Environment & People (Quiz questions)
T or F: most energy consumption in the US consists of renewable sources.
False
What is the primary source of both methane and nitrous oxide?
Farms- animals have a large amount of gas so they fart and that produces this.
Do household in europe and north america spend more of their incomes on food, or do asia and africa spend more of their incomes on food? why?
a. asia and africa b. incomes are lower and food is more expensive
what has been the change in rental prices in bloomington? how does this compare to the state of indiana
a. every year they increase b. higher
what has been the change in home sales prices in bloomington? what was the median sales price in may 2018
a. increased b. 217,500
between 2011 and 2016 how did the median household income change in bloomington? is the median household income higher or lower than median household income in the US
a. increasing b. lower
about how much food produced in the US is wasted
about 1/3rd
in recent years, natural gas has overtaken coal as the largest source of fuel for electrical generation in the US. why has this occurred
because of fracking
what is the most important source of alternative energy at IU
coal
name 2 types of emissions controls used in the heating plant. Describe briefly how each technology works
coal boiler: the flame from the coal heats the water Line dust :controls mercury and sulfur dioxide
what types of fuel are burned by the heating plant
coal, oil (emergency fuel), natural gas,
Name two types of agricultural crop subsidies.
crop insurance and market loans
in what units is electricity sold in the US
dollars per kilowat hour
what are the largest 2 line items in the budget of IU's utility costs?
electricity natural gas and coal- 90% of the carbon footprint
What are the two primary sources of carbon dioxide?
emissions from fossil fuel use and land use change.
in what units is energy measured
energy is measured in kilowat hours
Give a definition for renewable energy
energy that is not depleted when used
what is the relationship between power and energy
energy=powerxtime
what is MPG? what is GPM? which is better to understand
miles per gallon, gallons per mile, GPM
who certifies that a product is all natural. why is this label not trustworthy
nobody- no one with check it over
who certifies that a product is non GMO? why is this label trustworthy
non GMO they check supply chain
Calculate the gas savings to upgrade one's vehicle from the old MPG to the new MPG. Assume that you drive 10,000 miles.
(10,000/15) - (10,000/22)--- miles divided by old MPG - miles divided by new MPG Replacing gas guzzlers is more efficient. To find GPM- you do (miles * old gpm) - (miles * new gpm)
Name four of the reasons why local/regional food systems are important, and explain each briefly (one sentence each).
1. Retain wealth and support the local economy 2. Farmers markets have a positive effect on nearby businesses, and the money that small farm operators make selling locally gets spent locally. 3. Food processed and distributed locally creates jobs in related sectors 4. Schools are investing in state grown food. This is
what intermediate steps occur between electricity generation and usage at home
1. electricity is generated 2. voltage is increased at a transformer station 3. electricity flows through transition lines 4. neighborhood transformer decreases voltages 5. energy distributed through neighborhood lines
give three reasons why food loss is important
1. wasted food is wasted resources 2. many externalities from food chain 3. many under fed and starving people
approximately what percentage of americans were gluten free in 2013-14
2.4%
By how much have sea levels risen between 1900 and 2000?
200 mm which is .2 meters
approximately what percentage of americans were vegetarian/vegan in 2015?
3%
What is a temperature anomaly? What do temperature anomalies say about climate change?
A departure from a reference value or long term average. A positive anomaly indicates that the observed temperature was warmer than the reference value, while a negative anomaly indicates that the observed temperature was cooler than the reference value.
What are greenhouse gases? What happens when the amount of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere increases?
A gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. The direct result of an increase in the amount of a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is a decrease in the rate of emission of infrared radiation from the atmosphere out to space. There is then a temporary imbalance between solar radiation absorbed globally and infrared radiation emitted globally to space. Other things being equal, this temporary imbalance is removed by a global increase of atmosphere temperature.
What is global warming? What are its causes?
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
People today speak a lot about "eating local". What is the definition of "local food"?
A local food system is one that shortens the distance between food producers and consumers, both literally and figuratively.
1. According to Nordhaus (pg 1-2), why are economic price indices inaccurate?
Because most goods we consume today were not produced a century ago. If we are to obtain accurate estimates of the growth of real incomes over the last century, we must somehow construct price indexes that account for the vast changes in the quality and range of goods and services of horse with automobile.
what is the mission of the department of economic and sustainable development
sustainability, economic, and improving quality of life
For what types of extreme weather do we have strongest scientific evidence of their connection to climate change?
Coastal flooding Heat waves
How do we guess the path of global warming?
Computer simulations of the planet: i. global circulation models: 1. forecast climate change and accuracy checked by "backcasting" ii. Most accurate for large areas 1. Continents and oceans
What are some obstacles named in the article to the creation of a local food system
Determining what is local and what is not. It's also very expensive to create. When buyers are faced with the true cost of food raised by small scale producers using environmentally friendly methods, they often balk.
Name three key advancements in lighting technology.
Development of town gas, wax candle, petroleum
where does IU buy its electricity
Duke energy
How does the U.S. government support unhealthy eating?
Majority of US food is processed into common junk food ingredients.
Environmentally speaking, what is the advantage of local food?
Many farmers who sell local food use environmentally sustainable methods to farm (such as manure rather than chemical fertilizer), organic pest control methods, cover crops and the like.
what is hydraulic fracking
a well stimulation technique which rock is fractured by a pressured liquid
economic sustainability
take care of finances. unsustainable= business runs out of money. example= nonprofits running by grants
social sustainability
take care of people. unsustainable= people negatively impacted by work, burn out. Example: investment banking
environmental sustainability
take care of surroundings. unsustainable= business destroys environment. example= mountain top mining
where are solar panels being installed at IU
testing the pay off right now- spruce dorms
Definition for energy
the capacity for doing work
definition of power
the rate at which energy is used the formula for power is : energy=powerxtime
sustainability
to create and maintain conditions under which human and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations
how is indianapolis in terms of frequency of food deserts
too far from production places
what is the switchyard park
took 25 years to make. surrounded by industrial buildings
Which end use sectors are the largest consumers of energy in the US
transportation and industrial
how does bloomington compare to other cities, according to the innovation index
we are low on healine index, we're pretty good on human capital and knowledge creation index
is bloomington a growing city? what are the main challenges facing its growth
yes, it will be attracting a lot of people in the future
What is the difference between "local food" and "sustainable food"?
Because there is no environmental certification for being a "local" farm, it is not guaranteed that methods used are sustainable. Organic certification is an expensive, time consuming process, and many farmers who sell locally do not think that their customers value the certification enough to make it worth the effort.
What makes boiler #7 significant?How is boiler 7 different from the earlier boilers?
Burns natural gas and is brand new technology. can get more heat when using this largest capacity but smallest building. This is different from previous because it operates all the time
What is the largest source of calories in the American diet? What foods are supposed to comprise the largest portions of a healthy diet?
Carbohydrates and breads. Fruits and vegetables should make up about half of the foods on our plates.
What is a "radiative forcing component"? What are the largest three radiative forcing components?
Carbon dioxide Halo carbons Ozone
What are the largest three major radiative forcing components?
Carbon dioxide, halo carbons, ozone.
For what types of extreme weather do we have limited scientific evidence of their connection to climate change?
Hurricanes Tornadoes
What are the market consequences of government support? What are the health consequences of lower prices?
If these agricultural subsidies went directly to taxpayers to allow them to purchase food, each of american's 141 million taxpayers would be given over $7 to spend on junk food and only 27 cents for an apple. junk food is cheaper than the healthier food
What are two major causes of increasing carbon dioxide levels, as named in the article?
Increased industrialization of the planet wide economy is the predominant cause. Burning fossil fuels is one way that carbon dioxide is released while another source is the burning of timber and vegetation. Also recent human activity
How have the Inuit people been affected by changes in permafrost?
Inuit (eskimos)- They usually have igloos. Inuits build houses on frozen land, thinking that it will always stay the same because it won't
What was the original intention for U.S. intervention in the agricultural sector?
It was aimed at helping small family farms, many of which were struggling as the economic catastrophe of the great depression.
How has the true price of light changed over time? (Table 1.4) How does this change in the true price compare to the CPI?
It was low and then in 1992 prices rose significantly and then in 1800 they lowered a lot. All the lights stayed relatively the same.
What is permafrost and how has it been affected by climate change?
Permafrost is melting during summers-Land that is expected to be permanently frozen. Houses on permafrost are collapsing because the permafrost melts.
What is the MPG Illusion? Explain it with 1-2 sentences, then give an example of it
There is a systematic misperception in judging fuel efficiency when it is expressed as miles per gallon. People falsely believe that the amount of gas consumed by an automobile decreases as a linear function of a car's MPG. Consumers are likely purchasing both too many gas guzzlers and too many super efficient plug in hybrids and avoiding vehicles with mid range MPG ratings more than they would if they weren't under the MPG illusion.
For what types of extreme weather do we have strong scientific evidence of their connection to climate change?
Severe droughts Extreme precipitation events
How does the global average temperature affect the sea level and northern hemisphere snow cover? Why is this potentially concerning?
Snow helps regulate the exchange of heat between earth's surface and the atmosphere, so the warming of temperatures affects the amount of snow. Cyclones will become more intense, with larger peak wind speeds and more heavy precipitation associated with ongoing increases of tropical cyclones
Who is the IPCC? Describe in one sentence the purpose of the IPCC.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. They're dedicated to providing the world with objective, scientific information relevant to understanding the scientific basis for the risk of human induced climate change, its natural, political, and economic impacts-known as the definitive body -international group of scientists established under the UN, chartered to evaluate published literature on climate change -currently most authoritative body to evaluate scientific consensus -nobel peace prize (2007)
What is Nordhaus' key point about the efficiency and cost of light?
The approach is incomplete when we are examining productivity growth of service characteristics. When the service characteristic is produced by a number of different stages the impact of all the stages of production must be considered.
How has the efficiency of light changed over time
The efficiency of lighting has increased by a factor of about twelve hundred.
What distinguishes the troposphere from the stratosphere? a. Which is warmer?
Troposphere- temperature decreases with altitude through a layer of the atmosphere extending from the earth's surface up to an average altitude of about 10 km. It contains about 80 percent of the air that makes up the atmosphere and virtually all of its weather and its clouds. Where global warming is located. Stratosphere- layer immediately above the troposphere. Colder layer
T or F: shale gas production through hydraulic fracking is now responsible for the majority of gas and oil production int he US
True
T or F: total renewable energy production has grown sharply in the US
True
Rates of Companies: USDA organic non gmo project verified all natural american grassfed american human certified animal welfare approved no antibiotics non GMO
USDA organic- trust non gmo project verified- trust all natural- not american grassfed- trust american human certified- possibly animal welfare approved- trust no antibiotics- not non GMO- not
who certifies that a product is "organic". why is this label trustworthy
USDA- they check every step
In what parts of the world are temperature rises expected to be concentrated? What countries are expected to experience the largest increases in temperature?
Where there is glaciers?? Right above the south pole The poles of our planet- north(even more) and south pole
Pillar of Sustainability:
social economic environmental
Why does the heating plant still make heat during the summer
for shower in the summer
who is alex crowley, and what role does he play in this department
head of economic and sustainable department- improve those things
tech park
home to several high tech businesses
why has the price of natural gas fallen in the US
hydo flasking has caused it to fall
what are the largest sources of renewable energy generates the most energy?
hydro and biofuels
have wages grown or fallen in bloomington between 2011 and 2016? by how much?
increasing
which age groups in bloomington are increasing the fastest? which age groups in bloomington are decreasing
increasing- older populations decreasing- younger populations
what is the trades district
industrial park
how has population changed in bloomington between 1970 and 2010?
it has slowed down
why are coal, oil, and natural gas not renewable
it took millions of years to make
in what units is power measured in the US
kilowats
what is cook medical
make medical devices
between 2006 and 2016, which two industries have grown the most in bloomington
manufacturing and professional and business services
where is the new hospital being built in bloomington? why does bloomington need a new hospital
on the east side of town, to attract more to the west side of town
what is the dimension mill
over 19,000 square feet of coworking and business space
why does IU use more electricity during the summer than in the winter
over 3,000,000 in the summer. Air conditioning
food desert
parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole food, usually found in impoverished areas
which types of fuel are the largest three sources of US energy consumption? are each of these renewable or nonrenewable
petroleum natural gas- non coal- non
2 production chains
production -->processing --> distribution --> retail --> home preparation --> home consumption production -->processing --> distribution --> restaurant --> restaurant preparation --> restaurant consumer
Because of the MPG illusion, what is more important; replacing the gas guzzlers or upgrading compact cars to hybrid ones
replacing gas guzzlers
The IU heating plant has switched from almost entirely running on coal to running on natural gas. Why
running coal is expensive and natural gas is easier and less expensive
