BioGeoPhysical Processes
How does a negative feedback loop compare with a positive feedback loop in a natural system? Give an example for each.
Negative feedback:The response to change opposes the change. Ex: Planting trees as a carbon sink/thermal reducer (shade)
Positive feedback: The response to change increases, or amplifies, the deviation from the original condition. Ex. Increased solar radiation/CO2 gases increases temperatures, glacial melt, water temps
Which of the following is an example of indirect solar energy?
- PV panels
- Tidal energy
- Wind energy
Wind energy
Wind is indirectly generated as a result of solar energy
What term describes the measure of water clarity?
Turbidity
Which society is more likely to suffer adverse health effects due to poor air quality: HDCs or LDCs?
Why is this?
LDCs
More influence from physical landscape on human health conditions; greater exposure to smoke, smog, unregulated airborne emissions, etc.What material can be recycled an infinite number of times, yet is only recycled approximately one quarter of the time the material is disposed?
Glass
Which greenhouse gas is overall a higher priority for environmental solutions, and why?
Carbon dioxide or Sulfur hexafluoride
While Sulfur hexafluoride is far more persistent in the environment than Carbon dioxide, the prevalence of CO2 in the environment, as well as our ability to reduce it through both simple and complex approaches.
Which current renewable energy source has the highest overall return on investment? What is the approximate ROI?
Wind Energy
ROI: ~ 1,100:1 efficiencies
Which is smaller: Pm 2.5 or Pm 10?
Why is this value important for air quality
Pm 2.5
Smaller particles can enter our lungs more thoroughly
Who among the following are more likely to suffer ill effects of extended time near toxic waste sites?
Adult males
Children
Elderly & people with compromised health
Children
Elderly & people with compromised health
What are the 5 key factors for "Sustainable Living" as recommended by Lester R. Brown?
1.Eliminate poverty and stabilize the human population.
2.Protect and restore Earth’s resources.
3.Provide adequate food for all people.
4.Mitigate climate change.
5.Design sustainable cities.
What is an endocrine disruptor? What organisms are at risk from exposure to them? Give an example of one.
What environmental phenomena makes these chemicals especially harmful to the total environment?
A chemical that interferes with hormones in a living organism
Humans and non-human species are affected (fish, reptiles, mammals, etc.)
Ex: DDT, PCBs, dioxin, mercury/lead, PFAS
Greatest threat: Bioaccumulation & biomagnification
What makes small scale solar energy a viable resource for LDCs? What makes it a challenge?
Viability: No existing infrastructure to refurbish/reconfigure
Challenge: Startup costs/ability to pay
What term describes a phenomenon where a layer of colder, wetter air is trapped between two warmer layers? What is a common result?
Thermal/Temperature Inversion
Common Result: SmogWhich of the following is not adversely/negatively affected by industrialized agriculture on a global scale?
- Biodiversity & habitat quality
- Water supply
- Food supply
- Concentration of GHG in the global atmosphere
Food supply
What specific factors related to "education" are considered necessary for sustainable global development?
What is needed to overcome these obstacles?
• Need for more trained/technical professionals in developing countries
• Debt forgiveness as options for developing economies
• Population stabilization & family planning (overcoming cultural stigmas/obstacles)
What's needed:
• Accurate information must be made widely available to all stakeholders, regardless of socioeconomic status
• People’s concerns for the environment do not necessarily translate into action. Direct action is necessary, even in small increments.
• Educate ALL people early and continuously about the need to change individual and collective habits
What is albedo? Why does it matter for biogeochemical processes?
Albedo: Proportional reflectance of sunlight from earth surfaces
High Albedo: Glaciers/Ice sheets
Low Albedo: Darker surfaces
As we reduce high albedo surfaces worldwide, we begin to not only melt the frozen landscape, but also increase infrared (heat) absorpotion by darker, warmer surfaces worldwide
Link the energy source to a potential environmental consequence:
Burning Fossil Fuels - Hydropower - Wind Turbines
Impeding fish migration - Bird/bat mortality if improperly sited - Excess GHGs
Burning Fossil Fuels = Excess GHGs
Hydropower = Impeding fish migration
Wind Turbines = Bird/bat mortality if improperly sited
What federal regulation establishes guidance for the NPDES program? Who is regulated by this portion of the law?
Clean Water Act
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): Regulates point-based pollution via permits
- Wastewater treatment plants
- Industrial facilities
- Active construction sites
- AFO/Large-scale livestock facilities
What does it mean to have "lifestyle" choices affecting longevity and mortality rates in a society?
Which societies are at greater risk of such forms of mortality?
Lack of regular exercise, diet (ultra-processed foods), tobacco/alcohol, etc. overriding acute/chronic exposure to potential health hazards.
HDCs at greater risk (US!)
What factor is considered paramount by the United Nations for enabling global sustainability for all societies?
What initiative was launched in 2012 to address this and 16 other key objectives? Identify at least ONE of those additional objectives.
Eradicating poverty
UN Sustainable Development Goals (evolved from Millennium Development Goals)
- End world Hunger - Promote Overall Health/Wellbeing - Quality Education for All - Gender Equality - Clean Water & Sanitation - Affordable/Clean Energy - Work/Economic Growth - Industry/Innovation - Reduce Inequality - Sustainable Cities - Responsible Consumption - Climate Action - Land & Water Quality - Peace & Justice - Partnerships
What is the linkage between nutrients, eutrophication and quality of aquatic life in surface waters?
Nutrients: N and P increase biological activity in plants, and are often present in sediments. Algae are tiny, short-lived plants. Increased sediment, nutrients promote algal growth in water. Algae die, decompose and consume DO. Reduced DO can stress and ultimately kill aquatic life.
Describe how nuclear energy works. What is the primary function of the raw materials? What are the risks? Rewards?
Nuclear Energy: Energy released by fission or fusion, typically from a radioactive particle.
Uranium: Primary raw material, highly radioactive
Heat warms water creates steam, which turns turbines to generate electricity. Hot water and radioactive waste material are the byproducts.
Risks: Potential for meltdown, mass exposure to radioactivity, potentially catastrophic damages; decommissioning of aging faciliites & challenges with long-term storage/containment of spent fuels
Rewards: Essentially zero GHG emissions (minus extraction of uranium), ability to potentially recirculate in newer power plants
What global policy agreement led to the near total abolition of CFCs? What was the result?
A global effort to ban the manufacturing & sales of chlorofluorocarbons, restoring the stratospheric ozone layer
What role do HDCs have in ensuring a sustainable future for people living in LDCs? Give at least two examples.
Conscious consumption: Products/services not adversely impacting ecosystems and societies elsewhere
Innovate Energy Sources: Enable transitions to clean/renewable energy sources/storage/transmission
Sustainable Cities: Encourage/promote planning & development for sustainable urban systems (set the example)
Invest in & Promote Sustainable Growth Elsewhere: Encourage innovative approaches to economic and social development that minimize ecological impacts
What is an enhanced greenhouse effect?
How do increased GHGs create this phenomenon? Where are they coming from?
What can be done to slow/reverse the effect?
Additional warming and enhancement of biogeochemical processes as a result of human activities emitting a higher concentration of GHGs than natural systems would. A positive feedback loop!
GHG are opaque, and absorb infrared solar radiation, converting the energy to heat. This heat remains trapped in the earth's atmosphere, and increases with added GHG emissions.
Source: Human-induced emissions (industry, automobiles, agriculture/livestock, etc.)Solution: Curb emissions, generate carbon sinks, increase natural carbon absorption systems (vegetation, soils, etc.)