ENR FINAL
eutrophication
A process in which excess nutrients in aquatic ecosystems feed biological productivity, ultimately lowering the oxygen content in the water.
How much do we consume each year?
Animals killed each year for food 52 billion chickens 2.6 billion ducks 1.3 billion pigs 1.1 billion rabbits 633 million turkeys 518 million sheep 398 million goats 293 million cows 24 million water buffalo 1.7 camels
Density dependent factors
Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is dependent on the number of individuals in the population. For example, disease will have a greater effect in limiting the growth of a large population, since overcrowding facilitates its spread.
Forestry Runoff
Anytime you cut down trees. 1. Use proper logging and erosion control practices on your forest lands by ensuring proper construction, maintenance, and closure of logging roads and skid trails. 2. Report questionable logging practices to state and federal forestry and state water quality agencies.
How does an electric generator work
Converts mechanical energy into electrical energy usually by electromagnetic induction.
Coriolis Effect, global wind patterns, polar easterlies, westerlies, trade winds
Coriolis effect is the rotation of the earth on its axis causes winds and surface waters to move in a certain direction in the Northern Hemisphere and a different direction in the southern hemisphere. It causes a formation of these prevailing winds: Polar easterly's, westerlies, & trade winds. This is what controls the migration of air pollution all over the globe. polar easterly's 90 to 60 westerlies 60 to 30's Tradewinds 30 to 0 these patterns are going to set up the migration of the different pollutants from one source to another spot on the other side of the globe
Lead (Pb), particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3).
Primary air pollutants
What is primary productivity?
Primary productivity is the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances. The total amount of productivity in a region or system is gross primary productivity. Ecological controls on primary productivity - 1. light availability 2. carbon dioxide 3. air temperature 4. water and nutrients 5. topography 6. herbivore consumption 7. anthropogenic disturbances slide 50
What are some factors that affect population dynamics in Yellowstone National Park?
Response is often based on access to food, water, nesting sites,and predation
Human Population Density
Population density measures people occupying a certain land area.
Understand the graph that shows number of bacteria versus time. 1. Doubling time 2. 2n
Population of bacteria = 2n n = the number of times the bacteria have doubled in size, occurs every 30 minutes In 24 hours the bacteria would double 48 times (n = 48) Therefore, the population of bacteria after 24 hours of growth is: 2^48 = 281,474,976,710,656
Carrying capacity
Population size that an area can support indefinitely.
Where is Mt St Helens, what is the ecosystem, major tree species, major animal species, some major flower species?
WA ......
How does sewage treatment work in Arcata, California?
1. screen out large debris 2. flow into the ponds 3. microorganisms and plants remove nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and fecal bacteria like E. Coli 4. enhancement marshes 5. water discharged into humbolt bay is safe and enhances quality of lake (basically more natural less chemical process)
What are some of the chemicals in our drinking water that wastewater treatment facilities do NOT remove from our drinking water?
herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and many pollutants Phosphorus and nitrogen (in some plants) Not removing pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals
What types of meat do most humans eat?
humans rely on nine domestic animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry, mules, goats, camels, buffalo) The majority of it is in: pork: 102,000,000 tons (41% meat consumed), China is the largest producer of pork poultry: 79,000,000 tons, the United States produces and consumes the most poultry beef: 66,000,000 tons, Brazil is the largest producer and second largest consumer (after the United States)
food webs
a linkage of all the food chains together that shows the many connections in the community
How big is the universe?
about 46 billion light years
Economic water scarcity
access to water is limited by the ability to pay for it, not by its physical scarcity
Which biome has abundant biodiversity, with warm temperatures and a great deal of rain? 1 tundra 2 savanna 3 temperate forest 4 boreal forest 5 tropical rainforest
answer: 5 tropical rainforest
High pressure systems
dry air and desert like areas.
Understand the graph showing population size versus time, carrying capacity, J-curve and S-curve growth
put what slide this is from the lecture slide 25 ,26, 27
Pyramid of biomass and energy flow
pyramid of biomass - the amount of dry matter found at each tropic level (e.g., kilograms / m2). The relative biomass of consumers reflects their numbers. Only about 0.1% of sun's energy is passed to the bear. primary producers - autotrophs (self-nourishing organisms). Photosynthetic cyanobacteria, plants, algae. As well as chemosynthetic organisms (e.g., sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) that oxidize reduced inorganic compounds to obtain energy only 10% is used and 90% is lost as heat as it goes up the chain.
Precipitation
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
Temperate Grassland
temperate grasslands are those with hot summers, cold winters and uncertain rainfall (23-75 cm); most occur in the US; tall grass prairies and short grass prairies; provide ideal growing conditions for crops (such as corn and wheat) 1. Cold winters and hot summers - large annual temperature difference. 2. Vegetation is grasses, trees grow sparsely except near rivers and streams. 3. Great Plains of USA. 4. Periodic wildfires help maintain grasses as dominant vegetation. 5. Soil has high of organic matter from all the decomposing grass. 6. Annual precipitation ranges from 25 - 75 cm.
Acid rain
"Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-‐made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 67% of all SO2 and 25% of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these compounds across state and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of miles. •Acid rain is measured using a scale called "pH." The lower a substance's pH, the more acidic it is. • Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Human stomach acid has a pH of 1 to 2. Human blood has a pH of ~7.4. • However, normal rain is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid giving the resulting mixture a pH of approximately 5.6 at typical atmospheric concentrations of CO2. • As of 2000, the most acidic rain falling in the U.S. has a pH of about 4.3.
Agriculture runoff
#1 culprit for nonpoint source pollution in the United States. 1. Manage animal waste to minimize contamination of surface water and ground water. 2. Protect drinking water by using less pesticides and fertilizers. 3. Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable best management practices. 4. Use planned grazing systems on pasture and rangeland. 5. Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinse in an approved manner.
How much water is used to grow the plants we use for food and clothes?
(Diet, Clothing) -It takes approximately 1,000 gallons/day to produce average American's diet -1 cup of coffee = 55 gallons of water to make -A vegan (person who doesn't eat meat or dairy) consumes 600 gallons/day less than average American -1 Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger = 650 gallons of water to make -1 sheet of paper = 2.5 gallons of water to make -1 t-shirt = 700 gallons of water to make -1 chocolate bar = 300 gallons of water to make
How much water do you use each day at home?
(Household) -In 1994 federally-mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets and toilets started to be used in significant numbers -25 gallons for 10-minute shower -70 gallons to fill a bathtub -3.5 gallons/flush for standard toilet or approximately 20 gallons/day -20 gallons/load front loading washers -40 gallons/load top loading washers -4 gallons/load Energy Star dishwasher -Average pool = 20,000 gallons water -Recycling 1 newspaper saves 3.5 gallons of water -1 gallon of gasoline takes 15 gallons of water to produce
Boreal Forest
(taiga) region of coniferous forest just south of the tundra, stretching across North America and Eurasia in the Northern Hemisphere; receives little precipitation (50 cm); spruce, fir, pines; wolves, bears, moose, caribou, abundant bird species in summer - not well suited to agriculture: nutrient poor soil, short growing season; yields lumber (world's primary source of industrial wood), pulpwood, animal furs; extensive logging of certain boreal forests has occurred, as well as drilling for gas and oil 1. Just south of tundra, cold to cool temperatures. 2. Southern hemisphere has no boreal forest. 3. Northern coniferous forest across North American and Eurasia. 4. Acidic, mineral poor soils, permafrost deep under soil. 5. Little precipitation.
Where do sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollutants come from what problems do they cause?
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2): colorless, nonflammable gas that is a primary pollutant - form when fuel containing sulfur is burned (ex. coal and oil), when gasoline is extracted from oil, or when metals are extracted from ore - sulfur is prevalent in crude oil, coal, and ore that contains common metals like aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, and iron - concern: contributes to respiratory illness (ex. asthma), contributes to formation of acid rain (damages trees, crops, buildings, makes soil/lakes/streams acidic) - can be transported over long distances in air and deposited far from point of origin need nitric acid info---
Things that will determine a biome...
- angle of the sun as it strikes the earth - ocean currents -relative placement of the land masses next to large bodies of water -semi permanent low and high pressure systems -air masses -winds -storms -jet streams -altitudes -mountains
What are some environmental challenges that we are facing on the planet today?
- energy production & climate change - food production - air pollution - water quantity & quality - ecosystem conservation & preservation - mining for coal, oil, natural gas, & minerals - hazardous waste - human population growth - loss of habitat & biodiversity - urbanization & transportation - environmental inequality & injustice
How do catalytic converters work in cars? What pollutants do they target?
- in order to reduce emissions, modern car engines control amount of fuel they burn - try to keep air-to-fuel ratio very close to the stoichiometric point (ideal ratio) - catalytic converter= reduction catalyst--> uses platinum and rhodium to help reduce the NOx emissions -oxidation catalyst (stage 2) reduces the unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide by burning (oxidizing) them over a platinum and palladium catalyst good example of advances in technology to reduce the amount of air pollution are in catalytic converters that control the emissions of different gases in the exhaust via exhaust of automobiles in the United States this is a catalytic converter here if you were to cut it in half they really have a honeycomb design where you're exposing the air to a high surface area in this honeycomb the material then it's the catalytic converters are made out of our precious metals such as platinum rhodium palladium these act as catalysts and they catalyze these reactions that are shown here whenever you have a no gas passing over these precious metals it converts it to harmless nitrogen and to what 80% of our atmosphere is nitrogen and oxygen again which 20% of our atmosphere and these two gases are no longer harmful to us nitrogen dioxide again as it passes over these metals in the catalytic converter is converted to these harmless gases carbon monoxide as it's passed over these catalytic converters again is converted to carbon dioxide which again is a gas in the atmosphere that's not toxic to humans and so it's a much less toxic than carbon monoxide the catalytic converters are located in the exhaust system so here's your motor this is where you have the combustion going on and then the exhaust comes out passes through the catalytic converter the catalytic converters remove large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide and then the remaining amount passes out the exhaust the exhaust still does have these pollutants in it but much less quantities than without these catalytic converters
What are some indoor pollutants that you are exposed to each day?
- particulates and gases from fireplaces - chlorine released chloroform during a shower, mildew grows here - mold - pollen - dust mites -paint releases VOCs when drying - particulates from cooking -animal hair and dander -radon and chemicals in soil and seep through the foundation in a basement -chemicals released from furniture and building materials
different types of coal
- peat-not even coal yet, youngest, used as energy in parts of world like Ireland peat bogs - lignite-young coal, soft brown, low energy content 13million BTU/ ton used in countries like poland - sub-bituminous -common in usa, energy content of 18mil BTU/ton, younger coal used in coal fired power plants - Bituminous-most widespread in usa dates back to 300,000,000 years ago, high energy, 24 mil BTU/ton, used in coal fired power plants - anthracite-hardest coal found mostly in Pennsylvania, supplies of anthracite have been exhausted, 23 million BTU/ton high sulfur content, 90% carbon content
Where do greenhouse gases come from?
- power stations -industrial processes - transportation fuels -agricultural bioproducts - fossil fuels - land use and biomass burning - waste disposal and treatment
What are some of the problems associated with acid rain and acidified soils and waters?
- sulfur and nitrogen emissions react with oxygen and water to form acid rain and snow; acidifies the soil, setting off another sequence of unfortunate events - travels through air - acid deposition can acidify lakes, harming aquatic life
What is a greenhouse gas? How does the Greenhouse Effect work? What are the different types of greenhouse gases?
-need definition still -gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect. -the warming of the planet that results when heat is trapped by Earth's atmosphere
How does an electrostatic precipitator work?
-technology to control NOx and SOx pollution--> -imparts a negative charge to the particulates in the dirty gas - these negatively-charged particles are attracted to the positively charged precipitator wall and fall off into a collector. prevent the release of pollutants into the atmosphere a good example of this would be an alleged electrostatic precipitator which is shown here in this figure here the precipitator is turned off and you can see this pollutants that are coming out of these three smokestacks here the electrostatic precipitator is turned on so that when you have charged particles they would be attracted to the walls of the smokestacks and they would precipitate down due to gravity and instead of going out into the atmosphere they'd be collected at the bottom of the stack and as a result of these pollution control mechanisms you have much less pollution released into the atmosphere
What types of pollution affects different countries around the world?
-vehicle exhausts - industry emissions - coal-fired power plants - indoor burning of solid fuels (charcoal, wood, animal waste) - natural sources ( sandstorm, volcanic eruption, etc.)
How much water does it take to grow the food you eat each day? How much water does it take to grow 1-pound of beef or chicken or pork or other types of fruits and vegetables?
1 quarter pound beef = 650 gallons
Where is Earth's freshwater located (e.g., glaciers, groundwater, surface water)
1,338,000,000 km^3 of water total on earth. 33,450,000 km^3 of water is freshwater. 93,000 km^3 is what we as humans actually have access to. surface water = such as lakes, rivers glaciers, wetlands. ground water= soil moisture, aquifers, permafrost 2.5% of Earth's surface water is fresh. - 60% is trapped in glaciers - 10% in surface waters - 30% in groundwater
Laws and major events
1. 1785 General Land Ordinance by Thomas Jefferson 2. 1862 Homestead Act signed by Abraham Lincoln 160 acre grant to citizens .... more info on slide 28
Describe the process by which scientists discovered causes of ozone depletion. Are there still unknowns that exist?
1. 1957 - Beginning of data collection with on‐the‐ground instruments designed to extend the researchers' senses and measure atmospheric composition. First indications of lower than normal ozone levels used to make inferences about possible causes. 2. 1970s - Discovered that the ozone layer had thinned about 33% during the Antarctic spring Observations from two sites over more than a dozen seasons. 3. Also connected studies to data showing increases in CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), which produce atmospheric chlorine (Cl) 4. Inference that ozone depletion in the Antarctic was connected to the increased presence of chlorine compounds produced by CFCs
Desired fertility and actual fertility
1. Desired fertility - desired number of children per family, average 2. Total fertility rate - average number or children per family actual fertility closely tracks desired fertility based off of factors like what the society you are in thinks
Doubling time and Rule of 70
1. Doubling Times - number of years it will take a population to double, assuming the current growth rates remain constant 2. Rule of 70: a means of calculating doubling times, 70 divided by the current annual growth rate. population doubling time = 70 ÷ annual rate of growth This rule applies to things at exponential growth (e.g., human population growth) The faster the growth rate, the more quickly a population will double slide 26 from lecture
Infant mortality rate and total fertility rate
1. Infant mortality rate - the number of infants who die in their first year of life per every thousand live births in that year. 2. total fertility rate (TFR) - the number of children the average woman has in her lifetime.
What are the different parts of electromagnetic radiation?
1. Radio waves 2. Microwaves 3. Infrared 4. Visible light 5. Ultraviolet 6. X rays 7. Gamma rays for details on all of these go to: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/electromagnetic-spectrum.html slide 43?
What are the obstacles to sustainable practices?
1. Lack of education: trade-offs between short-term gain and long-term costs. 2. Wealth inequality: 20% of world' s population controls 80% of Earth' s resources.
Know the three zones of a freshwater lake, littoral, limnetic and profundal and their characteristics.
1. Littoral zone - shallow water near shore, where sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthesis. 2. Limnetic zone - open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthesis. 3. Profundal zone - deep water where sunlight does not penetrate; bacteria and decomposers.
Nomadic versus agriculture lifestyle
1. Nomadic lifestyle - As the last ice age came to an end 15,000 years ago, change in global climate, change in global vegetation, many animals face extinction (woolly mammoth, giant elk). 2. agriculture lifestyle - Then about 10,000 to 8,000 years ago, humans changed from nomadic lifestyle to agricultural lifestyle, which allows for large families - Agricultural Revolution = population growth
What are some of the differences between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission?
1. Nuclear Fusion - in the core of stars like the Sun 2. Nuclear Fission - Man-made energy
Prevailing winds
1. Polar easterlies 2. Westerlies 3. Trade winds
Producers and consumers
1. Producers - primary producers - autotrophs (self-nourishing organisms). Photosynthetic cyanobacteria, plants, algae. As well as chemosynthetic organisms (e.g., sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) that oxidize reduced inorganic compounds to obtain energy. 2. consumers - an organism that eats other organisms to gain energy and nutrients; includes animals, fungi, and most bacteria
Steps of the Scientific Method
1. Recognize a question or unexplained occurrence 2. Develop a hypothesis to explain the occurrence 3. Design and perform experiments to test hypothesis 4. Analyze and interpret data to reach conclusion 5. Share knowledge with scientific community and public
Are there sustainable practices to combat these environmental problems?
1. Rely on renewable energy = using sustainable energy sources 2. Use matter sustainably = using matter conservatively and sustainably 3. Have population control = getting human population growth under control 4. Depend on local biodiversity to meet the first three requirements
Carson's 3 specific concerns:
1. Some chemicals have large effects in small doses. 2. Certain stages of human development are especially vulnerable to effects. 3. Mixtures of different chemicals can have unexpected impacts.
Sulfur Oxides
1. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless, nonflammable gas with a strong irritating odor, it is a primary pollutant. Contributes to respiratory illness, particularly in children, elderly (e.g., asthma or people with heart or lung disease) 2. Sulfur trioxide (SO3) is a secondary pollutant that forms when SO2 reacts with oxygen in air. Contributes to formation of acid rain a) Damages trees, crops, historic buildings, monuments b) Makes soils, lakes, and streams acidic 3. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a secondary pollutant that forms when SO3 reacts with water in air. This creates what is known as acid rain. Can be transported over long distances in air and deposited far from point of origin. • SOx gases form when fuel containing sulfur is burned (i.e., coal and oil), when gasoline is extracted from oil, or when metals are extracted from ore (type of rock that contains minerals) • Sulfur is prevalent in crude oil, coal, and ore that contains common metals like aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, and iron Sources- Electricity generation fossil fule etc look at slide 44 The U.S. EPA is implementing a program to reduce releases of SO2 and other pollutants from coal-‐fired power plants. The first phase began in 1995 for SO2 and targets the largest and highest emitting power plants. The second phase (started in 2000) sets tighter restrictions on smaller coal-‐, gas-‐, and oil-‐fired plants. This program will reduce annual SO2 emissions by 10 million tons (almost half the 1980 level) between 1980 and 2010.
Determining toxicity, epidemiology and toxicology.
1. Toxicity can be affected by HOST factors like age, genetics, other healthy problems. 2. look at flashcard 14 3. look at flashcard 15
Social Traps
1. Tragedy of the Commons 2. Time Delay 3. Sliding Reinforcer
Who was Lucy and Ardi, when did they live, where did they live, what was the ecosystem like?
1. WHO & WHEN: Lucy is 3.2 million year old fossil that could walk on two legs and Ardi is a 4.4 million year old fossil that could walk on two legs and climb trees. Both were discovered in Africa and provide a great deal of insight into human evolution on Earth. Lucy is approximately 1 million years older than Ardi. 2. WHAT: ardi lived in a woodland ecosystem. lucy lived in a ?
Water soluble versus fat soluble
1. Water soluble: -Often safer for humans: excrete in urine -Still potential toxic at high doses or continual low dose -High impact on aquatic organisms: easy uptake and excreted in sewer 2. Fat-soluble: -Cross cell membrane in humans and hard to eliminate -Some break down by liver -Storage and accumulation in fatty tissue
Additive, antagonistic and synergistic effects of a toxin
1. addictive effects - exposure to two or more chemicals has an effect equivalent to the sum of their individual effects. 2. antagonistic effects - exposure to two or more chemicals has a lesser effect than the sum of their individual effects would predict 3. synergistic effects - exposure t two or more chemicals has a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects would predict.
Know the 10 most populated countries on Earth
1. china 2. india 3. usa 4. indonesia 5. brazil 6. pakistan 7. nigeria 8. russia 9. Bangladesh 10. japan slide 8 from lecture for more info on them
What are the dependent and independent variables in a study? Also what are they In terms of the ozone depletion studies?
1. dependent variable - The variable in an experiment that is evaluated to see if it changes due to the conditions of the experiment. 2. independent variable - The variable in an experiment that the researcher manipulates or changes to see if it produces an effect dependent variable = the incidence of skin cancer independent variable = the amount of UV-B radiation
Conflicting world views
1. ecocentrism 2. biocentrism 3. anthropcentrism
Energy and nutrients, what are some differences between these two terms?
1. energy - Energy is the capacity or ability to do work. There is potential energy and kinetic energy. 2. nutrients - a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life. 3. difference of the two - The key is understanding the difference between the words cycle and flow. Energy cannot cycle. As it moves up each trophic level ( or up the food chain) large amounts are lost. Energy transfer is very inefficient. So it starts with the producers(plants) then the herbivores eat the plants and energy is lost as heat. Then the next group eat the herbivores and more is lost and so on.... By the time it reaches the top almost all is gone and the remainder will be lost again primarily as heat. Nutrients however cycle. This means that nutrients starting with the producers are consumed and transferred on up the trophic levels. and then when the top carnivores( the organisms at the top of the pyramid) create waste the nutrients are then put back into the earth and the process starts over again.
Age structure diagrams, know how to read them and understand what a diagram would look like for a developing country versus a developed country.
1. high population momentum - The population pyramid for Niger indicates the potential for rapid growth since the majority of the population is under age 30 2. smaller pre-reproductive and reproductive cohorts - China's population pyramid indicates a population growing more slowly with smaller pre-reproductive and reproductive cohorts. In both China and India (not shown), there is an obvious skew toward males. 3. stable population with a possibility of decreasing slowly - Japan has a population with a even distribution of age classes. This is an example of a stable population with a possibility of decreasing slowly as deaths start to outnumber births (slides 48-51)
Know the difference between in-vivo and in-vitro
1. in-vivo ("in the body")- research that studies the effects of an experiential treatment in intact organisms 2. in-vitro ("in glass") - research that studies the effects of experimental treatment cells in culture dishes rather than intact organisms
What are the two types of scientific studies?
1. observational study - Research that gathers data in a real-world setting without intentionally manipulating any variable. 2. experimental study - Research that manipulates a variable in a test group and compares the response to that of a control group that was not exposed to the same variable.
How are hypotheses generated and tested?
1. observations generate questions (q1, q2, q3, etc) 2. choose a question to investigate (q1) 3. consult literature 4. develop a hypotheses and make a testable prediction (h1, h2, h3, etc) 5. design and carry out experimental or observational study to collect data 6. analyze data 7. draw conclusions if the results support the hypotheses: publish results in a peer-reviewed journal —> test new predictions or hypotheses if the results do not support hypothesis: test alternative hypothesis
Know the differences between oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lake
1. oligotrophic lake - Oligo = little Trophic = nutrient Low phosphorus Low nitrogen Cold deep water High dissolved oxygen Crater Lake, Oregon 2. mesotrophic lake - Meso = middle Trophic = nutrient in-between the two with some algae in the late summer. 3. eutrophic lake - Meso = middle Trophic = nutrient High phosphorus High nitrogen Warm shallow water Holds less oxygen Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio
What's the difference between a producer, consumer, and decomposer?
1. producer - photosynthesis (plants) 2. consumer - eats the plants (animals) 3. decomposer - eats the animals (fungi/bacteria)
Greenhouse Effect
1. solar radiation passes through atmosphere 2. Net income solar radiation 3. Some radiation is reflected off earth 4. solar energy absorbed by earth's surface and warms it 168 watt/m2; long wave/infared radiation 5. some of infared is absorbed and re-emitted by green house gas molecules. direct effect= warming 6. some of infrared radiation passes through atmosphere into space
How much livestock waste is generated each year to grow the meat we eat?
1.5 billions tons of manure produced each year
Today, why is agriculture pollution largely regarded as public enemy #1 in the USA?
1.5 billions tons of manure produced each year?
If you don't have 100% energy transfer, what % do you have?
10% is used 90% goes away as heat
What dissolved oxygen concentrations do fish prefer to live in?
10? Fish die when water contains less than 4 mg dissolved oxygen / liter of H 2O 3.0 ppm too low for fish populations 3.0-5.0 ppm 12-24 hr range of tolerance/stressful conditions 6.0ppm supports spawning >7.0 supports growth/activity >9.0 ppm supports abundant fish populations
What is your global water footprint?
1513?
How has the natural world changed over time?
1850 - expansion 1900 - resource management 1950 - pollution concerns 2000 - international efforts (slide 28)
When did Mt St Helens erupt, will it erupt again, what happened to the ecosystem after the eruption, what is it like today?
1980. yes it was destroyed, but slowly came back to life good
What do the 1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics describe?
1st law - energy cannot be created or destroyed it can only be converted from one form to another 2nd law - when energy is transferred or transformed part of that energy ends up as heart, which cannot be used by living organisms entropy increases over time.
What does the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics say about energy transfer on Earth from one tropic level to next?
2nd law - when energy is transferred or transformed part of that energy ends up as heart, which cannot be used by living organisms entropy increases over time.
What is this energy used for?
5-15% (8-25 W) of this is used for photosynthesis processes
What percentage of the Sun's energy reaches the surface of Earth?
5-15% (8-25 W) of this is used for photosynthesis processes About 23 percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by water vapor, dust, and ozone, and 48 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. Thus, about 71 percent of the total incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system.
What type of animals do humans consume, how much of each?
52 billion chickens 2.6 billion ducks 1.3 billion pigs 1.1 rabbits 633 million turkeys 518 million sheep 398 million goats 293 million cows 24 million water buffalo 1.7 million camels
How far is Earth from the Sun?
93 million miles
How is Seattle, Washington trying to protect its freshwater resources and the Puget Sound?
?
Know about the Duwamish River and South Park sites in Washington, USA.
?
What harmful affects are researchers working to combat?
? -Damage to cells and biological molecules like DNA -Increased risk of cataracts -Increased risk of skin damage -Increased risk of cancer
Do people have different footprints and what causes this?
? America and China have bigger footprints than somewhere like Africa due to industrialization levels in each country.
How does one's ecological footprint affect the potential carrying capacity of their geographic location and the entire planet?
? If you go over the amount of resources in your area then it effects everywhere because you are depleting the world of it's resources and soon won't have enough to sustain life.
Why are alternative hypotheses important in research?
? In statistical hypothesis testing, the alternative hypothesis (or maintained hypothesis or research hypothesis) and the null hypothesis are the two rival hypotheses which are compared by a statistical hypothesis test.
How do these determine an individual's environmental ethic?
? It will effect the way that they value different things in life.
How is carbon dioxide and methane linked to global climate change?
??
Population ecology
A branch of biology that deals with the number of individuals of a particular species found in an area and how and why those numbers increase or decrease over time.
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living and interacting in the same region.
Know about hypoxia.
A situation in which the level of oxygen in the water is inadequate to support life.
Hunter-gathers
About 15,000 to 10,000 years ago the world population is estimated to have stabilized at 5,000,000 people who were hunter-gathers
Do all humans have access to clean safe freshwater?
About a billion people currently do not have access to appropriate sanitation or fresh water.
How can farms reduce the amount of runoff pollution by having different zones designated for different types of vegetation and uses?
Adjacent upland areas- crop area or other uses such as agriculture, residential, or even some industrial projects can be allowed but only with careful handing of toxic chemicals and fertilizer. Zone 3- surface runoff. light agricultural use (minimal chemical use): fast-growing grasses trap nutrients that might run off from farms or lawns. Zone 2- subsurface flow, managed forest; removal of some vegetation increases plant regrowth rates and maximizes nutrient uptake from the soil and subsurface flow. Stream- then it there is the water way.
What is aerobic respiration? Can you write this equation?
Aerobic means "with air". This type of respiration needs oxygen for it to occur so it is called aerobic respiration. Respiration is the process of releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose. Respiration takes place in every living cell, all of the time and all cells need to respire in order to produce the energy that they require. equation: Glucose + Oxygen = Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O + 2900 kJ/mol
best management practices
Agreed-upon (or EPA-regulated) actions that minimize pollution problems caused by industrial or land-use impacts.
pollution standards
Allowable levels of a pollutant that can be released over a certain time period; set by EPA.
Are most water resources in the USA safe for people today?
Although improvements in water quality are seen throughout the USA, the EPA's 2002 National Water Quality Inventory report indicated that 39% of nations' rivers, 45% of our lakes, and 51% of USA's estuaries are too polluted for swimming, fishing, or drinking.
ecocentrism
An ecocentric worldview values all living creatures and nonliving processes of an ecosystem. system centered: value is given to the importance of the ecosystem as a whole, including interactions such as those between wind and soil and between pieces (predators and their prey for instance), as well as natural processes (like the water cycle)
Agriculture revolution, what did it do for human population?
As food production increased populations increase, demands on the environment increase (human waste, soil degradation, natural resource demands) "Overlaying" and "foundling" (infanticide) were common practices of limiting family size It was a moment in time that food was able to be produced so much that the population was able to grow. Agricultural Revolution = population growth
Atmospheric circulation and heat exchange
At higher latitudes, patterns of movement are more complex - air cools and descends at 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres - warm air rises and moves toward the poles the earth incoming radiation which is going to be focused mainly between 23 and a half degrees north and 23 and a half degrees south depending on the time of year this is going to cause the winds to migrate in a very well-defined direction here between 30 degrees north and zero degrees you're going to have the trade winds deflecting to the right and the northern hemisphere the trade winds are going to deflect to the left and the southern hemisphere the westerlies are going to go from 30 degrees south to 60 degrees south again they're going to deflect the left in the southern hemisphere to the right in the northern hemisphere and finally at each Pole you're going to have these easterlies swerving to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left and the southern hemisphere
Know the different parts of a journal article such as author, affiliation, abstract, volume, page numbers, and corresponding author.
Authors, year of publication, article name, journal name, volume number, issue number: page numbers (for example, Lower, B.H. & Lower, S.K. (2012). Nature, 375 (1): 212-215).
Bisphenol A (BPA)
BPA is a synthetic chemical from the 1940s used to line metal food cans and in the production of plastic bottles, including baby bottles. Studies began showing an association between BPA and serious medical conditions.
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Bioaccumulation - Fat-soluble substances build up in tissues of an organism over time. Biomagnification - Higher on the food chain and able to consume the entire lifetime of toxins in their prey
Last slide of lecture of all the biomes
Biomes are specific types of terrestrial ecosystems with characteristic temperature and precipitation conditions. Temperature decreases when moving away from the equator and with increased elevation.
Biotic potential, exponential growth
Biotic potential - is the ability of a population of living species to increase under ideal environmental conditions - sufficient food supply, no predators, and a lack of disease. An organism's rate of reproduction and the size of each litter are the primary determining factors for biotic potential. exponential growth - growth whose rate becomes ever more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size. Growth rate, know how to calculate this: If I start with 100 deer living in Yellowstone and in one year the population of deer in Yellowstone grows to 120 deer, what is the growth rate? Answer is 20%
Where is Bristol Bay, what is the Pebble Mine and how will it affect the fishing industry, ecosystem, economy.
Bristol Bay, Alaska the pebble mine is a large a huge proposed copper and gold mine that is probably when it gets its licenses and permits will be operational for at least a hundred years mine though is with the fishing industry there are a lot of salmon in and around Alaska and these salmon migrate upstream where they breed where they spawn and then the fry the young finish live up here for several months or a year before they migrate back out into the sea when they go to the sea they spend about two years out in the Pacific Ocean again before they return back to the freshwater resources to spawn and they die the issue is if you have a mind here there's going to be a lot of waste produced from this mind this waste contains things like heavy metals that are very toxic to these fish if this mind disturbs that material and it gets into these rivers here you're probably going to have the extinction of this fish species. it's big business there's a lot of money a lot of jobs for an economically depressed area but it can have negative impacts on the fishing industry on the Native Americans that live up and around that area on the quality for the fish and the surrounding ecosystem and how it's going to affect the native populations of fish that have lived and evolved for tens of thousands of years up in Alaska
In the USA where does most of the carbon that enters the atmosphere come from?
Burning coil and creating fossil fuels
How do lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) get into the atmosphere?
By burning coal
Industrial revolution, what did it do for human population?
Changes in sanitation, health care, vaccinations, clean water, and nutrition led to increased life expectancy, decreased infant mortality, and maintained crude birth rate. Populations soared!
Where are the most densely populated countries on Earth?
China and the United States have about the same land area, but China has a much higher population and greater population density. Bangladesh has among the highest densities in the world.
How much CO2 is emitted from burning coal, oil, natural gas, propane, etc. How do they compare?
Coal- 227 lbs/10^6 btu petrolium coke- 225 wood- 195 fuel oil- 161 kerosene- 159 automobile gas- 156 propane- 139 natural gas- 117
Where is the Colorado River, what is its significance, and what is the water used for? know about the Hoover Dam and salinization.
Colorado River provides water for 25 million people, including cities of Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego. ○ Supplies irrigation water for 3.5 million acres of fruit, vegetables, and field crops worth $1.5 billion/year. ○ Has 49 dams, 11 of which provide hydroelectric power ○ The Hoover Dam ○ 1,500 miles long, forms in Rocky Mountain, flows into Gulf near Southern California ○ Salinization→ increased salt concentration lowers soil productivity, and in extreme cases, renders soil unfit Salinization - is the process by which water-soluble salts accumulate in the soil. -this is a resource concern because excess salts hinder the growth of crops by limiting their ability to take up water. -this may occur naturally or because of conditions resulting from management practices.
We have several options for addressing air pollution...
Command and Control Regulation - Settng national limits for allowable levels of pollution with fines for non-‐compliance. •Clean Air Act (USA, 1963) - Set air-‐quality standards that each state was responsible for enforcing. •Green taxes - Taxes on environmentally undesirable actions. •Tax credit - Reduction in taxes based on environmentally beneficial action. •Subsidies - Money or resources intended to promote environmentally friendly activities. •Cap-‐and-‐trade - Limits to the amount of pollution allowed but with an opportunity to sell or trade unused permits.
Where is Crater Lake and what type of lake is it?
Crater Lake, Oregon is an example of an oligotrophic lake. oligotrophic lake - Oligo" means very little; therefore, oligotrophic means very little nutrients (N and P) deep clear water, rocky and sandy bottoms, and very little algae. Oxygen is found at high levels throughout the water column. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water. fish found in oligotrophic lakes like cold, high oxygenated water, examples include lake trout.
What are some factors that control or predict how fast a country's population will grow?
Demographic factors - Health, education, economic conditions, and cultural influences are very different from other developed and developing countries.
What are the negative consequences of the depletion of the ozone?
Depletion of ozone caused by synthetic chemicals allows dangerous solar radiation to reach the Earth's surface
Electromagnetic induction
Discovered by Michael Faraday in the 1830s, current is produced when a conductor is moved back and forth by a magnet, the magnet applies a force of the electrons in the copper causing them to move, as the copper wire back and forth past the magnet you produce an alternating current of electricity.
Ocean Acidification
Dissolving more CO2 in oceans leads to increasing hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in the ocean and decreasing pH. The oceans are becoming acidic. Higher concentrations of atmospheric CO2 = global warming = warmer oceans = coral bleaching = destruction of reef ecosystems
doubling time with population growth
Doubling Times: number of years it will take a population to double, assuming the current growth rates remain constant population doubling time = 70 ÷ annual rate of growth This rule applies to things at exponential growth (e.g., human population growth)
How does the Earth tilt on its axis affect climates and seasons?
Earth is tilted on its axis about 23.5 degrees. As we rotate around the sun ~365 days per year that tilt is going to cause the sun's energy to strike different parts of the earth at different times. The equator is hit by the sun at all times during the year, which is why it's always warm. June/summer- the sun hits the earth directly over 23.5 degrees north. Northern hemisphere has long days vise versa for Southern. Fall- 23.5 axis slant begins to fall over the equator December/winter- 23.5 axis slant sun is hitting the south Southern hemisphere has long days vise versa for Northern. March- experience springtime in Northern Hemisphere and winter in Southern Hemisphere. The 23.5 axis tilt determines where the sun will hit the earth effecting the seasons differently depending what part of earth you are on.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
Earth's rotation from west to east causes wind and water to swerve to right in Northern Hemisphere and to the left in Southern Hemisphere. Like clockwise.
benthic macroinvertebrates
Easy-to-see (not microscopic) arthropods such as insects that live on the stream bottom.
What are some controls that affect photosynthesis (also known as primary productivity)?
Ecological controls on primary productivity - 1. light availability 2. carbon dioxide 3. air temperature 4. water and nutrients 5. topography 6. herbivore consumption 7. anthropogenic disturbances slide 50
What is electromagnetic radiation? Where does it come from?
Electromagnetic radiation is made when an atom absorbs energy. The absorbed energy causes one or more electrons to change their locale within the atom. When the electron returns to its original position, an electromagnetic wave is produced.
energy flow
Energy flows in linear (one-way) fashion (Remember the electromagnetic spectrum) (i.e. sunlight).
Triple bottom line
Environmental literacy is ability to understand environmental problems. (causes, consequences, and possible actions/trade-offs on slide 21) In confronting them, must consider (1) environment, (2) economic, and (3) socials
What's sediment pollution?
Eroded soil that is washed into the water through runoff.
What causes the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico? What River is involved? What type of damage does this pollution cause in terms of ecosystem and economy of the Gulf region?
Excess nitrogen from any rivers and streams within the watershed will eventually flow to a larger body of water. The Gulf of Mexico is one area where excess nutrients have impacted the ecosystem to the point of making a "dead zone," or hypoxic area, where most organisms are unable to survive. Mississippi River As a result of these nutrients getting into the systems you're going to have a very unhealthy ecosystem you're going to have major losses in fish in oysters and this is not going to cause problems for the economy in this area but this is going to cause problems for the other organisms that are involved in this food web that rely on each other for sources of nutrients and sources of energy Nitrogen enrichment is one of the abiotic components that can create havoc in an ecological system. Loss of oysters has been a critical change in the biotic community. The oyster is certainly important for economic reasons but also for ecological stability. Major losses are due, in part, to overharvesting and dredging. Oysters are food sources for other organisms, provide habitat by forming reefs, stabilize the seabed, reduce sediment, filter feed, and reduce pollutants and particles that would obscure the water and lead to eutrophication.
Know the factors that affect population growth
Factors that decrease the death rate can also decrease overall population growth rates
Family planning and growth rate
Family planning - there is still unmet need for access to contraceptives. Slide 46 for percent of married women around the world without access to birth control
What's the Waterkeeper Alliance?
Fastest-growing global movement for swimmable, drinkable, fishable water. Mission: To provide a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally. The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide. Our belief is that the best way to achieve this vision is through the Waterkeeper method of grassroots advocacy.
Know the water cycle
Fixed amount of water on earth (Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run-off, soil infiltration, collection in oceans) We depend on water going through state changes in the hydrological cycle. Heat causes evaporation and transpiration. Rising gases are cooled to yield another state change back to liquid. The liquid water is returned to Earth to fill ground storage, underground storage, and to become available for uptake by plants through their root systems. At each stage within the hydrological cycle, bonds are made and broken. Toxins may be picked up, transported, or eliminated.
How much nitrogen pollution is released by forested, suburban and agriculture land?
Forested - forest streams receive very little runoff because the trees reduce the overland flow of water. Suburban - suburban areas have more runoff than forested areas, presumably due to more impervious surfaces; about 25% of the nitrogen that enters the area leaves as runoff. agricultural - agricultural areas have high nitrogen inputs and fairly high runoff percentages; about 23% of what enters leaves as runoff.
Main concept of freshwater resources
Freshwater is a limited resource and we are using it faster than it can be replenished. Although methods are available to recover and purify some of the water we use, conservation is also seriously needed.
What's glucose?
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula C₆H₁₂O₆. Glucose circulates in the blood of animals as blood sugar. It is made during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using energy from sunlight.
Time Delay
Good today but gone tomorrow. seem good in the short term but usually hurt in long term. (vikings using all their resources)
Where is Grand Lake St. Mary's and what type of lake is it?
Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio (Eutrophic Lake) . shallow lake... there is a lot of farm lands around lake. Extremely nutrient and bad.
Half life of a substance, if you know that half-life of a substance you should be able to calculate how much of the substance remains in the environment after a particular amount of time (e.g., if you know that the half-life of a substance is 10 hours and if you start with 100 grams, you should be able to calculate how much will remain after 100 hours).
Half life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half its value. Rule-of-thumb for radioactive material: after material has been allowed to decay by 10 half-lives, the activity has decayed sufficiently to allow safe disposal. So find the half life and times it by 10 then you will have how many years before it is safe Radioactive Half-Life Formula. A radioactive half-life refers to the amount of time it takes for half of the original isotope to decay. For example, if the half-life of a 50.0 gram sample is 3 years, then in 3 years only 25 grams would remain. During the next 3 years, 12.5 grams would remain and so on.
What do a healthy versus unhealthy Chesapeake Bay look like?
Healthy Bay - Low nutrient levels, algae kept in check, good dissolved oxygen levels, abundant fish and shellfish Unhealthy Bay - high algae and bacterial growth, low dissolved oxygen, and loss of some aquatic life. Less oxygen is produced as algae take over the role of photosynthesis from the submerged aquatic plants. With less oxygen in the water, other organisms begin to die and decompose. Decomposition uses up more of the limited oxygen, leaving the system hypoxic.
How much space does 7-billion people take up?
How much space for one human? Area = π(0.305 m)2 Area = 0.292 m2 How many people are on Earth? 7,000,000,000 How much space for 7-billion humans? 7,000,000,000 x 0.292 m2 ≈ 2,000,000,000 m2 = 2,000 km2 New York City is 2 ≈ 1,500 km to give an estimated size
Persistence of a substance
How persistent is the substance? 1. Low persistence - Break down quickly with sunlight or microbial action 2. High persistence - Long time to break down and potential environmental impact long after initial release Many synthetic compounds cannot be broken down because these are NEW compounds. Therefore, microbes have not evolved mechanism to degrade these compounds.
History of the Yellowstone Gray Wolves
Humans hunted wolves, destroyed habitat by conversion for agriculture, and hunted wolves' food sources—elk, deer, and bison Wolf populations in Yellowstone had also declined as a result of predator control programs. Protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 In 1987, 41 wolves were reintroduced and outfitted with radio collars allowing researchers to track the size of wolf packs, their food sources, and movement patterns
Understand what hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) is and where it is occurring in the USA and Ohio.
Hydrofracking - a technique in which large amounts of water, combined with smaller amounts of chemicals and sand, are pumped under high pressure into a drilled gas well. Ohio--> east(ish) US--> Texas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio
What is a hypothesis and be able to formulate examples.
Hypothesis - a proposed explanation for an observed phenomena. Hypotheses provide tentative answers to the questions generated by our observations. An example hypothesis: Putting liquid paper on a bee obstructs the insect's spiracles thereby preventing oxygen from entering the insect's body causing the organism to die.
Understand predator-prey cycles, what happens to one and how this affects the other. Understand boom and bust cycles.
In a boom and bust cycle, the predator and prey populations both teeter at equilibrium with the difference of the predator lagging behind the prey population. When there are less predators the prey can grow and multiply, so their population rises. The predators thus have more food, cause the the prey population to lessen and they themselves grow in numbers till there are not much prey left, and their numbers decrease as well. This allows for more prey to grow.
What's the significance of the residents of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation?
In the late 1880s, the last wild bison were eradicated from the Great Plains of North America. Over 130 years later, a group of Native Americans, biologists, and concerned citizens finally realize the dream of returning genetically pure wild bison to their native land, and in so doing, return a cultural icon to Native people who thought it lost forever. THE RETURN is a follow-up to the feature-length documentary FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON. It documents the historic transfer of wild, genetically-pure bison from Yellowstone National Park to the Fort Peck tribes of northeastern Montana. the hope is to restore bison in other areas outside of yellowstone.
How and what did the Chinese government institute in order to control population growth in China?
In the late 1970s, China experienced population momentum, meaning that there was already a large population, two-thirds of which was under age 30. Even with two children per couple, the numbers were beyond what could be managed. In 1979, China instituted a mandatory policy that there could only be one child per family without loss of government benefits and a very high fine. 4 quality of life for all. The Chinese policy was promoted by promising improved
What are some pollutants found in our freshwater resources?
Industrial chemicals, raw sewage, garbage, oil, pesticides, mercury, acid, particulates from fossil-‐fuel combustion, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, formaldehyde from personal-‐care products, cleaning solutions...
ITCZ
Inner tropic convergent zone. An area around the equator. this is where you have a lot of converging warm air disturbances in the atmosphere and as a result you have thunderstorms in these areas.
Know about algae blooms and excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
It's bad for da water folks
Who is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.?
JFK son. founder of waterkeeper alliance
What are the differences between r-adapted and K-adapted species?
K-selected species tend to be stable in undisturbed areas. Slow increases and decreases in response to the environment. r-selected species with rapid reproductive potential sometimes have sudden population growth with high peaks which may overshoot carrying capacity followed by sudden crashes. Some populations will level off near carrying capacity while others will continue to overshoot and crash.
Know about the connection between the Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, freshwater resources and the Keystone Pipeline, and the Ogallala Aquifer
Keystone Pipeline - The Keystone Pipeline transports synthetic crude oil and diluted bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma, and on to the Gulf Coast. Ogallala Aquifer is important to eight states. Ogallala Aquifer - a shallow water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers, it underlies an area of approximately 174,000 sq mi in portions of eight Connection - If there is a leak in the pipeline you will ruin the crops and any food growing in the oqallala aquifer that a lot of people use to live.
LD-50, be able to read a graph that shows LD-50.
LD50 - amount of substance that when given to test animals all at once causes 50% of the animals to die. LD refers to "lethal dose" and is usually tested on small mammals because they have similar physiology to humans. Toxicologists use LD50 to determine acute toxicity. LD50 typically given in milligrams of material per kilogram of body weight. the less doses that cause ld50 the more toxic it is
What are some differences between developing countries (also known as less developed countries) and developed countries in terms of grow rates?
Less Developed Countries (LDCs) generally have high growth rates Highly Developed Countries (HDCs) generally have low growth rates
What is water.org?
Matt Damon is involved. this organization does a lot of work for less developed countries that don't have the resources or finances to provide clean fresh drinking water for the people living in these countries. Description: "Water.org provides innovative, market-based solutions that change lives every day through safe water and sanitation."
What are some factors that inhibit or encourage high biotic potentials?
Limiting factors are resources needed for survival but that may be in short supply. This scarcity will determine carrying capacity. Resistance factors, such as predation, competition, and disease, will also contribute to controlling population size and growth. These factors are density-dependent, but other factors such as natural disaster are density-independent since they would occur regardless of the population size.
3 broad categories of biomes based on climate and determined by predominant plants
Marine, freshwater, and terrestrial
nutrient cycling
Mineral cycles include carbon cycle, sulfur cycle, nitrogen cycle, water cycle, phosphorus cycle, oxygen cycle, among others that continually recycle along with other mineral nutrients into productive ecological nutrition.
Mining runoff
Mining waste. 1. Become involved in local mining issues by voicing your concerns about acid mine drainage and reclamation projects in your area (e.g., Mountain Justice).
What's the difference in growth rates, crude birth rates, crude death rates, total fertility rates, infant mortality rate, life expectancy and wealth for developed and developing countries?
Most of the world's population growth occurs in the developing nations, but most wealth is in developed nations. Higher death rate in developed nations due to aging population but higher infant mortality rates in developing nations reveal the differences in quality of life and health care. slide 34
How far have humans ventured into the Milky Way or universe?
NASA's Apollo 13 mission swung around the far side of the moon at an altitude of 158 miles (254 km), putting them 248,655 miles (400,171 km) away from Earth. It's the farthest our species has ever been from our home planet.
Natural and Synthetic (man-made, anthropogenic) toxins.
Natural toxins - natural doesn't always mean safe; e.g., arsenic in groundwater. Synthetic toxins - persistent; don't degrade over time.
Do you have 100% efficiency in energy transfer as you move from one tropic level to the next?
No
Which one does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate using the U.S. Clean Water Act?
Nonpoint source pollution is difficult to regulate. This type of pollution is difficult to regulate under the Clean Water Act. The EPA added an amendment to the act in 1987 to fund runoff management, and it has had some success. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water#wetlands Under this program states, territories, and Indian Tribes receive grant money to support a wide variety of activities including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology, demonstration projects, and monitoring.
What is nuclear fusion, give an example of where I can see this occur.
Nuclear Fusion - in the core of stars like the Sun Our Sun is producing energy and new elements by the process of nuclear fusion, which can be described by Albert Einstein's famous equation E = mc2 Light travels at a speed (c) of 186,000 miles/second (300,000 km/second) and so it takes 8 minutes 20 seconds for light to travel from the Sun to Earth.
What are some of the negatives of nuclear fission?
Nuclear Power Plants use radioactive compounds (i.e., uranium) to produce the electricity and this can have serious consequences to the long-term Bad health of the biosphere (BAD)
What are some of the benefits of nuclear fission?
Nuclear fission produces no Good greenhouse gases as it generates electricity and is therefore considered "clean energy" (GOOD)
What is nuclear fission, give an example of how humans use it.
Nuclear fission produces no Good greenhouse gases as it generates electricity and is therefore considered "clean energy" , however, ***Nuclear Power Plants use radioactive compounds (i.e., uranium) to produce the electricity and this can have serious consequences to the long-term Bad health of the biosphere
Biotic and abiotic factors
Nutrients cycle through and are stored in both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components of a system. Biotic - The living things in an ecosystem Abiotic - The non living parts of an ecosystem
what is it used for and how much (e.g., agriculture, industry and cities).
OF THE FRESHWATER: -70% used for agriculture -22% for industry - 8% for cities/homes
PCBs in orcas in Puget Sound, make sure you watched the video at least once
PCBs in Orca Whales of Puget Sound, Washington & BriFsh Columbia: hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXyN9e_3yIg
What are the leading causes of water pollution in the USA today?
Pathogens, metals (excluding mercury), nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), Hypoxia, PCBs (industrial pollutant), sediments, mercury, pH problems (too high or low), pesticides.
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight into chemical energy. ... Oxygenic photosynthesis functions as a counterbalance to respiration; it takes in the carbon dioxide produced by all breathing organisms and reintroduces oxygen into the atmosphere.
What organisms were the first to return to the ecosystem after the eruption, did all organisms die in the eruption and massive landslide and mudflow?
Phytoplankton, Prairie lupin, Northern Pocket Gopher no the Northern Pocket Gopher was underground and safe
Is there water, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elsewhere in the universe or just on Earth?
Pillars of creation - Colors come from several elements: oxygen (blue), sulfur (orange), hydrogen and nitrogen (green). thus it is in other places in the universe. (slide 12)
Point source pollution and non-point source pollution, runoff pollution?
Point source pollution - Pollution that enters the air or water from readily identifiable sources such as discharge pipes or smoke stacks. Some industrial and agricultural sources discharge pollutants directly into a body of water. non-point source pollution - Pollution that enters the air from dispersed or mobile sources or enters the water from overland flow. A variety of sources contribute pollutants that can run off the surface of the land during painful and enter the water; air pollutants can fall directly with the rain. runoff pollution - produced by everyone (stormwater runoff) Water from precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. (sediment pollution) Eroded soil that is washed into the water through runoff.
Primary, secondary, tertiary sources
Primary sources - new & original information from research: rigorously reviewed by peers in the scientific community for design, data, & analysis. Secondary sources - include interpretation of primary sources and lack of peer review. This is what you read in the popular press. Tertiary sources - can draw from, or summarize, a secondary source. They may be accurate; however, they may introduce errors because they may introduce errors because they do not rely on the original source for facts. They also may perpetuate any errors that appeared in a the secondary source.
What is primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment?
Primary treatment- removes suspended and floating particles by mechanical processes. Secondary- reduces waters biochemical oxygen demand by using microorganisms to decompose suspend organic treatment Tertiary- advanced water treatment employed to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations
How does a wastewater treatment facility work?
Primary: Sedimentation tanks holds water for several hours so solids can settle to the bottom, grease and oil rises to top, surface skimmers remove theses -Secondary: biological conversion, transform dissolved solids into suspended solids; microorganisms eat solids and transforms them -Activated sludge process: combine wastewater and microorganisms, add oxygen, multiplies organisms, put into secondary sedimentation tanks, allowed to settle to bottom, removed -Chemical process: add chlorine to water to kill organisms that carry disease -Dechlorination
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, DDT
Rachel Carson: 1962 book Silent Spring Highlighted significant die-off following only two decades of extensive use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) and other herbicides and pesticides. DDT was doing what it supposed to do—kill pests, including the mosquitoes responsible for malaria. But...she had 3 concerns One result of the book was a movement toward stricter regulations for chemical pesticides and a U.S. ban on DDT
Air pollution does not respect political boundaries...
Regulation requires international cooperation. Scientists are discovering plants around the world under stress from pollutants released from industrialized nations.
Sliding Reinforcer
Related to evolution and genetically modified organisms. ex: bugs that are genetically resistant to the poison mate and then the next generation are able to stand against that poison.
Risk Assessment, precautionary principle v innocent until proven guilty
Risk Assessment - Weigh the costs & benefits associated with any chemical. In reality, it is impossible to fully understand and assess all potential interactions among the many chemicals to which we are exposed on a daily basis. Reality includes practicality, economic forces, and the basic need for the chemical. "better safe than sorry ": known as the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE until exposure limits are determined, versus "innocent until proven guilty ": rely on RECALLS rather than prevention. This leaves the burden of proof on the public .
rain garden
Runoff area that is planted with water-tolerant plants to slow runoff and promote infiltration.
What are some examples of nonpoint source runoff pollution in urban, mining, forestry and agriculture areas?
Runoff of agriculture and animal wastes, logged forests, urban streets, parking lots, lawns, and golf courses
How much is salt water, how much is freshwater, how much freshwater is accessible to humans?
Salt water is 97.5% of the water on earth freshwater is 2.5% Humans have access to 0.4%
biological assessment
Sampling an area to see what lives there as a tool to determine how healthy the area is.
How does energy flow on Earth?
Solar power drives Earth's climate. Energy from the sun heats Earth's surface, warms the atmosphere, provides energy for photosynthesis, causes evaporation, drives the weather and water cycles, and powers the ocean currents. straight.
How are scrubbers and limestone used to "clean" coal and lower the emissions that come out of the smokestack at a coal fired power plant.
Scrubbers- desulfurization system that clean the power plants exhaust. - As polluted air passes through a scrubber, chemicals in the scrubber react with the pollution and cause it to precipitate, or settle out. -Fluidized-bed combustion- mixes crushed coal with limestone particles to neutralize acidic compounds produced during combustion. -produces fewer NOx and removes sulfur from the coal. -also produces more heat per given amount of coal = less CO2 diagram of fluidized-bed combustion of coal is on slide 41
Tragedy of the Commons
Shared resource that is not owned by any one person. Individuals who try to maximize benefit hurt that resource.
Natural Algae Bloom that is good?
Single-celled photosynthetic phytoplankton Coccolithophores
Can we have absolute proof of something as scientists? Are conclusions open for future studies?
Some phenomena cannot be observed objectively (at least not yet) and therefore scientists cannot study them empirically. For example: What is my dog thinking? Is the death penalty wrong? What is the meaning of life? These questions are really out of the purview of science. yes
Air pollution doesn't stay where it begins...
Sulfur and nitrogen emissions react with oxygen and water to form acid rain and snow. Falling acid rain acidifies the soil, setting off another sequence of unfortunate events like: 1. Trees at high elevations that stay shrouded in fog for much of the year are more affected than others- the acidic fog surrounds the tree for much longer than rainfall would. 2. Acidified soils release aluminum that normally stays sequestered; this is taken up by plants and is toxic - too much will kill the plant. 3. Acid also decreases the ability of plants to take up needed nutrients, decreasing their ability to grow and thrive. 4. Acid deposition can acidify lakes, harming aquatic life. eggs, animals in larval stages, and the young are most vulnerable. "Dead lakes" with little or no life are often the first sign that acidification has reached harmful levels; dying forests may follow.
Know how the Coriolis Effect works, know that major areas of high and low pressure systems on Earth.
Sun causes uneven heating of the earth which causes differences in temperature. Differences in temperature cause differences in air pressure Air moves from high pressure to low pressure causing wind Wind blows on the ocean surface causing currents. when warm air rises we get high pressure when cold air sinks we get low pressure. Always going from high to low pressure
What is a Superfund Site, where are they located, how pays for them, how much do they cost.
Superfund is a Federal Program to clean up hazardous waste sites in the USA Trust fund set up by the US Congress under Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, but polluters also have to pay part of cleanup Money in this trust can only be used for Superfund sites Administered by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Top 10 Toxins in Superfund Sites: 1.. Arsenic 2. lead 3. mercury 4. vinyl chloride 5. polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) 6. benzene 7. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 8. cadmium 9. benzo (a) pyrene 10. benzo (b) fluoranthene they can be mainly found around major rivers and oceans so they are an extreme threat for our fresh water resources. for actual locations refer to slide 64-68
What was the Black Death, what was the significance in terms of population of humans on Earth?
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history Disease also limited population growth - 1347-1351 (peaked) Black Death (bubonic plague) estimated that it may have reduced the world' s population from 500 million to 400 million.
What is the significance of their discovery?
The First Key Differences Between Hominids and Apes. Could climb trees, but also walk when needed to.
Yellowstone ecosystem
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth.
What are some characteristics of our Milky Way Galaxy?
The Milky Way contains over 200 billion stars, and enough dust and gas to make billions more. The solar system lies about 30,000 light-years from the galactic center, and about 20 light-years above the plane of the galaxy. 100,000 light-years in diameter
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The United States Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment
What is water pollution?
The addition of anything that might degrade the quality of the water.
dissolved oxygen (DO)
The amount of oxygen in the water.
What's biological oxygen demand (BOD)?
The amount of oxygen that microbes living in a body of water use.
turbidity
The cloudiness of the water
Is this radiation useful, dangerous, safe, what's it used for on Earth.
The different uses vary on which kind of radiation. radio waves are ok gamma waves are deadly.
What are the factors that affect population growth?
The environment limits population growth by changing birth and death rates. The factors affecting population size and growth include biotic factors such as food, disease, competitors, and predators and abiotic factors such as rainfall, floods, and temperature.
Education of women and total fertility rate
The higher education the less likely for them to have a lot of kids.
How were these scientific results and conclusions translated into policy?
The international community came together to find a solution. In Montreal, Canada in 1987 Montreal Protocol - phase out CFCs. In 1987 only 24 countries signed the agreement, but finally in 2009 all 196 countries signed the treaty. CHAPTER 2 B. The Montreal Protocol is administered by the United Nations and mandates that governments in all 196 countries must cut back/end production of CFCs. C. In the 1990s the USA decided to phase out all CFC through regulations from U.S. EPA the federal agency responsible for enforcing environmental laws.
riparian areas
The land area adjacent to a body of water that is affected by the water's presence (for example, water-tolerant plants grow there) and that affects the water itself (for example, provides shade). a natural system where you have plants these plants have deep roots and these form of these trees and they're able to suck up these nutrients these excess nutrients this manure that's coming off of these fields this fertilizer that's coming off our nicely manicured golf courses they're able to suck these up in their roots in lock it into their own material into their leaves into their bark and they take it out of the soil they take it out of the watershed and prevent it from getting into the water and causing things like algae blooms plant roots also stabilize banks and prevent oil or erosion ground cover slows down runoff it allows the water that fell there by precipitation more time to soak in and so it prevents it from washing sediment directly into the river shade provides cooler waters and cool waters can actually hold more oxygen so this is good for the fish in the area and it also shades the sunlight prevents these waters from becoming too warm so it really limits the growth of these algae as well.
What is a watershed?
The land area surrounding a body of water over which water such as rain could flow and potentially enter that body of water.
Exponential population growth
The larger the population gets the faster it grows.
Carrying Capacity (K)
The largest population a particular environment can support sustainable (longterm) assuming there are no changes in that environment
The U.S. Clean Air Act, 6 pollutants it focuses on.
The law authorizes the EPA to set limits on the amount of these air pollutants - 1970 first passed; then updated in 77 and 90 - Focuses on: 1. Pb (lead) 2. Particle matter 3. So2 (sulfur dioxide) 4. NOx (nitrogen oxides) 5. CO (carbon monoxide) 6. O3 (ozone) - amendments focus on: Industrial airborne toxic chemicals 2. Motor vehicle emissions -states can't create weaker pollution controls, but are welcome to create stricter ones. -lead (Pb) emissions decreased by 98% from 1970-2000 mainly because we don't use it at all anymore.
What is the Clean Water Act, when was it passed, what does it do, who oversees this law?
The main U.S. federal law that regulates water pollution Originally passed as the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, it was amended and renamed the Clean Water Act of 1977 It has two basic goals: 1. Eliminate the discharge of pollutants in US Waterways. 2. Attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe to fish and swim in. The EPA enforces the Clean Water Act by monitoring national emission limitations, which is the maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged from a sewage treatment plant, factory, or other point source. According to the EPA, nonpoint source pollution is the major cause of water pollution. The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act expanded regulations on nonpoint source pollutants and has had some success. The EPA states that agriculture is the leading cause of nonpoint source pollution in USA and is responsible for 72% of water pollution in US rivers (e.g., fer7lizer, pesticides, herbicides, animal waste, soil erosion).
Where do humans prefer to live (e.g., cities, freshwater, coasts, etc.).
The most densely populated areas in the world tend to be in coastal areas or close to major waterways.
Know Earth's ocean circulation patterns both at the surface of the ocean and deep in the ocean.
The ocean currents control precipitation and temperatures in terrestrial biomes. Surface- northern hemi clockwise southern hemi is counter-clockwise Deep- ocean conveyor belt. North pole - cold salty water sinks. Equator - water wells up becoming warmer and fresher.
What is the rainshadow? What types of organisms would you expect to find in the Rainshadow?
The rainshadow is the opposite side of the mountain from the orographic precipitation and creates a desert/savanna because all of the precipitation was left on the other side of the mountain. Organisms are ones that live in arid desert areas.
Is nuclear fission safe?
The risk is low and declining.
How does the Coriolis Effect control climates?
The wind is going to control where heat or precipitation moves on the planet and that's going to dictate how the different climates are set up on the planet.
What is thermodynamics?
Thermodynamics - the study of energy transfer and energy transformation.
Density independent factors
These factors are density-dependent, but other factors such as natural disaster are density-independent since they would occur regardless of the population size.
What are CFCs and what was concluded about them in relation to the ozone?
They are bad and killing the ozone
How can these diagrams can be used by governments to plan for future social programs?
They can see the age structure and sex ration of each country and see what kind of program they need to run to help reduce the overgrowth of population within that country.
What's the history of the American Bison?
They got wipped out and merged with cattle genetics and yellowstone was the only true bison left. Now they are slowly being repopulated into the wild
Coal in the US
Top coal producing states: 1. Wyoming 2. Kentucky 3. West Virginia - in US, each person consumes 5 lbs of coal a day (2000/year) - has 100,000 coal workers in 2,500 mines -1. American Electric Power (AEP) is the largest consumer of coal in USA 2. The USA has 100-250 years of coal at current consumption rate 3. The USA has the largest coal resources on Earth
What is an "Urban Biome?"
Urban Biome An urban biome is an area found in cities or towns constructed by humans; it is also found in many diverse climates. These climates can range from the arctic to the desert and everything in between. Most of these are in major places and not in places like deserts or extreme cold climates.
What are some other non point and runoffs and their solutions?
Urban Storm Water Runoff, Mining runoff, Forestry Runoff, and Agriculture runoff
Physical water scarcity
Use of water is approaching or exceeding sustainable limits
Know about volatile organic compounds.
VOCs - organic molecules (hydrocarbons) that easily evaporate -solvents, paints, glues, and other organic chemicals; plants naturally release VOC's - those from human sources can be directly toxic or disruptive to living organisms; contribute to ground level ozone formation
Were these humans advanced, did they have a culture and society and religion, do we know?
We now believe that social, instead of environmental, change, led to the species division. Less sharp canines show that they weren't as aggressive to each other.
Natural air pollution versus anthropogenic air pollution.
Wildland fires, dust storms, and volcanic activity also contribute gases and particulates to our atmosphere. Unlike the above mentioned sources of air pollution, natural "air pollution" is not caused by people or their activities. verses Anthropogenic carbon dioxide is that portion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is produced directly by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, rather than by such processes as respiration and decay.
Yellowstone National Park, where is it, what are some significant things that we discussed in class about the park?
Wyoming, reintroduction of the wolf. which reduced the population of elk, the riverbeds and willow trees
Where is the Yellow River and what is its significance in terms of providing freshwater to whom?
Yellow (Huang) River is in China -Provides drinking and irrigation water to people living near it
Do humans release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Is this a concern for climate change?
Yes. no. In one day, the average person breathes out around 500 litres of the greenhouse gas CO2 - which amounts to around 1kg in mass. This doesn't sound much until you take into account the fact that the world's population is around 6.8 billion, collectively breathing out around 2500 million tonnes of the stuff each year - which is around 7 per cent of the annual CO2 tonnage churned out by the burning of fossil fuel around the world. So, on the face of it, we humans are a significant contributor to global warming. But, in reality, the CO2 we're breathing out is part of a natural cycle, by which our bodies convert carbohydrates from CO2-absorbing plants into energy, plus water and CO2. As such, we're not adding any extra CO2. In contrast, burning fossil fuels like coal releases CO2 which has been locked up for millions of years, producing a net contribution to global warming.
How does coal lead to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
You burn it and it releases CO2??
replacement fertility rate
Zero population growth (ZPG) occurs when the number or people being born is equal to the number dying
asthma
a chronic inflammatory respiratory disorder during which airways narrow, making it hard to breathe
Coal
a combustable sedimentary organic rock that contains 40 - 90% carbon by weight, also contains sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and other elements How is coal formed-by ancient plants and animals accumulation in moist peat bogs. - takes 4,000-100,000 years for 1 meter of peat to accumulate - over time peat is compressed - the process preforms best in river deltas or coastal plains
Ecosystem structure
a community of organisms and the surrounding physical environment. They consist of abiotic and biotic elements.
Temperate rainforest
a coniferous biome of the northern Pacific coast with cool weather, dense fog and high precipitation (127 cm); proximity to the coast line moderates temperature so that the seasonal fluctuation in narrow (winters are mild, summers are cool - squirrels, wood rats, elk, birds, amphibians, reptiles; one of the world's most complex ecosystems in terms of species richness - a rich wood producer; when logging industry harvests old-growth forest, it typically replants the area with monoculture (old-growth forest ecosystem never has a chance to redevelop) 1. Pacific Northwest of North America, southeastern Australia, southern South America. 2. Temperature fairly constant due to proximity to coast. 3. Winters are mild and summers are cool. 4. Soils have high organic content, but cool temperature decrease activity to bacteria and fungi to decompose material therefore soil is nutrient poor. 5. High annual precipitation (200-‐380 cm).
Temperate Deciduous Forest
a forest biome that occurs in temperate areas, with a moderate amount of precipitation; hot summers and cold winters; topsoil rich in organic material + deep, clay-rich lower layer - broad-leaved hardwood trees (oak, hickory, maple, beech) dominate TDFs of the northeastern and mid eastern United States - among the first biomes converted to agricultural use 1. Columbus, Ohio. 2. Deciduous hardwood trees forming dense canopy overlies saplings and shrubs. 3. Warm temperatures in summer months and cool temperatures in winter. 4. Topsoil typically rich in organic matter and deep clay-‐rich lower layer. 5. Annual precipitation ranges from 75-‐125 cm.
What is chlorophyll?
a green pigment, present in all green plants and in cyanobacteria, responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis. Its molecule contains a magnesium atom held in a porphyrin ring. Plants have evolved on Earth to have chlorophyll a (Chl a) and chlorophyll b (Chl b) These two molecules absorb the sun light with a maximum absorption at wavelengths corresponding to blue and red.
Tropical Rainforest
a lush, species-rich forest biome that occurs where the climate is warm and moist throughout the year; warm temperature, high humidity and heavy rainfall; minerals are rapidly leeched from the topsoil, meaning that nutrient minerals are in the vegetation, rather than the soil (soil nutrients the primary limiter of rainforest productivity); three distinct stories, or layers, of vegetation; found in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia; very productive (plants capture a lot of energy for photosynthesis); unexcelled in species richness and variety; trees typically evergreen, flowering plants, with shallow roots and buttresses that hold the tree upright; sloths, parrots, monkeys, insects, reptiles, amphibians, elephants 1. Species-‐rich forest. 2. Warm temperatures year round. 3. Found in Central American, South America, Africa, Southeast Asia. 4. Little organic maMer due to high temperatures, which leads to active bacteria and fungi and detritus-‐feeding insects (ants, termites) that rapidly decompose organic matter. 5. Annual precipitation high typically 200-‐450 cm.
Where did Earth's water most likely originate?
a meteorite called carbonaceous chondrite from space
What is an ecosystem?
a specific portion of a biome consisting of the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) environmental components that interact.
Savanna
a tropical grassland with wildly scattered trees or clumps of trees; occurs in areas of low rainfall, or seasonal rainfall followed by prolonged dry periods; seasons are regulated by precipitation; soil is strongly leeched; occur in Africa, South America and Northern Australia; acacias, hoofed animals 1. Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees. 2. Temperatures constant throughout year. 3. African savanna is best known, although savanna also found in South America, western India, and northern Australia. 4. Nutrient-‐poor soil because it is heavily leached during rainy seasons. 5. Annual precipitation ranges from 85 - 150 cm and this is the overriding climatic factor. 6. Precipitation occurs during rainy season followed by prolonged dry periods.
What's a light year?
a unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, which is 9.4607 × 1012 km (nearly 6 trillion miles).
secondary air pollutant
air pollutants formed when primary air pollutants react with one another or other chemicals in the air. Form in the atmosphere when primary air pollutant reacts chemically with other air pollutants or with natural components of the atmosphere sulfuric acid (H2SO4), ozone (O3), nitric acid (HNO3)
primary air pollutant
air pollutants released directly from both mobile sources and stationary sources. Enter directly into atmosphere Dust particles, lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfer trioxide (SO3), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorine (Cl2), methane (CH4), benzene (C6H6)
What is an ecosystem?
all of the organisms in a given area plus the physical environment in which they interact A specific portion of the biome consisting of the living(biotic) and non-living(abiotic) components that interact.
What makes up an ecosystem?
all of the organisms in a given area plus the physical environment in which they interact How do you know when you have an ecosystem? When you have the minimal entity that has the properties to sustain life ecosystems vary by: -their structural complexity -clarity of boundaries -size -composition of communities -relative proportion and kinds of abiotic constitutes -degree of variation over time and space what ecosystems have in common is: -flow of energy (only one way) -cycling of chemical elements on slide 26
Air pollution
an material added to the atmosphere that harms living organisms, affects climate, or impacts structures Various chemicals (gases, liquids, or solids) present in the atmosphere in high enough levels to harm organisms or materials. Can come from natural (i.e., forest fire, volcano) or human activites. Humans are a major source of air pollution
Which is FALSE regarding pollutants defined as hazardous by the EPA? 1 None of these choices 2 Even in small doses they can have adverse effects on human health. 3 All of these choices 4 They may cause cancer or developmental defects. 5 They include volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
answer: 1 None of these choices
Select the statements that are TRUE regarding the Savanna biome: 1 Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year 2 Rainfall is relatively constant throughout the year 3 Soil is leached during rainy seasons and therefore lacks nutrients 4 Found on multiple continents 5 Trees are scattered throughout the landscape
answer: 1 Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year 3 Soil is leached during rainy seasons and therefore lacks nutrients 4 Found on multiple continents 5 Trees are scattered throughout the landscape
Select all of the statements that are TRUE regarding the Chaparral biome: 1 Vegetation consists of small shrubs and trees 2 Can be found in California 3 Precipitation is constant throughout the year 4 The soil is lacking nutrients and organic matter 5 The biome experiences cool summers and dry winters
answer: 1 Vegetation consists of small shrubs and trees 2 Can be found in California 4 The soil is lacking nutrients and organic matter
The pH of surface waters is a problem in many systems, with some surface waters showing too high a pH and some too low. Which of the following is a key contributor to low pH surface waters? 1 mining operations 2 agricultural fields 3 cattle production 4 lawn fertilization 5 None of these choices.
answer: 1 mining operations
Plants help improve water quality because __________________. 1 they store nutrients in their tissues, keeping it out of the water 2 they give off nutrients to the water, keeping nutrients out of groundwater 3 plants have no effect on water quality 4 they store nutrients in their roots, allowing nutrients to slowly seep into the river 5 they give off nutrients to the water, allowing water ecosystems to flourish
answer: 1 they store nutrients in their tissues, keeping it out of the water
Select all statements that are TRUE regarding the Desert Biome: 1 Plant growth is not inhibited due to the lack of rainfall 2 Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year 3 Soil is high in organic matter and can support plant growth 4 The yearly high temperature typically occurs in the summer months 5 There is generally less than 25 cm of rainfall per year
answer: 2 Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year 5 There is generally less than 25 cm of rainfall per year these answers are partial couldn't figure out the other one (s) needed
Match the biome to its description. Arctic Tundra Boreal Forest Temperate Rain Forest Temperate Deciduous Forest Tropical Rain Forest Chaparral Temperate Grassland Savanna Desert Urban -Large annual temperature differences with periodic fires and soil with high organic matter. -Found on multiple continents near the coast with high annual precipitation. -Characterized by the dominance of man-made structures. -Warm temperatures year-round with high annual precipitation and high biodiversity. -Soils are acidic and mineral poor with permafrost deep under the soil. -Soil is rich in clay and organic matter with warm temperatures in the summer months. -Mild moist winter and hot dry summers. -Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees. -Treeless biome only found in the Northern Hemisphere. -Found in temperate and tropical regions where low precipitation limits plant growth.
answer: Arctic Tundra - Treeless biome only found in the Northern Hemisphere. Boreal Forest - Soils are acidic and mineral poor with permafrost deep under the soil. Temperate Rain Forest - Found on multiple continents near the coast with high annual precipitation. Temperate Deciduous Forest - Soil is rich in clay and organic matter with warm temperatures in the summer months. Tropical Rain Forest - Warm temperatures year-round with high annual precipitation and high biodiversity. Chaparral - Mild moist winter and hot dry summers. Temperate Grassland - Large annual temperature differences with periodic fires and soil with high organic matter. Savanna - Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees. Desert - Found in temperate and tropical regions where low precipitation limits plant growth. Urban - Characterized by the dominance of man-made structures.
Match the each zone of a freshwater ecosystem with its definition. Littoral Zone Profundal Limnetic -with- deeper water where sunlight cannot penetrate and bacteria and decomposers thrive shallower water near the shore, sunlight is able to penetrate to permit photosynthesis open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthese
answer: Littoral Zone - shallower water near the shore, sunlight is able to penetrate to permit photosynthesis Profundal - deeper water where sunlight cannot penetrate and bacteria and decomposers thrive Limnetic - open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthese
Match each stage in the processing of municipal sewage with the service that it performs. Primary treatment Secondary treatment Tertiary treatment with Removes suspended and floating particles Uses microorganisms to reduce water's biochemical oxygen demand Reduces phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations
answer: Primary treatment - Removes suspended and floating particles Secondary treatment - Uses microorganisms to reduce water's biochemical oxygen demand Tertiary treatment - Reduces phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations
A bait shop wants to sell leeches and performs an experiment to determine the water temperature range of tolerance for them. Which choice best represents this range based on the data shown above? 1 5 to 20 degrees Celsius 2 5 to 35 degrees Celsius 3 5 to 25 degrees Celsius 4 15 to 30 degrees Celsius 5 15 to 20 degrees Celsius
answer: 1 5 to 20 degrees Celsius
Which of the following could be defined as an ecosystem? 1 All of these choices could be defined as ecosystems. 2. tide pool 3. Mojave Desert 4. coral reef 5. forest
answer: 1 All of these choices could be defined as ecosystems.
Sources of mercury pollution in water include: 1 All of these choices. 2 iron ore and aluminum ore smelting 3 run-off from surface mining 4 electrical plant emissions 5 industrial waste
answer: 1 All of these choices.
The urban biome is often discussed when looking at population density and the affect that humans have on the ecosystem. Which of the following "Urban Biomes" has the highest population density? 1 East Asia 2 Northern Africa 3 Eastern South America 4 Western United States
answer: 1 East Asia
Which of the following choices contribute(s) to the formation of ground-level ozone? 1 NOx 2 oxygen 3 H2O 4 sunlight 5 VOC
answer: 1 NOx 2 oxygen 4 sunlight 5 VOC
Which statement about recycled water projects is true? 1 Public perception of recycled water projects depends on how plagued their community is by water-scarcity issues. 2 A statewide survey in Arizona, a drought-stricken state, found that residents did not support recycled water projects. 3 When it comes to citizen understanding, the "toilet to tap" phrase is the best explanation of recycled water projects. 4 Most recycled water projects are unsuccessful. 5 Public perception of recycled water projects is, for the majority, negative.
answer: 1 Public perception of recycled water projects depends on how plagued their community is by water-scarcity issues.
Air pollution that results when chemicals in the atmosphere react to form a new pollutant is called: 1 Secondary pollution 2 Particulate pollution 3 Anthropogenic pollution 4 Point source pollution 5 Primary pollution
answer: 1 Secondary pollution
Why are children of low-income families at a higher risk for asthma than those from wealthier families? 1 Their homes and schools are often located near major roads or factories. 2 Their parents are less likely to be able to afford proper medical care. 3 Their schools are poorly ventilated. 4 They have poor diets. 5 They purchase more products that contribute to indoor air pollution.
answer: 1 Their homes and schools are often located near major roads or factories.
True or False: Potable water is water that is safe to consume. 1 True 2 False
answer: 1 True
Which statement about VOCs is FALSE? 1 VOCs readily evaporate and dissolve in water. 2 All of these choices are false. 3 VOC stands for volatile organic compound. 4 VOCs are released by bogs. 5 The main outdoor source of VOCs is fossil fuel combustion.
answer: 1 VOCs readily evaporate and dissolve in water.
The Colorado River Basin is heavily dependent on the Colorado River. What might occur if the Colorado River was no longer available for the American Southwest to draw water from? Select all that apply. 1 all answers are correct 2 cities such as Phoenix, San Diego, and Los Angeles would be out of water 3 irrigation in surrounding areas would suffer and crop losses would occur 4 hydroelectric power on the river would cease
answer: 1 all answers are correct
The amount of oxygen used by microbes living in a body of water is known as the ___________________. 1 biological oxygen demand 2 biological oxygen die-off 3 dissolved oxygen concentration 4 decomposition rate 5 overcompensation rate
answer: 1 biological oxygen demand
Which approach to pollution reduction does this figure represent? 1 cap-and-trade 2 internal and external cost accounting 3 green taxation 4 government subsidies 5 command and control
answer: 1 cap-and-trade
Which of the following is NOT one of the six Criteria air pollutants monitored by the EPA? 1 carbon dioxide (CO2) 2 None. All of these choices are criteria air pollutants. 3 carbon monoxide (CO) 4 lead (Pb) 5 particulate matter
answer: 1 carbon dioxide (CO2)
Water pollution is: 1 contaminants or excess nutrients in surface waters and in groundwater. 2 usually from excess carbon being added to the system. 3 Only two of these choices. 4 found only in surface waters near cities. 5 primarily excess nutrients from lawns, farms, and animal feedlots.
answer: 1 contaminants or excess nutrients in surface waters and in groundwater.
In the southwestern United States, the use of water is approaching or exceeding sustainable limits. This is a good example of _______________. 1 physical water scarcity 2 All of these choices. 3 inadequate sanitation 4 economic water scarcity 5 None of these choices.
answer: 1 physical water scarcity
The largest potential source of freshwater is found in ________________. 1 polar ice caps & glaciers 2 lakes 3 oceans 4 groundwater 5 rivers
answer: 1 polar ice caps & glaciers
The range of tolerance for an organism might be: 1 the amount of rainfall an earthworm can endure. 2 how many other wolf dens where a new wolf pack lives. 3 how many competing species exist for a robin. 4 the length of time that the temperatures remain below freezing for a field mouse.
answer: 1 the amount of rainfall an earthworm can endure.
Which of the following represents the largest single use of water in a typical US household? 1 toilets 2 washing clothes 3 leaks 4 baths 5 showering
answer: 1 toilets
Not having access to enough clean water supplies is known as _______________. 1 water scarcity 2 None of these choices. 3 drought 4 groundwater depletion 5 freshwater debt
answer: 1 water scarcity
Which statement about water use is incorrect? 1 Middle Eastern nations are among the most water-stressed countries in the world. 2 Because of their unsustainable practices, per capita water use in developing countries is far greater than in developed nations. 3 As the population increases, water scarcity and sanitation issues will also increase. 4 In some areas of the world, there is enough water, but people do not have enough money to purchase or dig wells to access it. 5 The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 3 people lack sufficient access to clean water.
answer: 2 Because of their unsustainable practices, per capita water use in developing countries is far greater than in developed nations.
_________________ is a set of EPA regulated actions that minimize pollution problems caused by construction, industrial, or land-use impacts on streams and lakes. 1 Clean standards 2 Best management practices 3 Pollution standards 4 Best management standards 5 Best environment practices
answer: 2 Best management practices
True or False: Most of the world's population has access to the water falling back to Earth. 1 True 2 False
answer: 2 False
True or False: Nonpoint source pollution is easier for the EPA to monitor and control than Point Source pollution. 1 True 2 False
answer: 2 False
What are ways that urban storm water runoff might be reduced? Check all that apply. 1 Purchase cleaners that are high in phosphorus 2 Plant a grass cover over any exposed dirt 3 Wash any liquids from vehicles into storm sewers 4 Clean debris out of street gutters 5 Apply law and garden chemicals in large amounts 6 Have a professional inspect your septic tank
answer: 2 Plant a grass cover over any exposed dirt 4 Clean debris out of street gutters 6 Have a professional inspect your septic tank
_______ is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced from the decay of uranium in rock. After seeping through foundations, it can accumulate in basements and lead to lung cancer. 1 Carbon dioxide 2 Radon 3 VOC 4 Lead 5 Mercury
answer: 2 Radon
The Ohio State University is located in what terrestrial biome? 1 Temperate Grassland 2 Temperate Deciduous Forest 3 None of these choices. 4 Boreal Forest 5 Temperate Rain Forest
answer: 2 Temperate Deciduous Forest
Lake Erie experiences large algal blooms due to an increase in nutrients added to the system. What is one of the major contributors to this nutrient load? 1 point source pollution 2 agricultural runoff 3 toxic waste dumping 4 household sewage 5 stormwater runoff
answer: 2 agricultural runoff
If you wanted to have a snack, but also wanted to be conscious of your water consumption, which would be the most wise choice for your snack? 1 PB&J sandwich 2 apple 3 beef burrito 4 chicken sandwich 5 corn on the cob
answer: 2 apple
Particulate pollution includes all of the following EXCEPT for _______. 1 small, suspended droplets (aerosols) 2 carbon dioxide 3 soot 4 dust 5 pollen
answer: 2 carbon dioxide
Mapping a watershed is important in finding a source of pollution for all of the following reasons except ___________________. 1 All of these choices. 2 it helps to know where to look for the source outside of the watershed 3 it helps to know where to look for the source, usually upstream 4 it helps to know where to look for the source inside the watershed 5 it helps to know where not to look for the source, usually downstream
answer: 2 it helps to know where to look for the source outside of the watershed
Out of all of the water on Earth, how much is usable by humans? 1 10% 2 less than 1% 3 50% 4 1% 5 5%
answer: 2 less than 1%
A small lake ecosystem is being degraded. As a first step in assessment, scientists take samples of the water and determine if it has an excess of nitrogen, causing eutrophication. To remedy this problem, programs should be implemented that 1 relocate riparian areas to further away from the lake. 2 restore native habitats of fish and plants in and around the lake. 3 protect the watershed from agricultural and domestic runoff.
answer: 2 restore native habitats of fish and plants in and around the lake. & 3 protect the watershed from agricultural and domestic runoff.
The Colorado River is used for much of the agriculture in the western portion of the United Stated. When the water that is used for irrigation soaks into the soil but does not run off the land into rivers like natural precipitation, this is known as __________________. 1 desalinization 2 salinization 3 percolation 4 sedimentation 5 agricultural drainage
answer: 2 salinization
Acid deposition results from burning fossil fuels that release ___________ that react in the atmosphere to form acids that fall back to Earth as acid rain, snow, and fog. 1 VOC and sulfur oxides 2 sulfur and nitrogen oxides 3 carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides 4 lead and VOC 5 lead and mercury
answer: 2 sulfur and nitrogen oxides
In the United States, the number one cause of lung cancer is ___________ followed by ________ as the second leading cause. 1 animal hair and dander from pets; formaldehyde from carpets and furniture 2 tobacco smoke; radon 3 radon; VOCs 4 formaldehyde from carpets and furniture; chlorine from hot showers 5 tobacco smoke, lead from paint
answer: 2 tobacco smoke; radon
Select all that are TRUE in regards to the Taiga biome: 1. Receives more than average precipitation in its warm summers 2. Present only in the Northern Hemisphere 3. Located just south of the Savanna biome 4. Contains permafrost 5. Consists of coniferous tree species
answer: 2,4,5 2. Present only in the Northern Hemisphere 4. Contains permafrost 5. Consists of coniferous tree species
What force controls the direction of winds on Earth's surface? 1. The Ocean Conveyer Belt 2. Coriolis Effect 3. Orographic Effect 4. None of these choices. 5. Solar Winds
answer: 2. Coriolis Effect
Biomes are specific portions of the biosphere that are characterized by ________ and the predominant _________ that are adapted to live there. Select the best answer. 1. rainfall, vegetation and organisms 2. climate, vegetation and organisms 3. climate, abiotic components 4. sunlight, population
answer: 2. climate, vegetation and organisms
The zone of __________ is the portion of an environmental gradient within which the species survives, grows and reproduces the best. 1. limiting factors 2. optimum range 3. tolerance 4. physiological stress 5. intolerance
answer: 2. optimum range
The following items are part of the process of eutrophication. 1 Algae quickly reproduce, using up oxygen and blocking sunlight to underwater plants. 2 Bacteria consume excess wastes and nutrients, using up oxygen. 3 Underwater plants die. 4 Excess nutrients enter a body of water. What is the correct order for the process? 1 4, 3, 2, 1 2 3, 4, 2, 1 3 4, 1, 3, 2 4 1, 2, 3, 4 5 2, 4, 1, 3
answer: 3 4, 1, 3, 2 4 Excess nutrients enter a body of water. 1 Algae quickly reproduce, using up oxygen and blocking 3 Underwater plants die. 2 Bacteria consume excess wastes and nutrients, using up oxygen.
Given the relationship between asthma and air pollution, where would you raise a family to decrease the risk of asthma? 1 Near a desert. 2 In a valley where most people use wood to heat their homes 3 Away from major highway systems 4 In an urban area 5 In an area with low VOCs but moderate to high particulates
answer: 3 Away from major highway systems
Grand Lake St. Marys would be an example of which type of lake? 1 Proglotrophic 2 Mesotrophic 3 Eutrophic 4 Oligotrophic
answer: 3 Eutrophic
What protects an aquifer from pollutants in an aboveground watershed? 1 Groundwater does not move, so pollutants in aquifers are easy to locate and remove. 2 Pollutants from the surface, such as nitrates, are harmless in groundwater. 3 If deep enough, infiltration can act as a filter, removing pollutants before they reach the groundwater. 4 Surface water and groundwater do not mix, especially if the runoff is slow. 5 Pollutants such as nitrates are too large to make it to an aquifer.
answer: 3 If deep enough, infiltration can act as a filter, removing pollutants before they reach the groundwater.
Which of the following is FALSE regarding asthma? 1 The United Kingdom has the highest incidence of asthma with more than 15% of its population diagnosed in 2006. 2 Asthma is a respiratory ailment marked by inflammation and constriction of the narrow airways of the lungs. 3 None of the choices. All of these statements regarding asthma are true. 4 Developing nations are seeing a rise in asthma, especially in urban centers. 5 In the U.S. asthma is the leading cause of school absences.
answer: 3 None of the choices. All of these statements regarding asthma are true.
Which of the reasons below does NOT explain why indoor air pollution may pose a bigger threat than outdoor air pollution in some locations? 1 We breathe more air indoors because we spend so much time in homes, schools, or the workplace. 2 Items in our home, like paint, cleaners, and furniture, release VOCs, which can cause health problems. 3 Secondary pollutants form and accumulate more easily in indoor environments. 4 Outdoor pollutants, such as radon, can also find their way into our buildings and concentrate in enclosed areas. 5 All of the reasons explain why indoor air pollution may pose a bigger threat than outdoor air pollution.
answer: 3 Secondary pollutants form and accumulate more easily in indoor environments.
What would you expect to happen to the distribution of the boreal forests as temperatures continue to increase as a result of climate change? 1 The forests may move southward and into lower elevations 2 The forests may move southward and into higher elevations 3 The forests may move northward and into higher elevations 4 The forests may more northward and into lower elevations
answer: 3 The forests may move northward and into higher elevations
A watershed includes: 1 all the land downhill from a river that could potentially be flooded. 2 All of these choices. 3 all the uphill land surrounding a river and its streams that can feed water into that river. 4 the surface water and the underground aquifer. 5 only the land that would be underwater during a normal rainfall year.
answer: 3 all the uphill land surrounding a river and its streams that can feed water into that river.
Coliform bacteria indicate the contamination of a water body with ________________. 1 viruses 2 dioxane 3 fecal material 4 sediments 5 BPA
answer: 3 fecal material
Fertilizer from your lawn and motor oil from the leaky oil pan on your car are examples of: 1 All of these choices. 2 point source pollution 3 nonpoint source pollution 4 pathogenesis 5 eutrophication
answer: 3 nonpoint source pollution
Which biome description is correct? 1. Forests have freezing temperatures regularly. 2. Deserts are hot year round, much hotter than forests. 3. Grasslands receive less rainfall than forests, but more than deserts. 4. Grasslands are much warmer annually than forests.
answer: 3. Grasslands receive less rainfall than forests, but more than deserts.
Which of the following countries would you expect to have the greatest water footprint? 1 Saudi Arabia 2 India 3 Sudan 4 United States 5 Mexico
answer: 4 United States
Temperatures _________ with an increase in latitude and _________ when moving away from the equator. 1 increase, decrease 2 increase, increase 3 decrease, increase 4 decrease, decrease
answer: 4 decrease, decrease
Which of the following air pollutants can cause damage to the nervous, excretory, immune, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems; biomagnify in food chains; and was officially banned from the U.S. gas supply in 1996? 1 mercury 2 VOCs 3 carbon dioxide 4 lead (Pb) 5 sulfur dioxide
answer: 4 lead (Pb)
The leading cause of impaired surface waters in the United States is ___________________. 1 sediments 2 hypoxia 3 pesticides 4 pathogens 5 metals
answer: 4 pathogens
You are driving a car. The emissions coming out of the automobile tailpipe are considered to be _________. 1 secondary air pollutants 2 ozone 3 ground-level ozone 4 primary air pollutants 5 a point source
answer: 4 primary air pollutants
Which practice requires the greatest amount of water input? 1 flushing a toilet 2 making a cotton t-shirt 3 taking a shower 4 producing 1 pound of beef 5 washing dishes
answer: 4 producing 1 pound of beef
California is naturally close to seawater. When this seawater seeps into existing water tables that are depleted from the over withdrawing of water it is known as _________. The can contaminate the wells and cause serious issues for landowners. 1 seawater breach 2 saltwater invasion 3 seawater infiltration 4 saltwater intrusion
answer: 4 saltwater intrusion
The biome that contains the least amount of moisture is __________. 1. temperate grassland 2. savanna 3. temperate forest 4. tropical scrub 5. mountain
answer: 4. tropical scrub
Approximately how many people of not have access to fresh water or appropriate sanitation? 1 100,000 2 10 million 3 1 million 4 10 billion 5 1 billion
answer: 5 1 billion
What pollutant did the EPA receive court approval to begin regulating in 2007? 1 Sulfur 2 Lead 3 Ground-level ozone 4 Water vapor 5 Carbon dioxide
answer: 5 Carbon dioxide
Pick the nonpoint source of pollution. 1 animal waste lagoon effluent 2 sewage treatment plant effluent 3 industrial wastewater 4 None of these choices. 5 air pollution
answer: 5 air pollution
Which of the following sources of outdoor air pollution is anthropogenic? 1 wildfires 2 volcanic eruptions 3 None of these choices. 4 sandstorms 5 controlled burns
answer: 5 controlled burns
In suburban areas, lawns can be a major source of nonpoint pollution. Utilizing _______________ in these areas can help prevent pollution in nearby water sources. 1 hypoxic techniques 2 nitrogen-enriched fertilizers 3 benthic macroinvertebrates 4 water-intolerant plants 5 native plants and grasses
answer: 5 native plants and grasses
All of the following contribute to water pollution EXCEPT ___________________. 1 animal waste 2 pathogens 3 excessive fertilizing 4 open mining 5 riparian areas
answer: 5 riparian areas
Gravity "powers" all of the following processes of the hydrological cycle except___________ 1 precipitation 2 Gravity powers all of these processes. 3 runoff 4 infiltration 5 transpiration
answer: 5 transpiration
Which statement(s) about the Clean Air Act is/are TRUE? 1 The Clean Air Act is subject to political wrangling as evidenced by the introduction of several congressional bills designed to limit the EPA's ability to regulate air quality, specifically carbon dioxide (CO2). 2 Under the auspices of the Clean Air Act, the EPA approved greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty vehicles (cars and trucks) that will require new vehicles to produce less greenhouse gas emission. 3 Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA sets air quality standards for ambient air with the states being responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance. 4 The Clean Air Act is evidence that regulations can be effective as a pollution reduction tool because the United States has seen major reductions in common air pollutants such as removing lead from gasoline, and the reduction of sulfur pollution from coal combustion.
answer: all of them are correct
Urban Storm Water Runoff
anything that gets into our parking lots into our roads into our driveways onto our lawns that anytime you have a heavy rain is going to wash off into that storm sewer 1. Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of the street gutters and storm drains - these outlets drain directly to lake, streams, rivers, and wetlands. 2. Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions. 3. Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals properly, not in storm sewers or drains. If your community does not already have a program for collecting household hazardous wastes, ask your local government to establish one. 4. Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease, and antifreeze. Do not hose them into the street where they can eventually reach local streams and lakes. 5. Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion-prone area. Encourage local government officials to develop construction erosion/sediment control ordinances in your community. 6. Have your septic system inspected and pumped, at a minimum, every 3-5 years so that it operates properly. 7. Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorous to reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our lakes, streams and coastal waters.
Limiting factors
are resources needed for survival but that may be in short supply. This scarcity will determine carrying capacity.(density Dependent)
Desert
arid life zones that lack precipitation, which limits plant growth; found in both temperate (cold deserts) and subtropical regions (warm deserts); occur at low latitudes, between 15 and 35 north and south of the equator - low water vapour of desert atmosphere results in daily temperature extremes of heat and cold: leads to sparse vegetation and low species richness; desert plants adapted to conserve, store and collect water; desert animals often small and nocturnal 1. Biome in which the lack of precipitation limits plant growth. 2. Temperatures relatively constant throughout year, but large daily temperature changes because low waver vapor content of air = cold nights and hot days. 3. Deserts found in both temperate and tropical regions. 4. Soil is low in organic material but often high in mineral content, particularly salts. 5. Sparse plant cover. 6. Precipitation generally less than 25 cm per year.
Know about asbestos, Libby, Montana, health concerns associated with this pollutant.
asbestos-a heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in fire-resistant and insulating materials such as brake linings. the problem with asbestos is again these are very small particles as you breathe them in they come into your lung tissues they go into your alveoli this is a mineral that's not able to be decomposed by your body your body cannot get rid of this the mineral is very imperfect to anything we have in our body so once you ingest this inhaling into your lungs it's going to stay there for the rest of your life as a result you're going to develop cancers and your lung this material is going to be sequestered in your body you're going to get scar tissue which is shown here in this x-ray this is an x-ray of a normal person you can see it's considerably different than an x-ray of a person who's suffering from asbestos what's going to happen is you're going to die prematurely there's nothing you can do when you develop a specced OSIS it's a slow death and you're again gonna die because of your exposure to this material Libby superfund site ($400 million) - libby mine owned and operated by WR Grace from 1963-1990 mined vermiculite that contained asbestos - 250 libbians have died of asbestos-related diseases in past 60 years and 100s more sick
Know how the major winds will move.
at the equator it rotates counter-clockwise (northern hemi) In low pressure systems the wind will rotate counter-clockwise In high pressure systems the wind will rotate in clockwise position (southern hemi) In low pressure systems the wind will rotate clockwise In high pressure systems the wind will rotate in counter-clockwise position
Albert Einstein, when did he live what's so significant about his famous equation?
born March 14, 1879 - died April 18, 1955 discovered the massive amount of energy contained in matter and light. Our Sun is producing energy and new elements by the process of nuclear fusion, which can be described by Albert Einstein's famous equation E = mc^2
Physical environment
consists of the incoming radiant energy of the sun, air, water, and soil, which is required for life on Earth.
Lead (Pb)
criteria air pollutant- additive to gasoline, paint, and other solvents; phased out of the U.S. gas supply in the 1970's and officially banned in 1996. source- lead-based paint in older homes and from other countries; leaded gasoline; soil erosion and volcanoes. health/ envi effects- damages nervous, excretory, immune, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems; can accumulate ins oils and in the tissues of organisms and can biomagnify up a food chain.
Limiting factors on Earth
critical resource in LEAST supply, limits the survival, growth or reproduction of species (e.g., nitrogen may limit growth of plants).
Restrictions imposed by the Clean Air Act have helped...
decrease acid deposition in the United States. Smokestack scrubbers remove sulfur from coal burning, reducing SO4 released. Emission-‐control technologies on vehicles, such as the catalytic converter, convert dangerous combustion by-‐products to safer emissions.
anthropcentrism
human centered: only humans have intrinsic value and resources are here to meet human needs and wants
Biological environment
encompasses the organic components, organisms (humans included) and their relationships on Earth.
Know how endocrine disruptors cause problems in an animal, what do they target?
endocrine disruptor - a molecule that interferes with the endocrine system, typically by mimicking a hormone or preventing a hormone from having an effect. They cause problems like: -BPA mimics estrogen (effecting reproduction and development in both sexes) sometimes causing femalization to males to altogether sex changes. and less eggs in females.
Start at the equator and describe where the low and high pressure systems will be located as you move north and south
equator- low pressure because it is very warm and moist biomes making it always rain. 30 degrees south and north are going to have high pressure systems cool and dry like the sahara desert. 60 degrees south and north is low rain and warm south and north pool high pressure and is cold af because the sun hits it the least.
Trophic levels
feeding levels in food chain
Technology and policy can help curb air pollution:
filters and ventilation systems to improve indoor air; Reducing emissions from manufacturing with end-‐of-‐pipe solutions. -Filters -Electrostatic precipitators -Catalytic converters -Scrubbers - they're scrubbing the air comes out of the stack the dirty material was collected below and this is then carted off to a landfill and it's stored for decades centuries thousands of years in these landfills in these ash ponds ponds for example as a result you're having much cleaner air being released into the atmosphere -Cap-‐and-‐trade - the amount of co2 that's released their standards that it would be set and if your company releases more of the more of these you have to pay money for this if you release less of the pollutant you can actually trade these credits to companies that are releasing too much.
Know about coal ash ponds, what contaminates are in these ponds, where are they located, and how they can cause water pollution.
fly ash itself is the waste product that's results from burning of coal anytime we have a coal-burning power plant we have scrubbers and our smokestack that removes a lot of the way so it doesn't get in the atmosphere but it does collect at the bottom of the stack this material is transported to a coal ash waste pond it's dumped in the pond and that's where it's stored for essentially forever in most cases it's very safe there but when you in this example have a breach of that pond it can be very deadly to the surrounding ecosystem not just because of the debris that's there but because this fly ash contains arsenic cadmium chromium mercury all sorts of heavy metals and other types of toxins that are very dangerous to humans and other organisms we have coal ash ponds in Ohio there's a lot of coal burning fire plants along the Ohio River as this map shows the red dots are actually the locations of our coal ash ponds you can see some of these store 2.3 billion gallons a lot of waste this right here was about a half a billion gallons some of these in Ohio store a tremendous amount of waste in these coal ash ponds if we look at some of the contaminants that are in this coal ash waste they're extremely deadly in minut minut concentrations for example mercury the safe drinking water act 1974 passed a maximum contamination level of mercury at two parts per billion which is zero point zero zero two milligrams of mercury per liter of water one gallon for us students is approximately 3.8 liters the density of mercury it's very heavy compound is about 13.5 grams per liter major source of mercury and drinking water in the United States a day is from natural deposits from refineries from coal-burning power plants especially here in Ohio where we have a lot of them along the Ohio River
What causes the algae blooms in Lake Erie?
fortified by fertilizer runoff -oxygen levels drop after sewage spill; fish die **see notes for graph
What(why?) are plants green?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAQYpra4aUs
Watch the video about endocrine disruptors and the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI6p_6bqrnM
Why do you think deciduous plants turn red and yellow in the fall in Ohio?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWva5AaDkXw
. Population size and distribution
i. Clumped - Social species such as wolves, elk, and prairie dogs provide examples of clumped distribution. ii. Random - Individuals are spread out irregularly.Random distribution Species that disperse randomly in an environment like wind-blown seeds that germinate where they land iii. Uniform - Individuals spaced evenly possibly due to territorial behavior or something that suppresses growth. Creosote bushes in the desert are an example of uniform distribution.
Know the characteristics of Earths major biomes in terms of temperature, precipitation and organisms that you would find in each.
i. Tundra ii. Boreal Forest iii. Temperate Deciduous Forest iv. Temperate Rainforest v. Tropical Rainforest vi. Desert vii. Savanna viii. Temperate Grassland ix. Mediterranean
Can you write the equation for photosynthesis?
ignore all the 6's on the molecules slide 45-46
How are the Cuyahoga River and the Clean Water Act tied together in history?
in the United States and the 50s and 60s and 70s even we weren't as concerned as we are today about water pollution this still image here is taken from northern Ohio the Cuyahoga River which is just near Cleveland, Ohio in the Cuyahoga River would burn at times in the 60s because they're worth the regulations in place so a lot of industries along the lakes and rivers up there would dump materials directly into the rivers in this case this is a flammable material and a cigarette some other spark gets thrown on the water and you have these disastrous effects in 1969 there were no laws regulating what could be discharged into our waterways. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, was burning because of the amount of oil and chemicals in the water. Passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 established pollution standards and set in motion establishment of best management practices to reduce pollution entering the bay
Understand that science...
is a process, limited to observations, experimental and always tentative.
What are some of water's properties that make it so useful for life?
is required by all organisms on earth and a clean supply of this resource is essential for all life 1. dipolar nature. oxygen has high electronegativity hyrdogen not so much. The H2O molecule itself has a what's called a dipole moment where part of the molecule has a partial negative charge the other parts on this side have a partial positive charge and that allows these molecules to stick together through hydrogen bonds between the positive and negative groups. Creates a universal solvant for all chemical reactions for life to take place.
Ecological footprint
land needed to provide resources, assimilate waste of a population.
Map of deaths per 100,000 population due to air pollution
lecture slides 17-24 Countries talked about are: -Argentina -Norway -Russia -Iraq -Ethiopia/Kenya -Romania
biocentrism
life centered: humans and other pieces have a right to exist and are worthy of protection
Populations have a range of tolerance for each environmental factor...
light, water, salinity, nitrogen. Individuals that tolerate or thrive at edges offer chance to adapt or evolve with changing conditions.
Biotic
living components of a system.
Have a thorough understanding of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
look at slide 19 for all the dets
Environmental Science combines...
many disciplines such as biology, geography, chemistry, geology, physics, economics, sociology, anthropology, resource management, agricultural law, politics, engineering, and ethics.
How much energy is required to grow 100 calories of meat versus 100 calories of vegetables?
meat - ? veggies - ? 16 times more on average.
Trends in human population growth
new stone age bronze age iron age middle ages modern times Human populations grew slowly at first then at a much faster rate in recent years
nitric acid
nitric acid again this is a form of acid rain this is when you have n 0 X gas being released from an automobile it goes into the atmosphere it combines with water vapor to form the nitric acid and that's what floor falls back to the earth in the form of acid rain
Are humans evenly distributed over Earth's surface?
no. The most densely populated areas in the world tend to be in coastal areas or close to major waterways. About 90% of the people on Earth live on 10% of the surface area, and most are north of the equator.
Abiotic
non-living components of a system. water, oxygen, nitrogen, and substrate from rocks that many organisms depend on for shelter/food.
Death rate
number of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year
What is carbon capture and storage and how does it work?
only way to use coal in the future is to capture the coal and put it under the ground. how does it work? capturing the CO2 (acid) is the easy part. chilled ammonia (base) purple that reacts with the CO2 and neutralize the base that makes it turn green then CO2 will then turn yellow. storage is putting it deep into the ground of sandstone and having a cap that helps keep it into the ground. - expensive, takes up a lot of real estate, never proven to work at a commercial scale - capture the CO2 and put it underground -AE in west virginia
Range of Tolerance
organisms can tolerate (or survive within) a certain range of a particular factor, but cannot survive if there is too much or too little of the factor. (Temp., Precipitation, etc)
Mercury
other epa-regulated air pollutants- mercury a naturally occuring element source- burning coal; mining and smelting operations; forest fires and volcanoes health/envi effects- a major neurotoxin that can disrupt development in embryos and young children; can bioaccumulate in individuals and biomagnify up the food chain Ohio Stadium (Horseshoe) = 919 ft length, 679 ft wide, 136 ft high Volume of the Shoe = 919 x 679 x 136 = 84,864,136 ft 3 = 634,827,823 gallons (~635,000,000 gallons) ~ 2,404,000,000 liters Limit mercury (Hg) in bottle water = 0.02 mg / lite (2 ppb), which would be approximately 4,800 grams (~10 lbs) of Hg in the Horseshoe when it was filled with water . Density of Hg is 13.5 g/mL 4,800 grams / 13.5 g/mL = 355 mL = 12 fluid ounces (1 coke can)
Particulate matter (PM)
particulate matter is another of the primary pollutants that the u.s. Clean Air Act addresses. criteria air pollutant- tiny airborne particles or droplets, smaller than 44 micrometers. the smaller the particle the more dangerous it is for tissue. source- released during the combustion of any fuel or activity that produces dust; also produced by forest fires, dust storms, and even sea spray. health/ envi effects- respiratory irritant; can reduce respiratory and cardiovascular function; reduces visibility; particles can end up in aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem supplying nutrients or acids that can harm organisms that live there. PM2.5 = fine particles <2..5 um PM10 = coarse particles <10 um • Average adult breathes 3,000 gallons of air per day • Particle pollution can occur year-round • People can reduce exposure by checking daily air quality forecast and if it is bad they should limit strenuous outdoor activities • Children are most susceptible to particle pollution due to higher levels of physical activity • Cause asthma, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, premature death in people with heart or lung disease
Abiotic elements
plants, microorganisms, humans.
Provide examples of point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution.
point source pollution example - sewage treatment plant overflow, animal feedlot and waste lagoon. and industrial waste discharged into water. non-point source pollution example - open mines, industrial air pollution from smoke stacks falls back to earth but is hard to link to the original source, cropland animal pasture, construction sites, and parking lots.
S-shaped growth curve and carrying capacity
population initially shows exponential growth, then the population numbers level out as it approaches K carrying capacity - the population size that an area can support for a long term, it depends on resource availability and the rate per capita resource use by the population
Please match each term to the statement that it best exemplifies. primary air pollutants particulate matter transboundary pollution air pollution command and control smog nonpoint source pollution secondary air pollutants point source pollution subsidies environmental justice - with - The concept that access to a clean, healthy environment is a basic human right Air pollutants released directly from both mobile sources and stationary sources Particles or droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air for long periods of time Hazy air pollution that contains a variety of pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Tropospheric ozone, and ? Pollution that enters the air from a readily identifiable source such as a smokestack Pollution that enters the air from dispersed or mobile sources Pollution that is produced in one area but falls in a different state or nation Air pollution formed when primary air pollutants react with one another or with other chemicals in the air Regulations that set an upper allowable limit of pollution release which is enforced with fines and/or incarceration Free government money or resources intended to promote desired activities Any material added to atmosphere that harms living organisms, affects climate, or impacts structures
primary air pollutants - Air pollutants released directly from both mobile sources and stationary sources particulate matter - Particles or droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air for long periods of time transboundary pollution - Pollution that is produced in one area but falls in a different state or nation air pollution - Any material added to atmosphere that harms living organisms, affects climate, or impacts structures command and control - Regulations that set an upper allowable limit of pollution release which is enforced with fines and/or incarceration smog - Hazy air pollution that contains a variety of pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Tropospheric ozone, and ? nonpoint source pollution - Pollution that enters the air from dispersed or mobile sources secondary air pollutants - Air pollution formed when primary air pollutants react with one another or with other chemicals in the air point source pollution - Pollution that enters the air from a readily identifiable source such as a smokestack subsidies - Free government money or resources intended to promote desired activities environmental justice - The concept that access to a clean, healthy environment is a basic human right
If you have a forest, and herbivores, and secondary consumers and tertiary consumers how much energy reaches each level Remember that energy is given in terms of kilocalories or joules.
primary producers 9000kilocalories primary consumers herbivores 900 kilocalories secondary consumer predators 90 kilocalories tertiary consumers predators 9 kilocalories
Know what orographic precipitation is and where you would expect it to occur on Earth.
refers to the fact that warm air that may have moisture from the ocean blows up a mountain it's going to be forced up the side of that mountain and as it moves up in evaluation that moisture is going to build up the water vapors going to condense and form clouds that results in rain. Causes green areas on this side. Example is Seattle, Washington, Himalayas, and Tibetan Plateau.
Resistance factors
resistance factors, such as predation, competition, and disease, will also contribute to controlling population size and growth.
Unrenewable resources and examples
resources in finite supply OR not replenished in timely fashion. ex: Coal, oil, gas... humans have consumed a large portion of all coal in a period of less then 100 year .
Renewable resources and examples
resources or energy that comes from infinitely available OR easily replenished sources. ex: Sun, wind, geothermal.
threshold dose
safe dose" based on threshold dose - dose where effects are first seen
Toxicologist
scientists who study specific properties of potential toxin and how it affects cells or tissue of any given toxin.
Epidemiologists
scientists who study the cause and patterns of disease in human populations You cannot give a group of humans a potential toxin and determine whether it has a negative effect. So, epidemiologists do some detective work. Look for STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (p <0.05) correlation between BPA and disease.
Know about bisphenyl A (BPA).
see flashcard number 2 BPA is an estrogen mimic - it binds to estrogen receptors and triggers the effects associated with estrogen: Feminization of males Lowered sperm counts Production of egg proteins
Know the timeline for stone age, bronze age, iron age, middle age and modern times
slide 14 in lecture slides
Know the graph on Demographic transition that shows births, deaths, and population growth over time for preindustrial, industrial, mature and postindustrial countries.
slide 32 Demographic transition holds that, as a country's economy changes from preindustrial to postindustrial, low birth and death rates replace high birth and death rates.
Particulate matter, size, PM2.5 and PM10
smaller particles have more potential to cause health problems bc they can more easily enter tissue PM2.5 can enter cells and bloodstream through breathing PM10 (2.5-10) can collect in the respiratory system and irritate tissue (enhalable) particulate matter as a primary pollutant size does matter: the smaller particles tend to be more dangerous for human health and the health of other organisms for a number for two real reasons one because this smaller particles can stay suspended for longer periods of time and can pose a risk for longer periods of time and also because smaller particles can enter the bloodstream and ourselves and pose more of a risk the EPA divides the particle size by the PM number PM 2.5 is a particle that's 2.5 micrometers are smaller this is about the size of a bacterial pm10 is a molecule that's between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in size again these can be dangerous they are relatively small and they can travel distances in your lungs and pose some problems to your health PM 44 would be those particles that are 44 microns are smaller again these are a little bit larger human hair diameters about 70 microns diameter so you can see these particles here they're small but they're not as small as some of the more dangerous molecules.
sulfuric acid
so2 combines with water vapor in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid the sulfuric acid then falls back to the earth in the form of rain or other types of precipitation producing the acid rain
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
source- burning carbon-based fuels such as fossil fuels; forest fires and normal decomposition health/ envi effects- nontoxic so no health effects at normal levels of exposure; greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, effecting ecosystems worldwide.
What is a biome and it's different parts of it's environment community, population, abiotic, and biotic?
specific portion of biosphere determined by climate and identified by predominant vegetation and organisms, which adapted to live there. Each biome requires consideration of interactions between plant and animal species as well as nutrient requirements.
What are human's staple foods, what meats do we rely on for protein?
staple foods - Principal edible plants essential to people's diets. - corn grains potatoes, etc. pork: 102,000,000 tons (41% meat consumed), China is the largest producer of pork poultry: 79,000,000 tons, the United States produces and consumes the most poultry beef: 66,000,000 tons, Brazil is the largest producer and second largest consumer (after the United States)
Biotic elements
sun, water, land, atmosphere.
Be able to classify a hypothesis as testable and falsifiable.
testable - A possible explanation that generates predictions for which empirical evidence can be collected to verify or refute the hypothesis falsifiable - An idea or a prediction that can be proved wrong by evidence.
What is ground level ozone, what causes it, how is it different from the ozone that exists in the stratosphere in our ozone layer?
the atmosphere ground-level ozone is another pollutant that has major concern in the United States and other developed countries it's formed here in the atmosphere when NO x gas reacts with volatile organic compounds or volatile organic carbons in the presence of oxygen heat and sunlight formed from reactions between NOx and VOC with oxygen in the presence of sunlight (secondary pollutant) - smog - sources= industrial facilities, electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, chemical solvents - breathing ozone can cause health problems and damages crops ability to do photosynthesis
What is environmental science?
the interdisciplinary study of humanity's relationship with other organisms and Earth.
Water scarcity
the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.
Birth rate
the number of births per 1,000 individuals per year minus the population death rate
How does Earth's major atmospheric circulation patterns and heat exchange work?
the surface currents are caused by the global winds and flow in the same general direction. At higher latitudes, patterns of movement are more complex - air cools and descends at 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres - warm air rises and moves toward the poles
Groundwater
the water that has seeped into the ground and filled the pores
How does the poultry industry contribute to freshwater pollution in the Chesapeake Bay?
there are a lot of poultry farms chicken farms in and around the bay chickens produce a lot of waste and a lot of this waste is getting into the Chesapeake Bay watershed this is causing problems in terms of too much excess nutrients algae blooms in just raw sewage that's causing problems for the health of that ecosystem
How can humans protect our water resources in terms of agriculture, watersheds, habitats and fisheries?
too much to type. go to slide 55 of lecture.
Tundra
vast, treeless biome of the far north; consists of boggy plains covered by lichen and small plants such as mosses; harsh, very cold winters and extremely short summers; no equivalent in the Southern Hemisphere (no land in the corresponding latitudes) - soils are usually nutrient poor, with a layer of permafrost (permanently frozen ground) that limits the depth that roots can penetrate - limited precipitation & low temperature; flat topography; low species richness and primary productivity - tundra regenerates slowly after being disturbed; arctic tundra beginning to be affected by climate change (permafrost melting) 1. Treeless biome in the far north that consists of boggy plains covered by lichens and mosses. 2. Southern Hemisphere has no tundra. 3. Characterized by harsh cold winters, little precipitation and short summers.
Chaparral or Mediterranean
vegetation is typically thick, dense, ever-green shrubs and small trees; a mediterranean-type biome with mild, moist winters and hot, dry summers; on mountain slopes of southern California; soil is thin and often not fertile; occurrence of frequent fires - mule deer, wood rats, chipmunks, lizards, and many bird species 1. Mild moist winters and hot dry summers. 2. Vegetation is small-‐leafed shrubs and small trees 3. Found in Santa Monica Mountains of USA and areas around Mediterranean Sea, southern Australia, central Chile, southwestern South Africa. 4. Little organic matter and nutrient-‐poor soil. 5. Annual precipitation low, precipitation occurs in winter months.
Depending on where you work you can be exposed to very high concentration of pollutants like...
volatile organic compounds release from paints you have chlorine chloroform released from your structures in inside the house you have molds dust mites mildews and other things that can form chemicals release from furnitures from carpets and other things in your home's damp basements can encourage sorts of fungus and other microorganisms to grow that can be very dangerous for you to breathe radon can also be a problem for parts of the United States and s elsewhere as it seeps up through your foundation if you inhale this it can lead to cancers and other things and of course carbon monoxide can come from the fumes of your garageparticles from cooking all of these things if you're exposed to them in high enough concentrations for extended period of time can really damage your life can really shorten your lifespan as well again particulate matter from gases and fireplaces can be very problematic toxic chemicals chlorines chloroform chemicals release from furnitures the glues the polymers that they use in their tobacco for example other pesticides cleaners that we use can release a lot of damaging pollutants into our indoor air
What types of pollutants are in a coal ash waste pond, where do these pollutants come from and how are they stored?
waste products of coal combustion -produced by coal-fired power plants -Arsenic Cadmium Chromium Mercury Radium Selenium Thorium Uranium not being released into the atmosphere the issue with this is as you collect that waste it's not disappearing these technologies are only removing it from the air so it's not going into the atmosphere that waste is still there that sulfur is still there but now it's in a solid form gravity is allowed it to precipitate out you have this material and you have to dispose of it the way that it's disposed of is in coal ash waste pot the facilities will collect this material then they'll take it to these waste ponds and that's where I'll be stored for decades centuries thousands of years the issue becomes if you have a failure in one of these late waste ponds and that's what's shown here in this image from Kingston Tennessee in December of 08 if you have a failure in these waste ponds this material can be released into the surrounding ecosystem and it can cause all sorts of damage to houses all sorts of damage to the ecosystem because this material contains all of these heavy metals all of these toxins that we've removed from the atmosphere from the air and now we've stored them in these ponds.
Also, know about fracking wastewater injection wells, natural gas, methane and oil.
wastewater injection wells - is used to place fluid underground into porous geologic formations. These underground formations may range from deep sandstone or limestone, to a shallow soil layer. Injected fluids may include water, wastewater, brine (salt water), or water mixed with chemicals... if these wells leak it could prove very dangerous. natural gas - natural gas wells in Pennsylvania that produce wastewater containing corrosive salts and radioactive and carcinogenic materials. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-map.html methane - sub-mining surface... "Methane is "released, acidifying water, toxins leach from "surrounding" rocks, sulfates produce acid drainage; it "affects" everything "from" nutrient "cycles" to "the entirety of the local food web Up "side:" less" altera ) on "to" large "surface" areas" and "more" jobs oil - ?
Infiltration
water soaks into the ground
Condensation
water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.
Low pressure systems
water, precipitation, rain, and snow.
Evapotranspiration
when plants, lakes, and rivers release water into the atmostphere
how does burning coal lead to acid rain?
when you burn fossil fuels (ex. coal), acid rain occurs when these mix with chemicals in the atmosphere--> results in a mild nitric and sulfuric acid - When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these compounds across state lines
Approaching physical water scarcity
with more than 60% of river flow withdrawn, these areas will face water shortage in the near future
Do some states emit more carbon dioxide than others?
yes (ohio and some others around it)
Nitrogen Oxides
• Collectively known as NOx • Consist primarily of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) • Produced as a result of fuel combustion especially at high temperature (cars, coal-‐burning power plants) • It's a primary pollutant and can help create secondary pollutants • Inhibit plant growth • When inhaled can cause asthma • Involved in production of photochemical smog • Associated with global warming • Creates ground-‐level ozone (bad ozone) • Cause acid rain • Cause textiles to fade and deteriorate can cause asthmae emissions source list on slide 48
EPA's Efforts to Reduce NOx
• Reduce NOx emissions from motor vehicles by requiring motor industry to produce cleaner vehicles • Reduce NOx emissions from coal-‐burning power plants. 1.Phase I finalized in 1995 aimed to reduce emissions by over 400,000 tons per year between 1996-‐1999 2.Phase II began in 2000 and aimed to reduce emissions by over 2,000,000 tons per year. This has been surpassed due to additional state-‐initiated NOx reductions in the Northwest USA
Particulate Matter (Pm) part 2
• particulate matter - solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. •soil particles, soot, lead (Pb), asbestos, sea salt, sulfuric acid droplets. •scatters and absorbs sunlight. •sunlight urban areas receive< sunlight rural areas because urban air particulate > rural air particulate. •microscopic particles are considered to be more harmful to humans because inhaled more deeply into lungs.
What is a confined aquifer, unconfined aquifer, saltwater intrusion, well, water table?
○ Confined aquifer: doesn't have access to surface above it ○ Unconfined aquifer: has access to surface above it ○ Saltwater intrusion: ocean water meets underground aquifers ○ Well: digging deep underground to have access to water ○Water table: top of groundwater
