Sustainability Flashcards
Sustainability
The conservation of balance in the worlds ecology indefinitely
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
3 pillars of sustainability
Environmental , economic, social
Population growth and sustainability
Increases demand for water, food, land for houses, and consumption of natural resources
Fuel
Any substance that burns in oxygen to produce heat
Fossil fuel
Fuels that were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago
Hydrocarbons
Compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon only . What fossil fuels are made of.
Chemical formula of burning fossil fuel
Methane + oxygen —-> carbon dioxide + water
CH4 +2O2 —-> CO2 +2H2O
Greenhouse effect is
The natural trapping of the Sun’s energy by the atmosphere with the help of greenhouse gases like co2
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Increasing concentrations of co2 causing the earth to get warmer
Global warming
The extra warming that results from the enhanced greenhouse effect
Biofuels
Fuels made from plants eg rapeseed oil
Examples of raw materials
Crude oil, timber(wood)
Fractional distillation
The crude oil is heated and various fractions are separated from it by distillation
Products of crude oil
Petroleum, diesel, central heating oil
Pollution
The addition of harmful substances to the environment in quantities greater than can be dealt with efficiently by the environment itself
Examples of pollutants
Sewage, excessive fertilizers, toxic substances
Reasons to recycle plastic
Save crude oil
- keep plastic cheap
- keep cost of waste disposal cheap
- reduce litter (plastics are non-biodegradable)
Plastic types
PET -poly
HDPE- high density poly
LDPE- low density poly
