ERS Exam 3 Study Guide

12) Organic matter that has formed solid carbon structures while under high compression A) natural gas B) hydrogen fuel cell C) coal D) petroleum E) geothermal F) aerobic G) mulch I) crude oil J) carbon dioxide H) peat K) nuclear L) anaerobic

Coal

17) The world's most abundant fossil fuel is ________. A) biodiesel B) coal C) oil D) natural gas E) methane

Coal

23) The primary energy source that is most used in the United States for production of electricity is ________. A) water power B) nuclear power C) coal D) natural gas E) renewable energy

Coal

1) The best fit between observed and model data is shown by the model that ________. A) incorporates only natural factors B) incorporates observed global temperature changes C) incorporates both natural and anthropogenic factors D) reflects both observed and predicted temperature changes E) emphasizes natural factors over anthropogenic factors

Incorporates both natural and anthropogenic factors

6) Growing rice results in the release of ________ into the atmosphere. A) methane B) sulfur oxides C) ozone D) carbon dioxide E) sulfate aerosols

Methane

13) A gaseous by-product of anaerobic microbial decomposition A) natural gas B) hydrogen fuel cell C) coal D) petroleum E) geothermal F) aerobic G) mulch I) crude oil J) carbon dioxide H) peat K) nuclear L) anaerobic

Natural Gas

18) The most cleanly burning fossil fuel available, producing the least pollutants, is ________. A) coal B) kerosene C) natural gas D) nuclear energy E) petroleum

Natural gas

22) Renewable energy includes all of the following except ________. A) the sun B) the wind C) natural gas D) rain E) geothermal heat

Natural gas

27) Biomass energy is energy contained in ________. A) the sun B) firewood and other plant material C) water D) wind E) the Earth's heat

firewood and other plant material

2) On average, how much warmer were global temperatures in the year 2000 than temperatures predicted by the climate change model that incorporates only natural factors? A) Average global temperatures were about the same as temperatures predicted by the model. B) 0.2C C) 0.6C D) 0.8C E) 1.0C

0.6C

16) A renewable energy source A) natural gas B) hydrogen fuel cell C) coal D) petroleum E) geothermal F) aerobic G) mulch I) crude oil J) carbon dioxide H) peat K) nuclear L) anaerobic

Geothermal

33) The nation that currently has the most progressive renewable energy policies and also produces the greatest amount of electricity from PV solar is ________. A) the United States B) Spain C) China D) Brazil E) Germany

Germany

7) Approximately ________% of U.S. citizens live in coastal counties and are thus vulnerable to storm surges and a rise in sea level. A) 95 B) 83 C) 53 D) 20 E) 10

53%

25)Worldwide, the most widely used renewable energy resource is ________. A) solar B) hydroelectric C) biomass D) wind E) nuclear

Biomass

31) Which of the following countries has the highest percentage of electricity generated from nuclear power plants? A) France B) United States C) Canada D) Sweden E) Russia

France

19) Which of the following energy sources is considered nonrenewable? A) fossil fuel energy B) sunlight (solar) energy C) geothermal energy D) tidal energy E) wind energy

Fossil Fuel energy

15) Energy from processed uranium A) natural gas B) hydrogen fuel cell C) coal D) petroleum E) geothermal F) aerobic G) mulch I) crude oil J) carbon dioxide H) peat K) nuclear L) anaerobic

Nuclear

14) Organic material being slowly broken down anaerobically, but remains wet and near the surface A) natural gas B) hydrogen fuel cell C) coal D) petroleum E) geothermal F) aerobic G) mulch I) crude oil J) carbon dioxide H) peat K) nuclear L) anaerobic

Peat

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the increased flux of carbon into the atmosphere has been primarily due to ________. A) burning of fossil fuels B) deforestation C) desertification D) addition of fertilizers to the soil E) addition of phosphate in detergents

burning of fossil fuels

11) Which of the following are market mechanisms for addressing climate change? A) international treaties from global conferences B) carbon taxes and fee-and-dividend benefits C) cap-and-trade and carbon offsets D) mitigation and adaptation E) carbon neutrality and carbon aggression policies

cap-and-trade and carbon offsets

8) Impacts of global warming include all of the following except ________. A) rising sea levels B) more extreme weather C) decrease in mortality because winter is warmer D) more human illness E) shifting species ranges

decrease in mortality because winter is warmer

26) The run-of-river approach to hydropower often involves ________. A) impounding water in reservoirs behind concrete dams B) the purchase of state-run dams by major corporations C) dams that are reliable but unsustainable D) the most expensive type of dams to build and maintain E) diversion of a portion of a river's flow through pipes

diversion of a portion of a river's flow through pipes

3) The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________, followed by ________. A) agriculture; transportation B) electricity generation; agriculture C) electricity generation; industry D) electricity generation; transportation E) agriculture; electricity generation

electricity generation; transportation

29) Nuclear power plants ________. A) were first developed commercially in the early 1990s B) experienced the most growth in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s C) are illegal in France and Lithuania D) supply most of U.S. electricity E) produce more greenhouse gas emissions than burning fossil fuels

experienced the most growth in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s

4) Earth's climate ________. A) has been stable over the history of the planet B) is changing as a result of natural and human processes C) will stabilize over the next century, according to the predictions of most scientists D) has been documented to have changed once due to the evolution of green photosynthesizing plants E) history is undeterminable because there is no method of studying the climatic history of the planet

is changing as a result of natural and human processes

21) The oil spill resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster ________. A) is considered a minor incident compared to other oil spills B) is the largest accidental oil spill in world history, causing damage to marine and coastal ecosystems C) resulted in a permanent ban on all offshore drilling in U.S. coastal waters D) eclipsed all non-point oil spills by 500% E) was quickly cleaned up preventing loss of wildlife and damage to fisheries

is the largest accidental oil spill in world history, causing damage to marine and coastal ecosystems

The U.S. Senate has so far opposed emissions reductions on the grounds that ________. A) no other nations have pledged reductions B) the United States does not emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases C) President Obama rejected the scientific basis of global climate change D) it might hurt the economy E) the United States already has reduced its emissions by 68% as agreed in the Copenhagen treaty

it might hurt the economy

39) Solar represents a minuscule portion of U.S. energy production because of ________. A) technological limitations B) lack of investment C) lack of scientific interest D) poor potential for this energy source E) air and water pollution from this source of energy

lack of investment

10) Tuvalu and the Maldives are in the international spotlight because they ________. A) may be among the first nations to be completely flooded by rising sea levels B) are accepting climate change refugees from other nations C) have exceeded the emissions reductions set by the Kyoto Protocol D) are the largest emissions producers in their respective areas E) opposed China's proposals for global carbon neutrality at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009

may be among the first nations to be completely flooded by rising sea levels

24) Natural gas is primarily composed of ________. A) methane B) oxygen C) nitrite D) nitrogen E) sulfur dioxide

methane

28)The source of energy for nuclear power is ________. A) nuclear fusion B) breeder reactions C) nuclear fission D) nuclear reaction E) natural gas

nuclear fission

37) A potential energy source from oceans is ________. A) chemoluminescent bacteria B) ocean thermal energy C) solar reflection D) lightning strikes in salt water E) magnetic field generators

ocean thermal energy

34) Every winter morning when the sun is shining bright, a man living in Montana pulls back the drapes on a large, south-facing window. In this way, he helps heat his home using ________. A) conductive solar heating B) active solar heating C) radioactive solar heating D) passive solar heating E) photovoltaic heating

passive solar heating

30) In the near future, the benefits of biofuel production may be enjoyed while reducing the impact on the global production of grain. One such promising approach is to ________. A) bioengineer cattle and goats to produce ethanol in their milk B) produce biofuels from grasses instead of corn C) use the large amounts of animal wastes to produce ethanol D) find ways to convert oil and natural gas into ethanol E) gasify coal to increase the efficiency of coal power plants

produce biofuels from grasses instead of corn

36) Compared to the use of fossil fuels for generating electricity, wind energy ________. A) is more consistent B) requires no investment C) produces no exhaust pollutants and contributes little to global climate change D) is not renewable E) is more widely used in the United States

produces no exhaust pollutants and contributes little to global climate change

20) Crude oil is ________. A) composed of three different hydrocarbon molecules B) usable in its raw form C) formed less than 100 yards below the surface; in deeper places with more pressure, coal is formed D) formed in a wide range of temperature and pressure circumstances E) refined to separate the chemicals used for gasoline, lubricants, plastics, and other products

refined to separate the chemicals used for gasoline, lubricants, plastics, and other products

32) Sweden had to rescind its pledge to replace completely nuclear power with renewable energy because ________. A) The Copenhagen Conference of 2010 rescinded the Kyoto agreements B) renewable energy was taking longer to develop than expected C) they found a way to rapidly detoxify nuclear wastes D) there was a strong public demand to return to fossil fuels E) the pollution from wind and hydroelectric generators had contaminated groundwater

renewable energy was taking longer to develop than expected

41) Photovoltaic (PV) technology is best described as ________. A) passive solar technology B) using sun's energy to warm a room without mechanical devices C) using sunlight to generate electricity D) trapping sun's heat and storing it for various uses E) using mirrors to concentrate sunlight, in order to heat water and produce steam for electricity generation

using sunlight to generate electricity

35) The chemical product of burning hydrogen or using hydrogen fuel cells as an energy source is ________. A) carbon monoxide B) acids C) water D) nontoxic ash E) glucose and oxygen

water

40) Which one of the following is a type of "new renewable" energy? A) biodiesel B) wind power C) ethanol D) sustainably harvested fuelwood E) "biogas" methane

wind power

38) One benefit of offshore wind farms is that ________. A) they are more aesthetically pleasing than wind farms on land B) unlike land-based wind farms, they do not interfere with bird migration routes C) wind speeds are higher and turbulence is lower over water than over land D) development of land for human use is pushing wind farms to open water E) maintenance costs are less than they are on land

wind speeds are higher and turbulence is lower over water than over land