environmental science (quiz review 11-14)

Around how much of the energy used in a car is "lost" (escapes as waste heat and doesn't contribute to moving the car forward)?

-85%

What percentage (approximately) of our electricity in the U.S. is generated using nuclear power?

20%

The U.S. makes up around ____ of the world's population & about______ of global energy consumption.

4%, 16%

Approximately what percentage of freshwater supplies withdrawn by people is used for agriculture?

70%

Approximately, what percentage of global energy usage is supplied by fossil fuels?

80%

Which of the following is an advantage of aquaculture?

Aquaculture can reduce fishing pressure on wild stocks

Which country produces and uses the most coal?

China

According to data extracted from ice cores, which of the following is true about levels of atmospheric CO2 concentrations?

Current CO2 levels are higher than they ever been in the past 800,000 years

Why are environmental groups opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline extension that would transport oil generated from the oil sands in Canada to Texas?

Environmental groups are opposed the Keystone XL pipeline extension for all of the reasons above.

Burning fossil fuels is primarily a problem for air pollution. Water quality is usually not negatively affected.

False

Which of the following statements about the Paris Accord is true?

It included the most far reaching commitments by nations on climate change than any previous agreement China agreed to cut back on coal power and halt carbon emissions growth by 2030 The United Stated pledged to reduce emissions 28% by 2025

Which state generates the most wind electricity?

Texas

The U.S. ranks 15th in the world in the percentage of its electricity generated by nuclear power. However, the U.S. produces more nuclear power than any other country. What is the best explanation for this contradiction?

The U.S. uses much more electricity than any other country

How does a commercial nuclear power plant convert the energy of the atomic nuclei into electricity?

The heat produced by the nuclear reaction boils water and the steam rotates a turbine, which then drives a generator

One of the biggest environmental advantages of nuclear power over fossil fuels is:

There are no net emissions of carbon dioxide and low emissions of other air pollutants

What country produces the most nuclear power?

United States

All of the following correctly describe fossil fuels EXCEPT:

a renewable energy source

Greenhouse gases warm the earth by

absorbing heat radiated from the earth's surface and emitting it back into the lower atmosphere

Which of the following renewable energy systems utilizes microbiological process?

anaerobic digestion

Raising ________ requires the most land and water (per weight of protein produced).

beef cattle

Which of the following energy sources is NOT nonrenewable?

bioenergy

A system in which governments determine an acceptable level of pollution and then issues permits to polluters that will allow them to pollute, or not pollute and sell their permit to another polluter

cap-and-trade

The cumulative amount of carbon dioxide that a person or institution is indirectly responsible for emitting into the atmosphere

carbon footprint

When an individual, business, or other entity emits no net carbon dioxide

carbon neutral

Voluntary payments intended to enable another entity to reduce emissions that one is unable to reduce oneself

carbon offsets

All of the following would be effective strategies to reduce the rate of global climate change, except ________.

converting natural gas burning electrical generation plants to coal

Which of the following types of food requires the least amount of land and water and produces less greenhouse gas emissions to produce?

corn

Wind power is a clean energy source, but in some locations turbines can cause __________.

death of birds and bats

The loss of more than 10% productivity in arid areas due to erosion, soil compaction, forest removal, and an array of other factors is called ________.

desertification

Hydrogen fuel can be produced by __________ and can be used to generate ____________ in a fuel cell.

electrolysis of water; electricity

The amount of energy we obtain for each unit of energy we invest is referred to as:

energy returned on investment

Carbon capture and storage is a proven technology that is being used at most power plants in the United States. true or false

false

Energy Returned on Investment (EROI) ratios for oil and natural gas are increasing in the US because new, easily recovered reserves of oil and gas have recently been discovered. True or false

false

Geothermal energy can be used to heat buildings, but it can't be used to generate electricity. true or false

false

Having large deposits of oil is beneficial for a country or group of people, since they always profit from the money generated from extracted and selling the oil. true or false

false

In general, humans cause a lot less soil erosion than natural processes. True or false

false

The high standards set by the U.S. government for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases is forcing individual states and cities to follow suit and enact stricter state laws. True or false?

false

The renewable energy industry has received far more money in government subsidies than the fossil fuel and nuclear energy industries. true or false

false

Using fossil fuel alternatives, like oil shale and oil or tar sands, can help to minimize the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. True or false

false

Feedlots have no environmental benefits, only negative consequences. True or False

false. reducing pressure on rangelands is one benefit of feedlots

When funds from a carbon tax are transferred to taxpayers as a tax refund

fee-and-dividend approach

"Dead Zones" are created from runoff that specifically contains:

fertilizers

The splitting of an atom into lighter elements is called:

fission

Which of the following are possible negative effects of hydraulic fracking?

fracking fluids can contaminate ground water the fracking process can lead to air pollution methane can leak into well water increasing the risk of explosions fracking depletes freshwater supplies

Heating and cooling buildings by running liquid in pipes between buildings and soil underground is a form of _____________________ energy.

geothermal

Which of the following is NOT predicted to occur when "Peak Oil" arrives?

global trade will increase

Which of the following air pollutants can be released during the combustion of fossil fuels?

greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide heavy metals, such as mercury precursors to acid rain, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides cancer causing pollutants, such as benzene and toluene

Biomass can be used generate energy for which of the following uses?

heating electricity powering vehicles

Wind turbines are generally best positioned ________.

higher to minimize turbulence and maximize wind speed

With an EROI of at least 80:1, ________ is the most efficient renewable energy source.

hydropower

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ________.

is an international panel of scientists that reviews and summarizes research on climate change

_______________________ is a strategy of alleviating or minimizing a problem, while_____________________ is a strategy of learning to live with a change.

mitigation, adaption

Direct conversion of electricity using sunlight, without using an intermediate fluid medium (like oil or water), is accomplished by:

photovoltaic cells

Which of the following is predicted to occur when "Peak Oil" arrives?

price of oil will increase oil shortages will occur economies will become more localized food output will decline

Hydropower generated through dams _____

produces little air pollution

The buildup of salts in surface soils, often as a result of irrigating arid lands, is called________.

salinization

Proven recoverable reserves of a fuel, such as oil, refer to the amount in a deposit that is:

technologically and economically possible to extract

Where exactly does the energy derived from nuclear energy come from?

the energy that holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom

All of the following countries obtain the majority of their electricity from hydropower except _____________________.

the united states

Which of the following are advantages of using renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels?

they will not run out allow a more diversified and stable energy mix provide new green collar jobs, especially in rural communities slow the release of greenhouse gas emissions

In general, species that are able to adapt to climate change fast enough will need to shift their ranges

towards the poles higher in elevation

Which sectors are the two largest sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States?

transportation and electrical power sectors

An increasing number of environmental advocates propose expanding nuclear capacity since it is one of the viable alternatives to fossil fuels with which we can generate large amounts of electricity in the near future. True or false

true

Co-firing is the process where biomass is combined with coal to produce electricity. True or false?

true

Forests act as carbon sinks and their removal can reduce the biosphere's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. True or false

true

One benefit of hydraulic fracturing is that it lowered the price of natural gas, allowing many coal powered electricity plants to switch to natural gas. This switch in fuel type cut CO2 emissions at these plants in half.

true

One benefit of hydraulic fracturing is that it lowered the price of natural gas, allowing many coal powered electricity plants to switch to natural gas. This switch in fuel type cut CO2 emissions at these plants in half. True or false

true

Today a lot of natural gas is extracted using a fracturing technique where water, sand, and chemicals are pumped underground at high pressure. Fractures in the rock are then held open by sand to allow the oil or gas to migrate to the surface.

true

Vehicles with diesel engines can run on 100% biodiesel fuel. true or false

true

What do conventional nuclear reactors use as a fuel source?

uranium-235

Concentrated solar power, such as "power tower" systems, generate electricity by:

using mirrors that focus sunlight on a central collector to concentrate heat. This heat is then used in a steam-driven generator to create electricity.

OTEC generators are based on the principle of ________.

using the thermal gradient between warm surface and cold deep ocean waters

Hydrogen fuel cells produce ________ as a waste product.

water