

Some energy forms better suited for certain jobs

*EROEI - energy return on energy invested

138
Q

What is Electricity?

A

*Secondary source of energy

Produced from coal, oil, and natural gas

139
Q

What is Coal Energy? What are the Pros/Cons/Byproducts?

A

*Most common electricity source

Made from remains of trees, ferns, and plants from 280 to 360 million years ago

Generation:

Steam energy turns blade of turbine

  • Combined cycle: uses natural gas along with coal (gas combustion turns 2 turbines which turn generators)

*35% efficient

Pros: reliable, large global reserves, inexpensive

Cons: CO2 pollution, dangerous for miners, destroys natural habitats, not very efficient

Byproduct: ash, pollution

140
Q

2 Types of Mining?

A

Surface Mining - safe and cheap

Subsurface Mining - higher cost and health concerns

141
Q

What is Petroleum Energy? How is it Produced? What are some Pros/Cons/Byproducts?

A

*Used for mobile combustion engines

Formed from remains of phytoplankton 50 to 100 million years ago. Common in areas where wedged between porous and nonporous rock

Pros: Relatively dense and cleaner than coal (85% emissions), good for combustion engines

Cons: CO2 pollution, can cause spills

Byproduct: pollution, oil spills

142
Q

What is Crude Oil?

A

Oil can be refined by heating into:

Tar, asphalt, lubricating oils, heating oils, etc.

*Heat determines state of oil

143
Q

What is Natural Gas? How is it Produced? What are some Pros/Cons/Byproducts?

A

Fossil energy source found beneath Earth’s surface.

Generated by hydraulic fracking

  • 80 to 95% methane
  • Used for electricity and industry

Pros: Has fewer impurities than coal

Cons: 25x as potent as greenhouse gas, can cause explosions

Byproduct: heavy pollution, explosions

144
Q

What is Nuclear Energy? How is it Produced? What are its Pros/Cons/Byproducts?

A

Energy captured from nuclear reactions

Uses heat from nuclear fission (neutrons strike each other) to turn steam turbines. Control rods absorb extra neutrons in the form of plutonium preventing meltdown

Pros: no CO2 Released, highly efficient, good for countries independent from oil, cost effective

Cons: can cause meltdowns, creates radioactive waste, uranium mining is dangerous

Byproduct: nuclear waste, some pollution during mining process

145
Q

Difference Between Modern Carbon vs. Fossil Carbon?

A

Modern carbon - comes from biomass/biofuels like corn or trees that have been created from the suns photosynthesis recently

Carbon Neutral

Fossil Carbon - carbon in fossil fuels created long ago

*Releases CO2

146
Q

What is Energy Conservation and Ways it can be Reduced?

A

Conserving our energy is the #1 to reduce impact

Governments - Increase tax on energy use by implementing tiered rate system (low rate for low use, high rate for high use, credits for less energy)

Sustainable Design - Natural lighting, thermal inertia, green roof, recycled materials

147
Q

What Biomass (energy)? Provide The Examples

A

Derived from nature (wood, charcoal, manure, plant remains)

Wood - Used by 3 billion people for heating and cooling. Can use more timber than what naturally grows back

Charcoal - Made from “half burned” wood. Lighter and contains 2x as much energy as wood and produces less smoke

Dried Animal Manure - Used where wood is low, releases pollutants

Ethanol (Liquid Biomass) - Starches and sugars converted to alcohol and CO2. US 90% comes from corn. Can be mixed with gasoline to make “gasohol.” Some areas have E-85 Ethanol. Less energy than gasoline

Biodiesel: Usually B-20 (20% biomass). Comes from mostly soy beans

148
Q

What is Geothermal Energy and how is it Produced?

A

*Uses heat from radioactive decay of underground elements

*Circulates cool liquid underground to be heated

Can be used for electricity, heating water to steam

Ground source Heat Pump - Uses ground’s retainment of sun’s energy

149
Q

What is Hydroelectricity? How is it Captured? (examples too) What are its Pros/Cons?

A

(2nd most common renewable in US)

*Generated by energy of moving water

Examples:

Run of River - Common, retained by small dam and usually low electricity produced

Water Impoundment - Storing large amounts of water in reservoir behind dam

Tidal Energy - Attempts to obtain energy from tide shift. Not very efficient

Pros:

  • Does not create air pollution
  • Cheaper than natural gas/nuclear
  • Controls floods

Cons:

  • River must be help back
  • People possibly forced to relocate
  • Loss of organisms
  • More disease abundant in impound waters
  • Reservoir slowly fills with sediment
150
Q

What is Solar Energy? How is it Captured? (examples too) What are its Pros/Cons?

A

*Capturing energy from sun

Examples:

Passive Solar Energy - Natural heating, cooking eggs on floor

Active Solar Energy - Capturing sun’s energy and using it different ways

Photovoltaic Systems - Low voltage electricity generated by capturing 12-20% of heat

Concentrating Solar Power Plants - Best in deserts, use lens to concentrate sunlight to produce steam-powered turbine

Pros:

  • No pollution or CO2
  • May be cheap

Cons:

  • May be expensive
  • Hard to install
  • May require batteries
151
Q

What is Wind Energy? How is it Captured? (examples too) What are its Pros/Cons?

A

*Result of energy produced by unequal Earth heating

*High EROEI

(US is largest producer)

Examples: Modern (350 ft tall, can supply 400 homes), Offshore (even larger)

Pros:

  • No pollution
  • Can share land

Cons:

  • Needs batteries
  • Produces noise
  • 40,000 birds killed each year
152
Q

What is Wind Energy? How is it Captured? What are its Pros/Cons?

A

*Electricity generated by reacting hydrogen and water

Protons forced through a membraned while electrons move in different direction generating electric current

*Car can be hydrogen fueled

Pros:

  • 80% efficient
  • Byproduct is water

Cons:

  • Requires energy to produce
  • Hydrogen can explode
153
Q

What are Pathogens and its Types?

A

Disease causing organisms

  1. Viruses
  2. Bacteria
  3. Protozoans
  4. Parasitic worms/flukes (1/3 of world infected w/ worm)
154
Q

What are Emergent Diseases?

A

*Not previously known/absent

ex: SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome)

  • Virulent corona viruses jumping from animals to humans
155
Q

How does Health Care Impact Disease?

A

*90% of diseases occur in developing nations where 10% of health care is spent

*2% of people with AIDS have access to modern medicine

156
Q

How Can Chemical Resistance Impact Disease?

A

*Natural Selection allows organisms to evolve quickly

Malaria was nearly wiped out, but protozoans became resistant to antibiotics

Mosquitos are now resistant to insecticides

Feedlots can use a lot of antibiotics and hormones

157
Q

What is Toxicology?

A

*The study of toxins (poisons) and their effect on living systems

158
Q

What are the 5 Classifications of Toxicology?

A
  1. Neurotoxins - Attack nerves
  • Heavy metals (lead, mercury) can kill nerve cells permanently
  • Anesthetics (chloroform) disrupt functions
  1. Mutagens - Chemicals/radiation that damages DNA
  • Can cause birth defects, tumors, changes in reproduction
  1. Teratogens - Chemicals that disrupt embryonic development
  • ex: fetal alcohol syndrome can cause facial abnormalities, developmental decays, behavioral and mental deficits
  1. Carcinogens - Substances that cause cancer (out of control cell-division)
  • 2nd leading killer in US
  • 50% of men and 30% of women get cancer in their lifetimes
  1. Endocrine Hormone Disruptors (EDCs)
  • Chemicals that disrupt hormone/gland function
  • DDT and PCB interfere with growth
  • Environmental estrogen/androgen can cause heath problems
159
Q

What are the Ways to Measure Toxicology?

A
  1. Animal Testing (mice, rats, primates)
  2. Computer Simulations
  3. Cell Cultures
  4. LD50 - Lethal dose for 50% of tested group

Environmental Science Exam (6 decks)

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