Environmental Science Exam IV

Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would add about __________ years to our domestic oil supply.

4-10 months.

How long will the proven global oil reserves last at the current consumption rate?

40 years.

Currently people in the United States recycle about ______ of aluminum cans.

50%

Current gas reserves represent roughly a ______ supply of natural gas at present usage rates.

60 years.

Currently, fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) supply about ______ of the world's commercial energy needs.

82%.

Fracking fluid is NOT composed of which of the following?

Algae.

An oil reservoir is most similar to:

An oil-soaked sponge.

One of the largest reserves of tar sands in the world is located in

Canada.

The US imports most of its oil from which country?

Canada.

The item with the highest percentage recycled in the US is

Car batteries.

Which fossil fuel does the US have the most of?

Coal

Which provides the least amount of useful energy when burned?

Coal

Many cities have banned yard waste due to limited landfill space. Instead this material should be

Composted.

Despite finding new sources of conventional and unconventional oil production, estimates of how long oil resources will late has not increased because: A.) The rise of inefficient passenger vehicles (like SUVs). B.) Developing nations are now driving cars. C.) Some of the produced oil is not actually useable. D.) All of the above.

D.) All of the above.

Variables that impact recycling include: A.) Recovery costs. B.) The price difference between new and recycled materials. C.) Consumer demand. D.) All of the above.

D.) All of the above.

All of the following processes involved in the extraction and processing of metals cause pollution, except: A.) Chemical extraction B.) Smelting C.) Open-pit mining D.) All of the choices given cause pollution

D.) All of the choices given cause pollution.

Hazardous waste includes all of the following EXCEPT: A.) Paint. B.) Pesticides. C.) Electronics. D.) Paper.

D.) Paper.

Discarded electronics. like computers, televisions and cell phones are called

E-Waste

Paper bags are the most environmentally friendly option when shopping at the grocery store.

False.

Fossil fuels are:

Formed from the remains of plants and animals.

It is estimated that there are how many sites that could be classified as Superfund sites in the U.S. currently?

Hundreds of thousands.

What is currently true of the EPA Superfund?

It is used to clean up sites that are currently leaking or have the potential to leak hazardous material.

The major disadvantage of incinerating waste is

It produces significant air pollution, and it costs more than landfilling.

Sanitary landfills differ from open dumps in that

Landfill waste is compacted and covered by soil.

How is most of our trash disposed of in the U.S.?

Landfills.

Curbside recycling is generally _________ compared to curbside garbage pick-up.

Less expensive and often generates profit when the recycling is sold

Methane hydrates are

Methane molecules trapped in frozen water under the ocean.

Composting organic waste in low oxygen conditions produces

Methane.

Landfills are the single largest anthropogenic source of ________ in the United States.

Methane.

Natural gas is primarily made up of what type of gas?

Methane.

Which of these is NOT a way to deal with hazardous waste?

Mix it with water to dilute the concentration.

Which fuel provides the most useful energy when burned?

Natural Gas

Fracking can be used to release ________________ from sediment.

Oil and natural gas.

Tar sands and oil shale are both mined using

Open pit mining.

Look at the following graph, what best describes the trend of actual worldwide oil production?

Over time, actual oil production has continued to increase.

The role of barrier islands is to

Reduce flooding and wave heights during storms.

Using a cloth grocery bag is best described by which of the 3Rs:

Reduce.

Which of the 3 Rs has the most environmental impact?

Reducing.

In recent decades, unregulated open dumps have ___________ in developing countries.

Remained the primary disposal method

Energy sources, such as sunlight and wind, are

Renewable.

Using a refillable beverage container would be an example of

Reusing.

Half of the coal from the United States comes from which type of extraction method?

Strip Mining.

What are mixtures of sand and oil?

Tar Sands.

Which of the following is NOT true of oil shale and tar sands?

The water used in the process is uncontaminated and able to be reused.

Mountaintop removal is best described as:

Using explosives to remove layers of a mountain to access coal beds

Coal is being replaced by solar, wind and natural gas for electricity generation because

We are running out of coal.

Organic material converts to liquid petroleum

When pressure and temperature are increased due to burial under younger sediment.

Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel?

Wood.

Which of the following air pollutants does coal NOT produce when burned? A.) Nitrogen Oxides B.) Sulfur Dioxide C.) Mercury D.) Coal produces all of the above.

d.) Coal produces all of the above.

Recycling aluminum is most important for: A.) Saving raw materials (the ore). B.) Saving energy. C.) Saving landfill space. D.) Reducing air and water pollution from extracting aluminum from the ore. E.) All of these are correct.

e.) All of these are correct.

Coal

•Contains the most impurities •Found in coal reserves •Contains energy from plants millions of years ago

Natural Gas

•Found near oil deposits •Methane is abundant •Remains of animals and plants from millions of years ago and is sometimes mixed with sand and silt.

Oil

•Remains of animals and plants from millions of years ago •Found in basins