CHAP 19 Environmental Science
An environment that has little or no oxygen- Organic matter that has formed solid carbon structures while under high compression- A gaseous by-product of anaerobic microbial decomposition- Coal power plants emit copious amounts of this gas- Energy from processed uranium- A renewable energy source-
-anaerobic -coal -natural gas -carbon dioxide -nuclear -geothermal
Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment?
Carbon dioxide is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment because it is a major contributor to climate change.
An oil spill occurs in the Gulf of Mexico and this technology is put to the test. What is the first step?
Collect the oil with a boom.
During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity?
It almost always increases.
A train carrying ethanol derails, spilling the biofuel into a river. If this technology is applied in this case, what will be done with the ethanol?
It will be superheated.
In the U.S., which of the following is used almost exclusively, but not entirely, for the production of electricity?
coal
Some proposed benefits of the Keystone XL pipeline were job creation and a steady supply of oil from a close neighbor to the United States. Others argue that the environmental impacts of building the pipeline are not worth the potential benefits. What environmental risks come with the building of the Keystone XL pipeline?
damage to Canada's boreal forests threat of bigger, more devastating oil spills threat to the drinkability of the water in the largest aquifer in the United States
Which of the following energy sources is considered nonrenewable?
fossil fuel energy
The oil spill resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster ________.
is the largest accidental oil spill in world history
Energy can be conserved by ________.
using heat from a power plant to heat nearby homes
If the paleoproduction consumption line reached a peak in 2000 and began to decline at the same rate it increased, in what year would we be at global net primary productivity again?
If consumption rates were to decrease at the same rate they increased, we would reach Earth's current net primary productivity levels in the year 2110.
Estimate in what year our consumption of paleoproduction reached 100 times Earth's current annual net primary production.
In 1960, consumption reached 10,000 trillion kg C/yr, which is 100 times Earth's current net primary production of 100 trillion kg C/yr.
Had this technology existed in 1989 during the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, where would the oil have been burned?
In Prince William Sound
Extraction of petroleum from oil sands causes environmental degradation at the extraction site and its surroundings. How does the use of the resulting petroleum products impact the environment?
People burn petroleum for energy. The petroleum derived from tar sand oil contributes to both air pollution and global climate change.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of eminent domain?
Residents of the Chicago area who were in the proposed path of Interstate 355 were forced to sell their homes and move when the interstate was built. Submit
Energy conservation in the United States ________.
can be achieved through personal actions and more efficient technologies
Approximately how efficient is electricity generation in the U.S.?
strip mining
Of the sectors shown in the figure, which one is least efficient?
transportation
Along with many other governmental reforms that began in 1994, the electrical plant just outside Soweto was closed in 2000, and other plants were brought into use. Some parts of Soweto were then wired for electricity. It is estimated, however, that only about 30% of the more than 1.2 million black inhabitants have electricity in their homes; the remainder either cannot afford the costs involved or live in areas that have no electrical access. These inhabitants probably use ________ for fuel.
wood and coal
In 2007, Congress mandated strict Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards that called for automakers to raise average fleet fuel efficiency to ________ mpg by the year ________.
35; 2020
If on average it takes 7,000 units of paleoproduction to produce 1 unit of fossil fuel, estimate the total carbon content of the fossil fuel consumed in the year 2000 (assume 50,000 trillion kg C consumption in 2000).
7,000 units of paleoproduction multiplied by 50,000 units of current consumption equal 3.5 x 108 trillion kg C.
The red line represents annual human consumption of paleoproduction by fossil fuel combustion. The dashed line indicates current annual net primary production (NPP) for the entire planet. Estimate in what year the annual consumption of paleoproduction surpassed Earth's current annual NPP.
According to the graph, our consumption of paleoproduction passed Earth's current net primary production in approximately 1890.
All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of ____________ energy.
Because they are the remains of fossilized organisms which required the sun to survive, all fossil fuels are considered to be an indirect form of solar energy.
What is bitumen and why is it important to oil sand mining?
Bitumen is a viscous mixture of hydrocarbons found in the oil sands and other natural settings.
What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?
Black. What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?
If the copper blanket is working as designed, which of the following will be true?
The copper blanket will weigh more after use.
According to the figure, very little ________ is/are used to generate electricity.
oil
In the U.S., the majority of ________ is used for transportation.
oil
The fact that there is a high sulfur content in the coal burned in South African power plants means that the ________.
power plants contribute to acid deposition
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of eminent domain?
power plants contribute to acid deposition
What was the primary cause of the decline in oil prices in 2016 to only 1/4 of the prices in 2008?
the soil supply glut caused by fracking
Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?
The generator is the only part of a coal-fired power plant that makes electricity.
By implementing the use of heat flux in this technology, which of the following happened?
The oil burned hotter and faster.
