Environmental Science

Question 0

3 aspects of sustainability

Answer 0

Economic
Social
Environment

Question 1

Sustainability

Answer 1

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 2

Economic

Answer 2

Job conservation
economic development
cost to benefit balance

Question 3

Social

Answer 3

Maintain quality of life

Question 4

Environment

Answer 4

Pollution
Waste
Conservation of resources
Maintaining biodiversity

Question 5

Main areas of impact

Answer 5

Water usage/pollution
Climate change
Air pollution
Over consumption/exploitation
Solid waste

Question 6

Water

Answer 6

Single greatest resource

Question 7

Water is used for

Answer 7

Personal use
Agriculture
Recreation

Question 8

Water management

Answer 8

Helps communities manage water and reduce water pollution

Question 9

Struggles with water

Answer 9

Phoenix water is above K
Water wars (Colorado River)

Question 10

Biomagnification

Answer 10

Toxic chemical pollutants released into the water are taken up (eaten by small consumers and the toxin gets stored in their muscle tissue)

Question 11

Process of biomagnification

Answer 11

As larger and larger consumers eat more and more smaller fish, the dose of stored chemical get larger and eventually too consumers eat infected organisms and receive the largest doses of the toxin

Question 12

Toxins consumed through biomagnification

Answer 12

DDT and mercury

Question 13

Acid rain

Answer 13

Caused by fossil fuel emissions and produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop

Question 14

Effects of acid rain

Answer 14

Can lower the pH of a lake or stream

Can harm trees

Question 15

How acid rain is produced

Answer 15

Emissions evaporate
Travel by wind
Blend into rain

Question 16

Acid rain pH vs. normal rain pH

Answer 16

4.5 vs. 5.6

Question 17

Smog

Answer 17

A haze of pollutants that hangs in the air

A combination of smoke and fog

Question 18

What smog is composed of

Answer 18

nitrogen dioxide
carbon monoxide
sulfur dioxide
ozone
particulates (tiny particles of soot, ash, or dust)

Question 19

Affects of smog

Answer 19

Can cause respiratory problems
burning and watery eyes
Increases suspectibilty to disease
Contributes to an estimated 50,000 deaths per year in the U.S.

Question 20

Global climate change

Answer 20

As more fossil fuels are burned, more CO2 and methane gases (CH4) enter our atmosphere and create a blanket effect that holds in the sun’s energy

Question 21

Outcomes of global climate change

Answer 21

Changes in ice caps
Drying rivers/lakes
Longer summers/delayed winters
More severe weather 
Flooding
Fires

Question 22

Cause of desertification

Answer 22

Clear cutting forests

Question 23

Effects of burning fossil fuels

Answer 23

Increase in VOCs (volital organic compounds) and NOx (types of nitrogen) which also cause poor AQ (air quality) leading to smog/air pollution

Question 24

Coal

Answer 24

Never "clean" | Carbon and nitrogen cycles impacted

Question 25

Why "climate change" is more accurate than "global warming"

Answer 25

- Much more far-reaching consequences - Not only planet getting warmer but extremes on both ends of the spectrum (dynamic weather pattern shifts) - issues also in agriculture, sea life, water ability, wildfires

Question 26

Greenhouse effect

Answer 26

A natural phenomenon that keeps our planet at a livable temperature (warmer)

Question 27

Why does the greenhouse effect occur?

Answer 27

We have the ozone layer and other atmospheric layers to protect the Earth

Question 28

How the greenhouse effect is increased

Answer 28

Humans over produce greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4)

Question 29

Climate change

Answer 29

A human-caused phenomenon through the run-away production of greenhouse gases this increasing the effect of the greenhouse effect causing higher than ever average temperatures in the planet

Question 30

Opposite of sustainability

Answer 30

Over consumption or exploitation

Question 31

Over consumption

Answer 31

Taking more than is needed

Question 32

Exploitation

Answer 32

Taking away an entire resource

Question 33

Ways we consume/exploit

Answer 33

Invasive species Clear cutting Produce non-reusable materials(trash) Urban sprawl

Question 34

Invasive species

Answer 34

Organisms brought to a new area by humans and those organisms out compete native species because the invasive species don't have natural predators (intentional and accidental)

Question 35

Examples of invasive species

Answer 35

``` Cane toads (intentional) zebra muscles (accidental) burmese python (intentional) kudzu (intentional) emerald ash borer (accidental) ```

Question 36

Clear cutting forests

Answer 36

Destroying rainforest to do agriculture (desertification)

Question 37

Produce non-reusable materials(trash)

Answer 37

Solid waste

Question 38

Biodegradable

Answer 38

Materials that can be degraded or broken down by microorganisms into essential nutrients

Question 39

Non-biodegradable

Answer 39

Materials that cannot be broken down by natural processes

Question 40

Urban sprawl

Answer 40

Secondary succession (habitat destruction) done to natural habitats to develop land

Question 41

H.I.P.P.O (big environmental impacts)

Answer 41

``` Habitat loss Invasive species Pollution Population growth (humans) Over harvesting (over consumption) ```

Question 42

World energy consumption

Answer 42

Fossil fuels 81% Renewables 16% Nuclear 2.8%

Question 43

Renewables (broken down) 16%

Answer 43

Wind/solar/biomass/geothermal power generation 0.7% Biofuels 0.6% Biomass/solar/geothermal/hot water/heating 1.5% Hydropower 3.4% Traditional biomass 10%

Question 44

What can be done to reduce the matter

Answer 44

Reduce usage and consumption Stick and carrots (reward) Reforestation Develop non-fossil fuel energy providers (wind or solar) Leaders can give tax cuts Give companies money to develop alternatives