Unit 5
3. Identify a drawback of each of the following types of mining, and give an example of a mineral mines in this manner:
3. Identify a drawback of each of the following types of mining, and give an example of a mineral mines in this manner: a) strip-pollutes waterways and removes overlying soil and rock, acid drainage, habitat destruction, erosion mineral=coal b) subsurface-death of a miner can occur, collapsing shafts and tunnels, toxic fumes and coal dust and can lead to diseases, natural gas explosions minerals=zinc, lead, nickel, tin, gold, copper, and uranium c) placer-environmentally destructive because of debris into the streams (no fish downstream), also causes disruption on stream bans, causes erosion, harms ecologically important riparian plant communities d) open pit- chemical contamination from acid drainage, pits are abandoned and becomes toxic, habitat destruction, toxic water ponds minerals=copper, iron, gold, diamonds, and coal e) mountaintop removal- dumping destroys habitat, clogs rivers and streams, more erosion and mudslides, clearing of forests that used to be the richest forests for biodiversity mineral=coal
5. You should be able to recognize/list and explain several drawbacks of mining coal and burning coal.
300 miners died in Subsurface mine in Pa-now we don't go under just blow off mountains, black lung disease for workers and surrounding area people, surface mining damages environment thur overburden and tailings, no restoration which all this leads to water pollution from sulfates and other chemicals Burning: air pollution-Sulfur dioxide leads to industrial smog and acid deposition, Toxic metals: mercury-> bioaccumulation and biomagnification, global warming and ocean acidification-when burned methane released from mines, release of radioactivity
1. Identify a use for tantalum.
A metal that is used in the production of cell phones, computer chips, DVD players, game consoles, and digital cameras... It is highly heat resistant and readily conducts energy.
11. You should be able to explain/recognize the benefits and drawbacks of using wind energy. You should be able to explain where (locally) two of the largest wind farms in the world are located.
Benefits: non polluting, minimal environmental disruption, high access potential, homeowners and communities can sell excess energy into utility grid, just require maintenance costs Drawbacks: kills birds and bats, aesthetic is subpar, 1 mi/turbine, only useful in fairly windy places, not consistent, need a lot of steel, costs a lot, not very efficient Alta Wind Energy Centre: California; Roscoe, Texas
4. Name two costs of using coal that relate to mining.
Black lung if subsurface mining; accidents, overburden and water pollution can occur from sulfates and other chemicals Air pollution which gives off sulfur dioxide which contributes to industrial smog Damages environment
4. You should be able to explain/recognize an alternative to waste disposal and how consumers can influence manufacturers' decisions for waste reduction. You should be able to explain/recognize several ways to reuse goods. You should be able to explain/recognize how a 'bottle bill' works and explain the history of bottle bills. You should be able to explain/recognize the steps to recycling, along with the pros and cons of recycling.
Bottle bill: pay 5 to 10 cents more per can/bottle and then GET THE MONEY BACK FOR RECYCLING: drastically increased recycling Steps: collect and process used goods, manufacture new goods, and then consumers gotta buy stuff Pros: cuts down on the external costs, saves energy, cuts emissions Cons: more expensive to recycle; cheaper to buy new plastic
9. What is the energy described in #3 converted to?
Coal is made into electricity, Natural gas into heating and cooking, petroleum is made into fuel
1. You should be able to recognize/list the three main types of fossil fuels currently in use, their sources, and their fate (i.e., what we generally use them for... e.g. Coal is generally used for what purpose?).
Coal: strip mining near surface, subsurface for deep, mountain top removal , used for electricity-US has the most coal, made from organic matter-generally woody plant material that has been compressed under very high pressure, creates a dense solid carbon structure-usually when H2O is squeezed out and little decomposition Oil: mining, fuel/transportation, Top reserve for oil is venezuela and Saudi Arabia-Canada is next, consists of many types of hydrocarbons Natural gas: fracking, formed primarily of methane , can form directly from coal or oil altered by heat, thus often found above deposits of oil or seams of coal, electricity
3. You should be able to explain what coal, petroleum, and natural gas are (i.e., how they are formed, including the two kinds of natural gas), methods of extraction (e.g., fracking), and the global life expectancy of each of these fossil fuel resources if our current consumption levels continue.
Coal: usually burned for electricity, North American has ¼ of world's coal reserves At today's rate we have 120 years left if we keep at the same rate Petroleum: sludge like mixture with many different hydrocarbons, permeates spaces in sandstone or limestone, difficult to extract most of the oil in a formation-when it gets difficult push water in to push it out-enhanced recovery-usually can only get ⅓ out before you need to try this, 21-24% of world reserves are in Saudi Arabia and Venezuela with lots of civil unrest-reserve estimates are probs exaggerated so that countries can make money now, 8.2% in Kuwait but 5% was destroyed by Iraq in 1991 when they invaded, 2% in U.S.-debate to open ANWR import the most from canada and mexico At current consumption of 30 billion barrels per year we have 40 years left Natural Gas: for electricity and heating and cooking in homes, fracking, often burned if it cannot be harnessed-better to have CO2 in the atmosphere than methane Proven reserves for about 64 years
4. You should be able to explain how electricity is generated in a combustion power plant, hydroelectric power plant, nuclear power plant, concentrated solar power plant.
Combustion: 1.) pulverize coal and puff into furnace, 2.) water thru pipes-heats up and turns into steam-pumps turbine-put it thru a condenser-cools thru use of cooling tower which releases water vapor 3.) baghouse and scrubbers Hydroelectric: water turns a turbine Nuclear power plant: fission produces heat that heats up water to steam that heats up more water that produces steam and turns a turbine Concentrated solar power plant: sunlight hits surfaces, reflected onto tower, heats up water in tower and produces steam that runs a turbine
2. Smelting is: a) a process for purifying beeswax. b) a process used in snow removal. c) a kind of fish. d) a process used in purifying a metal e) a process by which coal is mined.
D
6. You should be able to recognize/list and explain several drawbacks (including environmental, political, and economical) of using petroleum as a fuel. You should be able to explain the probable effect on the U.S. fuel supplies of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling.
Environmental degradation, reliance on unstable nations which results in an unstable U.S. economy, have to protect tankers in Gulf and 2000 plus miles of pipelines, alliance with interesting nations It would increase the oil amount available but really not all that much; it's a gamble for sure
1. True or False: The best solution to the solid waste problem is recycling.
False: reduce the amount of material that enters the waste system
3. You should be able to explain/identify the largest components of municipal solid waste in North America and where they come from. You should be able to explain 'open dumping' and its consequences. You should be able to explain/describe sanitary landfill design and procedure, some general guidelines, and pros and cons of disposal in sanitary landfills. You should be able to explain/recognize pros and cons of incineration of waste and two ways landfills can produce energy from their garbage.
Food scraps and plastics, make sure to have impermeable membrane or soil down below to limit leaching, concentrated but big issue if there's a leak, get rid of it and its a 0 carbon exchange unless there's a funky thing in there, use steam from burning to turn turbine, use methane gas
2. You should be able to describe energy use in developed countries (especially the U.S. and Canada) compared to the rest of the world.
Fossil fuel use relates to standard of living, in the U.S. natural gas comes in 2nd to oil and we use if for electricity
7. You should be able to recognize/list and explain the benefits and drawbacks of using natural gas as a fuel.
Fracking could be hazardous to human health and environment, difficult to store and ship, hard if you use anything other than pipelines to ship, methane leaks, earthquakes Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, only lets off CO@ and water and .5 as much CO2 as coal per BTU
12. You should be able to explain/recognize how the following types of energy work (i.e., how we harness the energy, and what form it is in), and be able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each: Biomass (know that biodiesel and ethanol fall into this category), Hydroelectric power (hydropower), Geothermal, Ocean (tidal, etc.), Hydrogen
Hydroelectric: use kinetic energy of flowing water for electricity: water Benefits: renewable/clean as long as reservoir remains, Drawbacks: harms environment (inundates land, more evaporation, downstream biological communities are harmed) Biomass: organic substances produced by recent photosynthesis: fuel like ethanol Benefits: can produce net 0 carbon dioxide; Burns cleaner; Economic benefit: ethanol insures corn market Drawbacks: may produce net (+) CO2; incinerators could release toxins; crops: use fertilizers and fossil fuels in equipment; food shortage; low EROI, corn can be really expensive Geothermal: thermal energy from underground; heats water: heat Benefits: doesn't use up when using thermal energy Drawbacks: can run out if water runs out; plates shift, so location shifts as well, also restricted to certain areas Ocean: tides, currents, waves can provide energy: water or heat from water Benefits: few to no pollutants released Drawbacks: negative to ecology of estuaries and tidal basins, open cycles can provide fresh drinking water Hydrogen: gas Benefits: exhaust is only water, can hold energy to be released later-hydrogen batteries Drawbacks: energetically expensive, only renewable as much as energy is that is put in, have to generate H2-electricity is put into split hydrogen atoms from oxygen atoms
10. Describe what hydrogen fuel is and how it produces energy.
Made of 2H2O + CH4 -> 4H2 + CO2 Buring it H2 + O2 -> H2O + energy, H2 pumped in, electrons taken as passed the neg electrode makes H+ then pairs with oxygen that is pumped in on other side of pos electrode-water is formed
2. You should be able to explain how mineral resources are processed.
Mined, pulverized, and washed and then prepared to be separated into parts Smelting: heating ore beyond melting point and mixing with other metals/chemicals Fuse a metal with a nonmetal to create an alloy Water and energy expensive; emit pollution; pollute water and ground from tailings (portions left over)
10. You should be able to explain/recognize the difference between passive and active solar heating, PV solar, and concentrated solar power, and you should be able to recognize examples of each (e.g., which one might involve a power tower?). You should be able to explain/recognize how a solar photovoltaic cell works (see figure 21.9 in your book).
Passive: non mechanical (ex. Structural design, roof overhangs, S facing windows), uses the heat of the sun to warm things ect Active: mechanical: pump air, water, antifreeze through collector and can heat home PV solar: provide electricity right there through the release of electrons and the semiconductor and the circuit that is created, can be stored and used later Concentrated: uses a power tower: collects sunlight and directs it at central tower that absorbs energy-pumped to a different facility that then heats water to generate stem and then turn a turbine Uses the sun's rays to convert to electricity
8. You should be able to explain/recognize what nuclear power is and how it (electricity) is produced. You should be able to explain the reactants and products in a typical nuclear reaction in a nuclear power plant. You should be able to explain/recognize what is meant by a 'core meltdown'. Be able to explain the function of control rods and coolant. You should be able to recognize/list and explain the benefit and drawbacks of the use of nuclear power.
Reactor core-U235 Produces Molybdenum, Tin, energy, neutrons The energy heats water to produce steam, primary loop generates steam in secondary loop (sometimes 3rd loop cools) Can't mix the loops because of radioactivity The steam generates energy and turns a turbine Benefits: no greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants, high energy content Downfalls: expensive and needs a bit more research and development, dangerous to mine, fuel prep-get them into pellets, waste storage is an issue, safety and security-radiation, chernobyl, earthquakes, terrorism
1. You should be able to identify types of mineral resources and their uses.
Rock: a solid aggregate of minerals Mineral: naturally occurring solid chemical element or inorganic compound with a crystal structure, a specific chem composition and distinct physical property Metal: type of chemical element or a mass of such an element that typically is lustrous, opaque, and malleable and can conduct heat and electricity most not found in pure state but are in ore which is a mineral or grouping of minerals from which we extract metals, then crush it and wash the desired minerals are isolated
2. You should be able to explain/recognize what is meant by the term 'source reduction' and the ways consumers can achieve this type of waste reduction.
Source reduction-reduction of the amount of material that enters the waste stream to avoid the expensive costs associated with disposal and recycling, help conserve resources, minimize pollution, and save consumers and businesses money Buy goods that have less packaging and give manufacturer's incentive to reduce packaging use less plastic bags
3. You should be able to describe the major methods of mining and identify which mineral resources the practices are generally used for.
Strip-coal Subsurface-zinc, lead, nickel, tin, gold, copper, and uranium Placer-metals and gems Open-Pit--copper, iron, gold, diamonds, and coal Mountain Removal-coal
. You should be able to explain the motivation for power companies to get people to conserve energy.
They then don't have to figure out how to provide the energy for all these people Cogeneration: sell excess energy to the grid and get pocket change!
1. You should be able to identify/explain/recognize what is meant by each of the following terms: waste, hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, industrial solid waste, sanitary landfills, leachate, incineration, waste-to-energy facilities, source reduction, composting, recycling, NIMBY (Syndrome).
Waste- any unwanted material or substance that results from human activity or process Hazardous waste- liquid or solid waste that is toxic, chemically reactive, flammable, or corrosive Municipal waste-non liquid waste that is not especially hazardous that comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses Industrial solid waste- non liquid waste that is not especially hazardous that comes from the production of consumer goods, mining, petroleum extraction, refining, and agriculture Sanitary landfills-a site where solid waste is buried in the ground or piled up in large mounds for disposal, designed to keep waste from contaminating the environment Leachate-liquid that results when substances from waste dissolve in water as rainwater percolates downward. Seep through liners of landfills and reaches the soil underneath Incineration-destruction of waste by burning BIG FIRE GET THE MARSHMALLOWS SMORES YAS Waste-to-energy facilities-An incinerator that uses heat from its furnace to boil water to create steam that drives electricity generation or that fuels heating systems. Source reduction-reduction of the amount of material that enters the waste stream to avoid the expensive costs associated with disposal and recycling Composting-conversion of organic waste into mulch of humus in a controlled manner using biological processes Recycling-process where materials are collected and broken down to produce new goods NIMBY (Syndrome)- Not in my back yard-persons who resist unwanted developments near where they live (manufacturing plants, prisons, power companies, or chemical companies)
2. True or False?: Because of our dependence on foreign fuel, our economy depends on the stability of countries exporting fuel to the U.S.
Yes, to a point, but we also have differentiated our sources, so we don't rely solely on one country, so if one is unstable, then they are usually okay still?? idk
5. During nuclear fission, atoms of uranium-235 split and can turn into:
a) 2 lead molecules, plus neutrons b) 2 mercury molecules, plus neutrons c) 2 plutonium molecules, plus neutrons d) 2 uranium-238 molecules, plus neutrons e) 1 molybdenum molecule and 1 tin molecule, plus neutrons
3. The U.S. and Canada have ___ % of the world's population but consume ___% of the fossil fuel.
a) 5, 80 b) 20, 80 c) 20, 70 d) 5, 25 e) 25, 80
1. Which one of the following is not a type of fossil fuel?
a) nuclear fuel b) petroleum c) coal d) natural gas e) All of the above are fossil fuels.
5. __________ involves the conversion of organic waste to mulch or humus usable for enriching soil by encouraging natural biological processes of decomposition in a controlled manner. a) combustion b) manurization c) composition d) composition decomposition e) composting
composting
3. True or False: NIMBY Syndrome is a contagious disease that is spread via landfilled wastes seeping into groundwater aquifers that are used as sources of drinking water.
false: NIMBY is not in my backyard for those who dont want plants to be near their homes
7. True or False: involve the creation of a flow of protons.
false: electrons
2. True or False: One benefit of landfills is that the lack of moisture slows down the decay of the landfilled waste.
false: moisture helps it to decay
6. What material comprises the largest component of the municipal solid waste stream?
food scraps and paper
4. Consumers can decrease solid waste generation by _______. (Choose all correct answers.) a) choosing to buy locally made goods I don't think these two help decrease??? b) purchasing only organically grown vegetables c) choosing to purchase only imported goods d) purchasing goods with the Energy Star label e) choosing minimally packaged goods
not last two
6. True or false: Power companies can save money by helping people conserve energy.
true
8. True or False: The burning of trash for the purpose of harnessing the released energy is one example of the use of a biomass fuel.
true