Climate Facts
What land use activity has the most overall, global demand for water resources due to scale of implementation across the landscape?
Agriculture
True or False: Most of the water present on the earth is readily available for human consumption.
FALSE: 99.9% of the earth's water is NOT in a condition we can directly consume.
True or False: Nuclear energy is considered both renewable and carbon-free energy.
FALSE: While nuclear energy produces zero emissions, uranium is not a renewable resource.
What is an example of disease that has been essentially eradicated in HDCs, but still occurs in LDCs?
Possible Examples
Cholera
Typhoid
Dysentery
Polio
Which environmental health metric assumes a lethal/toxic dosage rate for half of a test population, and is required testing for all new, synthetic chemicals?
LD50
What organization sets benchmarks and goals for addressing factors related to global climate change?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
What is subsurface glacial melt, and why is it critical to understand?
Warmer ocean/melting waters reducing glaciers from below, rather than solar rays melting from above.
- More difficult to track over time/space
- Can lead to "calving" and more rapid glacial retreat
Which fuel source, while economical and efficient, remains limited in use due to transport challenges worldwide?
Liquified natural gas (LNG)
What are the most common billion dollar disasters in recent years for the US? What makes the cost of these events higher as time passes?
Flooding and other weather-related disasters (hurricanes, also drought!)
The increase in damages is often a function of property and structures built in floodplains, immediately adjacent to levees, shorelines, etc. An increase of people and property in harm's way.
Which two regions have been common importers of e-waste from Europe and North America?
China and Africa
Describe two effects of excess carbon emissions on global oceans: One direct effect and one indirect effect
Direct Effects
Indirect Effects
What biophysical phenomena may exacerbate water conflicts? Give an example of one.
Possible Answers:
Increased drought
Flooding
Groundwater/aquifer over-extraction
Which of the following would not be an ideal location for a solar energy farm? And why/why not?
- Steep hillslope with limited road access
- Grassland with little to no canopy cover
- The Pacific Northwest
- Steep hillslope with limited road access: Uneven ability to collect photons
- Kansas grassland with little to no canopy cover: IDEAL: Flat area, appropriate latitude/seasonality, clear access
- The Pacific Northwest: Cloud cover/overcast conditions, inconsistent sunlight
What water consumption activity occurs more commonly in an HDC than an LDC?
Industrial water usage
What do the letters "P-O-P" stand for? Give an example of one.
Persistent Organic Pollutants
PCBs, Chlordane, DDT, etc.
What is one example of an indirect human consumption activity of water?
Possible examples include but not limited to:
Food we consume that requires water for processing
Livestock raised for food that directly consume high volumes of water
Industrial manufacturing that requires water for heating/cooling purposes
Electrical generation where heat warms water to produce steam
Approximately what proportion of the US population relies on groundwater for drinking and direct consumption?
~50%
This includes municipal and private wells!
What energy source is 100% renewable, with zero emissions, but is limited by the physical characteristics of the global landscape?
Geothermal energy
How does the development of POPs in HDCs ultimately lead to adverse consequences in LDCs? What are the two key risks of chronic exposure?
Exporting e-waste, other toxic chemicals that become waste materials contaminating soils, water, etc.
Risks:
What is the difference between biomagnification and bioaccumulation? Give an example of each.
Bioaccumulation: A substance builds up within a single organism, often in fatty tissue.
Biomagnification: A substance accumulates and is passed on within a food web from one organism to another
Example: DDT, lead, PCBs from algae/primary producers to large mammals, etc.
Give an example of a species which may benefit from global climate change. What makes this likely?
Invasive Species: Kudzu, emerald ash borer, etc.
Generalist Species: Raccoons, deer, etc.
Why: Ability to adapt, expand range and outcompete other organisms
What key phenomenon links food, energy, and water systems from production to consumption? How do changes in global development likely affect the key factors related to this model?
The Globalized Hourglass of Global Food Production: Thousands of producers, millions of consumers.
As global development increases and LDCs transition faster to HDCs, constraints as demand for resources increase exponentially. Limited control of the markets can influence scarcity, prices, etc.
What does EROI measure?
Why is this important for energy production?
EROI = Energy Return on Investment
The ratio of energy inputs vs gain: Efficiency
Legacy energy = High ratio (no need for new tools, etc.)
Synthesized Fuels/Biofuels = Net Energy Cliff
What is one factor of adapting to climate change that varies based on LDC or HDC status?
How is this changing as a result of increased industrialization worldwide?
Ability to Pay: HDC can innovate, invest in new technologies
Ability to Adapt: LDC may be able to adapt more quickly due to a lack of infrastructure. HDC have more challenges with adaptation due to existing networks, etc.
Changes: LDCs are industrializing faster and at different scales in recent years, leading to both increases in economic activity and wealth, but also leading to dramatic adverse environmental consequences. Especially for water, energy and food resources.
A revisit to the Malthus/Boserup Models: Avoiding a scarcity-driven crisis through innovation
Give two reasons why some infectious diseases continue to emerge? Where does this tend to occur more often? LDCS or HDCs?
Examples may include: