Test #3

Question 1

Global climate

Answer 1

the long-term trends in weather conditions for the planet

Question 2

instrumental period

Answer 2

began in 1860, the first year for recorded surface air
temperatures measured by instruments such as thermometers

Question 3

Proxies

Answer 3

observable and measurable phenomena that indirectly indicate climate change

Question 4

paleoclimates

Answer 4

proxies are used to understand them

Question 5

Greenhouse effect

Answer 5

any system where a barrier causes the inflow of
energy to outpace the outflow of energy, leading to a warming of the
interior. Specifically, this refers to the warming effect on Earth due to
atmospheric greenhouse gases that prevent radiant heat emitted from the
surface from escaping into space

Question 6

Albedo

Answer 6

a term to describe the reflectivity of a surface

Question 7

Greenhouse gases

Answer 7

atmospheric gases such as water vapor, carbon
dioxide, and other gases that absorb infrared radiation (a form of heat) that rises
from Earth’s surface

Question 8

Milankovitch Cycles

Answer 8

systematic patterns in the shape of Earth’s orbit, and
the tilt and direction of Earth’s rotational axis over 26,000–100,000-year cycles

Question 9

Droughts

Answer 9

caused by increased evaporation from warming, are increasing in
frequency, duration, and intensity

Question 10

Thermal expansion

Answer 10

causes warmer water to expand, contributing 40% to sealevel rise since 1980.

Question 11

Ocean acidification

Answer 11

happening because the oceans absorb 25% of human caused CO2 emissions

Question 12

tipping points

Answer 12

occur when sudden changes have a rapid and significant effect on global climate

Question 13

Hydrocarbons

Answer 13

such as oil and natural gas are made of strands of hydrogen and carbon
molecules derived from the photosynthesis of ancient microscopic organisms in oceans
and lakes.

Question 14

Conventional reserves

Answer 14

easily obtained oil or gas deposits

Question 15

Unconventional reserves

Answer 15

deposits that are more difficult to extract

Question 16

biofuels

Answer 16

which are derived from living things, for warmth, light, and
cooking

Question 17

proven reserves

Answer 17

the amount of a
resource that can be profitably accessed with current technology and prices

Question 18

Jevons paradox

Answer 18

affects gains in efficiency. Increased efficiency leads to lower
costs, which leads to new applications for the energy, thereby increasing
consumption

Question 19

hydraulic
fracturing (fracking)

Answer 19

Prepared by Horizontal drilling which can access more oil and prepares the rock

Question 20

Tar sands

Answer 20

type of loose-grained rock deposit that contains oil, which is released
through the application of steam and direct heat.

Question 21

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels

Answer 21

use sunlight to directly produce electricity They can
be used at many scales, from phones to hundreds of acres on a solar farm

Question 22

Concentrated solar thermal (CST) plants

Answer 22

use huge mirrors to focus sunlight toward
liquid-filled pipes or a power tower that holds liquid. The heated liquid turns water to
steam, which turns generators to produce electricity

Question 23

Ethanol

Answer 23

is an alcohol produced by fermenting sugars (those in corn and sugarcane)
which is blended with gasoline

Question 24

Cogeneration

Answer 24

systems capture waste heat from
power plants and use it as an additional source of heating or cooling

Question 25

municipal solid waste (MSW)

Answer 25

waste from households and businesses

Question 26

life-cycle assessment

Answer 26

accounts for all the environmental impacts of all the steps involved in making and disposing of a product in a “cradle-to-grave” approach

Question 27

Basel Convention

Answer 27

signed in 1989 by 121 countries to restrict transboundary movement of household and hazardous wastes from developed to developing countries. The United States has not ratified this agreement

Question 28

Combustion

Answer 28

involves burning waste, which reduces its volume and provides heat but causes serious fires and air pollution

Question 29

Incineration

Answer 29

uses controlled combustion with pollution controls in place. Waste volume is reduced 80-90%

Question 30

Geologic disposal

Answer 30

injects or places waste in rock and other formations beneath Earth’s surface

Question 31

Containment buildings

Answer 31

store hazardous waste in secured concrete structures with air-lock doors, liquid collection drains, and negative air pressure and dust-control systems. They allow constant monitoring and retrieval of waste.

Question 32

Waste-to-energy facilities

Answer 32

use incineration to generate heat, which turns water into steam to heat buildings or turn a turbine to produce electricity. Landfills filter out the methane from landfill gases and burn it to produce steam or convert it into vehicle fuel

Question 33

Primary (closed-loop) recycling

Answer 33

involves materials being processed into the same sort of product from which they came

Question 34

Secondary (open-loop) recycling

Answer 34

converts materials into different products

Question 35

recycling rate

Answer 35

describes the percentage of MSW that is recycled

Question 36

Conspicuous consumption

Answer 36

designed to be seen and to project particular identities in society

Question 37

Producer responsibility laws

Answer 37

e-waste require that manufacturers of products and packaging take responsibility for collection, recycling, reuse, or disposal