Energy
What is an organic substance such as coal, oil, and natural gas that is used as an energy source
What is a primary pollution?
What is a type of pollution where the pollutant is emitted directly from the source
What are 3 examples of point pollution?
What is Deepwater Horizon (BP) Oil Spill, Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill, Leaking septic tank
List the layers of the atmosphere in order with the layer closest to Earth’s surface at the bottom
What is troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere
What is environmental science?
What is the study of the impact on humans and the environment?
What is the definition of passive solar heating?
What is a system in which sunlight is used to heat buildings directly without pumps or fans
What is a secondary solution?
What is a type of pollution where the primary pollutant reacts with the atmosphere to create new compounds
What are 3 examples of non-point pollution
What is Agriculture runoff, urban runoff, microplastics in ocean gyres
Describe the composition (in terms of gases present) of Earth’s early atmosphere
What is Carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia levels were initially found in much larger concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere
What is a natural resource?
What is Any material in nature that people use and value
What are 4 renewable resources?
What is coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear
List 5 ways to reduce air pollution
What is Less use of fossil fuels, catalytic converters on cars, scrubbers on power plants, radon remediation systems, and avoid burning waste materials
How can runoff cause eutrophication?
What is Water runoff from a rain or snow melt event can include fertilizers or animal waste. These materials are high in nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients (especially nitrogen) increase NPP in an area. This increase in NPP can be seen as increased phytoplankton or algae
Provide 2 examples of how Earth’s climate changed over time and explain why this change occurred
What is Changes in Earth’s orbit cause more (or less) seasonal variation and more (or less) solar radiation to reach the Earth. Changes in Earth’s tilt also lead to changes in seasonal variation as well as changing the location of Earth that receives the most solar radiation. This is caused by changes in where earth’s mass is located (changes in ice and water).
What is the release of harmful materials into the environment
Can a renewable resource become a non-renewable resource?
What is yes only if we use it faster than it replenishes
Explain the formation of photochemical smog
What is Nitrogen dioxide and VOCs interact in the presence of UV radiation (from the sun) to form ozone in the troposphere
Explain how eutrophication can eventually cause hypoxia
What is Over time the algae dies or is eaten by other organisms. The dead algae or waste from fish that eat the algae sink to the bottom. Decomposers then break down this material using oxygen in the process. When oxygen levels reach a point that they can no longer support life, less than 2 parts per million hypoxia occurs. This effect can be even greater in areas where less dense freshwater and more dense salt water remain in seperate layers.
What gases make up the percent composition of Earth’s current atmosphere?
What is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 0.1% other gasses
What is the troposphere?
What is The lowest layer of the atmoshere, in which temerature decreases at a constant rate as altitude increases.
How has the main source of energy used for electricity changed in the US over time?
What is it was once coal, now it is natural gas
What is the toxic substances control act?
What is Authorizes the EPA to regulate the manufacture, distribution, import and processing of certain toxic chemicals
Explain the difference between point and non-point pollution. Which one is more of a problem and why?
What is Point pollution comes from a single identifiable source while the source of nonpoint pollution cannot be directly identified as one location. Nonpoint pollution is more difficult to address because of the widespread nature of the pollution.
Explain the view of the vast majority of climate scientist regarding human caused global warming
What is There is no legitimate scientific debate about global warming. Vast amounts of evidence from multiple disciplines show that global warming is occurring and that it is caused by humans
What is ozone?
What is a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms.