Places to Know Flashcards
(11 cards)
Chernobyl (Ukraine)
1986 nuclear disaster where an unauthorized safety test led to explosion and fire
Three-Mile Island (Pennsylvania)
1979 nuclear accident where cooling system failure caused partial core meltdown and radiation release; became turning point in US nuclear energy policy and safety regulations
Yucca Mountain (Nevada)
proposed long-term nuclear waste storage site controversial for its proximity to Las Vegas
Aral Sea (Central Asia)
once one of world’s largest inland lakes that dramatically shrunk due to Soviet irrigation projects diverting water; classic example of human-caused ecological disaster and water resource mismanagement
Love Canal (New York)
residential area built on chemical waste disposal site that caused health issues including cancer and birth defects; led to creation of Superfund program for toxic waste cleanup
Aswan High Dam (Egypt)
major dam on Nile River that provides flood control and hydroelectricity but causes ecological problems including loss of fertile silt
Three Gorges Dam (China)
world’s largest hydroelectric dam that provides clean energy but flooded ecosystems and archaeological sites
Ogallala Aquifer (US Great Plains)
world’s largest underground water source being rapidly depleted by agricultural and urban use; illustrates unsustainable groundwater management and threats to water security
Minamata (Japan)
site of severe mercury poisoning when factory waste contaminated local waters and entered the food chain through fish; landmark case of industrial pollution causing bioaccumulation and biomagnification
Bhopal (India)
site of world’s worst industrial disaster when Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked methyl isocyanate gas in 1984
Valdez (Alaska)
location of 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill that released millions of gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound; demonstrates ecological impacts of oil spills on marine ecosystems and wildlife
