Midterm 2 Flashcards
(74 cards)
1
Q
Birth rate
A
The total number of births per 1,000 people per year
- in less than 150 yrs, earth’s human pop. has increased 7fold
- in less than 65 yrs, LDS pop. has increased 15-fold
2
Q
Gross Domestic Product
A
The total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year
3
Q
Population growth rates
A
-high in poor areas where resource consumption and well-being are low
-Current pop = 7 billion
rapid pop growth means resources are becoming scarce - more ppl means larger gap btwn rich and poor
-Current growth rate is 5%, 350 million ppl every year
-human exponential growth in J curve
4
Q
Death rate
A
Deaths per 1,000 people per year - decreasing in poor countries
5
Q
Prediction human pop. growth
A
Thomas Malthus (1766-1834) Euro scholar
- observed pop growth in American colonies that were growing rapidly while in Euro there was famine and death
- NOTED EXPONENTIAL GROWTH AND PREDICTED PROBLEM FROM GROWTH
6
Q
Resource use and pop. sustainability
A
Sustainability vs. carrying capacity - as pop approaches carrying capacities, death rates increase and birth rates decrease
-America is bad at footprint - we have a lot of things here we don’t have for other countries - to have sustainable society w/ high carrying capacity everyone must live below current ecological footprint
7
Q
Ecological footprint
A
Area of land needed to supply resources consumed
- your impact on the env (crop land, fossil fuels)
- size of footprint varies greatly btwn countries
- energy consumption makes up footprint
- as countries become more affluent, their footprints are increasingly determined by the extraction and burning of fossil fuels
- North Am and Australia use more than 3X global average
8
Q
Biocapacity
A
Area and quality of land to supply resources
- pop exceeds biocapacity when ecosystem’s goods must be imported
- poor countries use more cropland and forests - we import most of our resources (are Saudi Arabia of coal)
In order for pop. to be sustained - if pop is growing ecological footprint must decrease
sustainability = uses resources in a way so next gene ratio has resources for next
9
Q
impact (environmental) =
A
population (size, growth, distribution) x affluence (individual consumption) x technology (energy using items)
-the ability of Earth’s env and natural resources to help future generations meet their needs depend on how pop grow but also on how demands for resources change
10
Q
Present and 2050 world pop
A
Present: pop = 6.5 billion - earth’s natural resources support many millions of people at a high level of well-being and many more millions at a low level
2050: pop 9 billion
-the definition of a sufficient level of well-being will have to decrease
Future: pop 13 billion
-have to be a radical shift with major consumers modifying their behavior, attitudes, and lifestyles
-more = compete for resources
11
Q
Competing interactions btwn species
A
2 species that compete have overlapping niches
Predation (A+, B-) Wolves eat moose - prey interaction and parasites
Competition (A-, B-) - two rabbit species eat same grass - both species are harmed when competing for scarce resources
Intra: comp w/in species (two birds competing for same nest in tree)
Inter: comp btwn species (bear and wolf competing for food
12
Q
resource partitioning
A
The spatial or temporal partitioning of a resource by a species that allows many species to coexist
-diff bird species on a tree, all use different spaces and resources on the tree - relationship is 0
13
Q
Mutualism
A
(A+, B+) an arrangement btwn 2 species where both benefit - bees receive nutrition while plants receive pollination - fungi get nutrition and plants intake soil - lichens
14
Q
Commensalism
A
(A+, B0) one species benefits while the other is unaffected (more rare)
-buffalo stir up insects that cattle egrets eat - orchids live on trees but do not harm or feed off them
15
Q
Amensalism
A
(A0, B-) One species harmed while other is unaffected - usually by natural chemical compounds
- A plant makes a poison that accidentally harms another plant
- Black walnut trees produce a chemical that kills other plants
16
Q
Other interactions
A
animals vote
-basis of nature is cooperation and democracy - in our DNA
17
Q
Arctic meltdown
A
Yearly average temp. are increasing twice as fast in Arctic compared to the tropics and temperate biomes (90% of Arctic glaciers are retreating and sea ice is declining)
18
Q
Permafrost
A
permanently frozen ground mostly of organic plant material - arctic areas have never been dry before and is causing more fires
19
Q
Climate
A
Bigger than just weather - the general patterns of weather that characterize different regions of the world
- climate is getting hotter, wetter, and cooler
- climate change vs. global warming - bc not everywhere is warming
20
Q
Climate results from:
A
All combined elements of:
- general atmospheric circulation patterns and precipitation
- wind and weather systems
- rotation and tilt of earth
- atmospheric gases and aerosols
Earths climate grows warmer and cooler (up and downs) current warming since industrial revolution
21
Q
Temperature anomalies
A
the diff. btwn each year’s average temp and the benchmark
- positive anomaly means a year that is warmer than benchmark
- negative means a yr cooler
- temp anomalies are averaged across 1000s of locations which measures global temp. change
22
Q
Causes of natural climate variation
A
- regional variation/ annual temp. vary from land vs. water
- El Nino/la nina southern oscillation (highest LA rainfall in El Nino yrs, lowest rainfall in nina) - changes in ocean currents that alter weather patterns
- volcanic eruptions
what defines a biome/climate? (how to say this place is diff. from another) - moisture (precipitation) and temperature
-big concern in climate change is CHANGE IN BIOME - we might come out of cold desert biome
23
Q
Greenhouse effect
A
GHG (Green house gases) delay laws of infrared energy
- gas molecules absorb heat, heat is big form of energy in env, trap heat in earth’s surface, trap gas coming in and coming out
- GH effect first recognized 1827 by Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (french math)
- GHGs DELAY THE LOSS OF INFRARED HEAT (energy) - (w/o insulation earth would be -19C instead of +14C)
24
Q
Anthropogenic (human caused) sources of global warming
A
Clear evidence we are responsible for the degree of climate change - debate is how we act (adapt or practices)
-anthropogenic increases CO2 (deforestation and burning fossil fuels)
-impact based on global warming potential (GWP)
-capacity to absorb infrared light/ retain heat
CO2 monitoring in Hawaii
25
Anthropogenic (human caused) sources of global warming
Clear evidence we are responsible for the degree of climate change - debate is how we act (adapt or mitigation)
-anthropogenic increases CO2 (deforestation and burning fossil fuels)
-impact based on global warming potential (GWP)
-capacity to absorb infrared light/ retain heat
CO2 monitoring in Hawaii
26
GHGs
METHANE (CH4) - GWP=25 - largest impact - 2/3s of emissions from human sources (livestock, landfills, coal mines, natural gas, rice cultivation, manure)
NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) GWP=296 - from agriculture, oceans, biomass burning, fossil fuel burning, industry, anaerobic (fertilizers) - worst GHG
CARBON DIOXIDE - (most common GHG) generated from burning fossil fuels (get electricity) - total greenhouse emissions expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) - vary among countries (large in US and china) - what we are contributing bc we contribute tons of CO2)
if methane and CO2 levels are high, so is temp
CO2 has lowest global warming potential, nitrous oxide has highest - CO2 has greatest impact on earth and does most damage bc so much of it - CO2 comes from burning coal and power stations
27
consequences of global warming
climate patterns changing (drier and wetter)
- melting glaciers and ice sheets (80%)
- rising sea levels (greenland - new york)
- in next century indian ocean islands can be covered
- most dramatic temp. change happens at poles - we are not influenced by climate change here so we don't care
28
Forecasting global warming
computer simulations = global circulation models (GCMs)
- multiple scenarios
- -Today's world: all anthropogenic emissions cease
- -business as usual: no action taken to emissions will continue to rise (GCMs predict that extent of warming will vary at diff. locations around world)
- -sustainable world: take action and slow increase of emissions and return to current rates w/in next 50 years
- -committed warming: warming that would still occur if all emissions stopped
29
Adaptations
Make adjustments in anticipation of changes caused by rising sea levels and temp
- agriculture: climate resistant crops, irrigation
- seawalls, reservoirs, revegetation
- emergency preparedness by warning systems
- reduce risks by moving ppl, financial safety nets, insurance
- development, control diseases, economic progress
30
Mitigation
Take action to reduce GHG emissions
- treaties, cap and trade, renewable energy, carbon capture, biostorage, building efficiency, nuclear, reforestation, efficiency
- mileage standards, subsidies
- monitoring personal/corporation carbon footprint
- engineer - fertilize oceans w/ iron to stimulate photosynthesis, scrubbers to remove and store CO2, sulfate particles to block solar radiation
31
why we don't take steps to mitigate/adapt to climate change
Costly - costs not equally distributed - poor nations will be hit with highest costs - very difficult to persuade people/nations to make large investments in something that will not be realized for decades
-we want to mitigate not adapt but not an ideal world to only mitigate
32
Climate change progress
IPCC meets every year to discuss
- 1922 Bush signed Earth pledge to commit to protect env. - United Nations agreed to reduce emissions but UC declines ratification of treaty
- Obama called reductions of GHG emissions
- all agree warming of climate is unequivocal
- CO2 now classified as a pollutant and monitored by EPA
33
Donora, Pennsylvania
Oct 6 dense smog for 5 days - steel mill for high-sulfur coal - weather conditions trapped smog and 70 ppl died, 6000 sick
- led to air pollution act of 1955 - culminating in clear air act 1970
- coal plants causing it - sulfur scrubber would have prevented this - removes sulfur you are burning
where to find industrial smog? - east
what produces it? - coal plants
34
Atmosphere gases and aerosols
in atmosphere - Nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), argon (Ar) = 99%
-rest are trace gases (40: ozone, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen oxides)
Aerosols - microscopic liquid or solid particles (dust, pollen, sea salts) from land and water
-we make aerosols
35
What is biggest natural scrubber in atmosphere?
Hydroxyl radicals - primary scrubbers in atmosphere and responsible for aging
-soap of sky, clean it
biggest problem in utah with air quality - inversions - problem even with filters and biggest problem in America it traps everything putting out
-inversions is air pressure and gases go up and stay there, causes cold air to stay down in provo
36
Troposphere
(turning or mixing) - lower atmosphere
- site and source of weather, water vapor, clouds
- pollutants removed w/in hours but may persist in upper troposphere
- contains 80% of mass and 99% of water
- ground level to 10 km
- known for bad ozone
- most of pollution we have is in the lowest level all pollutants
37
stratosphere
second layer - dry and O3 rich
- stratified by temp and creates inversion layer over troposphere - little or no mixing
- 10 km to 50 km
- good ozone, prevents from freezing - allows life on earth
- planes don't reach here
38
Air pollutants
Substances in the atmosphere (Gases and aerosols) that have harmful effects
primary pollutants - gases or aerosols directly released in the atmosphere
-CO (carbon monoxide), NOx (nitric oxide NO and nitrogen dioxide NO2), O3 (ozone), SO2 (sulfur dioxide), particulate matter and lead
secondary pollutants - gases or aerosols that are formed from reactions among other chemicals or aerosols in the atmosphere
n2 (nitrogen) is most of what we breathe (60-80%)
39
Smogs
Industrial smog (smoke + fog) SO2
- grayish mix of soot, sulfur, water vapor
- industrialized areas that use coal
photochemical smog (O3 tropospheric zone)
- brownish haze in warm, sunny areas
- arises during morning traffic in cities with huge freeway systems
- pollutants from vehicle exhaust are acted on by sunlight and nitrogen oxides
40
inversions
weather conditions can intensify smog - air temp highest near ground
temperature inversion - sometimes warm air overlays cooler air
-cold clear nights, sun heats air and pollutants carried away - cloudy weather prevents heating air so pollutants stay, mountains can trap smog
long term temp inversions allow pollutants to build up dangerously - cause headaches, nausea, eye/throat irritation, asthma, emphysema - lethal
41
Acid
sulfuric acids and nitric acids (secondary pollutants)
-products of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides reacting w/ atmospheric moisture and oxidants
Acid - any chemical that releases hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water
-more hydrogen ions more acidic the solution
42
pH scale
Base - any chemical that releases hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water
pH - concentration of hydrogen ions
scale: 0 (highly acidic) - 7 (neutral) - 14 (highly basic)
- 0 to 7: concentration of H+ decreases
- 7 to 14: concentration of OH- increases
- tenfold diff. btwn units (pH 5 is ten times as acidic as pH 6)
43
Acid rain
Acid precipitation - with pH < 5.5
-norm of must industrialized world - eastern North Am
-mountain forests east LA have pH 2.8
caused by coal burning - acid rain is high sulfur content rain and lowers pH
-acidic pollution goes in air, it rains and brings it back down - biggest affect is limestone
average acidity of rain in utah is 5.2, in Pennsylvania 10 times more acidic at 4.6
acid rain kills animals and plant life
-tropical places high acid rain comes and erodes easily
-acid rain destroys anything that is basic
44
CFC
Chlorofluorocarbons destroy ozone layer
- stratospheric ozone protects earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation
- CFC hole in stratospheric ozone layer of south pole - extremely cold temp create stratospheric clouds - CFC destroy ozone layer
CFC - halogenated hydrocarbons
-nonreactive, nonflammable, nontoxic
-chlorine and fluorine replace hydrogens
-normally gaseous but liquify in some pressure
-used in refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps
-pressuring agent in aerosol cans (hairspray)
CFC take up ozone and cause ozone to deteriorate
-chloro is for chlorine and flour is for halogen flours
By 1960s - obvious pollutants were overloading natural cleansing processes
-clean air act of 1970 by congress
45
CAA, NAAQS
CAA - calls for identifying widespread pollutants (sets standards for 6 criteria pollutants - most widespread and objectionable)
NAAQS set primary standards for criteria pollutants - highest levels that won't cause harm
-used to calculate if it is green, yellow, or red air day
46
Clean Air act
an attempt to clean up the atmosphere
- amended in 1977 and 1990
- administered by EPA
- FOUNDATION OF US AIR POLLUTION CONTROL EFFORTS AND SETS AMBIENT STANDARDS
- ambient standards: levels protecting human health and
47
CAFE standards
CAFE standards - sets CAFE standards for motor vehicles (saves oil, helps energy security, decreases air pollution)
-standards that are imposed on fuel economies and solar cars saying it has to have so many miles per gallon
-new tech will improve gas mileage and also decrease air pollution to meet standards
-decrease air pollution increase fuel efficiency
CAFE standards is fuel efficiency for cars - highest CAFE standards = higher gas mileage
-rising cafe standards increases our dependence on foreign oil, health issues from smog, CO2 emissions and climate change
fuel efficiency in US sucks bc we have big cars - fuel efficiency stayed about the same compared to other countries
48
indoor air pollution
indoor generally more polluted than outside air
- construction materials emit many VOCs (paints, adhesives, synthetic fabrics, wood materials
- combustible by products: CO, NOx, SO2, VOCs, and particulate matter
49
Pollution
any quantity of a pollutant that is harmful to human health or the env
50
pathogens
disease carrying bacteria, viruses, parasites (found in human and animal excrement)
- sanitation = good medicine
- public health measure prevent diseases
- -purification and disinfection of public water supplies
- -sanitary collection and treatment of wastes
- ECOLI IS BIG PATHOGEN - makes us sick and can kill ppl
51
water pollution
early in industrial revolution chemicals and sewage dumped into US waterways - contaminating drinking water and cause disease
-1800s implemented sewers and tiolets
HEALTH PROBLEMS WERE NOT SEEN AS BEING CAUSED BY POLLUTION BUT AS THE PRICE OF PROGRESS
52
Sanitation
not always an option
- one billion lack clean drinking water - 2.5 billion have poor/no sewage treatment - 2 billion/yr die from waterborne diseases
- many poor infected w/ diseases
- 100s die from cholera
many pollutants in water bc of humans (pesticides, solvents, detergents, nutrients)
others occur naturally (nutrients, sediments)
53
Legislation protecting water
1969 Ohio's Cuyahoga river caught on fire
- inorganic and organic chemicals
- led to clean water act of 1972 (CWA)
- passed by congress in response to public outrage about polluted water
- charged EPA with restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of waters
- one of most effective env laws enacted
two parts of CWA
- deal with wet lands
- loaning state gov. money to build better sanitation
two goals of CWA
1. fishable, swimmable goal - provide for protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and recreation on water
2. the no discharge goal - eliminate all discharges and pollutants into the nation's waterways by 1985 (not possible)
54
chemical pollutants
Inorganic chemicals - heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic, nickel), acids from mine drainage or precipitation
-road salts used to melt ice and snow
organic chemicals - petroleum, pesticides
-industrial chemicals - PCBs, cleaning solvents, detergents
55
water pollutions
point-source pollution - easy to identify, monitor, and regulate
-factories, sewage systems, power plants, underground coal mines, oil wells
nonpoint-source pollution - poorly defined and scattered
-agricultural runoff, Strom water runoff (streets, parking lots, lawns), atmospheric disposition
strategies to control water pollution
- reduce/remove the source (best for non point)
- treat water before release (best for point sources)
56
Eutrophication
nutrient enrichment allows rapid growth of phytoplankton
- dead phytoplankton settle out, depositing detritus on the bottom
- decomposers (bacteria) consume oxygen - oxygen depletion leads to suffocation or organisms and creation of dead zones
- makes water unappealing for swimming, drinking, boating, fishing
- some phytoplankton secrete toxins that kill organisms
fertilizer goes in water - bacteria and algae love it and use up oxygen to absorb nutrients - oxygen is depleted in water from fish and plants
nutrient enrichment allows rapid growth of phytoplankton - nitrogen and phosphorus are adding these component and limits growth - bacteria grows and create alto blooms (green on top of water) - use up oxygen at bottom of water and kills everything and oxygen taken out of water by plant material and algae taken out of water and die
57
Eutrophication steps
1. oligotrophic
- low in nutrients, phytoplankton limited
- water clear, light penetrates, life thrives
2. nutrient inputs
- nutrient-rich, phytoplankton thrive
- water turbid (green), SAV shaded out
3. Eutrophic
- nutrient rich, rapid turnover of phytoplankton, accumulation of dead algae
- decomposers feed on detritus, depletion of dissolved oxygen, fish and shellfish suffocate
58
combating eutrophication
Aerating - plastic tubes with tiny holes dissolve bubbles in water (costly way to break down detritus - dead algae)
harvesting - bottom rooted plants in shallow lakes or ponds reach and sprawl over the surface
largest source of fertilizers come from farms and animal feedlots - tons of nitrous phosphorus
59
Biosolid
nutrient rich organic materials resulting form the treatments of domestic sewage facilities
CONTAIN CARBON AND FECES
-get energy by extracting methane out
-applied as fertilizers and condition soils (Agriculture, gardens, parks, mine reclamation sites)
-takes place in all 50 states
60
wastewater treatment and management
Facilities built to treat sewage polluted water
regulations require installation of 2 systems
1. storm drains - collect and drain precipitation runoff
2. sanitary sewers - receive and treat wastewater (sinks, tubs, toilets) from homes and buildings
through 1970s still had untreated wastes
61
raw sewage (Wastewater)
total mixture collected from all drains (99.9% water, .1% waste)
- comes from toilets and other drains, swear system brings all wastewater together
- with addition of storm water, raw wastewater may be diluted even more
-get diseases if you don't have clean sewage water - typhoid
62
primary treatment, removing suspended solids
-first thing that happens - remove suspended solids
debris and grit - rags, plastic, sand, gravel (flushed down toilets or in storm drains)
-when things flushed down toilet that shouldn't be flushed it is taken out in debris chamber (giant metal grate and it takes out larger things so it doesn't gunk up)
waste water treatment plan - they don't use a lot of chemicals bc when they do you have to take them out later
particulate organic matter - fecal matter, food wastes, toilet paper
63
secondary treatment, biological
- organisms feed on colloidal and dissolved organic matter
- decomposers and detritus feeders
- oxygen is added to enhance respiration and growth
64
activated sludge
a mixture of detritus-feeding organisms used during sewage treatment
- settled organisms (Activated sludge) are pumped back into the aeration tank
- excess activated sludge is added to raw sludge
- organisms oxidize material to CO2, H20 nutrients
- trickling filter and activated sludge- both need organisms to feed, decomposers, and oxygen
65
anaerobic digestion
bacteria feeding on sludge in absence of oxygen
sludge disasters - large airtight tanks containing raw sludge where bacteria convert organic matter to CO2, H20, methane
biogas - used to heat the digester as an alternative energy source
66
storm water management
green infrastructure to manage storm water
examples of integrated management practices
-bioretention cells, water gardens, curb and gutter elimination, grassed swales, green parking design, permeable pavement, sand and organic filters, riparian buffers
67
what is the biggest most important component of waste water treatment if we want to kill diseases?
decomposers that can feed on those things and that will remove a lot of that from the water
68
sewage treatment process
drop phone down toilet - find it at debris removal
69
wastewater treatment facility
goal: to send back out as usual, use a lot of microbiology chemicals
- plant don't use chemicals but use decomposers to naturally break down and give bacteria perfect conditions
trickling filter system - biofoam of bacteria, trickling filter, water runs down wall and wall has a lot of bacteria and it process the water going down - bacteria love oxygen - if it will work fast it has to have oxygen
-trickling filter is a wall with a lot of bacteria on it that looks like algae and leave it open air bc bacteria works faster with oxygen - trickling filter requires a lot of oxygen
70
4 Rs of fertilizer stewardship
the right: source, rate, timing, placement
71
nutrient water pollution
1. toxic algal blooms (cyanobacteria
2. eutrophication
-concerned about nitrogen and phosphorus
72
2 major env. water problems
toxic and oxygen depletion of deeper water
73
How to regulate water quality?
regulations (fines, consequences) is what motivates people
-ask What is water quality? - physical property, clarity, deepness, color, temp, biological components, smell
Assessing water quality
- chemical criteria
- physical criteria
- biological criteria
- other criteria
74
water quality based on CWA
intended uses
- protection and propagation of fish
- recreation on and in water
- public water supply
- agriculture
- industry
- navigation
water largely governed on state level - but fed gov did CWA
