Environmental unit 4&5

Natural gas is often priced in units of dollars per therm. One therm equals 100,000 BTUs. A certain family uses 600 therms of energy to heat its home annually using a natural gas furnace that is 80 percent efficient. The family is considering replacing its current furnace with one that is 96percent efficient. Assuming the cost of a therm is $0.30, which of the following would be the family's annual savings in the cost of home heating?

$28.80

In many parts of the United States, homeowners use a significant portion of their energy budget to heat their home in the winter. It has been determined that lowering a thermostat by 3°F in the winter can reduce the energy costs by about 10 percent in many homes. An individual homeowner lowers their thermostat by 3 degrees exactly halfway through the billing period. For the month that the thermostat was lowered, the heating bill was $95. How much money did the family save in the month in which they lowered the thermostat setting halfway through the billing period?

$5.00

An individual has been driving a passenger vehicle to work, averaging 60miles a week in a car that averages 22 miles per gallon. The individual plans to purchase a hybrid vehicle that averages 50 miles per gallon. If the individual drives to work 50 weeks a year, how much gas will they save if they switch to a hybrid vehicle for their commute?

76 gallons

At which of the following sites does seafloor spreading result in rifts and possible volcanoes?

A

Which of the structures in the diagram is the site where the nuclear power plant accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl occurred?

A

Which of the following identifies and describes the equipment needed to best determine the amount of water that infiltrated the soil?

A ruler should be used to measure the level of water above the pavers in both pallets immediately after pouring the water over the pavers and immediately after the one-hour wait time.

Which of the following statements best describes the most unsustainable method of clear-cutting forests to harvest timber?

All of the trees in a forest are cut down and removed in one operation.

Purity is a major factor in determining the type of coal used for energy. Which of the following types of coal are correctly paired with a description of its purity and common use?

Anthracite is considered the highest grade coal because it is almost pure carbon, and it is often used for domestic heating.

Which of the following is a direct economic advantage associated with aquaculture?

Aquaculture produces large amounts of seafood for human purchase and consumption year-round.

Which of the following would be the best location for a wind farm with ten industrial turbines?

Arranged uniformly on a local farm that has fields and pastureland for dairy and grain production

At which of the following sites would activity result in volcanoes, island arcs, and mountains?

B

Rock layer that can be porous but must have very low to no permeability

B

Which of the following best describes an advantage of burning biomass rather than burning fossil fuels in developing countries?

Biomass production is cheaper than fossil fuel extraction, making it more readily available for use.

At which of the following sites is an earthquake most likely to occur as two plates slide sideways past each other?

C

Rock layer that must be porous and have enough permeability for fluid to move through the layer

C

Which of the following best explains the process of electricity generation in a hydrogen fuel cell?

C At the anode, hydrogen is oxidized and electrons flow in a circuit to the cathode. At the cathode, oxygen reacts with the hydrogen to produce water. Water and heat are by-products of the reaction.

Which of the following describes an environmental problem that can result from the combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity?

Carbon dioxide is a product of the combustion fossil fuels, and it can lead to global climate change when released into the atmosphere.

In an apartment building, exhaust from a gas-powered electrical generator is captured to produce hot water to heat a swimming pool. Which of the following is illustrated by this process?

Cogeneration

Which of the following is an unintended environmental consequence of aquaculture?

Contamination of surrounding water by organic waste

Rock layer that must be rich in organic matter that was subjected to heat and pressure over time during the formation of oil and natural gas.

D

A farmer grows several crops on a farm that has mostly shallow, sandy soil. Which of the following irrigation methods would be the best suited for this farm?

Drip irrigation

Which of the following changes to the local hydrologic cycle will result if large areas of land experienced clear-cutting?

Evaporation of water from the soil will increase.

Based on the data provided, which of the following descriptions best identifies the types of farms that are being compared?

Farm A is a grass-fed pasture for beef production, whereas Farm B is a traditional concentrated animal feedlot for cattle.

Farmers use various methods of irrigation on crops. Which of the following statements correctly pairs an irrigation method with an advantage or disadvantage?

Flood irrigation is often used in agricultural fields, however, it increases surface erosion and salinization of the soil.

Which of the following best describes an environmental problem associated with hydrologic fracturing, or fracking?

Fracking fluids can escape from the drill hole and contaminate surface water and groundwater.

Which of the following irrigation methods is most likely to result in salinization of the soil, especially if the agricultural fields are located in a warm climate with consistent sunlight?

Furrow irrigation

Which of the following best describes a disadvantage of geothermal energy production?

Geothermal energy implementation in homes and businesses has a high upfront cost, and electricity is needed to operate pumps.

The harvesting of livestock for meat consumption affects the planet in various ways. Approximately 25% of the land area on Earth is used for raising livestock. One-third of all water used in meat production goes toward producing beef, and the demand for beef is projected to increase by 95% by 2050. The graph below shows the average meat consumption per capita from 2010 to 2012 and the forecasted meat consumption for 2022 for five different countries. Which of the following claims is best supported by the data in the graph?

Global meat consumption per capita will increase in all five countries between 2012 and 2022 as the countries move through the demographic transition and become more developed.

After reviewing personal footprint data, Student 5 decides to take action to lower his or her overall footprint by reducing money spent on shoes and clothing. Land use in which of the following categories will be most affected by this change?

Goods and services

Green roofs offer many environmental advantages, including the removal of some pollutants from rainwater. The parameters in the table above were measured in water samples collected after rainfall had passed through green roofs and over traditional roofs (N=5) in New York City. Mean levels of pH and pollutants in precipitation are shown in the table. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data shown in the table?

Green roofs reduced levels of ammonium because the vegetation absorbed the pollutant.

Which of the following describes an aspect of urbanization that would most increase the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere compared to rural and suburban areas?

Increased amounts of waste per unit area in urban areas that leads to higher rates of decay and decomposition

Which of the following best describes an environmental advantage of urbanization?

Individuals living in cities usually have a lower transportation carbon footprint than individuals living in rural areas.

Throughout the world, especially the less-developed countries, burning wood or other biomass for heating or cooking in homes is common. One negative environmental impact of this practice is the production of particulates indoors, which can be a health hazard to humans. Which of the following describes the best strategy for mitigating this potential problem?

Installing effective ventilation systems in dwellings

Industrial logging threatens many forested ecosystems. Which of the following environmental consequences will most likely result from clear-cutting deciduous forests for logging?

More carbon dioxide will be added to the atmosphere and increase anthropogenic climate change.

Assume that the rainwater from one of the green roofs ran off directly into a nearby lake. Water quality results from which of the following parameters show that the green roof would likely improve water quality in the lake?

Nitrate

Which of the following PV panel systems is least effective at producing energy?

No tracking, tilted east

If peak electricity use occurs around 2p.m. in the Los Angeles area and avoiding brownouts is more important to the installers of the PV panels than annual energy output, which of the following PV panel systems would be best to use in the area?

No tracking, tilted west

Which of the following is a characteristic of nonrenewable energy sources that distinguishes them from renewable energy sources?

Nonrenewable energy sources typically take a longer time to replenish than renewable energy sources do.

Which of the following best describes a benefit of increasing the number of offshore wind farms rather than onshore wind farms?

Offshore winds farms will produce up to three times as much electricity as wind farms on land because of increased wind speeds offshore.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the data shown in the graph?

PV panels that can track the Sun and are constantly moving to always directly face the Sun produce the most electricity daily and annually.

Which of the following best describes the conditions under which peat is formed?

Partially decayed vegetation is placed under high-pressure, anaerobic, acidic conditions.

Which of the following methods should the farmers choose to minimize the cost for efficient pest removal while still reaching their goal of reducing the amount of pollution in the river?

Planting genetically modified crops

Carbon dioxide equivalent ( CO2e ) is used to compare contributions to climate change of various greenhouse gases. A study at a farm calculated the carbon dioxide equivalent for different production stages for beef and chicken production. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the graph?

Raising beef contributes more to greenhouse gases than raising chickens does, primarily as a result of fermentation in cows' digestive tracts, which releases methane gas.

If Student 2 wanted to change his or her footprint to be more similar to that of Student 1, which of the following actions would he or she choose based on the data given in table 1 ?

Reducing the amount of meat in his or her diet

Which of the following explains why some energy sources are renewable?

Renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption.

Which of the following best describes legislation that could be used to address problems with overfishing?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) uses trade rules to protect commercially valuable species.

Which of the following statements correctly explains the role of fossil fuels in the production of energy?

The combustion of fossil fuels heats water to produce steam, which then turns a turbine.

Which of the following best describes how the use of hydrogen fuel negatively impacts the environment?

The energy needed to produce the hydrogen fuel may come from fossil fuels, whose use contributes to ocean acidification and global climate change.

Which of the following is the best example of an economic approach to reduce overfishing for a fish species with a declining population?

The federal government sets a catch limit (per person or per boat) for the species and imposes a tax on any extra fish that are caught.

Which of the following is a limitation of using only the data in the table to complete an ecological footprint analysis of the different students?

The footprint is a static analysis and does not include all environmental impacts of an individual.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table?

The greatest effect of integrated pest management was seen in lower levels of endosulfan in both tomatoes and cucumbers

Which of the following is the dependent variable in the study?

The infiltration rate of the water

Which of the following statements about geothermal energy is accurate?

The location of geothermal energy sources ranges from short distances below ground to miles below the surface.

Which of the following is the independent variable in the study?

The type of pavers used in the pallets

Although nuclear energy is considered a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels, some scientists argue this does not support the claim that nuclear energy is renewable. Which of the following claims best supports the argument that nuclear energy is a nonrenewable energy source?

The uranium deposits on Earth are finite.

Which of the following best describes the method of vehicle transport that is the most environmentally sustainable?

The use of a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells because there are no carbon emissions

Which of the following is a drawback to using biofuels, such as ethanol, as a fuel source?

There is high energy investment in producing and processing the crops needed for ethanol production.

Which of the following is the most likely result from clearing mature, forested land and converting it into agricultural land that would be used for cattle grazing?

There will be a reduction in the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The data in the table show mean concentrations (mg/L) of pollutants in rainwater leaving either green or conventional roofs. Which of the following data would be needed to calculate the total amount of a pollutant leaving the roof during and following a rainstorm?

Total volume of rainfall

Which of the following is the most practical solution to maximizing energy production at wind farms while minimizing the risk to wildlife?

Turn off turbines during periods of maximum migration.

Which of the following would be most likely to be used as a fuel source for electricity generation in the plant displayed in the diagram?

Uranium-235

Scientists studied the effects of three different ways to control household pests. They treated one group of pests with a conventional pesticide spray. A second group was treated using Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ) techniques. A third group received no treatment method at all. The success of each treatment was measured based on the change in the number of pests in the traps over time. Fewer pests caught indicate fewer pests in the area after application of the technique. The results are shown in the graph above. Which of the following claims would be the best solution to the pest problem, based on the data in the graph?

Use of Integrated Pest Management techniques is the most successful method because the sources for food, water, and shelter for pests are disrupted, leading to a reduced number of pests in the area.

Which of the following solutions would help decrease flood frequencies and flood sizes that are caused by urbanization?

Using new, more permeable materials for roads and sidewalks

Which of the following gases is released from the structure labeled C in the diagram?

Water vapor

One way that consumers can help prevent a decrease in the number of fish species that are experiencing population declines is to

eat fish that are caught using sustainable harvesting methods, therefore ensuring fish populations remain stable and reducing the amount bycatch harvested

A major environmental problem caused by using the agricultural practice of tilling is

eutrophication from excessive fertilizer use

Farmers need to make many decisions about how they grow their crops. One of these decisions is whether to use synthetic fertilizer or organic fertilizer, such as manure. An advantage of using synthetic fertilizer instead of organic fertilizer is that

synthetic fertilizer can provide more targeted macronutrients to the crops

The farming of fish such as salmon at aquaculture facilities poses a threat to marine ecosystems because

the farmed fish can escape and outcompete wild fish for food and territory

Geothermal energy plants are a viable alternative energy source because they

use the heat from Earth's interior to create steam that is used to generate electricity and then can be pumped back into the ground