Show:
Week 1 and 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5 - Biofuels
Weeks 5+6 - Power
100

This is what happens to a shared resources according to "Tragedy of the Commons"

The resource is used up or not cared for.  (What is an example of this?)

100

What two things contribute to our individual ecological footprints?

1. How many resources we consume/use.

2. How much waste we generate.

100

What are the four most important greenhouse gasses and what do they do?

Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Fluorinated Gasses all insulate the Earth and trap heat. (Which one is the biggest problem?)

100

Corn and sugar cane contain lots of this molecule, which can be fermented into ethanol by microorganisms.

Sugars and starches.  (The ethanol is later distilled to increase the concentration.)

100
If you wanted to get electricity from a power plant to a home, what are the grid components you would use and in what order?

1. Power plant, 2. High voltage transmission line, 3. substation, 4. low voltage transmission lines, 5. house

200

Identify four constant renewable energy sources.  

Solar, Wind, Hydropower, and Geothermal.  (How are they different from depletable renewable?)

200

What kind of food is the best for our ecological footprint (in other words, has the smallest effect)?

Locally grown plants are best.  (What would be a good example of the worst foods for the planet?)

200

What is the "Global Warming Potential" of greenhouse gasses?

GWP is how much heat can be trapped by a gas; kind of like how thick a blanket is at home.  (Which gas has the highest GWP?)
200

What is "electrification", and what industries/sectors cannot simply be "electrified"?

Converting from burning fossil fuels to running on clean electricity.  Long transportation cannot recharge easily, so trains, cargo ships and airplanes need sustainable fuels to burn.

200

Where in the United States would solar probably be a good option for renewable energy?

South, where the angle and duration of sun is best.

300

What resources are considered nonrenewable?

Gas, oil, coal, and metals.  (What makes them "nonrenewable"?)

300

What are the benefits of solar power as a source of electricity?

MANY!!  Easy to start and scale down; Constant renewable; Affordable with subsidies; Doesn't need an entire grid; etc.

(What are the negative aspects of solar?)

300

Which greenhouse gas has the biggest total effect on climate change, and why do humans emit so much of it now (since 1700's)?

Carbon Dioxide is ~75% of the warming effect.  In the 1700's humans started burning fossil fuels for machines in the industrial revolution.

300

These are a few benefits of using ethanol biofuel. (many options are possible)

Renewable resource (not fossil fuel), cleaner burning, less greenhouse gas production, etc.

300

Why is having multiple power sources available (like gas, solar, and wind) better then relying on just one power supply (like only solar or only wind)?

It is not always sunny or windy.  Fossil fuels and hydro can be used on demand.  Nuclear takes time to ramp up and down. etc.

400

What was causing the hole in the ozone layer to form in the 1970s and 1980s?

CFC (chlorofluorocarbons).  (Why do we need the ozone layer?)

400

Thinking about the solar lab, what can we in Illinois do to increase the amount of solar power we harvest from the sun?

Changing the angle of the panels and having more panels. 

400

How do levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperatures correlate to each other from the 1700's to now?

They both started going up very sharply since the mid-1900's.  This is the primary cause of global warming and climate change.

400

These are a few drawbacks of using ethanol biofuel. (many options are possible)

Requires a lot of energy to make, uses valuable land, uses valuable water, may harm engines, may require fertilizers, etc.

400

Another tragedy of the commons question: "What is __________ to the greatest number gets the ________ amount of care."

"What is COMMON to the greatest number gets the LEAST amount of care."

500
In response to ozone degradation, the world changed from CFC to HFC.  What was good and bad about this change?
HFCs are safe for ozone, but they are a really powerful greenhouse gas.
500
What are the resources we need for a cell phone to function?

MANY! Metals for battery, glass, rubber, etc., and ELECTRICITY (for everything).

500

How do carbon offsets help us get to carbon neutral?

People and companies that emit carbon dioxide can pay for projects that reduce carbon dioxide.  (This is different from Net Zero, where any carbon dioxide released is also captured back from the atmosphere.)

500

How does growing corn for ethanol contribute to creating dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico?

Fertilizers are used and they flow into the Mississippi.  These nutrients cause algae to grow out of control, then die, then they are decomposed to remove the oxygen in the water.
500

What are you going to bring to the Unit 1 Midpoint Quiz?

Completed review notes and a well-rested brain.