Download ECOL 1000 Exam 2 Study Guide: Renewable Energy and Ozone Depletion and more Exams Ecology and Environment in PDF only on Docsity!
ECOL 1000 EXAM 2 UGA
CONNELLY
T/F: Hydropower is the most used renewable energy source. - ANSWERS-True Bioenergy - ANSWERS-energy contained in firewood or other plant matter. derived from solar energy. ex. wood, charcoal, animal dung ________ fuels take carbon out of coal, oil, and natural gas deposits - ANSWERS-fossil biofuels - ANSWERS-CO2 used to make ethanol from trees comes from air, not out of ground. Therfore, when it is burned, it does not increase the net amount of CO2 in air. what's a disadvantage of biofuels? - ANSWERS-corn and other food prices go up Kudzu video - ANSWERS- What are the advantages of Cellulosic ethanol (Cellulose)? - ANSWERS--switchgrass
- native
- needs little fertilizer or water
- grows on marginal land
- perennial (comes back every year) What are the disadvantages of Cellulosic ethanol (Cellulose)? - ANSWERS--not produced on large-scale
- no subsidy value
- enzymes used in processing are expensive algae biofuel video - ANSWERS--carbon nuetral food source
- needs CO2 to grow, so it's good
- put next to power plants to consume CO2 put off by the plants Experimental NASA OMEGA bags - ANSWERS-bags allow freshwater to flow out of bag and prevent saltwater from entering. CO2 enters. algae feed on waste and grows fatty lipid cells Biofuel advantages - ANSWERS--carbon nuetral
- Lower NOx and SOx
- Abundant
- widely distributed
- produced domestically Biofuel Disadvantages - ANSWERS--is it really carbon nuetral? (think of transportation, processing, fertilizers, water...)
- net gain?.....
- not subject to disruptions of single energy plants Disadvantages of wind power - ANSWERS--Bird & Bat deaths
- Aesthetics
- Intermittent wind
- windy areas not usually near urban areas Hydropower - ANSWERS-capturing the energy of water moving under the force of gravity Impoundment plants (Dams) - ANSWERS-ex. Buford Dam & Lake Lanier Run-of-River plants - ANSWERS--less costly
- less ecologically disruptive
- dependent on sustained flow advantages of hydropower - ANSWERS--fossil fuel not needed
- no pollutants emitted
- energy cheap to produce (after expense of plant construction)
- power produced can be matched to demand
- dams also used for flood control
- water retention (recreation & water supply)
disadvantages of hydropower - ANSWERS--effect on environment and human communities (Three Gorges Dam, China)
- Ecosystem alteration & flow changes
- peak flows no longer seasonal
- sediment accumulation & transport altered
- temperature and oxygen in stream changed Solar Impulse Video - ANSWERS--solar powered plane finishes record setting journey from CA to NYC
- can fly all day and night Visitor's Center at Zion National Park, Utah - ANSWERS-heated almost entirely by solar energy Maine Solar House - ANSWERS-a house sustained by solar power Google currently uses renewable energy to power _____% of operations - ANSWERS-35% Google understands investing in renewable energy is a _________ __________ - ANSWERS-business opportunity What region is ideal for solar power use - ANSWERS-Southwestern US
Advantages of Geothermal energy - ANSWERS--reliable & inexpensive
- pollution free
- GSHP use 30-70% less energy than conventional methods Disadvantages of Geothermal energy - ANSWERS--ecosystem disturbance (Yellowstone)
- replenishment rates of ground heat
- high start up costs
- geographic limitations (CA, NV, HI, UT) Ocean energy - ANSWERS-using kinetic energy of tides and waves
- onshore wave energy
- tidal barrage
- tidal turbine Advantages of Ocean Energy - ANSWERS--renewable & pollution free
- low cost of production disadvantages of Ocean Energy - ANSWERS--ecosystem disturbance (highly productive marine ecosystems)
- tidal barrage systems need high tide amplitude
- geographic limitations
Ozone (trioxygen) - ANSWERS-molecule consisting of three atoms Ozone in lower atmosphere is a _______________. - ANSWERS- pollutant Ozone in higher atmosphere is ______________. - ANSWERS- beneficial The highest levels of ozone are found in the _____________? - ANSWERS-stratosphere What does ozone do, and how is it primarily created? - ANSWERS--it filters out the Sun's UV light rays (harmful, but also produce vitamin D)
- it's created by UV rays reacting with O chlorofluorocarbons were invented in the ____________. - ANSWERS-1920's CFC's were chosen primarily for their __________, and advantageous ___________ ____________. - ANSWERS-safety, chemical properties What are some principal uses of CFC's? - ANSWERS--coolants in refrigeration systems & air conditioners
- solvents to clean electronic components
Frank Sherwood Rowland Video - ANSWERS-discovered that CFC's were leading too ozone depletion 1987 Montreal Protocol - ANSWERS-international treaty created to reduce damage being caused to stratospheric ozone layer by air pollutants (all UN member states approved it, and ozone expected to recover by 2050) In the stratosphere ozone is (good/bad) - ANSWERS-good In the troposphere ozone is (good/bad) - ANSWERS-bad How to chemically make ozone = - ANSWERS-hydrocarbons + NOx
(UV light) = O T/F: ozone in lower atmosphere is not hazardous to your health. - ANSWERS-False NOx is produced by what? - ANSWERS-automobile exhaust Hydrocarbons are produced by what two things? - ANSWERS- automobile exhaust & trees (turpentine) Hydrocarbons & nitrous oxide are _______, and sink to ground level.
- ANSWERS-heavy
With high ozone level the potential health risks such as ___________, ___________, ________, etc increase. - ANSWERS-asthma, bronchitis, heart attack There is an increase risk of dying from lung disease of over _____% in cities with high ozone - ANSWERS- 30 In the stratosphere ozone is being ______________ by _______________ - ANSWERS-destroyed, CFC's In the troposphere ozone is being _______________ by ____________ and ____________ - ANSWERS-created, NOx & hydrocarbons The biological effects the destruction of ozone has in the stratosphere is ____ ___________________ - ANSWERS-UV penetration The biological effects the creation of ozone has in the troposphere is what? - ANSWERS-irritation of eyes & respiratory systems Is the condition of ozone being destroyed in the stratosphere improving or worsening? - ANSWERS-improving Is the condition of ozone being created in the troposphere improving or worsening? - ANSWERS-worsening
The US houses ___% of the 1 trillion barrels of oil. - ANSWERS-4% varrying costs of extraction of oil? - ANSWERS-? What was the dominant form of energy until 1800's? - ANSWERS- Coal Where was the first commercial well located in 1859? - ANSWERS- Titusville, PA When did crude oil become dominant? - ANSWERS- 1951 When can we expect peak global production? - ANSWERS-Nobody knows when, but it WILL happen. Hubbert Curve - ANSWERS-M. King Hubbert (1950's) proposed oil exploitation follows a bell-shaped curve. Predicted peak in 1970 Was Hubbert right? - ANSWERS-In 1970, the US continental peak happened OPEC - ANSWERS-The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a group of 14 nations which collaboratively are largely responsible for global oil prices.
In 1970, what did OPEC do? - ANSWERS-They restrained production in order to get higher prices. The oil embargo cut production ___% each month, and ____________exports to US. - ANSWERS-5%, banned The oil embargo spurred 5 things: - ANSWERS--Trans-Alaskan Pipeline
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- national speed limit set at 55 mph
- cars to average 27.5 mpg by 1985 How did US deal with embargo? - ANSWERS-payed higher prices to get oil back and we bought more oil Deepwater Horizon Video - ANSWERS-BP oil spill and its effects 4 years later T/F: The US relies heavily on imports of oil. - ANSWERS-True What does oil peak production mean to us? (5) - ANSWERS--effects felt well before we run out
- costs of drilling increase
- easiest wells are extracted first
Fracking (from video) - ANSWERS-high risk process, hydrolic fractoring Oil in Gulf of Mexico Video - ANSWERS--1920 West Coast Gasoline Famine (oil demand high, supply low)
- 1931 The Great Depression (prices dropped)
- 1947 Post WWII (cost increased)
- 1960 OPEC (stable prices)
- 1973 Arab Oil Embargo (lines long)
- 1979 Iranian Revolution (hurt oil production)
- 1990 / 2003 Wars in Iraq (prices increased)
- 2008 Global Demand Surge (oil peaked at $147/barrel
- 2016 Oil prices in tailspin Tar Sands Extraction Video - ANSWERS-Canada number 1 supplier of oil to US. Tar Sands Oil Sands Deposit) largest industrial development and energy project on the face of the planet. Area the size of Florida. It's "moral carelessness". Threatens world's third largest watershed. Oil shale not good because... - ANSWERS-impractical, draws heavily on water, large amount of energy required. Oil shale good because... - ANSWERS-as conventional crude gets more expensive it becomes profitable.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - ANSWERS-oil spill in Gulf of Mexico which flowed for 3 months in 2010, and still may be continuing to seep. largest marine oil spill in history of petroleum industry. Stemmed from sea-floor oil gusher. Killed 11 men and injured 17. Gusher was capped after released 4.9 million barrels of crude oil. White House blamed BP for cost-cutting (defective cement job). Root causes systemic and recurring if reform doesn't happen both in gov and industry. What is the primary source of generating electricity in the US? - ANSWERS-Coal, closely followed by natural gas. Disadvantages of using coal as main electricity source: - ANSWERS-- greenhouse gasses
- acid rain
- acid mine drainage
- particulates Acid Rain - ANSWERS-any form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions. Acid mine/rock drainage - ANSWERS-the outflow of acidic water from mines (metal or coal). Fracking (hydraulic fracture) - ANSWERS-formed by pumping the fracturing fluid into the wellbore at a pressure that exceeds the strength of the rock. The rock cracks and the fracture fluid continues
T/F: The US uses in 1 year the energy it took 1 million years to create geologically through the formation of fossil fuels - ANSWERS-True By burning fossil fuel, humans add __ billion tons of CO2/yr which is __ ton(s)/person/yr - ANSWERS-6 billion 1 ton ________ is the dominant US Energy Source - ANSWERS-oil _____% of our energy sources are oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear - ANSWERS-95% What's the largest renewable energy source we use? - ANSWERS- hydropower Nuclear Energy - ANSWERS--the decay of uranium isotope 235U
- split nucleus of U, releasing nuetrons, causing a chain reaction About ___ million metric tons of uranium oxide are economically accessible - ANSWERS-5 million Nuclear Energy is responsible for ____% of global energy production
- ANSWERS-16% Nuclear energy has a _____(low/high) cost of production after startup costs. - ANSWERS-low
Materials for nuclear energy: - ANSWERS-yellow cake, fuel pellets, fuel rod, WATER Where are two new nuclear reactors being built? - ANSWERS-GA Costs associated with uranium mining: (3) - ANSWERS--disturbed landscape
- acidified runoff
- heat alteration of streams & lakes What is one solution the US came up with regarding Nuclear Waste? - ANSWERS-bury it 300 m deep in steel casks in Yucca Mountain Nevada. Nuclear Accidents - ANSWERS--Chernobyl, Ukrain, Soviet Union
- Fukushima, Japan, 2011
Chernobyl - ANSWERS--explosion fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into atmosphere
- worst accident in nuclear history
- april 26, 1986 Chernobyl details - ANSWERS--sudden power output surge
