Exam 4 Graphs/Stories
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. In which nation or region do cities have the highest degree of urban sprawl?
United States
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Fossil Fuels Estimate in what year our consumption of paleoproduction reached 100 times Earth's current annual net primary production.
1960
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Conventional Energy Alternatives In what year did uranium oxide production peak in the United States?
1980
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. The amount of waste sent to landfills leveled off around ________.
1985
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Waste Management Using 1990 data from 149 countries, David Beede, an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and David Bloom, a professor of economics at Columbia University, examined global patterns in the generation and management of municipal solid waste (MSW). Beede and Bloom were particularly interested in the relationships among wealth, population size, and per capita generation of MSW. Their results are presented in this table. For the high-income nation category, calculate pounds MSW per capita per day.
2.64 pounds MSW per capita per day
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Sustainable Solutions The student report estimated $45,500 in electricity savings. What was the approximate cost of electricity in cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) used to calculate this savings?
2.7 cents per kWh
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. According to the figure, which of the following trends has occurred since 1990?
An increase in the amount of waste being composted
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. According to the figure, which of the following trends occurred from 1960 to 2000?
An increase in the amount of waste being recycled
Success Story: Finding Solutions for Solid Waste in the United States Worldwide, many nations struggle to manage the growing volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated each year. In the United States, focused efforts to increase recycling, composting, and combustion rates have helped divert large quantities of waste from landfills. The graph shows how two measures of MSW generation in the United States changed from 1960 to 2015: Total MSW generation (red): The total amount (in million tons) of MSW generated per year in the U.S. Per capita MSW generation (blue): The total amount (in pounds) of MSW generated per person per day in the U.S. Using data from the graph above, calculate the percent change in (a) total MSW generation and (b) per capita MSW generation in the U.S. from 1990 to 2015.
(a) Total MSW generation: 26%; (b) Per capita generation: -2%
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Sustainable Solutions How many MWh per year of savings are possible for HVAC?
1,500 MWh
Interpreting Graphs and Data: New Renewable Energy Alternatives Based on the yearly average values, calculate the solar radiation per square meter for one year.
1,560 kWh per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Waste Management Using 1990 data from 149 countries, David Beede, an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and David Bloom, a professor of economics at Columbia University, examined global patterns in the generation and management of municipal solid waste (MSW). Beede and Bloom were particularly interested in the relationships among wealth, population size, and per capita generation of MSW. Their results are presented in this table. If citizens of low-income countries produced MSW at the same rate as those in high-income countries, what would be the combined total MSW in millions of tons per year for the two categories of countries?
1,880 million tons MSW per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Waste Management Using 1990 data from 149 countries, David Beede, an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and David Bloom, a professor of economics at Columbia University, examined global patterns in the generation and management of municipal solid waste (MSW). Beede and Bloom were particularly interested in the relationships among wealth, population size, and per capita generation of MSW. Their results are presented in this table. For the low-income category, calculate pounds of municipal solid waste per capita per day.
1.17 pounds MSW per capita per day
Interpreting Graphs and Data: New Renewable Energy Alternatives Based on the yearly average values, calculate one person's residential electricity needs for a year.
4,440 kWh per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Conventional Energy Alternatives What was the net amount of uranium imported into the United States in 2005?
45 million pounds
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Conventional Energy Alternatives How much uranium oxide did the United States produce in 2005?
5 million pounds
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Sustainable Solutions Estimate the total energy use at the lab building and the total estimated savings. Approximately what percentage of the total electrical energy use do these savings represent?
62%
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Land Use In this graph, urban population density is used as an indicator of sprawl (lower density = more sprawl), and carbon emissions per capita provide some measure of the environmental impact of the transportation system or preferences for each of the cities represented. Which city on the graph has both low to medium density (between 10 and 30 persons per hectare) and low carbon emissions?
Copenhagen
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Conventional Energy Alternatives Describe the trends in uranium oxide domestic production from the peak production year to 2005.
Domestic production declined dramatically.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. What do the orange dots represent?
European cities
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. In which city do individuals have the highest rate of gasoline consumption?
Houston
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments If the cost of energy rose to $.18 per kilowatt-hour, which of the following would be true? Investing in a solar hot water heating and a ground source heat pump would become cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness of all the investments would remain the same. Investing in a ground source heat pump and a gas stove would become cost-effective. Installing triple-paned windows would no longer be cost-effective.
Investing in a solar hot water heating and a ground source heat pump would become cost-effective.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Sustainable Solutions You are a member of a student committee at your college that is evaluating building energy use and potential savings. If your committee finds that your college's potential savings would be similar to those shown for Penn State, action in which area or combination of areas would result in approximately 5% energy savings?
Lighting
Success Story: Improving Energy Efficiency Suppose that you are a clean energy advocate who helps local communities launch campaigns to educate citizens about sustainable energy solutions. When it comes to the Energy Star Program, you've realized that residents are generally more aware of the financial savings offered by Energy Star products and less aware of the positive impact that these products have on the environment. As you educate the community, you plan to use this chart to show how much CO2 has been prevented from entering the atmosphere annually thanks to the different categories of Energy Star Products. Based on the data shown, which two types of Energy Star products will you point out contributed the most toward the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions by volume in 2012? lighting home electronics office equipment appliances
Lighting, office equipment
Success Story: Turning Waste Into Energy In which region did biomass production increase by the highest percentage between 2005 and 2015?
Midwest
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. How is the generation of municipal solid waste likely to change in the next 20 years?
The answer cannot be determined from the graph.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments What does the y-axis show?
The cost of conserved energy, $/kWh
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments What is the cost of conserved energy for compact fluorescent lighting?
about $.08 per kilowatt-hour
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments How much energy would the family save by investing in all of the features that are cost-effective at the current price of energy?
above 9,000 kilowatt-hours per year
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 1. Used primarily in the United States for electricity generation:
coal
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Conventional Energy Alternatives If current trends continue, the United States is likely to:
decrease domestic production and increase imports and exports
Success Story: Turning Waste Into Energy The expansion of biopower to produce electricity in recent years is a positive step toward reaching energy independence in the United States. The map shows the quantity of biomass electricity (measured in thousands of megawatthours (MWh)) generated by state in 2005 and 2015. Based on the data in the map, the number of states producing over 4000 MWh of electricity ________ between 2005 and 2015.
doubled
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. Which of the following actions would not reduce the per capita generation of solid waste? recycling paper and plastic bottles reducing the volume of product packaging installation of waste-to-energy incinerators reusing items such as shopping bags and clothing composting kitchen scraps and yard waste
installation of waste-to-energy incinerators
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 5. Primary fuel used in the United States for space and water heating:
natural gas
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. What does the left y-axis represent?
total generation of municipal solid waste, in metric tons per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments Which of the following energy investments would be cost-effective to install? triple-paned windows solar hot water heating ground source heat pump gas stove
triple paned windows
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (a) No fossil fuel required for production
(a) hydroelectric, solar, and wind
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (b) Generation process is pollution free
(b) solar and wind
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (c) Production can be increased on demand
(c) hydroelectric only
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (d) Infinitely renewable
(d) solar and wind
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (e) Geographically limited
(e) hydroelectric, solar, and wind
Drag the labels onto the tables to identify advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Options: hydroelectric only; hydroelectric and solar; solar and wind; hydroelectric, solar, and wind (f) Harmful to nearby wildlife
(f) hydroelectric, solar, and wind
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Fossil Fuels Now calculate the total carbon content of the fossil fuel consumed in the year 1750 (assume 0.03 trillion kg C). How many times greater was the total carbon content of the fossil fuel consumed in 2000 than in 1750?
1.7 x 10^6
Interpreting Graphs and Data: New Renewable Energy Alternatives Commercially available household photovoltaic systems cost approximately $20,000. The average cost of electricity in the United States is approximately $0.09 per kilowatt hour. At these prices how long would it take for the photovoltaic system to generate $20,000 of electricity? Assume the system will produce enough kilowatt hours for a four-person household in Topeka, Kansas.
12.5 years
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Fossil Fuels 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.
1890
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. In which of the following years was the greatest volume of material recycled? 2000 2010 1980 1990 1970
2010
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Population Growth The graph shows the different trends in population growth in less developed regions of the world versus more developed regions of the world. Solid lines in the graph indicate past data, and dashed lines indicate future projections. (Projections of data are based on models, simulations, or extrapolations from past data.) According to the projected data, after what year will the majority of people in less developed regions be living in urban areas?
2018
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Fossil Fuels 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?
2110
The oldest wind farm in Pennsylvania is Humboldt Industrial Park, in Luzerne County, which went online December 31, 1999. The two 65-kilowatt wind turbines were predicted to generate 200,000 kilowatt-hours of wind energy each year, replacing conventional electric generation that would otherwise annually produce 140 tons of carbon dioxide-the primary source of global climate change. Wind energy from these first two turbines also avoids the annual production of 800 pounds of nitrogen oxides and 1900 pounds of sulfur dioxide. The local community in Luzerne County had mixed reactions to the news that another wind farm was being installed in 2005. Some were excited about the possibility of lower energy bills, some were concerned about the effects on the environment, and others wondered if there was enough local wind (average wind speed = 10 miles per hour) to make such an investment worthwhile. An average wind speed of 9 to 13 mph is sufficient for most sizes of wind turbines. The power available in the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed, which means that doubling the wind speed increases the available power by a factor of eight. The production and consumption of electricity are most commonly measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour is 1 kilowatt (1000 watts) of electricity produced or consumed for 1 hour. A 10-kW wind turbine can generate about 10,000 kWh annually (enough to power a typical household) at a site such as Spirit Lake, Iowa, with wind speeds averaging 12 miles per hour. The 250-kW turbine installed at the elementary school in Spirit Lake provides about ________ of electricity annually.
250,000 kWh
Interpreting Graphs and Data: New Renewable Energy Alternatives Assume that photovoltaic conversion of solar energy has 10% efficiency. Calculate how many square meters of photovoltaic cells would be needed to supply one person's electricity for the year, based on the yearly average values.
28.5 m2
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Fossil Fuels 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).
3.5 x 10^8 trillion kg C
Success Story: Creating a Global Model for Bus Transit The use of public transportation varies widely across the globe. In the graph shown here, you can compare how bus use varies in some of the world's largest cities in the world. Specifically, the graph shows: Buses per million residents (left bar): The number of buses per million residents in several of the world's largest cities, and corresponds with the left vertical axis. Bus trips per capita (right bar): The number of daily bus trips taken by riders per capita, or per resident, in several of the world's largest cities, and corresponds with the right vertical axis. Population: The estimated population size (in millions) for each city is listed below its name along the horizontal axis at the bottom of the graph. Despite having a substantially lower population than Los Angeles (1.9 million in Curitiba versus 9.0 million in Los Angeles), approximately how many times larger is the fleet of buses in Curitiba?
3.5x
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Sustainable Solutions How many megawatt hours (MWh) per year of savings did the students identify for computers at the Penn State Mueller Laboratory Building?
30 MWh
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Land Use In this graph, urban population density is used as an indicator of sprawl (lower density = more sprawl), and carbon emissions per capita provide some measure of the environmental impact of the transportation system or preferences for each of the cities represented. You work for the city planning agency in Houston and successfully pass ordinances designed to double population density. Based on the graph, predict the approximate change in carbon emissions.
50% decline
Interpreting Graphs and Data: New Renewable Energy Alternatives If efficiency of photovoltaic cells improves to 40%, how many square meters of photovoltaic cells would be needed for one person's yearly electricity use?
7.12 m2
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. In 2000, how much solid waste did the average person in the United States produce?
770 kilograms per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Land Use In this graph, urban population density is used as an indicator of sprawl (lower density = more sprawl), and carbon emissions per capita provide some measure of the environmental impact of the transportation system or preferences for each of the cities represented. Compare the population densities of the most and least dense cities on the graph. What is the population ratio of the most- to least-dense cities?
7:1
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. In 2013, how many millions of tons of U.S. municipal solid waste were either recycled or composted?
90
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Land Use In this graph, urban population density is used as an indicator of sprawl (lower density = more sprawl), and carbon emissions per capita provide some measure of the environmental impact of the transportation system or preferences for each of the cities represented. Describe the relationship between carbon emissions and urban density as shown on the graph.
As urban density increases, per capita carbon emissions decrease.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. Which of the following statements is supported by the graph? Rapidly growing cities have higher rates of automobile use than cities with more stable populations. Per capita automobile use is higher in wealthy nations than in poor nations. As the population of a city increases, automobile use also increases. As urban sprawl increases, automobile use also increases.
As urban sprawl increases, automobile use also increases
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. How do the rates of land use and gasoline consumption in Australian cities compare with those in U.S. cities?
At any level of per capita land consumption, people in U.S. cities use more gasoline than those in Australian cities.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. Which of the following statements is the best description of the per capita generation of solid waste between 1960 and 2010? Between 1960 and 2010, per capita generation was relatively constant. Between 1960 and 1990, per capita generation increased at a steady rate. After 1990, per capita generation continued to increase, but at a slower rate. Between 1960 and 2010, per capita generation of solid waste increased steadily. Between 1960 and 2000, per capita generation increased. After 2000, per capita generation declined.
Between 1960 and 2000, per capita generation increased. After 2000, per capita generation declined.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. Which of the following statements is the best description of the total MSW generation between 1960 and 2010? Between 1960 and 2000, total MSW generation increased. After 2000, total MSW generation declined. Between 1960 and 2005, total MSW generation increased at a steady rate. After 2005, total generation leveled off. Between 1960 and 2010, total MSW generation remained constant. Between 1960 and 2010, total MSW generation increased steadily.
Between 1960 and 2005, total MSW generation increased at a steady rate. After 2005, total generation leveled off.
Success Story: Creating a Global Model for Bus Transit The use of public transportation varies widely across the globe. In the graph shown here, you can compare how bus use varies in some of the world's largest cities in the world. Specifically, the graph shows: Buses per million residents (left bar): The number of buses per million residents in several of the world's largest cities, and corresponds with the left vertical axis. Bus trips per capita (right bar): The number of daily bus trips taken by riders per capita, or per resident, in several of the world's largest cities, and corresponds with the right vertical axis. Population: The estimated population size (in millions) for each city is listed below its name along the horizontal axis at the bottom of the graph. Using the data, calculate the mean number of buses per million residents in Brazilian cities and the mean number of buses per million residents in cities in the United States.
Brazil: 930; United States: 320
Success Story: Creating a Global Model for Bus Transit The use of public transportation varies widely across the globe. Pretend that you are a public transit consultant hired by Hong Kong to help identify strategies to improve the city's public transportation system. As you examine how bus use in Hong Kong compares with other major cities, you notice that despite having the most buses available per million inhabitants (1,714), daily bus trips per capita are lower in Hong Kong than in other cities that have fewer buses. In order to understand what factors might lead to higher public engagement in public transportation, you plan to travel to some of these major cities where public transportation is highly utilized. Based on the data in the chart, which two cities would be most worthwhile to visit? Curitiba Rio de Janeiro New York London
Curitaba, Rio de Janeiro
Success Story: Improving Energy Efficiency The chart below shows the steady growth of Energy Star products purchased annually between 2000 and 2015 across the following six categories: Office equipment: Large network equipment, computers, servers, and imaging equipment Lighting: Ceiling fans, decorative lights, and light fixtures Home office equipment: Computers, monitors, printers, and telephones Appliances: Dishwaters, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers, and dehumidifiers Home electronics: Televisions, tablets, televisions, and digital media players HVAC: Central air conditioners, heat pumps, boilers, furnaces, and thermostats As you examine the graph, note how the consumption of different categories of electronics changed between 2000 and 2015. While the total number of units purchased of some types of Energy Star products increased significantly during this time, consumption of other types of products did not rise substantially. According the chart, which category of Energy Star products has increased the most as reflected in the total number of units (in billions) purchased per year between 2000 and 2015?
Home electronics
Success Story: Finding Solutions for Solid Waste in the United States Worldwide, many nations struggle to manage the growing volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated each year. In the United States, focused efforts to increase recycling, composting, and combustion rates have helped divert large quantities of waste from landfills. The graph shows how MSW management across these categories has shifted over the last several decades in the U.S. Imagine you are a waste management consultant asked to help a group of municipal leaders from across the United States identify ways to achieve greater environmental sustainability in local MSW management. You show them the data above, highlighting how recent shifts in MSW management have benefited local communities and the environment in recent decades. Based on these trends and what you know about each MSW management method, which of the following is the first step that you would recommend that leaders take to improve the sustainability of local MSW management?
Implement curbside recycling and composting programs where currently unavailable in order to further reduce the amount of MSW sent to landfills
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Population Growth The graph shows the different trends in population growth in less developed regions of the world versus more developed regions of the world. Solid lines in the graph indicate past data, and dashed lines indicate future projections. (Projections of data are based on models, simulations, or extrapolations from past data.) Which of the following statements are supported by the graph? Select all that apply. In 1950, urban populations in more developed regions and less developed regions were almost equal. In 2050, rural populations in less developed regions are projected to drop below 3 billion. Rural populations are projected to drop in both more developed and less developed regions. In 2050, urban populations in less developed regions are projected to reach 5 billion. Urban growth in more developed regions is projected to be faster than urban growth in less developed regions. Urban populations are growing because more people are moving from farms to cities.
In 1950, urban populations in more developed regions and less developed regions were almost equal. In 2050, rural populations in less developed regions are projected to drop below 3 billion. Rural populations are projected to drop in both more developed and less developed regions. In 2050, urban populations in less developed regions are projected to reach 5 billion.
The oldest wind farm in Pennsylvania is Humboldt Industrial Park, in Luzerne County, which went online December 31, 1999. The two 65-kilowatt wind turbines were predicted to generate 200,000 kilowatt-hours of wind energy each year, replacing conventional electric generation that would otherwise annually produce 140 tons of carbon dioxide-the primary source of global climate change. Wind energy from these first two turbines also avoids the annual production of 800 pounds of nitrogen oxides and 1900 pounds of sulfur dioxide. The local community in Luzerne County had mixed reactions to the news that another wind farm was being installed in 2005. Some were excited about the possibility of lower energy bills, some were concerned about the effects on the environment, and others wondered if there was enough local wind (average wind speed = 10 miles per hour) to make such an investment worthwhile. An average wind speed of 9 to 13 mph is sufficient for most sizes of wind turbines. The power available in the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed, which means that doubling the wind speed increases the available power by a factor of eight. Using wind turbines to produce electricity avoids the production of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, which are the major pollutants ________.
In acid rain
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Urban Land Use In this graph, urban population density is used as an indicator of sprawl (lower density = more sprawl), and carbon emissions per capita provide some measure of the environmental impact of the transportation system or preferences for each of the cities represented. Calculate the average population density of the cities on the graph. Does the city that has average population density also have average carbon emissions?
No, carbon emissions are actually lower than average in the city with average density.
Success Story: Improving Energy Efficiency The chart shows the annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) avoided by volume per year (in million metric tons) for five major categories of Energy Star products. Between 1993 and 2012, which category of Energy Star products contributed the most cumulative savings in the avoidance of CO2 gas emissions by volume?
Office equipment
Success Story: Finding Solutions for Solid Waste in the United States Worldwide, many nations struggle to manage the growing volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated each year. In the United States, focused efforts to increase recycling, composting, and combustion rates have helped divert large quantities of waste from landfills. The graph shows how two measures of MSW generation in the United States changed from 1960 to 2015: Total MSW generation (red): The total amount (in million tons) of MSW generated per year in the U.S. Per capita MSW generation (blue): The total amount (in pounds) of MSW generated per person per day in the U.S. Looking at the graph, examine how per capita MSW production changed over time. Specifically, how did per capita generation of MSW compare between 1990 and 2015?
Per capita generation of MSW in the U.S. was slightly lower in 2015 than in 1990.
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Waste Management Using 1990 data from 149 countries, David Beede, an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and David Bloom, a professor of economics at Columbia University, examined global patterns in the generation and management of municipal solid waste (MSW). Beede and Bloom were particularly interested in the relationships among wealth, population size, and per capita generation of MSW. Their results are presented in this table. Describe the relationship between per capita MSW generation in the high-income nations versus the low-income nations.
The daily per capita MSW in high-income countries is 2.25 times greater than daily per capita MSW in low-income countries
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. Between 2000 and 2010, per capita generation of solid waste declined, but the total amount of MSW remained relatively constant. What caused the difference in these two trends?
The total population was increasing.
Success Story: Turning Waste Into Energy Pretend that you are an energy analyst working for a state government in the Midwest, helping it identify ways to expand renewable electricity production. You note that between 2005 and 2015, growth of biopower in your Midwestern state was considerably less than growth in the Southern region of the United States. Although there are many factors to consider when assessing potential for biopower production, a primary consideration is access to the right types of materials. Based on this, which of the following materials would your state need in large quantities to expand future biopower production?
Wood and wood-derived biomass
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments How much energy would be saved by adding insulation to ceilings?
about 2,000 kilowatt-hours/year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Waste Management Using 1990 data from 149 countries, David Beede, an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and David Bloom, a professor of economics at Columbia University, examined global patterns in the generation and management of municipal solid waste (MSW). Beede and Bloom were particularly interested in the relationships among wealth, population size, and per capita generation of MSW. Their results are presented in this table. For the low-income nation category, calculate pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day.
about 3.6 billion pounds MSW per day
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments Which of these energy investments is the least expensive to install? solar hot water heating adding insulation to ceilings triple paned windows cannot be determined from graph
adding insulation to ceiling
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. What information is provided on the x-axis?
area per person, in square meters
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 3. The world's most abundant fossil fuel:
coal
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 6. Created very slowly and considered nonrenewable at current extraction rates:
coal, oil, and natural gas
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 2. Remains of ancient organisms, modified underground for long periods by temperature and pressure:
coal, oil, and natural gas
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 8. Produces the least carbon dioxide per unit energy when combusted:
natural gas
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Automobile Dependency in Urban Areas This graph compares the degree of urban sprawl to the rate of gasoline consumption in U.S., Australian, Canadian, and European cities. Is the following statement supported or not supported by the data shown in the graph? The amount of gasoline used by each person generally decreases as per capita land consumption increases.
not supported
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 4. A mixture of hundreds or thousands of different hydrocarbon molecules:
oil
Concept Review: Characteristics of Fossil Fuels Options: coal; oil; natural gas; coal, oil, and natural gas 7. Used primarily in the United States as a source of vehicle fuels:
oil
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Savings from Energy Conservation Investments The bars on the graph are not of equal width. What does the width of each bar represent?
the amount of energy saved by an investment, in kilowatt-hours per year
Interpreting Graphs and Data: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States This graph compares changes in the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States to changes in the per capita generation of waste. What does the red line on the graph represent?
the average amount of solid waste generated by each person in the United States per year