Unit 5 FRQ 1, apes free response

Although the per capita electrical energy consumption is low, China is the most populous country on the planet. The sum of individual consumption is large.

Although the per capita electrical energy consumption is low, China is the most populous country on the planet. The sum of individual consumption is large.

Identify and describe two environmental benefits to using electric vehicles in place of gasoline- powered engines for transportation.

CO2 is greenhouse gas therefore less global warming, decreased greenhouse effect, decreased acid precipitation (no point for just identifying CO2 as a greenhouse gas) Fewer oil spills, fewer pipeline leaks less habitat destruction, decreased water contamination, decreased ecosystem damage/disruption (must cite specific example)

Homeowners can reduce their ecological footprint through conservation landscaping techniques. DESCRIBE how conservation techniques can reduce outdoor watering costs

Cover landscaped areas in mulch or add soil amendments that reduce evaporative water loss from soils surrounding trees and other landscaped vegetation.

DESCRIBE one environmental problem associated with the energy-based expense that is the second highest in the production of cotton and rice

Fertilizer, if overused, can leech into the ground and get into groundwater we get out for drinking. This could cause our drinking water to be contaminated.

c. Some people have suggested that electric vehicles only shift the emission of air pollutants from dispersed sources to point sources. Explain and defend or refute this statement..

Gasoline cars must be identified as a dispersed (non-point, mobile) pollutant source, as opposed to electric cars, which obtain energy from an electrical generating power plant (point source, stationary source). Defend (1 point): Electrical generating source identified as using combustion (oil, coal, natural gas, fossil fuels, biomass).

Based on the info in the graph, EXPLANI why there is a difference in fertilizer costs between hog production and corn farming

Hog manure can contain nutrients to help grow feed, which reduces the overall need for fertilizer to be bought because the compost and manure already work as organic fertilizer.

A corn farmer wanting to decrease the ecological footprint of the operation decides to shift from producing a monoculture of corn to a polyculture of corn, soybeans, and wheat. EXPLAIN how this will effect the farm's ecological footprint

Polyculture crops work together to balance the nutrients in the soil. Some crops add nitrogen to the soil, and some take nitrogen from the soil. This means the farmer wouldn't need to use as much fertilizer on the farm, reducing the ecological footprint.

. d. In addition to contributing to increased atmospheric concentrations, China is facing other air pollution issues related to the generation of electricity. Identify one such issue and describe the impact it has on human health.

SO2 or SOx emissions from coal-burning power plants • Respiratory irritant • Aggravate asthma, bronchitis • Can lead to emphysema • Throat irritant Particulate matter • Decreases lung function (lung irritant) • Aggravates asthma • Throat irritant NOx from coal and petroleum combustion • Respiratory irritant • Aggravates heart disease

e. Two countries shown on the graph have developed domestic energy sources: sugarcane in Brazil and tar sands in western Canada. i. Choose EITHER sugarcane or tar sands, then briefly describe the process of fuel production from that energy source. ii. Describe TWO disadvantages of using the energy source that you chose in part (d)(i). iii. Which of the two energy sources is more sustainable? Justify your answer with an explanation.

Tar sands are extracted by surface mining. • Tar sands are treated with hot water to extract the oil (bitumen). • Tar sands are treated with steam to extract the bitumen disadvantages- Nonrenewable resource. • Habitat destruction as a result of surface mining. • Low net energy yield. • Requires large amounts of water to produce. • Produces large amounts of contaminated water Sugarcane is more sustainable, and any of the following is a correct explanation: • Renewable resource — sugarcane can be replanted. • Not a fossil fuel — new carbon is being consumed instead of old carbon.

If the farmer feeds the hogs 2500 g per day, EXPLAIN why the farmer will not see maximum lean growth rate in the hogs.

The data show that hogs consume less food at higher temperatures, so at 30degree C the hogs would likely not consume all 2,500 grams of food per day and will not reach their maximum lean growth rate.

A poultry farmer is considering installing a wind turbine at the farm to reduce the farm's energy-based expenses. Considering the energy-based expenses in the graph, EXPLAIN why this would or would not work as an effective long-term approach for reducing energy costs.

This would be an effective long-term approach. Based on the graph, more than half of the energy-based expenses at the poultry farm are from electricity, so this could be a long-term solution to reduce electrical costs.

b. Iceland's position on the graph is due in part to its access to geothermal energy sources. Describe how electricity is generated from a geothermal source. c

Wells are drilled, and steam is piped directly to turn a turbine (dry steam plant). • Hot water is pumped out of the earth; a heat exchanger is used to heat another liquid to produce vapor that is then used to turn a turbine (binary cycle). Electrical production (mechanical energy into electrical energy) • The energy from the turbine is used to run a generator.

wind energy

Wind energy is also a renweables source of energy that can be used to generate electity. Large wind turbines are used to capture wind, that then spins the rotor in the gererator to create electricity. This creates electricity instead of burning unrenewable sources like coal, natural gas or oil instead which use steam

IDENTIFY one variable not mentioned in the description that could affect the investigation results.

amount of water given to each hog group

geothermal

geothermal energy uses the heat inside the earth, this can be accessed either through natural sources like hot springs or drilling into the earth and pumping out hot water resviors in the earth (steam) that spins turbines to power a genertor. This can also replace the burning of fossil fuels to create energy and it is a more renwable source, as for along as the earth exists there will be heat energy inside the earth.

what is an ecological way green roofs can help

green roofs can filter out pollutants

passive solar heating

passive solar heating is a simple green design that can be ultilzied in many homes and large scale buildings. It takes advantage of a free and renewable source of energy of the sun and turns it into heat energy. THis will relpace fossil fuels as it can function and serve as a heat source for buildings instead of burning oil or elcitricty to do so using furnaces. It also helps to add more nautral light to a home, therefore decreasing the necessity for electircty even more.

what type of air pollutant could come into the indoors if there was some kind of crack?

radon gas can enter through cracks and build up indoors, can leech from soil

d. Propose two potential new United States government policies that would encourage the widespread use of electric vehicles. Explain

tax credits, increase taxe on gas to deffer people from using gas cars, have stricter emission standards, ban gas cars, get tax credits

how do green roofs help lead to cleaner air

they help to take CO2 out of the air through photosynthesis processes and carbon sequestration