What is considered the cheapest non-renewable energy source?

natural gas

Frontier ethics

Assuming the earth has unlimited amount of resources

Sustainable ethics

there is a finite amount of resources and we must focus on conservation

land ethics

the idea that we as humans are part of the land/community rather than an owner or ruler

ecological footprint

an accounting tool that used land as the unit of measurement to assess per capita consumption, production, and discharge needs

the precautionary principle

the assumption that an activity will raise some amount of harm or threat and therefore require precautionary measures

what happened at hetch hetchy valley and who is John Muir?

John Muir is an advocate for preservation of forests for inherent value; believes in sustainable ethics In 1906, an earthquake struck San Francisco and the residents wanted to dam up the national park and use it as a water supplied. Grifford Pinchot was in favor. The valley was ultimately dammed up.

Tragedy of the Commons

Essay written by Garrett Hardin which highlighted what happens when humans do not use land ethically. An example discussed is herdsmen constantly having to compete with one another in an effort to gain profit. This means the land was selfishly used and abused past its limitation.

atom

smallest component of an element

molecule

chemicals made from two or more atoms

compound

multiple elements bonded together

what are the three subatomic particles and their charge?

Neutron - no charge Proton - positive Electron - negative

atomic number

# of protons in the element

Atomic mass

# of protons and neutrons

isotope

different forms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons

Radioisotope

isotopes that are unstable and will lose protons or energy

properties of water

polar, stabilizes temperature, solvent, and cohesive

acid

substances that give off H+ and lowers the pH

bases

Substances that give off OH- and raises the pH

what are the four biomolecules?

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

1st law of thermodynamics

the total amount of energy in the universe is constant and conserved; the amount of energy in the universe will be exactly the same; can be transferred but not created or destroyed

2nd law of thermodynamics

All energy transfers and transformations are not completely efficient; some amount of energy is lost when transferred, typically via heat energy

kinetic energy

energy associated with objects in motion

potential energy

energy required to move the object is stored within by virtue of position and the force of gravity acting on it

what is environmental science?

the dynamic, interdisciplinary study of the interaction of living and nonliving things with special focus on the impact of humans on the environment

Independent variable/controlled variable

parts of the experiment that does not change

dependent variable/experimental variable

any part of the experiment that can change or vary

sustainable development

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the orientation of the technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with the future

what is an ecosystem?

a community of organisms and their abiotic environment

What is a food chain?

a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another

what is a food web?

a concept that accounts for multiple trophic interactions between each species

which is better: food chain or food web? Why?

A food web because it considers that some species feed on and are eaten by more than one organism

primary consumer

eats the producers, typically these are herbivores

secondary consumers

carnivores that eat the primary consumers

tertiary consumers

top of the food chain predators, major balance factors in population control

what is biomagnification and why is it a problem?

biomagnification is the increasing concentration of persistent, toxic substances in organisms at each trophic level; the toxicity rises as the trophic levels rise Problem: this toxicity does not only harm the initial consumer but can also cause offspring defects (like DDT and eagle eggshells)

Describe the water cycle

Driven by the sun; evaporation takes water from liquid to vapor; sublimination takes water in ice form to vapor; the water vapor condenses into clouds and leads to precipitation; the precipitation can evaporate, flow over the surface, or percolate into the ground; surface runoff is the most easily observed

what is the most easily observed form of water getting back to the main water systems?

surface runoff

what is the most common greenhouse gas?

carbon dioxide

what is a biome?

large-scale environments that are distinguished by characteristic temperature ranges and amounts of precipitation

Tropical rainforest

found near the equator, consistent temperatures, year-round plant growth, heavy sunlight, thick vegetation, and lots of rainfall with specific wet months

savannas

Africa, south America, northern Australia; grasslands with scattered trees, hot, tropical, and threat to fires due to extensively dry seasons

subtropical desert

tropic of cancer and Capricorn; centered downwind of mountain ranges, creating a rain shadow, very dry with high temps during day and freezing at night; low precipitation w/lack of predictability

cold desert

freezing temperatures during winter and snowfall; found in China, Mongolia, and US

Chaparral

"Scrub forest"; found in Cali, along the mediterranean see, and southern coast of Australia; most rainfall occurs in the winter, summers are dry, and vegetation can go dormant during summertime; fires are common

Temperate grasslands

found throughout north America and Eurasia; hot summers and cold winter with specific growing seasons for plants; few trees and the dominant vegetation is grasses; low precipitation, frequent fires, and grazing habits

temperate forests

eastern north america, western europe, eastern asia; temps range from below freezing to mid-80s; growing seasons occur during spring, summer, early fall; constant precipitation

boreal forest

most of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and Northern Europe; includes elevation, mountain ranges; dry, cold winters and short, cool, wet summers; most precipitation is in the form of snow

tundra

north of the subarctic boreal forest, Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere; elevations above tree line on mountains; average winter temp in the negatives with summers ranging to low 50s; plants have short growing seasons and occur mostly during the 24-hour light period; low precipitation amounts with little variation

what are the abiotic factors of the aquatic biomes?

Light and temperature

population density

number of individuals per unity area

carrying capacity

maximum population size a particular environment can sustain

r-strategist

adapted to unstable and unpredictable environments, large number of offspring; the parents do not stay around Turtles

k-strategist

stable, predictable environments, tend to exist close to carrying capacity, they have larger, fewer offspring, and off parental care Elephants, Rhinos

Type 1 survivorship curve

mortality is low in the early and middle years; death occurs mostly in older individuals; few offspring produced; parental care provided Most mammals, humans

Type 2 Survivorship curve

mortality is relatively constant throughout the life time; mortality is equally likely to happen at any given point Birds

Type 3 survivorship curve

early ages experience high mortality while it lessens with age; produce lots of offspring but do not tend to provide parental care Trees, marine invertebrates, sea turtles

What is the mark and recapture system?

marking captured animals in and releasing them back into the environment to mix with the rest of the population, then a new sample is captured and scientists determine how many of the marked animals are in the new sample; this works best with large populations so species like mice or other speedy reproducers

what are some things that can slow population growth?

infectious disease, poor health care, one-child policies like in China

Community

populations that interact within a given habitat

Diversity of the community

number of species occupying the same habitat and their relative abundance

Species richness

used to describe the number of species that live in a habitat; the higher the species richness, the greater the biodiversity

pelagic zone

all of the open water

photic zone

area in the pelagic zone where light can penetrate

aphotic zone

depths greater than 200m, light cannot penetrate

estuaries

when freshwater meets the ocean

marine biome

continuous body of salt water that is relatively uniform in chemical composition; weak solution of mineral salts and decayed biological matter

wetlands

environments where the soil is either permanently or periodically saturated with water; shallow bodies of water that may periodically dry out; vegetation is rooted in the soil but have stems, leaves, and flowers above the water surface

exponential growth

populations with abundant natural resources grow very rapidly and limit further growth by depleting their resources; best example is bacteria

Logistic growth

the growth of population slows down as it reaches carrying capacity; like yeast and fungi

What is a quadrat and what is it used for?

a square structure that is randomly located on the ground and used to count the number of individuals that lie within its boundaries

What has been one of the causes for the accelerated growth of the human population over the last 200 years?

people having more kids

relative abundance

the number individuals in a species relative to the total number of individuals in all species within a system

Keystone species

one whose presence has inordinate influence in maintaining the prevalence of various species in an ecosystem, the ecological community’s structure, and sometimes its biodiversity (banded tetra fish)

Batesian mimicry

adapts to look like a more dangerous animal; the mimic octopus

Mullerian mimicry

display bright coloration and mimic each other; skunks, polecats

competitive exclusion principle

two species cannot occupy the exact same niche in a habitat; basically two species that thrive off of the same resource cannot coexist because it creates competition; the principle states that if there is competition then natural selection will favor traits that lessen reliance on the shared resource

Commensalism

one organism benefits while the other is unaffected: like birds nesting in trees

Mutualism

Both organisms benefit from the relationship: termites and protists have this relationship

Parasitism

one organism benefits and the other is harmed: tapeworm

What are the three domains?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

classification of organisms from broad to specific

Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

what are the 4 kingdoms?

Animalia, plantae, fungi, protists

who was charles darwin?

A naturalist who believed natural selection was an inevitable outcome

the three principles of charles darwin:

1. there exists variation in traits among individuals within a population, and these traits are inherited, or passed from parent to offspring 2. more offspring are produced than are able to survive 3. there is a competition for those resources in each generation

What allows for natural selection?

variation allows for natural selection to take place; the offspring of the species with the more desirable traits continue to reproduce

What are the effects of habitat loss?

Elimination of the habitat will kill the individuals in the species; remove it entirely and the species will become extinct

What are the effects of exotic species?

often undergo dramatic population increases in their new habitat and reset the ecological conditions in the new environment, threatening the species that exist there

Why are we seeing emerging/re-emerging diseases?

environmental factors like temperature change, moisture, human food or animal feed sources

What is antibiotic resistance?

occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections and is caused by the process of evolution through natural selection; the use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance (MRSA)

What is the relationship between DDT and malaria? Why is it a concern to environmentalists?

By 1940s, malaria was nearly eradicated through use of draining swamps and using pesticides like DDT. This was a species eradication goal. This was successful in Brazil so 55 nations signed up for DDT-based eradicated. Malaria was initially curtailed or eliminated from 40 countries. However, the Mosquitos quickly developed a resistance to DDT. DDT became widely band in 1972 due to poisoning of the environment

Who was Rachel Carson? What was she known for? What is her tie to DDT?

Carson was an environmentalist and author who is known for her book “Silent Spring”. She was profoundly against it and this book helped to ban DDT.

Define Toxin

any chemical or material that can cause harm to living organisms, including humans, wildlife, or plants

What are the different routes of exposure to toxic chemicals?

Inhalation, skin or eye contact, swallowing/ingestion

Acute effect

one that occurs rapidly after exposure to a large amount of that substance

Chronic effect

results from exposure to small amounts of a substance over a long period of time

LD50

A dose LETHAL to 50% of a population of test animals

ED50

A dose that causes 50% of a population of test animals to exhibit any significant response (E - SHOWING EFFECTS)

Carcinogen

An agent which may produce cancer

Teratogen

A substance which can cause physical defects in a developing embryo (CIGARETTE SMOKE)

Mutagen

A material that induces genetic changes (mutations) in the DNA (RADIATION)

Neurotoxin

A substance that can cause an adverse effect on the chemistry, structure or function of the nervous system (LEAD AND MERCURY)

Endocrine disruptor

A chemical that may interfere with the body’s endocrine (hormonal) system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife (PCBs, DDT)

bioaccumulation

the toxins are picked up by living systems and then biomagnifies

biomagnification

the toxicity increases at every organismal level as it moves up the food chain

Bioremediation

a waste management technique that involves the use of organisms such as plants, bacteria, and fungi to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site: Like Ferns

Dose-response curve

the relationship between how much of something our body is exposed to and how our body reactions to it

How much of the Earth's surface is covered in water?

70%

How much water is freshwater?

2.5%

Wealthy residents use __x of water than non-wealthy residents?

12x

What is the pH of acid rain?

4.2-4.5

Watershed

The geographic area drained by a river and its tributaries

river discharge

describes the volume of water moving through a river channel over time

Groundwater

water held underground in the soil or pores in rocks

Aquifer

A large area of sub-surface, porous rock that holds water

What type of water provides most of the water for an aquifer?

Groundwater

Reservoir

a holding of water; oceans, freshwater, etc; can also be manmade like dams

potable water

water deemed generally safe for consumption

What are the major global uses of water and associated percentages of each?

Agriculture 70% Industrial use 20% Domestic/household 10%

Which crop uses the most water and what is it used for?

Alfalfa; used for feeding livestock

How many bodies of water in the US are considered impaired by the EPA?

40,000

What are the components of soil?

Mineral matter, organic matter, living organisms, spaces of water and air

Name the horizons of soil

O: organic material A: surface; rich in organic material B: subsoil which contains more clay and stone Substratum: layer of scattered, medium rocks

Macronutrients in the soil

C, H, O, N, Phosphorus, Potassium, Ca, Mg, and Sulfur

Micronutrients in the soil

Iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, chlorine, zinc, copper

Drawbacks of conventional farming

soil degradation, desertification, water pollution, dead zones, contributing to water scarcity, overuse of pesticides, treatments with antibiotics (causing resistance), contributes to climate change

Pros of conventional farming

efficiency in producing food, abundant and inexpensive food, efficiency through heavy machinery, high-yield thanks to technologies

Monoculture

growing a single crop species over a large area

Persistent organic pollutants (POPS) and human health

effects on the nervous system, problems related to reproduction and development, cancer, and genetic impacts, endocrine disruptors

Grasshopper effect

a cycle of long-range air transport and deposition; POPs accumulate and cause damage; POPs can be carried by the atmosphere and be dispersed in areas far away from the source

Primary air pollutant

chemicals discharged into the air that have a direct impact on the environment

Seeocndary air pollutant

a result of primary pollutant reacting with other chemicals

Outdoor air pollution

involves exposures that take place outside of the built environment

What kind of pollutant is ground ozone?

Secondary pollutant

What is the ozone?

the portion of the stratosphere where ozone molecules are present, mixed in among the other gases that comprise the atmosphere

What is causing the ozone layer depletion?

caused by human activities; begins with CFCs and other depleting substances

What is acid rain?

a term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids

What are the common acids in acid rain?

nitric and sulfuric

what is the main contributor to acid rain?

burning of fossil fuels

How does the greenhouse effect cause the atmosphere to retain heat?

trapping the infrared rays so that the heat does not emit back into the atmosphere

What are some effects of climate change?

increased salinity of the oceans, increased average temperatures, reduced ice and snow, raise in sea level, increase in spread of disease

What two countries are the main contributors to climate change?

China and the US

Where do the gerrnhouse emissions come from?

Combustion of fossil fuels is the main contributor; chemical reactions between VOCs and nitrogen oxides come from automobiles, power plants, and industrial mining

What action is the greatest contributor to climate change in urban areas?

Transportation

Fossil Fuels

organic matter of plants and algae that was buried, heated, and compressed over millions of years

oil

found 1-2 miles under earth's surface; refining must occur to make it into gas, diesel, tar, and asphalt

The action of obtaining non-renewable energy sources from the ground is called

mining

What chemicals is released by burning of coal?

Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide

what non-renewable energy source is the best for the environment?

natural gas

what non-renewable energy source is the worst for the environment?

Coal

Coal

used to generate about ½ of the electricity consumed in the US; extracted via mountaintop mining; releases NITROUS OXIDE, CO2, AND METHANE

Nuclear power

Nonrenewable: plants are expensive to make, do NOT release CO2

Natural gas is the source of ___% of methane emissions in the US

25%

What is the global capacity for each non-renewable energy source?

Petroleum - 45 yrs left Coal - world reserves at 826,000 Natural gas - 2,552 trillion cubic feet

Oil is a major source of ___ and emissions like ___, ___, ___, ___, ___

major source of Volatile organic hydrocarbons and emissions like CARBON DIOXIDE, SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROUS OXIDE, PARTICLE MATTER, and LEAD

Coal emits ___, ___, ___, and mining it causes ___

emits SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROGEN OXIDE, MERCURY, and mining it causes severe ecological destruciton

Natural gas emits much less _____, ____, and ____. Does NOT produce ____ or ____

much less CARBON DIOXIDE, NITROUS OXIDE, SULFUR DIOXIDES and does NOT produce ash or toxic emissions

Nuclear energy emits no ____, but mining and refining uranium takes up a lot of ___

emits no CARBON DIOXIDE but mining and refining uranium takes up a lot of energy

Hydropower disrupts ___ ___ and ___ ___ traveling downstream. It can also alter ___ __ and flow

disrupts fish migration and kills fish traveling downstream. It can also alert water temp and flow

Biomass is ___ but cutting down trees is not sustainable. Wood smoke contains ___ and ___

biomass is carbon neutral, but not sustainable. Wood smoke contains particulates and CARBON MONOXIDE

Biogas disrupts ___ for plant construction and produces less ___ but more ___ oxide

Disrupts habitats for plant construction and produces less SULFUR but more NITROUS OXIDE

Geothermal plants emit less than __% of ___ and ___% less sulfur compounds than fossil fuels

Emit less than 1% of CARBON DIOXIDE and 97% less sulfur comounds than fossil fuels

Solar energy has zero emissions, but ____ ___ can create harmful waste. Solar plants can damage _____

Manufacturing PV can create harmful waste and solar plants can damage ecosystems

Wind power has no ___ or ____ emissions, but can cause __ and ___ ___ disruption, create noise pollutions, fluid leaks/lubricants can be cause for concern

wind power has no air or water emissions but can disrupt bird and bat migration patterns, cause noise pollution, and any lubricant leaks can cause environmental damage

Hydropower

relies on water to spin the turbines and create electricity; small run-of-the-river projects are more ecologically sound than the large scale runs

Municipal solid waste

garbage; creates electricity by burning it directly or burning the methane produced as it decays

Biofuel or biomass

refers to material made by organisms, such as cells and tissues. In terms of energy production, biomass is almost always derived from plants, and to a lesser extent, algae

Burning wood

Wood and charcoal made form wood is used for heating and cooking; LOWER IN CO2 EMISSIONS

Landfill gas

manmade biogenic gas; methane is formed because of biological processes in sewage treatment plants, landfills, anaerobic composting, and livestock manure management systems; the gas is captured and burned to produce heat or electricity

bioethanol/biodiesel

liquid biofuels manufactured from plants, typically crops like sugar cane and corn starch

What key factors increased the interest in using renewable energy sources?

oil shock of the 1970s when OPEC imposed oil embargos, oil shortages, rising gas prices, high cost of foreign payments to supplier countries, knowledge of GHG emissions