Chapter 13 and 19

Question 1

energy captured from sunlight with advanced technologies

Answer 1

active solar energy

Question 2

what are the technologies?

Answer 2

solar water heating systems, photovoltaic systems, large-scale concentrating solar thermal systems (CST), photovoltaic solar cell

Question 3

a system of capturing energy from sunlight and converting it directly into electricity

Answer 3

photovoltaic solar cell

Question 4

what are the benefits of solar energy?

Answer 4

doesn’t produce CO2/pollution, produces energy on sunny days (demand is high), in peak demand, reduces need for fossil fuel plants, photovoltaic system may be less expensive than electrical transmission lines

Question 5

what are the drawbacks of solar energy?

Answer 5

expensive, requires energy and water (involves toxic metals and chemicals), environmental costs with storage batteries, end-of-life recycling -> environmental contamination

Question 6

energy generated from the kinetic energy of moving air, most rapidly growing source

Answer 6

wind energy

Question 7

a turbine that converts wind energy into electricity in rural locations, “wind farms”, and “wind parks”

Answer 7

wind turbine

Question 8

what are the benefits of wind energy?

Answer 8

nondepletable and free, after made and installed little energy is needed, no pollution or greenhouse gases, wind farms share land

Question 9

what are the drawbacks of wind energy?

Answer 9

most off-grid systems need batteries, can be noisy/unattractive, up to 40,000 birds/year are killed by turbine blades, also bats

Question 10

heat energy that comes from the natural radioactive decay of elements deep within Earth, can be used directly

Answer 10

geothermal energy

Question 11

a technology that transfers heat from the ground to a building, comes from solar energy

Answer 11

ground source heat pump

Question 12

an electrical-chemical device that converts fuel (hydrogen), into an electrical current

Answer 12

fuel cell

Question 13

the application of an electric current to water molecules to split them into hydrogen and oxygen

Answer 13

electrolysis

Question 14

biomass is

Answer 14

energy from the sun!

Question 15

liquid fuel created from processed or refined biomass

Answer 15

biofuel

Question 16

carbon in biomass that was recently in the atmosphere

Answer 16

modern carbon

Question 17

carbon in fossil fuels

Answer 17

fossil carbon

Question 18

an activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations

Answer 18

carbon neutral

Question 19

the process of removing more than is replaced by growth, typically used when referring to carbon

Answer 19

net removal

Question 20

alcohol made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2

Answer 20

ethanol

Question 21

a diesel substitute produced by extracting and chemically altering oil from plants

Answer 21

biodiesel

Question 22

runs on either gasoline or a gasoline/ethanol mixture

Answer 22

flex-fuel vehicle

Question 23

electricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water

Answer 23

hydroelectricity

Question 24

hydroelectricity generation in which water is retained behind a low dam or no dam

Answer 24

run of the river

Question 25

the storage of water in a reservoir behind a dam

Answer 25

water impoundment

Question 26

energy that comes from the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the moon

Answer 26

tidal energy

Question 27

what are the benefits of hydroelectricity?

Answer 27

brings renewable energy to large numbers, doesn't create air pollution/waste/CO2, less expensive, creates recreational opportunities

Question 28

what are the drawbacks of hydroelectricity?

Answer 28

may flood land and force relocation, can interfere with wildlife in a free-flow river, downstream ecosystems are affected, siltation

Question 29

the accumulation of sediments, primarily silt, on the bottom of a reservoir

Answer 29

siltation

Question 30

an efficient, self-regulating electricity distribution network that accepts any source of electricity and automatically distributes it to end users (coordinates energy use with energy availability)

Answer 30

smart grid

Question 31

finding and implementing ways to use less energy

Answer 31

energy conservation

Question 32

a billing system used by some electric companies in which customers pay higher rates as their use goes up

Answer 32

tiered rate system

Question 33

the greatest quantity of energy used at any one time

Answer 33

peak demand

Question 34

construction designed to take advantage of solar radiation without active technology (ex. south-facing windows so sun rays warm the house)

Answer 34

passive solar design

Question 35

a property of a building material that allows it to maintain heat or cold

Answer 35

thermal mass

Question 36

an energy source that can be regenerated indefinitely as long as it is not overharvested

Answer 36

potentially renewable

Question 37

an energy source that cannot be used up

Answer 37

nondepletable

Question 38

in energy management, an energy source that is either potentially renewable or nondepletable (around 14% worldwide)

Answer 38

renewable

Question 39

change that occurs in the chemical, biological, and physical properties of the planet

Answer 39

global change

Question 40

changes in the average weather that occurs in an area over a period of time

Answer 40

global climate change

Question 41

the warming of the oceans, land masses, and atmosphere of Earth

Answer 41

global warming

Question 42

absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases and reradiation of the energy back toward Earth

Answer 42

greenhouse effect

Question 43

an estimate of how much a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 yeras relative to a molecule of CO2

Answer 43

greenhouse warming potential

Question 44

what are natural causes of greenhouse gases?

Answer 44

volcanic eruptions, decomposition and digestion, denitrification, evaporation, and evapotranspiration

Question 45

what are anthropogenic causes of greenhouse gases?

Answer 45

burning fossil fuels, agricultural practices, deforestation, landfills, and industrial production

Question 46

the process by which an increase in ocean CO2 causes more CO2 to be converted to carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the ocean

Answer 46

ocean acidification

Question 47

what are environmental effects of global climate change?

Answer 47

melting polar ice caps/glaciers/permafrost, rising sea levels, heat waves and cold spells, change in precipitation patterns, increase in storm intensity, shift in ocean currents, wild plants and animals

Question 48

an international agreement that sets a goal for global emissions of greenhouse gases from all industrialized countries to be reduced by 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012

Answer 48

kyoto protocol

Question 49

a pledge by 195 countries to keep global warming less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels

Answer 49

paris climate agreement

Question 50

an approach to stabilizing greenhouse gases by removing CO2 from the atmosphere

Answer 50

carbon sequestration

Question 51

what is albedo?

Answer 51

the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight

Question 52

as global temperature ______, permafrost thickness ______, causing a(n) _______ in methane, which results in a(n) _______ in global temperature and global climate change

Answer 52

increases, decreases, increase, increase

Question 53

which energy source is a direct cause of deforestation?

Answer 53

biomass

Question 54

this addressed the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion on a more global level

Answer 54

Montreal Protocol

Question 55

the melting of permafrost would lead to...

Answer 55

a rise in sea levels as a result of global warming

Question 56

which energy source does not require the sun?

Answer 56

geothermal

Question 57

if the global temperature increase continues...

Answer 57

the troposphere will contain more water vapor

Question 58

coastal flooding and submersion of low-lying areas is a direct result to what?

Answer 58

global warming!

Question 59

_______ species in ______ ecosystems are at risk for extinction if mean global temperature continues to increase

Answer 59

specialist, fragile

Question 60

which greenhouse gas has the highest heat-trapping ability per molecule?

Answer 60

chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs)

Question 61

______ is most used in less developed countries and least used in highly developed countries

Answer 61

biomass

Question 62

what are some drawbacks of geothermal energy?

Answer 62

noise and the release of corrosive chemicals

Question 63

what is a major limitation of using photovoltaic solar cells to produce electricity?

Answer 63

it won't produce as much electricity on cloudy days

Question 64

what would create a positive feedback loop in the arctic?

Answer 64

decreasing albedo and increasing absorption of heat by the ocean