Quiz 6
CH 14 - Identify the major energy alternatives for transportation: human powered transport
o A simple way to reduce energy use is to increase human powered transportation like biking and public transportation § Driving energy efficient vehicles, such as electric or hybrid cars, is another method
CH 16 - Discuss how planning, participation, and design can develop more livable, sustainable, and resilient cities
o Cities around the world are promoting mixed use areas § Mixture of housing, shops, restaurants, grocery stores, office, and public amenities are all within a half mile of public transportation §Walkability: Short city blocks with relatively narrow streets in a grid pattern help give pedestrians a continuous network of routes to destinations, trees and curbside parking serves as buffer § Transit oriented development (TOD): term for design strategies to integrate public transportation and land suse patterns in more sustainable and resilient ways § Pedestrian oriented development (POD): is a term for design strategies to integrate pedestrian travel and land use patterns in more sustainable and resilient ways § Urban planners now use the term green infrastructure to describe the wide variety of green spaces that can be incorporated into urban life · Ex: NY Central Park
CH 14 - Explain how energy conservation plays a role in addressing energy challenges
o Conserving and making better use of energy is part of formal energy transition plans tha business, communities, and schools create § The US could reduce energy consumption by 23% and save more than $1M annually by wasting less energy o Replacing conventional transmission line switch new higher voltage transmission lines o Cogeneration: captures waste heat from power plants and uses it as an additional source of heating or cooling § Also called combined heat and power systems o Vampire power § According to the US dept of energy, 25% of energy used by home electronics, such as TVs or computers, is called vampire power and is consumed when the devices are turned off but still plugged in · This loss could be solved by unplugging devices when not in use, or by using a power strip that can be easily switched off
CH 16 - Explain the characteristics, causes, and challenges of slums
o In Dharavi Settlement in Mumbai, India 600,000 people live in a maze of shacks in a 1 squire mile area o Indoor plumbing is nonexistent, and open sewer ditches pollute in their homes o Dharavi is an example of a slum § An urban area characterized by substandard housing, lack of formal property ownership arrangements, inadequate urban services, and high rates of poverty
CH 15 - Describe some of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of different forms of dumping: Basel convention
o International agreement restricting transboundary movement of household waste and hazardous waste from more developed to less developed countries § Many hazardous materials shipped to developing countries are included in e waste · Waste created from and by electronic devices
CH 15 - Recycling
o Recycling these waste products is defined as redefining waste as resources for new products, thus diverting materials from the waste stream o Primary recycling (closed loop): happens when materials are processed into the same sort of product from which they came, such as aluminum cans § Most efficient o Secondary recycling (open loop): process that converts waste material from a product into a different sort of product, such as turning water bottles into blankets § Downcycling b/c it needs additional energy to reduce the quality of the source material
CH 16 - Explain the characteristics, causes, and challenges of suburban sprawl
o Suburban sprawl is the spread of urban populations away from the centers of cities to widely dispersed areas that have relatively low population densities § Sprawl occurs when policies increase the supply of land for development while reducing the transportation costs associated with commuting § Suburban sprawl is less dense and more resource intensive form of urbanization that has its own environmental and social challenges
CH 14 - Discuss the challenges associated with a transition to alternative energy and the steps governments are taking to facilitate this change
o Transitioning to alternative energies would involve a combo of market forces, innovations, infrastructure improvements, government policy, and individual actions § As new energy resources gain traction, global energy use continues to increase § A transition to alternative energy will not be an immediate or complete replacement of fossil fuels
CH 15 - Explain what the waste stream is and what the concepts upstream and downstream mean
o Waste or garbage are the things we determine to be unusable or unwanted o Waste cannot be destroyed, so it ends up in a waste stream § Steady flow of materials from upstream processes such as extraction, production, and distribution to their disposal, which is downstream
CH 16 - Describe how recent and rapid demographic trends have made us a predominantly urban species
o When henry ford advanced development of automobiles, he saw cars as way to escape crowded cities, which prompted more of his company from detroit in 1910 to suburban dearborn, MI o Suburban living is supported by infrastructure or physical structures and facilities such as roads, buildings, parking lots associated with higher energy use, more pollution, and less efficient resource use per capita than more compact communities o Undergoing urban transition, where pops are becoming more urban and less rural o Urban areas are places where large numbers of people live together in relatively dense settlements and work in nonagricultural jobs
CH 14 - Wind power
o Wind turbines are machines that use flowing air over oceans and land masses to turn large blades that in turn power a generator and create electricity
CH 15 - Explain what the waste stream is and what the concepts upstream and downstream mean: Life cycle assessment
§ Accounting for the environmental impacts of all the steps involved in making, distributing, using, and ultimately disposing of a product is called a life cycle assessment · Ex: disposable plastic water bottles o Creation of these bottles generates 13% of solid waste o Fabricating and distributing bottles generates 14% of waste o While recycling and disposing contributes 73% of soldi waste o Other impacts of production of these plastic bottles include air pollution, water pollution, and environmental health effects
CH 15 - Advantages to recycling
§ Alleviates environmental effects of landfills and incineration · White reducing the extraction and consumption of raw materials § Processing recyclables saves energy and reduces contributions to GHG emissions
CH 14 - Identify the major energy alternatives for transportation: Ethanol and other biofuels
§ Biofuels · Fuel sources that utilize recently living matter or byproducts of their decomposition as an energy source · A biofuel is often used in vehicles is ethanol o An alcohol produced by fermenting sugars in plants such as corn or sugarcane and then blended with gasoline § An environmental challenge when processing crop based ethanol is the land destruction and water pollution produced due to poor farming practices like deforestation
CH 16 - Identify environmental and human health effects associated with urbanization
§ Building cities has come at the cost of transporting natural landscapes and habitats like forests and prairies § Urban development has altered/eliminated more than half of wetlands in FL and more than 90% of the coastal wetlands in CA § Resource extraction and waste generation has resulted in high levels of pollution and an increase in ecological footprints o Horrendous living conditions due to industrialized in europe and north american during the 19th and 20th centuries resulted in cholera and other infectious disease epidemics as well as high death and infant mortality rates § Human health problems associated with urban living are referred to as urban penalty § Improvements in sanitation and public health have helped reduce mortality rates in urban areas to less than those in rural areas globally, but some developing cities are still plagued with numerous diseases
CH 15 - Explain the advantages of reducing consumption to the waste stream and aspects of culture that make this strategy challenging
§ Concept of conspicuous consumption happens when people purchase certains goods to project particular identities or images within society § Consumption has cultural context, where culture is systematic, learned, and shared understandings and behaviors of a particular group § The growing economy, increasing prosperity, and advancing technologies after WWII resulted in more buying power and increasing array of consumer goods § Food packaging, especially plastic, is now one of the largest components of household waste o Reducing what we consume is often challenging b/c it can require significant lifestyle changes
CH 14 - Discuss the challenges associated with a transition to alternative energy and the steps governments are taking to facilitate this change: Economic forces
§ Cost of wind and solar energy has fallen steadily · Expanded production and technological advances in solar panel and wind turbine design began to drive costs down · Between 2009-2018 the cost of wind and solar power declined by 70% and 90%, respectively, and the share of global electricity supplied by these sources has grown rapidly
CH 14 - Identify the major energy alternatives for transportation: Fuel Cells
§ Device like batteries, but do not need to be recharged · Instead, can continue to generate electricity as long as a fuel, typically hydrogen, is supplied o Work by stripping hydrogen molecules of their electrons as hydrogen molecules enter system § Creating electricity § Reasoning hydrogen fuel cell has lagged behind batter EV · Production is energy intensive · Hydrogen must be stored as a gas at high pressure or super cold liquid aboard the vehicle · Managing hydrogen safely and efficiently has necessitated vehicles with more complicated systems o Making them more expensive to produce and maintain · Need reliable and convenient refueling stations
CH 15 - Bioreactor landfill
§ Disposal strategy using injected water and air to accelerate decomposition · Reduces volume of waste · Reduces methane production due to aeration
CH 15 - Describe how the conversion process is used as a modern waste management strategy and the environmental effects of it
§ Disposal strategy where waste is converted to something else useful § Waste to energy facilities are places where the heat produced by incineration is used to power a steam turbine that generates electricity · Landfills can filter out methane to burn and produce stream or to be converted to vehicle fuel
CH 15 - Describe some of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of different forms of dumping: Ocean dumping
§ Dropping waste into ocean · 2 common forms o Sewage sludge § Waste remaining water sewage treatment · Organic waste § Can cause eutrophication · Leading to anoxic dead zones in shallow coastal waters o Dredge spoils § Sediment removed from bodies of water to improve navigation · Can contain heavy metals that are potentially toxic o Ex: mercury or lead
CH 15 - Describe some of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of different forms of dumping: Leachate
§ Dumps also produce foul smelling soupy liquid called leachate · Forms when rainwater or groundwater mixes with the decomposing waste at the dump § Leachate can incorporate harmful substances from the waste stream such as ammonia, heavy metals, and dioxins and can carry pathogens that grow in the waste · These wastes can form harmful plumes of liquid when they seep into soil and drinking water to be taken up by humans, plants, and wildlife
CH 16 - Opportunities in slums
§ Often residents of slums are moving from undesirable conditions like war, political oppression, and economic hardships where jobs such as farm laborers are no longer needed § The perception, which is called bright lights syndrome is that cities are places of greater opportunity, excitement, and freedom to pursue all aspects of life § Many find work in the informal economy, which is comprised of the small entrepreneurial ventures that operate beyond the reach of government regulation and taxation § Slums can become areas of support based around family and other social contacts
CH 14 - Nuclear power advantages
· Generates little air pollution · Generates virtually no CO2 emissions · More efficient than fossil fuels o Nuclear fission utilizes a larger share of atomic potential energy than the chemical reactions that make fossil fuel energy
CH 14 - Discuss the challenges associated with a transition to alternative energy and the steps governments are taking to facilitate this change: Innovation and infrastructure for energy storage and distribution
§ Experts estimate as wind and solar energy approach 25% of our electricity consumption, they will threaten the reliability of our current distribution system § Under our current electric distribution system, there is little capacity to store and save energy for later use § Energy research and development is now focused on devising energy storage solutions and better ways to distribute power § "Pumped hydro" technology, which uses an uphill and downhill hydropower gradient to generate electricity, is the most common for large scale energy storage · Electricity can also be used to pump compressed air into underground caverns when energy is plentiful and released when energy is needed, but must be used within 24 hrs before the air expands and escapes · Molten salt can also be used to generate power for 24 hours · Large batteries, but improve/provide storage for long periods of time · Pairing batteries with wind and solar power can extend energy availability
CH 15 - Give historical examples of ways consumers reduced waste and of new strategies developed by community initiatives and individual actions
§ Food co-ops and bike sharing are ways communities can make it easier to share goods and services § Businesses are forecasting greater sharing or multiple consumer use of cars in our future · Companies like uber are built on idea that more people will not own a car, but instead hire or rent them in future § Waste reduction requires we ask ourselves if we really need a new production, finding ways to get more out of what we have, and recycling more
CH 14 - Wind power advantages
§ Freely accessible § No fuel bills § Non Depletable § No need to extract or transport fuel § Once built, no air or water emissions · No steam turbines to generate electricity · No water for heating or cooling § Wind farm takes less time to make
CH 14 - Geothermal
§ Generated by heat from below the earth's surface § To generate electricity, geothermal power plants rely on wells that bring hot water and gasses to the surface to turn steam turbines § Steam from geothermal wells can directly provide heat for buildings · Pipes can circulate through buildings and communities to provide energy · Homes can take advantage of the temperature differential between the surface and underground to heat in the winter and cool in the summer
CH 14 - Nuclear power
§ Generated in a process called fission · Where the nuclei of unstable uranium atoms are split, releasing large amounts of heat energy
CH 14 - Hydropower
§ Generated when water is used to spin turbines and generate electricity § Hydropower is produced by construction of dams and reservoirs · Provide energy by adjusting water flow through turbines of the dam, and run of the river system that uses flow rates to power turbines
CH 14 - Discuss the challenges associated with a transition to alternative energy and the steps governments are taking to facilitate this change: Gov actions
§ Gov support for research and development, tax advantages for consumers, regulation of the energy industry, and funding infrastructure all play a role in shaping energy transitions § Regulatory policies on energy production now have state requirements for local utilities to use a percentage of alternative energy options for output
CH 15 - Limitations to recycling
§ Important to ensure that recycled products do not contain hazardous materials § Market for recyclables fluctuates to the point where some recycled materials end up in landfills
CH 15 - Describe how the combustion process is used as a modern waste management strategy and the environmental effects of it
§ Incineration has roots in the ancient strategy of basic combustion or burning waste · Burning waste reduces volume and provides heat, but often results in uncontrolled fires and air pollution § More modern methods of incineration use a technology of controlled combustion at high temps with pollution controls in place § 3/4 of all incinerators use mass burn technologies that combust solid waste first then perform secondary combustion of the resulting gasses § Incineration still releases significant amounts of CO2 · Smaller number of incinerators can achieve greater efficiency and pollution control by sorting waste prior to incinerations o Called refuse derived fuel in the form of dehydrated waste pellets can also increase efficiency
CH 15 - Describe how the isolation process is used as a modern waste management strategy and the environmental effects of it
§ Less than 12% of the waste stream is managed by incinerators in the US · Dominant strategy in the US is isolation o Segregation of waste from significant contact with humans or the wider environment, normally below the surface but sometimes in buildings above ground § Waste can be stored in secured concrete containment buildings · Structures that isolate the waste from the surrounding area while allowing constant monitoring and retrieval § Containment buildings have · Air locked doors · Liquid collection drains · Negative air pressure Dust control systems
CH 15 - Explain what the waste stream is and what the concepts upstream and downstream mean: Solid waste
§ MSW does not account for waste generated upstream before the products we consume reach us § Solid waste is the broader category of waste that includes all discarded material in solid form · Ex: discarding 30 microchips typically found in an old computer · Contributes only 1.5 ounces to the waste stream · Process of producing microchips would contribute 90 lbs of waste
CH 14 - Identify the major energy alternatives for transportation: adoption of tech
§ Many countries are implementing initiatives to improve the use of alternative energy sources § Several countries have set goals to be free of gas and diesel cars
CH 15 - Give historical examples of ways consumers reduced waste and of new strategies developed by government action
§ More than 130 US cities and countries some form of legislation discouraging or banking the distribution of disposable plastic bags at checkout counters § Many states have passed producer responsibility laws, which require manufacturers of products and packaging to take responsibility for collection, recycling, reuse, or disposal of their products, including e waste § Producer responsibility places the cost on the manufacturer and consumer rather than on taxpayers · Germany has implemented a policy of extended producer responsibility, making manufacturers responsible for collecting, recycling, and final disposal of packaging waste
CH 14 - Identify the major energy alternatives for transportation: EVs
§ Powered by an electric motor using a magnetic field to generate motion § EVs waste less energy as heat so they are 4x more efficient than gas powered vehicles and accelerate faster § EVs also have fewer moving parts · Making them easier and cheaper to maintain, and are emission free § Most EVs today are powered by lithium ion batteries that recharge by plugging into an outlet and provide an average of 40mpg
CH 15 - Remediation
§ Process that converts hazardous waste to less hazardous substances · Bioremediation uses microorganisms and enzymes · Mycoremediation uses fungi · Phytoremediation uses plants to reduce toxic substances like pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls
CH 16 - Identify the opportunities cities provide for more sustainable and resilient living
§ Researchers in santa fe institute found that as city population increases, measures such as wages and wealth also increase § If person moves to a city with twice the number of people, that person produces 15% more income partially due to networks or connections made that led to greater opportunities § An increase in urban density, or the number of residents per unity of space, results in benefits due to an economy of scale, which is a situation where the per capita cost for services decreases as a result of the increasing scale of operations o More people are using shared resources such as roads can stress the infrastructure and resources of the city, which presents opportunities to solve environmental problems o Efficiency gains and reduction of GHG emissions are a result of sharing heating and cooling usage and costs by living in multi dwelling buildings and sharing space
CH 16 - Characteristics and problems of suburban sprawl
§ Suburbs have developed into one use zones, or distinct zones that serve one particular purpose § Residential subdivisions, sho[ping centers, office parks, and schools are examples of these distinct zones § Variations in residential development can be calculated as dwelling units per acre (DU/acre) and include single family homes, apartments, and condos § Another measurement includes a floor to area ratio (FAR), which calculates the total floor space of a building and the area of land it is built upon §Problems § Sprawl consumes previously developed land, reduces pedestrian travel, and increases average vehicle ownership, as well as miles traveled per capita § Has replaced substantial acres of natural ecosystems, such as forests and wetlands
CH 15 - Explain what the waste stream is and what the concepts upstream and downstream mean: Municipal Solid Waste
§ The EPA estimates American consumers directly contribute 4.4 lbs of garbage to the waste stream per person per day · This produces more than 1,600 lbs of garbage each year as municipal solid waste (MSW) o Waste consumers dispose of from their households and businesses o Per capita, the US is one of the largest producers of MSW
CH 14 - Solar power
§ The most common solar energy technology is the photovoltaic solar panel, which is made of silicon and produces an electric charge when exposed to sunlight § Concentrated solar thermal plant is another technology that captures heat from sun by using mirrors to focus sunlight toward liquid filled pipes or centrally located power tower § Solar power can also be used to produce basic heating functions too · Passive solar buildings are designed with specific exposure angles to the sun so that heat will naturally collect during the day and release at night · Other heat exchange technologies use solar collectors on the roof to heat water during the day and store it in a tank for later use
CH 15 - Give historical examples of ways consumers reduced waste and of new strategies developed by business and consumer groups
§ There are business strategies that encourage consumers to purchase less wasteful products as a way to attract customers § Europe has dose certa certification program that is awarded to restaurants that meet waste reduction targets following monitoring waste streams § Consumer groups like the citizens clearinghouse for hazardous waste are pressuring businesses to adapt less wasteful practices
CH 15 - Describe some of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of different forms of dumping: Polluting gas
§ Two gasses are created as waste breaks down and decomposes · Methane · Carbon dioxide § Both are greenhouse gasses § Methane is result of anoxic or low oxygen environments, which along with CO2, can chemically react with paints and adhesive to release hazardous air pollutants
CH 14 - Wind power challenges
§ Variable generation · Power source with generating capacity that changes according to the time of day, weather conditions, or other factories o When wind speeds are slower than 27-55 mph, turbines only generate 10-40% of their max potential, since their speeds vary with the wind § Steady winds are favorable § Highest quality wind resource areas in the US are found in agricultural areas of the midwest · Rural farms § Farms must be balanced with other resources § Impact on wildlife · Birds and bats
CH 15 - Isolation strategies: sanitary landfill
· Disposal site that isolates and contains waste, manages its contents, and treats liquid and gasses releases · Important engineered aspect of landfill design includes o Subsurface layers of impermeable clay or plastic liners o Drainage, collection, and treatment system for leachate o Venting and collection system for methane gas o Monitoring wells
CH 15 - Isolation challenges
· EPA and waste consultants indicate leachate will eventually escape from sanitary landfills as synthetic liners degrade and release hazardous pollutants like heavy metals and VOCs · Landfills also release a significant level of GHGs · Deep well injections of waste have been associated with thousands of failures, such as leaks from drilling accidents and injections that shatter the rock meant to contain the waste
CH 14 - Hydropower disadvantages
· Ecosystem disruption and displacement of large numbers and people o Ex: china's three gorges dam on the Yangtze river was built · Hydropower does contribute to GHG emissions due to flooding of vegetation that decomposes and then releases carbon dioxide and methane
CH 14 - Geothermal advantages
· Emissions for geothermal power are low, but the gasses can contain toxic hydrogen sulfide, which must be treated before its released
CH 14 - Solar power advantages
· Fuel is freely accessible and nondepletable · No air and water emissions · No direct cost or environmental impacts associated with fuel extraction, transportation, or pollution · Can be installed relatively quickly
CH 15 - Isolation strategies: geological disposal
· Injecting or placing waste beneath earth's surface · Oil and gas production are injected through deep wells into porous rocks beneath aquifers surrounded by impermeable layers of rock
CH 14 - Hydropower advantages
· Lack of emissions · Constant source of energy due to water flow
CH 14 - Geothermal disadvantages
· Location is crucial to the success of developing geothermal energy · Plant shave large start up costs · Energy sources can cool down and no longer be useful
CH 14 - Solar power challenges
· Need reliable access to direct sunlight · Sun is variable o Everyday stops generating power when sun sets § must be balanced with another power source or coupled with energy storage
CH 14 - Nuclear power disadvantages
· Nuclear power production creates contaminated materials that remain radioactive for thousands of years and must be isolated from all living things to prevent harm · Spent fuel is stored in temporary cooling pools or steel and concrete casks, but no longer-term facilities have been developed · Uncontrolled nuclear relations due to accidents have resulted in major disasters o 1986 Chernobyl accident in Ukraine o 2011 tsunami accident in Fukushima, Japan · Expensive to build a power plant
CH 14 - Solar power indirect costs & environmental impacts
· Technology uses hazardous materials o Corrosive acids, heavy metals o Requires workplace proteins o Need to take disposal precautions to protect human health and environment · PV solar panels o Rely on rare earth metals § Mining has adverse human and environmental impacts § Supply may be limited in future, affect availability of PV technology · CST panels o Require water supply · Large solar farms require conversions of large areas of land o Ex: sensitive desert habitat