CIVL2135 Tutorial Questions
How are water quality standards/guidlines developed? Describe 2 situations that would require the application of different water quality standards/guidelines
-'intended use' or fit for purpose -testing to establish threshold of toxic effects in humans or biota or reduced ecosystem function -drunking water -Agricultural water -Industrial process water -Ecosystem protection -Recreational use
Explain climate change (both natural cycles and antrhopogenically induced) and discuss how this will impact: i) you personally; ii) global society; iii) you professionaly
-Change in radiative forcing due to natrual cycles (orbital variations due to obliquity, eccentricity, precession, sunspots) and the timeframes (11-100,000 years) and the magnitude of the change (0.1 - 0.2% radiation). -Green houes effect (trapping out outgoing longwave radiation (infrared) by greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, CFCs, water vapor) which leads to an increase in temperature personal: increased exposure to extreme weather events, increased insurance costs, changes society: changes/shifts in food produciton areas, population migrations due to sea level rise, shifts in energy sources (decarbonization?), increased energy costs (and associated costs of goods and services) professional: change in design guidelines/standards (extreme events, increased variability), low carbon/zero carbon design, increased emphasis on energy efficient and low emission designs, increased level of environmental reporting (emissions reporting) for projects
16. A transport container with a volume of 100 litres that is completely filled with a phosphorous based fertiliser (in liquid form) has accidentally been dropped into a freshwater pond. The container is visible from the edge of the lake and is at a depth of approximately 3 m below the water surface. Discuss how you might determine if the fertiliser has caused the pond to become polluted.
-Did container break? AKA did it spill? -Only polluted if unfit for intended use -does the volume of the lake with reference to the volume of the fertilizer allow for natural dilution? -Potential impacts of phosphourous pollution: excessive plant growth, alagal blooms, algal tonxin production and methods to test for it (track visually, pH, odor, filter runs, cell counts)
Define biodiversity and describe why it is important that it be maintained with reference to: i) you personally; ii) global society; iii) you in your career as a professional
-Variety of living things (plants, animals, microorganisms), between living things, and of ecosystems. -Genetic, species, ecosystem diversity -inherent value of different forms of life -links between high biodiversity and high resilience (capacity to resist/adapt to change) -the unknown potential of as yet undiscovered species -main cause of biodiversity loss is habitat destruction/modification, ususlly land clearing for agriculture or uraban development. Infrastructure (roads, rail, ports, telecommunications, electricity) and mining projects are a comparatively minor cause of biodiverstity loss. personal: reduction in aesthetic quality of local environment, reduced access to natural areas for recreation global: reduction in resilience of ecosystems creating a greater risk of ecosystem collapse professional: change in design guidelines/standards (shift from harm reduction to concept of net biodiversity increase as a reslut of projects), increased integration of 'natural' design elements into the built environment, increased use of bio-mimicry approaches in the design process, increased level of environmental investigation and reporting for projects
Define a 'sustainable' system and describe three broad areas which are commonly considered when assessing the sustainability of a given project or product
-one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations (continually created/destroyed/renewed/recycled without compromisign planets ecosystem, economic systems or social systems) -triple bottom line:environment, social, economical
5. According to the pre-reading material the Falkenmark definition of a "water stressed" country is a country for which the average amount of water available per person per day is equivalent to: a) 1,369 m3 person-1 week-1 . b) 2,738 m3 person-1 week-1 . c) 4,654 m3 person-1 week-1 . d) 32.6 m3 person-1 week-1 . e) 1,700 m3 person-1 week-1
1700 m3/person-YEAR D
Urban center showing air circulation patterns on a calm clear night when the urban center is experiencing a combination of the uran heat island effect and an atmospheric inversion. Describe implications of this istuation for urban design and identify one approach tahat could be used to prevent this situation from occuring.
2 circular arrows going towards city and up to the inversion and then back down. Pollution from outer areas into the center Inocroporation of green space Emissions trapped below inversion layer
19. The Erlich Equation relates carbon emissions to various population and technology parameters: Carbon emission [C] = Population [P] x Affluence [A] x Carbon intensity of economic output [T]. Using this equation, what is the carbon emission for the globe with the following parameters, 7.0 billion people on the planet, Income level of $5900 per person Carbon intensity of 780 gCO2/$ [note, this is a variable representing technology]
7e9 X 5900 X 780 =3.22e16 gCO2 =3.22e10 tCO2 =32e9 tCO2
1. What is the approximate annual volume of water sampled for nutrient analysis relative to the volume of Moreton Bay? In determining your answer assume the surface area of Moreton Bay is approximately 1,400 km2 and the Bay has an average depth of 6 m. There are 86 monitoring sites in the Bay at which 0.15 l water samples are collected each monthly for nutrient analysis. Choose the closest value. a) <0.0000001 % b) between 0.0000001-0.0001% c) between 0.0001-0.1% d) between 0.1-1.0% e) >1.0 %
A
10. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding categories of water pollutants. a) Oxygen demanding substances can change either the temperature or salinity of water which in turn affects the solubility of oxygen in water, usually resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen. b) Oxygen demanding substances have the effect of reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations in a water body often making it unsuitable for different aquatic species (e.g. fish). c) Nutrients are considered pollutants if levels are high enough to allow excessive algae or bacterial growth. d) Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous can cause eutrophication in lakes and can cause effects that are similar to that of oxygen-demanding substances. e) Sediment can act as a pollutant when it causes a reduction in light penetration through the water column and therefore disrupts photosynthesis by benthic organisms.
A
11. The saturation level of dissolved oxygen in water will be greatest when the water is at: a) low temperature and low salinity. b) high temperature and low salinity. c) high temperature and high salinity. d) low temperature and high salinity. e) none of the above.
A
2. According to lectures, within the field of waste management the acronym "MSW" refers to: a) municipal solid waste; b) multi-spectral waste; c) multi-stream waste; d) mass solids water; e) municipal segregated waste
A
2. Oceans contain the vast majority of earth's water. The 3 sources of fresh water, in order from biggest to smallest, are: a) 'polar ice'; 'groundwater'; 'lakes' b) 'polar ice'; 'lakes'; 'groundwater' c) 'soil moisture'; 'rain clouds'; 'river channels' d) 'groundwater'; 'polar ice'; 'lakes' e) 'soil moisture'; 'polar ice'; 'lakes'
A
4. Based on material presented in lectures, if an area of productive farmland that produces a monoculture crop is re-forested over a 20 year period to mimic a native rainforest, the species diversity of the area will: a) be increased; b) be decreased; c) neither increase or decrease; d) depend on the genetic diversity within each individual measured before and after the restoration event; e) be inversely related to the species diversity index as determined by a measure such as Simpsons index or the Shannon index.
A
5. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the design of modern engineered landfill systems. a) The liner system is designed to prevent the formation biogas within landfill cells. b) The leachate collection system is designed to allow leachate to be removed from the landfill and treated where appropriate. c) The final capping layer acts to reduce the amount of water entering the landfill to minimise the amount of leachate that is generated within the landfill. d) The use of daily cover layers usually consists of a layer of soil and is designed to prevent windblown litter, contain odours and deter vermin. e) The final capping layer provides a medium for planting vegetation on the final landform.
A
7. According to lectures biological treatment of MSW is advantageous due to: a) the resulting reduction in waste volume; b) the opportunities for recovery and re-use of metals such as aluminium; c) the simple, compact and transportable features of modern anaerobic reactors; d) all of the above; e) none of the above
A
9. According to lectures, the precautionary principle states that: a) if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking the action; b) if there is a risk of causing harm, proceed with caution and establish an appropriate environmental monitoring program; c) if there is a risk of causing harm, the assimilative capacity of a system should be maintained at some minimum viable level; d) the costs associated with emissions/pollution should be borne by those who cause the pollution; e) none of the above.
A
9. According to lectures, the projected future increase in the world's human population combined with increases in standards of living using current technologies and methods is likely to result in: a) increased use of natural resources along with increasing environmental degradation. b) decreased use of natural resources along with increasing environmental degradation. c) increased use of natural resources along with decreasing environmental degradation. d) decreased use of natural resources along with decreasing environmental degradation. e) none of the above.
A
21. If you were tasked with making a recommendation to a climate change policy body, which of the three scenarios in B seems most plausible? Why?
A change in the carbon intensity of economic output (T) is likely to be the most feasible option in the short term (i.e. reducing population incomes by 86% is not likely to be socially acceptable). In the long-term a progressive reduction across all three areas might be a more sustainable option.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using mega-engineering technologies that aim to reduce the amount of incident solar radiation that reaches the surface of the earth?
Advantages: Potentially provides a useful degree of flexibility to adjust incident solar radiation for a range of scenarios (increasing and decreasing GHG concentrations) (etc.) Disadvantages: unknown impacks on biosphere (photosynthetic organisms), reversibility of the process. (etc).
25. Consider the age structure chart below. How has Australia's population growth changed between 1990 and 2010? How do you know that?
Australia's population growth has reduced slgithly due to the reduction in the proportion of the population within the breeding age groups
24. Consider the age structure charts in the previous questions. How will Australia's population change relative to Italy's? How do you know that? **Italy is smaller at young then a little wider in the middle and then back down at older age
Australia's population rate would grow at a faster rate than the Italian population as that Italian population's age structure is more stable (less expansive) than the Australian age structure
23. Consider the age structure charts in the previous question. How will Australia's population change relative to the United States'? How do you know that? **US is fairly constant but goes down at older ages
Australia's population would grow at a similar rate to the US as both countires have a similar population structure
22. Consider the age structure charts below. How will Australia's population change relative to Afghanistan's? How do you know that? **Afghanistan population chart looks like a triangle
Australia's population would grow mores slowly than Afghanistan's population because Afghanistan has an expansive population structure while the Australian population structure is relatively stable in comparison. (i.e. Afghanistan's population is characterized by a high percentage of the population in young age groups whereas Australia's is more evenly distributed across the younger to middle-age portions of the population
1. According to lectures one of the key components of most definitions of 'sustainability' is: a) a reference to clean and green energy b) some notion of not compromising the ability to meet future needs c) preservation of endangered ecosystems d) all of the above e) none of the above
B
14. According to lectures runoff from both urban areas and agricultural contain various water pollutants. Both of these sources of pollution (urban and agricultural) are examples of: a) point source pollution. b) non-point source pollution. c) oxygen depleted emissions. d) industrial discharges. e) regulated pollution sources.
B
14. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding urbanisation and its environmental issues in LDCs. a) In many LDCs rapid urbanisation is unplanned and therefore services such as waste management are not incorporated into the urban landform which in turn can lead to pollution. b) Compared to MDCs contamination of stormwater runoff in rapidly urbanising areas of LDCs is not as significant due to the reduced amount of hardened surfaces (e.g., roadways, rooftops). c) Concentrated populations in LDCs can be more severely impacted by natural disasters in situations where there are more people living in areas with a natural disaster risk; d) Slums are a common feature of rapid urban development in LDCs and are characterised by the absence of basic necessities such as clean water, sanitation, sufficient living space and durable housing. e) Unplanned transport systems can often lead to increases in air and noise pollution in rapidly urbanising LDCs
B
2. According to lectures, species diversity is: a) the variation in genetic composition amongst individuals of a given species; b) the variety of species living in a particular location; c) genetic variation between species in a given habitat; d) the number of individuals of each species living in a particular location; e) none of the above
B
2. Ozone is an example of an: a) Primary pollutant b) Secondary pollutant c) VOC d) Particulate matter e) Unmeasured atmospheric constituent
B
3. A key feature of modern landfill design is the leachate collection system. According to lectures, the leachate collection system typically consists of: a) a clean waste layer at the base of the landfill that contains leachate collection pipes and which has an underlying synthetic layer and clay liner; b) a sand layer at the base of the landfill that contains leachate collection pipes and which has an underlying synthetic layer and clay liner; c) a series of biogas collection pipes to extract leachate through the upper most layer of the landfill; d) a series of biogas collection pipes to extract leachate through the upper most layer of the landfill along with a monitoring well located outside the clay liner to remove leachate; e) a series of leachate collection pipes to extract leachate from the upper most layer of the landfill along with a monitoring well located outside the clay liner to remove leachate
B
3. The lecture material presented two views on the implications of future global human population growth. These views are commonly referred to as the "Malthusian view" and the "AntiMalthusian view". From the following statements choose one statement that best summarises these two views. a) Both views suggest that an increase in human population is likely to have a significant impact on the planet's ecosystems and advocate measures to limit the human population to a safe level. b) The "Malthusian view" suggests exponential population growth will have negative impacts on the planet's ecosystems and human society, while the "Anti-Malthusian" view suggests that population growth (and the associated technological advancement) is necessary to improve human society. c) Both views advocate an increase in human populations to drive economic growth and the associated technological advancement. d) The "Malthusian view" suggests population growth is necessary to improve human society, while the "Anti-Malthusian" view suggests that exponential population growth will have negative impacts on the planet's ecosystems and human society. e) The "Club of Rome" used computer models to show that both views were correct.
B
3. When considering all water withdrawals for the earth as a whole, the dominant use (withdrawal) of water is for: a) domestic (urban) use. b) agricultural use. c) industrial use. d) electricity production. e) mineral processing
B
4. According to the lecture materials the air quality index (AQI) for an area in which the average atmospheric particulate matter PM10 concentration (as measured over a 1 day period) is 53 μg m-3 would suggest the air quality in that area is: a) Very poor. Air quality is unhealthy and everyone may begin to experience health effects. b) Poor. Air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups. c) Fair. Air quality is acceptable. d) Good. Air quality is considered good, and air pollution poses little or no risk. e) Very good. Air quality is considered very good and air pollution poses little or no risk
B
4. Based on the material presented in Table 2 Costanza et al.'s 1997 article ("Nature" article) what which biome type has the lowest defined annual ecosystem service value per hectare? a) Estuaries b) Cropland c) Urban d) Desert e) Coastal
B
6. According to lectures, a beneficial use of biogas from landfills can include: a) its use as an offset for carbon emissions; b) its use in boilers or gas turbines; c) its use as a thermal insulating layer in the cap of the landfill; d) all of the above; e) none of the above.
B
6. According to lectures, the Ehrlich equation can be used to perform simple calculations of the potential impact of various products and services and has the form I = PAT. What do the terms A and T on the right-hand side of this equation represent? a) affordability and technological cost b) affluence (or level of income) and technological intensity of economic output c) age structure and environmental technique d) impact, population, average age, technological intensity of economics e) none of the above
B
6. According to lectures, transect design is an important part of: a) surveys to measure genetic diversity; b) surveys to measure species diversity; c) making a choice between using the Simpson or Shannon index; d) modifying the species richness value for augmentation of the Simpson index; e) none of the above.
B
6. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the 'Malthusian' and 'Anti-Malthusian' views on human population growth. a) The "Malthusian view" suggests exponential population growth will have negative impacts on the planet's ecosystems and human society. b) Both the 'Malthusian' and 'Anti-Malthusian' views advocate measures to limit human populations to safe levels. c) The "Anti-Malthusian" view suggests that population growth (and the associated technological advancement) is necessary to improve human society. d) Both the 'Malthusian' and 'Anti-Malthusian' views recognise increasing human populations will result in an increasing demand for natural resources. e) The "Malthusian view" suggests human populations, if not managed, will eventually exceed the carrying capacity of the planet.
B
7. Increasing levels of atmospheric water vapour due to global warming may result in the negative feedback mechanism of a) greater atmospheric absorption of long-wave radiation b) increased formation of clouds c) increased precipitation d) decreasing snow and ice e) none of the above.
B
8. The direct effect on Earth of additional sunspots is a a) decrease in shortwave radiation b) increase in shortwave radiation c) decrease in longwave radiation d) increase in longwave radiation e) none of the above.
B
10. According to lectures, the polluter pays principle is a fundamental principle of environmental policy and states that: a) the profits derived from a system should be higher than the cost of the ecosystem services provided by the system b) the profits derived from a system should be high enough to warrant the degradation of natural systems due to the effects of pollution c) the costs associated with emissions/pollution should be borne by those who cause the pollution d) the costs associated with pollution need to be formally documented as required by regulation e) payment of emissions/pollution taxes is the responsibility of all ecosystem users
C
11. According to lectures some of the key issues associated with urban sprawl include: a) Reduced demand for public transport systems. b) Loss of available land for waste management and landfill facilities. c) Loss of productive farmland. d) All of the above. e) None of the above
C
11. According to lectures, sustainability indicators are: a) a set of approved design standards that can be applied to any organisation or individual to meet the World Commission on Environment and Development's laws and regulations b) a set of policy statements based on the definitions contained in the Brundtland report c) a set of quantitative measurements of an organisation's activities that allow it to report on its operations in relation to various sustainability objectives d) ratings systems, mainly based on energy consumption, that are used to help an organisation or individual to use renewable energy e) a set of environmental laws that aim to maintain biodiversity
C
13. A 70 mL sample of wastewater is added to 230 mL of distilled water. The initial dissolved oxygen concentration of the mixed sample was 6 mg/L and after five days the dissolved oxygen concentration of the mixed sample was 1.2 mg/L. What is the BOD5 of the sample (choose closest value)? a) 4.8 mg/L b) 6 mg/L c) 20.5 mg/L d) 70 mg/L e) 230 mg/L
C
13. There are a number of principles that form the basis of environmental policy and regulation. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements. a) The precautionary principle states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking the action. b) Assimilative capacity refers to the capacity of a system to restore itself after receiving waste or toxic material without long-term effects to the functioning of the system. c) The waste management hierarchy lists waste reduction as a less favourable option for reducing solid waste when compared to reuse of materials. d) The polluter pays principle suggests the costs associated with emissions/pollution should be borne by those who cause the pollution. e) Ecologically sustainable development is development using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that the ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased.
C
2. According to the lecture material to increase data collection efficiencies, particularly in hostile environments, robotics are a promising tool with the capacity to improve our current means to observe and collect data about natural processes or phenomena at vast spatial and temporal scales. Some common physical and environmental variables that can be measured by such robotic systems can include: a) Biodiversity, ecosystem services and waste assimilation b) Temperature, turbidity and ecosystem services c) Temperature, pH, CO2 d) Species richness, solar radiation, greenhouse gas concentration e) Global warming, species diversity and sound pressure level
C
2. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the role of natural cycles in climate change. a) The rate at which plates move may influence global climate. b) During times of rapid spreading, increased volcanic activity may promote global warming by enriching the CO2 content of the atmosphere. c) The current rate of plate movement is thought to be a significant contributor to natural GHG increases that have been observed since 1950. d) The 11 year sunspot cycle is thought to influence global climate by causing variation in the amount of solar radiation reaching the upper atmosphere (i.e., high sunspot number = increased incoming solar radiation and warmer temperatures). e) Changes in the orbit affect the amount of sunlight striking the Earth as well as the distribution of sunlight both geographically and seasonally.
C
3. A survey of moss species within a 3.5 ha area of forest identified 10 different species, with five individuals counted for each of the first seven species, two individuals counted for the 8th and 9th species and nine individuals counted for the 10th species. Based on this survey the species richness is: a) 0.2 b) 3 c) 10 d) 13 e) 48
C
3. According to lecture materials the Australian nitrogen dioxide standard is 0.12 ppm or 0.03 ppm for a 1 day and 1 year averaging time respectively. For an area in which the average atmospheric nitrogen dioxide concentration (as measured over a 1 hour period) is 0.11 ppm the air quality index (AQI) for that area would suggest the air quality in that area is: a) Very poor. Air quality is unhealthy and everyone may begin to experience health effects. b) Poor. Air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups. c) Fair. Air quality is acceptable. d) Good. Air quality is considered good, and air pollution poses little or no risk. e) Very good. Air quality is considered very good and air pollution poses little or no risk.
C
4. According to lectures, the triple bottom line approach is one of the more common approaches used to investigate the sustainability of a system. What are the three key elements/areas that are considered when applying the triple bottom line approach? a) business, health care and biodiversity b) people, profit and plants c) economic, social and environment d) ecosystem health, education and people e) none of the above
C
5. According to lectures, ecosystem diversity is: a) the variation in genetic composition amongst individuals of a given species; b) the variety of species living in a particular location; c) the variety of ecosystems/habitats within a given region; d) only well defined in "coastal lowland" landscapes ; e) only able to be mapped using data from airborne digital photogrammetric surveys that use well developed transect designs
C
5. Major climate cycles associated with the Ice Ages (cycle of around 100,000 years) are caused by a) Sunspot activity b) Dansgaard-Oeschger events c) Changes in orbit eccentricity d) Orbital precession e) The angle of tilt of the earth's axis of rotation
C
5. Photochemical smog is primarily due to the action of sunlight on a) hydrocarbons and ozone. b) nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides and volatile organic compounds. c) nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons d) hydrocarbons and sulphur dioxide. e) none of the above.
C
6. The 'Greenhouse Effect' refers to atmospheric a) trapping of shortwave radiation reflected by the earth b) transmission of shortwave radiation from the sun c) trapping of longwave radiation reflected by the earth d) heating and reradiation of longwave radiation back to earth e) none of the above
C
8. According to lectures, the assimilative capacity of an ecosystem refers to: a) the finite capacity of a system to change or adapt to gains in energy b) the ability of a system to reset itself following a pollution event c) the system's capacity to receive water or toxic materials without long-term deleterious effects or damage to the function of the system d) the system's ability to store toxic waste without depleting the system's long-term cellular storages in a way that impacts on the humans that depend on it e) none of the above
C
Assume that new laws have been implemented that require an annual investment in environmental monitoring systems that is equivalent to 0.1% of the annual ecosystem service provided by a given biome. Based on the material presented in Table 2 of Costanza et al.'s 1997 article ("Nature" article) what would be the required annual investment in monitoring (expressed in terms of 1994 US$) of the 150 km2 area of estuaries in South East Queensland (choose closest value). a) <$100 b) $3,450 c) $354,005 d) $3,540,058 e) >$5,000,000
C
12. According to lectures some of the key issues associated with rapid urbanisation include: a) Resource supply - greater demand for water, food and energy b) Waste and pollution - increased solid waste, sewage, industrial water and air pollution c) Public health - increased risk to populations from communicable disease and natural disasters d) All of the above e) None of the above
D
12. According to lectures, many sustainability metrics rely on life cycle assessment / life cycle analysis (typically referred to as LCA). The general aim of the LCA process is: a) "cradle-to-grave" accounting of all taxable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a product or process; b) to assess the timeframe of each product biodiversity cycle; c) to increase the length of the ecological footprint cycle; d) to account for the materials, energy and emissions of a given product or service over its entire life cycle; e) none of the above
D
2. According to lectures some of the key principles that often form the basis for environmental and 'sustainability' policies include: a) the Brundtland rules for common futures b) development of quantitative indicators to measure progress towards sustainability c) specific CO2 emissions targets d) consideration of assimilative capacities e) none of the above
D
3. According to lecture materials the greenhouse effect refers to: a) Trapped solar, shortwave radiation by gases in the atmosphere. b) Re-emitted infrared, longwave radiation by gases in the atmosphere. c) Both A and B. d) None of the above.
D
Describe two common methods for treatment of MSW that are used in more developed countries and discuss the potential environmental issues arising from each disposal method
Composting (organic waste) -- leachate formation and associated leakage/contamination of aquifers/groundwaters; gas (biogas) formation including emissions of potentially flammable/explosive gases (e.g. methane), final disposal of solids incineration -- air emissions including SOx, NOx, CO2, and dioxins, especially in situation where the combustion temperature is too low, final disposal of solids (ash material may contain toxins) bio-reacters -- production of flammable gas, leachate management, final disposal of biosolids and associated 'contamination' issues
1. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the atmospheric radiation balance. a) On the average, of all the solar energy that reaches the earth's atmosphere annually, about 30 % is reflected and scattered back to space, giving the earth and its atmosphere an albedo of 30 percent. b) Near the surface without water vapor, CO2, and other greenhouse gases, the earth's surface would constantly emit infrared radiation (IR) energy; incoming energy from the sun would be equal to outgoing IR energy from the earth's surface. Since the earth would receive no IR energy from its lower atmosphere (no atmospheric greenhouse effect), the earth's average surface temperature would be ≈ -18°C to -19°C. c) The incoming solar energy that is not reflected back into space approximately 51% is absorbed at the surface. d) The absorption of incoming short wave solar radiation by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a significant source of uncertainty in climate models. e) The earth's surface emits infrared radiation (IR) which is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere
D
1. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the hydrologic cycle. a) Rainfall and snowfall are forms of precipitation. b) During its movement through the hydrologic cycle water can be stored in streams, rivers, swamps and lakes. c) The residence time of water in the groundwater component of the hydrologic cycle is typically greater than the residence time in the soil moisture component. d) Water stored in polar ice and glaciers does not form part of the hydrologic cycle as it is frozen. e) The biosphere component of the hydrologic cycle includes water in plants, animals and microorganisms.
D
1. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding waste management. a) Engineered landfills include a liner system and leachate collection system to minimise discharge of leachate from the base of the landfill into the surrounding environment (e.g., the local groundwater system). b) Composting is an example of biological treatment that is used as a method reduce the volume of organic waste that requires final disposal in a landfill. c) The largest component of commercial and industrial waste in an urban centre in a MDC is generally wastewater sludge. d) A transfer station is a facility that forms part of the waste generation component of a solid waste management system. e) Waste incineration can be a useful method to reduce the volume of waste but still produces waste ash that requires management and disposal.
D
10. According to lectures urban areas are broadly defined as (choose best response): a) An area with more than 100 dwellings and a population of 1500 people or more. b) An area with a well-defined street drainage system (e.g., curb, channelling and underground pipe system). c) An area that contains a settle population and more than 100 dwellings that are over three floors in height. d) An area that contains a settled population not directly involved in the primary production of food and other raw materials. e) An area that contains more than 50,000 people that are not directly involved in the primary production of food and other raw materials.
D
4. According to the lecture materials future climate change predictions for Australian rainfall suggest: a) increased rainfall and in particular increased extreme heavy rainfall events. b) decreased rainfall and in particular increased extreme drought events. c) both increased and decreased rainfall at all locations. d) increases and decreases in rainfall depending on the location. e) none of the above.
D
5. According to lectures, the "profit, people, planet" approach to investigating sustainability recommends each of these three key elements/areas are considered in which order (from most important to least important)? a) profit, people, planet b) planet, profit, people c) people, planet, profit d) none of the above
D
7. According to lectures, the Kaya identity is a form of the Ehrlich equation applied to carbon dioxide emissions and has the form C = PAT. What is the value of C, expressed in units of tonnes of CO2/year, for a population of 6.6 billion with an annual average income of $5,900/person, an average technological intensity of 0.76 kg CO2 / $ income and an atmospheric CO2 concentration of 380 ppm? (choose closest value) a) 29,594 b) 38,940 c) 5 million d) 30 billion e) 29,000 billion
D
7. Environmental monitoring programs are usually established for specific reasons. Which of the following is NOT an objective of a modern environmental monitoring program. a) Regulatory requirements - program designed to meet specific legal conditions (i.e., pollutant discharge licence, condition of development approval). b) Baseline record - program designed to record of the state/condition of an environmental system at a given time (usually prior to development). c) Change detection - monitoring to allow changes or impacts in the environmental system to be identified. d) Instrument development and testing - monitoring to assess the performance and reliability of equipment and methods used to collect environmental measurements. e) System understanding - monitoring to understand the processes that operate with a given environmental system with the aim of improving knowledge of how the system functions
D
8. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding current trends in human population. a) Over the next 10 years the world's population growth rate is expected to decrease. b) Over the next 10 years the world's population is expected to increase. c) Over the next 30 years the greatest increase in world population is expected to be in less developed countries (LDCs). d) Over the next 30 years the world's population growth rate is expected to increase. e) The rate of population growth in more developed countries (MDCs) is expect to decrease.
D
8. Use the IPAT identity for water (W=PAT) to estimate the efficiency gain needed to sustain a population of world 9 billion people with and average GDP of $43,000/person and an annual sustainable global water availability of 4,200 km3 if the technological intensity of water use is 23.2L/$GDP (choose the closest value). a) <5%. b) 5-25%. c) 25-33%. d) 33-66%. e) >66%
D
9. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding water pollution. a) Water is considered 'polluted' when it is unfit for its intended use. b) Examples of some common intended uses include drinking water, aquatic ecosystem protection, irrigation for agriculture, water for industrial manufacturing. c) A waterbody from which shellfish are harvested for human consumption would be considered polluted if the shellfish contained toxicants or pathogens that could pose a human health risk to consumers. d) Dissolved oxygen concentration is one of the few universal indicators of water quality that is able to be used to test for water pollution across all intended uses. e) The terms 'water quality' and 'water pollution' are gradually being replaced by terms such as 'aquatic ecosystem health' in an attempt to recognise that it is not simply the chemical characteristics of a water resource that determine whether it is 'polluted' - functioning ecosystems are often a much better indicator of overall quality or health.
D
1. If a population has exponential growth with an annual growth rate of 0.75% what is the estimated the time required to double the population using the "rule of 70" (choose the nearest value)? a) 100 days b) 7.5 years c) 90 years d) 94 years e) 9,400 days
D 70/0.75 = 93.33
2. If a population took about 45 years to double in size, what is the estimated annual growth rate using a simple exponential growth model (choose the nearest value)? a) 0.00693% b) 0.007% c) 0.7% d) 1.6% e) 16%
D 70/45=1.56
Briefly describe the difference between a daily cover layer and a clay liner in a municipal solid waste landfill. Include a discussion of their purpose and key design features.
Daily cover is a think layer of soil that is used to prevent windblown litter, pests, and odor. Daily cover is put in place at least once a day as a general "housekeeping" procedure. It is different from the final capping layer. A clay liner is designed to prevent leachate from escaping from the bottom of the landfill and potentially polluting the groundwater system
Methods that could be applied to reduce a city's WSI
Demand management (reduce water consumption) Increase supply (new sources: desalination, water recycling, etc)
1. According to lecture materials the Australian national ambient air quality standards are based on a set of six common air pollutants (often called 'criteria' pollutants) considered to be of concern because of their widespread distribution and known health effects. The standards also include an additional pollutant which is considered an advisory reporting standard. The six air pollutants ('criteria' pollutants) include: a) carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, lead and PM10 and PM2.5. b) carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, lead and PM2.5. c) volatile organics, lead, mercury, ozone, dust and carbon dioxide. d) carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, molybdenum and particulate matter. e) lead, sulfur dioxide, cabron monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, PM10 and ozone.
E
1. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding biodiversity. a) Biodiversity includes the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. b) Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes of which they are part. c) Genetic diversity is important within a population for adaptation to a changing environment. d) For a given habitat species diversity if often low in an immature ecosystem and high in a mature ecosystem. e) Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of species within a given region.
E
12. According to the lecture material some key non-point source water pollutants include: a) primary treated effluents. b) secondary treated effluents. c) tertiary treated effluents. d) sewage treatment plant discharges. e) sediments, nutrients and pesticides
E
13. According to lectures, the two key areas of environmental concern for cities in MDCs are: a) sewage treatment and solid waste landfills; b) inefficient resource use and excessive energy consumption; c) increasing pollution levels and migrating urban populations; d) urban sprawl and inner-city decay; e) resource supply and waste (including pollution) generation.
E
14. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding the triplebottom-line approach to sustainability. a) The triple-bottom-line approach recognises the links between the social, environmental and economic elements of our world b) The triple-bottom-line approach to assessing sustainability suggests that activities should measure their success not only by the traditional bottom line of financial performance and profit, but also by their impact on the broader economy, the environment and on the society in which they operate c) When applying the triple-bottom-line approach a sustainable system is one that maintains a viable natural environment, a nurturing social community and a sufficient economy d) The social dimension of the triple-bottom-line approach can include consideration of factors such as labour practices and human rights e) The economic dimension of the triple-bottom-line approach includes policies which minimise business profits
E
15. Identify the definition of ecologically sustainable development that best matches the definitions used in national and international policies and reports on sustainability. a) Using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased b) Conservation and protection of natural systems to ensure their biodiversity and biological integrity is maintained for future generations of human society c) Efficient resource use combined with measurements of how much bio-productive land and sea is available on Earth, and how much of this area is appropriated for human use d) Development that measures its success by considering the traditional bottom line of financial performance and profit as well as its impact on the broader economy, the environment and on the society in which it occurs e) Development that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
E
15. It can be argued that urbanisation and in particular the development of mega-cities can provide effective solutions to many of the global environmental problems if they are designed appropriately. According to lectures some of the key design and planning principles for sustainable mega-cities include: a) provision of access to clean water, high quality roadways, sufficient living space, durable housing and secure land tenure; b) redesigning cities to separate work and living areas into a separate neighbourhoods, promote diesel-electric vehicle use, upgrade/replace communications infrastructure; c) increasing energy efficiency, recycle as much energy as possible, invest in transport infrastructure for the delivery of external food supplies; d) replacing all structures more than 15 years old, reduce private car use, redesign to integrate work and living areas into a single neighbourhood. e) increasing energy efficiency, recycle as much energy, water and materials as possible, minimise transport costs through increased public transport, minimise the use of imported resources.
E
3. According to the Engineers Australia Sustainability Charter which of the following area(s) should be the focus for the application of sustainability principles: a) Environmental protection - the conservation and preservation of natural systems b) Energy generation systems - the production of electricity using sustainable methods c) Social responsibility - the use of carbon sources in a way that reduces CO2 emissions d) Economic development - particularly via sustainable civil engineering/infrastructure projects e) none of the above
E
4. According to lectures the purpose of the final capping layer of a landfill is to: a) contain biogas; b) exclude surface water from the landfill; c) allow for reshaping the final landform; d) provide a medium for planting; e) all of the above
E
4. From an "Anti-Malthusian view" increased global population growth will result in: a) Food shortages b) Water shortages c) Both a) and b) d) A constant demand for resources e) None of the above
E
5. The anti-Malthusian view on human population expressed by Ester Boserup and Julian Simon suggests that (choose the most correct statement): a) The global human population needs to be limited to a safe level to ensure continued economic growth. b) The global human population is neither increasing nor decreasing. c) Negative population growth will drive an increase in economic development. d) Population reductions help to drive technological advancements which are needed by human society to continually improve. e) Population growth helps to drive technological advancements which are needed by human society to continually improve.
E
6. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding remote sensing technologies and their use in environmental monitoring programs. a) Remote sensing technologies generate information about a system without physical contact with the system. b) Remote sensing technologies are typically satellite based systems that are applied across very broad spatial areas. c) While remote sensing systems provide useful information, particularly over large spatial areas, they are not yet able to meet all environmental monitoring program objectives and are typically used in conjunction with more traditional measurement technologies. d) Video observation of environmental systems is an example of a remote sensing system that does not require a satellite or aircraft. e) Autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with traditional water quality sensors are an example of a remote sensing system that can be used to monitor deep ocean environments
E
6. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is a) the rate at which pressure decreases with altitude. b) the rate at which temperature decreases with atmospheric compression. c) less than the wet adiabatic lapse rate. d) the rate at which temperature increases in an inversion. e) about 10 C per kilometre
E
6. What is the sustainable annual per capita water use for a town of 40,000 people that relies on a single water supply reservoir that has a storage capacity of 3,285,000 m3 and receives a constant inflow of 9,000 m3 / day? In your calculation assume that water supply reservoir is full and has no environmental water requirements. (choose closest value) a) 9,000 L b) 9,000 m3 c) 49 m3 d) 65,700 L e) 83,000 L
E
7. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding current trends in human population growth. a) Over the next 10 years the rate of population growth in less developed countries (LDCs) is expected to be higher than in more developed countries (MDCs). b) Urban areas are currently experiencing a higher rate of population growth compared to rural areas. c) The majority of the world's human population currently resides in less developed countries (LDCs). d) Rural areas in more developed countries (MDCs) are expected to experience the lowest population increases compared to rural areas in less developed countries (LDCs). e) Over the next 10 years the greatest increase in human population is forecast to occur in rural areas of less developed countries (LDCs).
E
7. Identify the INCORRECT statement in the following list of statements regarding environmental flows. a) Environmental flows refer to flows of water in rivers and streams that are necessary to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems. b) Water resource infrastructure, such as dams, can impact on environmental flows by reducing the volume of flows and sometimes changing natural flow patterns. c) Many ecosystem processes depend on flow/no flows cycles. d) In rivers or streams without dams environmental flows can also be necessary to minimise the effect that abstractions, diversions or additions of flow might have. e) In systems affected by water resource infrastructure (dams, groundwater extraction etc.) delivery of environmental flows seeks to provide a continuous steady supply of water to downstream ecosystems.
E
4. How much water would be required to supply a population of 1.1 million people each day to ensure the population was not considered "water stressed" using the Falkenmark definition. a) 4657.5 litres day-1 . b) 4657.5 m3 day-1 . c) 1.870 × 109 litres day-1 . d) 5,123,250 litres day-1 . e) 5,123,250 m3 day-1
E A water stressed country is one for which the average amount of water/person/day is 1700 m^3/person-year
Provide 2 reasons for establishing an environmental monitoring program at any given location, and explain the difference between environmental monitoring and environmental mesasurement
Established to: 1) Regulatory requirements: no critical thought given to reason (reason forgotten/no longer understood since regulations were developed) 2) Condition record: provide a record state/condition of a system at any given time 3) Change detection: allow changes or impacts in the system can be identified 4) System understanding: understand the processes that operate within the system A monitoring system has a defined purpose (typically recording condition or change detection) and is acively updated (i.e.e location, frequency, and measured parameteres updated) while environmental measurements are simply 'snapshot' of various variables that are not collected with a defined purpose or objective in mind
What factors would you consider when making a decision to proceed with testing one of the mega-engineering technologies that aim to reduce the amount of incident solar radiation that reaches the surface of the earth?
Factors to consider: -Survivability/reversability of the process -Equity of the decision to proceed (how to get agreeement/consult the whole planet) -Proof of concept in smaller scale test facilities before atmospheric test -(etc)
26. Population in developing countries. In 2006, over 80% of the world's population (~6 billion) lived in the less developed countries of the world. Within those countries the average crude birth rate was 24; crude death rate was 8.7; infant mortality rate was 51. What fraction of the total deaths is due to infant mortality? Note: Infant deaths = Population x Crude birth rate x Infant mortality rate Total deaths = Population x Crude death rate
Infant deaths = 6e9 x (24/1000) X (51/1000) = 7.34e6 persons total deaths = 6e9 X (8.7/1000) = 52.2e6 persons fraction of deaths due to infant mortality = (7.34e6 / 52.2e6) X 100 =14.06%
List the advantages and disadvantages of incineration and composting as methods of solid waste management prior to final disposal of waste in a landfill
Incineration -- Advantages: Large volume reductions/less volume to landfill therefore increases landfill life. Well established technology. Disadvantages: Potential risk of harmful air emissions if not managed correctly. Large energy requirements. Composing -- Advantages: Volume reductions -- less volume to landfill therefore increases landfill life. Low energy process/no significant energy cost. Disadvantages: Process can be slow. Careful management of incoming waste (i.e. segregation) required at an aditional cost
List three activities that can lead to a reduction of terrestrial biodiversity at a given site and provide a brief description of the mechanism taht causes the reduction
Land clearing -- species (plants and/or animals) are removed from the site, significantly altering the habitat and causing a reduction in overall species numbers as well as the abundance of individual species Introduction of new species -- species not native to the area are introduced and outcompete existing native species resulting in a reduction in the total number of species as well as their abundance pollution emissions -- emissions (air, water, solid waste, noise) adversely impact on individuals and species causing loss of reproductive capacity, individual deaths or migration away from the site. These processes result in an overall reduction in the number of species as well as their abundance Hunting/harvesting -- selective removal of key species can disrupt ecosystem food webs causing domination of certain species and collapse in others. THis in turn may cause an overall reduciton in the number of species present as well as their abundance Introduciton of a disease -- a disease impacts on a given population in the area and causes an overall reduction in the number of species as well as their abundance. This can also lead to a disruption in ecosystem food webs causing domination of certain species and collapse in others. This in turn may cause an overall reduction in the number of species present as well as their abundance.
Graph of Malthuisian and Anti-Malthusian views. Discuss the implications of population growth for you in your career as a professional engineer.
Malthusian: linear resources and exponential population growth. Overshoot with population goes aboce resources and population declines as a correction. Anti-malthusian: exponential population growth but resources shifting to the population growth trend -Environmental implications of population growth include increased resource use with associated biodiversity loss, increased emissions (air and water) and increased waste. -Implications could include strategic shifts in the function and form and the built environment (new design approaches), increased emphasis on efficiency in design (efficient resource use), increased level of environmental reporting (emissions reporting) for projects.
Describe different theories that explain population growth and discuss environmental implications of population growth for i) you personally; ii) global society; iii) you in your career
Malthusian: resources cannot supply for exponential population growth. Growth will exceed resources reach carrying capacity and there could be a falling out. Advocates population control to ensure resource limits are not breached. Finite resources. Anti-Malthusian: With population growth comes resource growth. Population growth is essential to drive innovation and produce thechnology to solve the problems posed by large populations and increased resource use. Technological solution. Neo-Malthusian: popoulation should be controlled Personal -- increased demand for goods and services (positive: larger market, negative: increased cost for scare resources), increased pressure on infrastructure (transport, energy, water, medical services), overcrowding, increased emissions (air, water, solild waste) and associated degredation of natural environment Global -- Increased competition for scarce resources: resource explotation, conflict, increased emissions (air, water, solid waste) and associated degredation of natural environment Professional -- strategic shifts in the function and form of the build environment (new design approaches), increased emphasis on efficiency in design (efficient resource use), increased level of environmental reporting (emissions reporting) for projects
20. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2050 target is < 4 billion tonnes CO2 emissions. Using the above parameters for A and T, calculate the percent change for P under this C target. Using the above parameters for P and T, also calculate the percent change for A under this C target. Finally using the above parameters for P and A, calculate the percent change for T under this C target.
Need reduction of 28 billion tonnes (4-32). -28/32 = -87.5% reduction
28. With medical advances spreading to these regions, what are the implications of this from a population growth perspective? What would Malthusians imply? What anti-Malthusians imply?
The population will grow. Malthusians would imply that the opulation will grow until a resource cap is reached before self correcting. Anti-malthusians would imply that technologicial advances would allow the population to continue expanding indefinitely.
Consider an engineering project that involves the development of a new residential community on a site that is currently completey covered in undistrubed native forest. Discuss how you might be able to achieve an increase in biodiversity while still creating the new residential community
To incresase biodiversity and increase in the total number of species and abundance of individuals in each species are needed: -Targeted landscaping: the design of landscape elements in the new community to ensure total numbers of vegetation species and numbers of individuals of a species are increased -introduce new fauna species: the direct import of new fauna into the site (wheter it be release of native species or non-native species) will increase species numbers and abundance -create features that attract new fauna species: incorporate new habitats in the design of the communities (i.e. in addition to existing native forest such as constructed wetlands or zones with different types of forest if the site is suitable) -offsets: the project may invest in enhancing some other parcel of land (not necessarily the land supject to the development project) so that the biodiversity gains in that parcel of land more than accound for the loss of biodiversity associated with the residential community development
Describe how contemporary ideas of sustainability would be used to assess the long-term sustainability of a new 15 story residential building located in Brisbane's CBD. Also identify and breifly discuss one environmental issue that could potentially limit the long-term sustainability of the building.
Triple bottom line: -Environmental: building materials (embodied energy, water, etc), energy and water demand, waste production -Social: integration with existing community, impact new residents on transport and other services (health care, eductation), housing affordability, impacts on open space/recreation -Economic: cost to develop, ongoing operation and maintenance costs, cost of decommisioning -Design life (20-80 yrs) -LCA: construction, operation, decomissioning. Considering long term sustainability. -Waste production (wastewater, solid waste)
Draw expansive population structure and provide short statement describing the implications of an expansive age structure for furture population change. Include labels on graph.
graph: hersey kiss shape An expansive age structure is likely to result in future population growth due to the population momentum associated with increased population moving through child bearing age groups. Population will continue to expand even after birth rate declines.
27. If the less developed countries were able to care for their infants as well as they are cared for in most developed countries, resulting in an infant mortality rate of 6, how many infant deaths would be avoided each year?
infant deaths = 6e9 x (24/1000) x (6/1000) = 864000 infant deaths avoided = 7.34e6 - 864000 = 6.476e6 persons
5 elements of waste treatment hierarchy and explination
reduce: cleaner produciton and other processes that reduce amount of waste produced reuse: direct reuse of a product (no reporcessing) recycle: reprocessing of product to form new goods transform/recovery: transformation of the waste to derive some benefit (e.g. waste to energy) dispose: final storage of the waste (e.g. landfill)
