Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
137 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Why is Los Angeles the most polluted city by smog in the U.S.?
|
large amount of automobiles
little rainfall thermal inversion "closed' terrain |
|
|
The dominant type of air pollutants in the Bay Area during summer time is/are
|
sulfur oxides
nitrogen oxides |
|
|
What time of a day the photo-chemical smog is the worst in the summer L.A.?
|
in the early afernoon
|
|
|
Which part of Greater Los Angeles Area has severer air pollution?
|
Ontario
|
|
|
Which of the following is NOT a primary pollutant?
|
carbon dioxide
|
|
|
All of the following are considered to be common indoor air pollutants EXCEPT
|
sulfuric acid.
|
|
|
ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere
|
If emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds were reduced, ozone pollution would also decrease.
Ozone causes damage to paint and other building materials Ozone is considered to be a secondary air pollutant. Ozone is a component of photochemical smog. |
|
|
It is difficult to pinpoint which specific pollutant(s) are responsible for which adverse effect because
|
there may be synergistic effects.
levels of pollutants in the air are constantly changing. organisms are exposed to many different pollutants simultaneously. levels of pollutants depend upon proximity to source. |
|
|
Air pollution hurts the economy by
|
reducing forestry yields.
reducing the recreational opportunities of freshwater lakes. reducing agricultural yields. increasing human health care costs |
|
|
Pollutants capable of causing cancer in animals are said to be
|
carcinogenic.
|
|
|
The most widespread and serious pollutant(s) of the atmosphere include
|
particulates
sulfur dioxide carbon monoxide nitrogen oxides ozone lead radioactive |
|
|
A temperature inversion
|
is created when cool air forms a pocket beneath a warm air mass.
is a weather condition that prevents smog from rising and dissipating in the upper atmosphere. |
|
|
Two lakes are close to each other and receive roughly the same acidic precipitation. One lake has turned acidic in recent years while the other lake is still neutral. This can best be explained by
|
difference in buffering capacity of the two lakes
|
|
|
Acid precipitation
|
may occur hundreds of miles from the source of emissions.
|
|
|
Acid precipitation refers
|
to any precipitation which is more acidic than normal.
|
|
|
What is the primary air pollutant in Donora, PA that caused half of the town's population sick after several days of stagnant weather in October 1948?
|
sulfur oxides
|
|
|
The top two sources that generate most primary air pollutants in the U.S. are
|
transportation and electricity generation
|
|
|
formation processes of photochemical smog
|
Nitrogen monoxide combines with oxygen gas to form nitrogen dioxide.
Nitrogen gas combines with oxygen gas inside internal combustion engine to form nitrogen monoxide. Nitrogen dioxide, under the UV radiation, splits into nitrogen monoxide and atomic oxygen |
|
|
What injured some 20% of Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine trees in the Los Angeles National Forest?
|
Photochemical smog that destroyed or disrupted normal processes such as photosynthesis.
|
|
|
How much total emission decline has occurred in the U.S. since 1970?
|
about 50%
|
|
|
National Ambient Air Quality Standards are established based on
|
concentration of air pollutants
duration of the air pollution in the area |
|
|
Why is Aidrondake fishless?
|
the lake has a ph level too low (they can only tolerate 5.0
|
|
|
What happens when you inhale carbon monoxide?
|
it blocks oxygen from getting to red blood cells
|
|
|
the main source of sulfur dioxide is
|
power generation
|
|
|
tha main source of nitrogen oxides is
|
transportation
|
|
|
1970 clean air act
|
mandated 90% reduction in VOCs emission from cars
|
|
|
1990 clean air act
|
new cars sold on 1994 and after (EDIT)
|
|
|
in the US about ___ buildings are considered "sick" causing sick building syndromes (dizziness, fatigue, and nausea)
|
17%
|
|
|
4 major pollutants of sick buildings are
|
cig smoke
formaldehyde asbestos and radon gas |
|
|
the smell of "new"
|
formaldehyde
|
|
|
radon gas
|
radioactive gas
can enter houses through many paths |
|
|
Water supply system
|
EBMUD
comes from a watershed in sierra nevada |
|
|
Milwaukee incident in 1993
|
Contaminated water
lake contaminated |
|
|
The gross national product or GNP
|
is a measure of a nation's wealth.
is the sum of all goods and services produced in a country per unit time. is the most commonly used indicator of a nation's wealth and prosperity |
|
|
The Clean Air Acts have worked to improve the economy of the United States by
|
reducing health care costs.
enhancing tourism at freshwater lakes affected by acid rain deposition. stimulating new inventions and technologies to make regulatory compliance less expensive. increasing yields from agriculture and silviculture. |
|
|
Factors that constitute the productivity of a society are
|
their natural resources.
availability of labor. capital |
|
|
GNP does not
|
attempt to distinguish between economic activities that are beneficial or harmful.
account for natural resources used up or ecosystem damaged by economic activities |
|
|
Natural capital of a nation includes
|
minerals, fossil fuels, forests, soils, fish and wildlife
|
|
|
Under classic economic view, natural resources (or natural capital)
|
can be acquired at relatively low cost.
are not part of the material cycle between producers and consumers. are abundant in the nature. |
|
|
Which of the following will be added to GNP?
|
money spent on buying cigarettes.
money paid to hospitals when smokers get sick |
|
|
Which of the following will be added to current annual GNP?
|
money spent on buying cigarettes.
money paid to hospitals when smokers get sick |
|
|
Genuine Progress Indicator takes into account
|
per capita income
natural resource depletion environmental damages |
|
|
Human Development Index takes into account of
|
people's life expectancy
education attainment standard of living |
|
|
External Cost of products and services include costs related to
|
the human health impacts caused by residual air, water, and solid waste emissions.
the impacts of climate change tied to emissions of greenhouse gases. ecological changes from land use and nutrient cycles. |
|
|
Using full cost accounting
|
the price of products and services will increase
environment quality will improve businesses that use green technology will be more competitive on the market |
|
|
Which of the following statement is correct for high-income countries?
|
Natural capital makes up about 17% of the country's wealth.
Human resources make up about 67% of the country's wealth. Produced assets make up about 16% of the country's wealth. |
|
|
Which of the following country experienced impressive economic development but at the cost of severe soil erosion, forest destruction, and loss of biodiversity between 1970-1990?
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|
Based on Human Development Index ranking, which of the following statement is correct?
|
Norway ranked highest in 2005.
|
|
|
Which of the following is not a characteristic of free-market economy?
|
goods and services are offered based on buyer's ability to pay
|
|
|
Full cost is calculated by
|
adding internal cost and external cost together
|
|
|
Human resources include
|
human capital
knowledge assets social capital |
|
|
How do rivers clean up organic material?
|
living things eat it
soil absorbs it oxygen depletes it |
|
|
What impact does high temperature have to the ecosystem?
|
warm water either makes water uninhabitable or significantly reduces dissolved oxygen
Lake trout perish where temperature is more than 50 degrees salmon can only survive only where D) is more than 6 |
|
|
zebra mussel
|
introduced from caspian sea, russia in 1986 through ballast water
|
|
|
point source and non point source pollution, which one do you think is easier to control?
|
non point pollution
|
|
|
clean water act of 1972
|
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution.[1] Passed in 1972, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation by 1983.
|
|
|
Clear Water Act
|
provided funds to build wastewater treatment facilities
resulted in all municipal sewage in the U.S. being treated |
|
|
Thermal pollution
|
Decreases DO
|
|
|
Eutrophication involves
|
phytoplanton population explosion
increase of nitrates and phosphates in water deplation of oxygen in water |
|
|
In 1993, some 400,000 people in Milwaukee area got sick by drinking tap water containing
|
cryptosporidium
disease causing agent |
|
|
All of the following will probably reduce the amount of oxygen dissolved in stream or lake water
|
thermal pollution.
sewage waste discharged into the water. accelerated eutrophication. heavy metals such as lead and zinc. algal "blooms". |
|
|
Which of the following are problems associated with sediment pollution?
|
blocking sunlight to photosynthesizing aquatic organisms
nutrient enrichment of surface waters filling in reservoirs smothering fish eggs and insect larvae |
|
|
Benthic organisms grow/live
|
in the benthic zone, on the slope of the water
|
|
|
Solving the problem of eutrophication may involve
|
controlling leaching of fertilizer from surrounding farmlands by using only the amount of fertilizer needed.
controlling erosion to prevent sediment pollution. banning the use of detergents containing phosphates. advanced sewage treatment to remove nutrients. |
|
|
Sediments entering waterways in large amounts is detrimental to water quality because
|
they are often accompanied by large amounts of nutrients.
they shift the ecological balance of water in favor of algae, bacteria, protozoa and detritus feeders. they reduce habitat value for numerous aquatic organisms. they increase the turbidity of water |
|
|
BOD is
|
a measure of the amount of organic matter in water that can serve as food for microbes and decomposers
a measure of the biological demand for oxygen. |
|
|
Eutrophication refers to the ecosystem changes that occur with the introduction of
|
is the ecosystem response to the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system
|
|
|
The important types of water pollutants include
|
organic wastes.
nutrients. chemical pollutants. waterborne disease causing organisms. |
|
|
Examples of nonpoint source pollutants include
|
sediments from watershed.
nutrients from the land |
|
|
Examples of point source pollutants include
|
thermal discharges from power plants.
accidental sewage discharge discharge from manufactory plants |
|
|
What is often used as the indicator of the existence of pathogens (e.g. cryptosporidium) in water?
|
E-coli
|
|
|
Nitrate concentration meets EPA standard of clean water where it is
|
less than 45 mg
|
|
|
Why is water in Stow Lake of Golden Gate Park so green?
|
It contains high concentration of green algae.
|
|
|
Which of the following are characteristics of oligotrophic water?
|
Low in nutrients
|
|
|
Phytoplankton biomass may ____ every 24 hours when nitrogen (such as nitrate) concentration is greater than ____.
|
double; 0.3 ppm
|
|
|
Zebra Mussel native in
|
Caspian Sea
|
|
|
is drained directly into water body nearby untreated.
|
is drained directly into water body nearby untreated.
|
|
|
What makes climate differ from place to place?
|
temperature and precipitation
|
|
|
reasons for global temperature fluctuation in the past:
|
the earth wobbles in three ways relative to the sun
1. orbit changes periodically on a 100,000 year cycle 2. the angle of the earths axis with respect to its orbital plane changes periodically, it traces out a cone on a time scale of about 23,000 years 3. the angle of the cone fluctuates between about 21.5 and 24.5 degrees on a time scale of about 41,000 years |
|
|
The long term average of temperature and precipitation constitute an area's
|
climate
|
|
|
The average temperature of the Earth
|
fluctuates because of natural cyclic changes in the Earth's orbit and declination.
fluctuates naturally in cycles of 100,000, 41,000 and 23,000 years. |
|
|
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane differ from atmospheric gases like oxygen and nitrogen because
|
greenhouse gases absorb and then reradiate infrared (longwave) radiation towards the Earth's surface.
|
|
|
The major greenhouse gases are
|
carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons.
|
|
|
The major anthropogenic source(s) of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is/are
|
combustion of fossil fuels.
|
|
|
Consequences of global warming may include
|
changes of global precipitation pattern
melting of polar ice caps and glaciers changes in the distribution of bios sea level rise |
|
|
Methods of reducing greenhouse gases include
|
expanding the world's mass transit systems.
limiting rainforest destruction and increasing reforestation programs. raising the mileage standards for passenger cars. increased reliance on solar power and alternative energy sources. |
|
|
Ozone in the stratosphere
|
is a natural constituent.
blocks 99 percent of the ultraviolet radiation from entering the troposphere. is destroyed through reactions with chloroflurocarbons. |
|
|
Thinning of the ozone layer is most evident above
|
Antarctica
|
|
|
Reasons for scientific controversy (e.g. global warming) include:
|
the time lag between formulating a hypothesis and testing that hypothesis.
data interpreted by biased interests. additional information generated by new observations. in the absence of complete data, subjective judgements must be made. |
|
|
What makes climate differ from place to place?
|
Uneven Distribution of Solar Radiation
Land and Ocean Contract Cold and Warm Ocean Currents |
|
|
What is the reason for the fast increase of temperature in the past 100 years?
|
significant increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
CO2 functions as a one-way filter that allows solar radiation to pass through but absorbs and blocks outgoing longwave radiation burning of fossil fuels that release billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. |
|
|
Evidences of Climatic Change have occurred include
|
17 of the hottest years on record have occurred since 1980
Wide-scale recession of glaciers Sea level rising slightly |
|
|
Which of the following is a mitigation approach to the global warming problem?
|
iron fertilization that reduces co2 from air
|
|
|
Ozone depletion was caused by
|
CFC that slowly drifted up into stratosphere
CFC in the stratosphere consumes ozone |
|
|
As a consequence of global warming, the blue oak in California may migrate to
|
further north
higher elevation |
|
|
In glacier periods (ice ages), the global temperature was as much as _____ degree centigrades lower than current mean temperature.
|
3 to 4
|
|
|
The IPCC predicted in 2007 that the global temperature might by as much as _____ degree centigrade higher than current mean temperature by the end of 21st century.
|
4
|
|
|
Ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to curb global warming are
|
plant trees (billions of them)
applying fertilizer to the ocean |
|
|
Areas that might be inundated by rising sea level in different parts of the world is predicted by using
|
digital elevation model and geographic information system (GIS)
|
|
|
Which of the following statements are TRUE? Pesticides used in the 1800s and early 1900s
|
were mostly compounds of heavy metals.
included compounds of arsenic, lead, and mercury. are now known as first-generation pesticides. they were NOT synthetic organic chemicals |
|
|
The first synthetic organic pesticide used was
|
DDT
|
|
|
Which of the following was one of the apparent advantage(s) of DDT?
|
relatively non-toxic to humans
inexpensive to produce persistent broad spectrum of effect they did NOT stimulate plant growth |
|
|
DDT was used for controlling
|
lice on humans.
flies in dairy barns. numerous kinds of insects on agricultural crops. malaria-carrying insects. NOT WEEDS |
|
|
facts about DDT
|
Paul Muller was awarded a Nobel prize for his discovery of DDT.
Crop production increased dramatically as a result of DDT use. DDT enabled inexpensive control of innumerable insect pests. DDT saved millions of lives by controlling disease-carrying insects and mites. |
|
|
A farmer sprays his crop with a synthetic chemical pesticide to control an insect infestation. The infestation subsides, then a few weeks later, it actually becomes worse. This phenomenon is known as
|
resurgence
|
|
|
Predatory insects are likely to be more severely affected by pesticide treatments than the plant-eating insects ecause
|
they receive a higher dose through the food chain.
|
|
|
The chemical industry is now producing synthetic chemical pesticides which break down within a few days after application. The advantage(s) of such pesticides is/are
|
they will not cause resurgences and upsets.
|
|
|
Produce that is grown without the aid of pesticides and other synthetic chemicals is referred to as
|
organically grown.
|
|
|
Broad spectrum pesticides
|
include synthetic organic compounds like DDT.
are effective for killing multiple species. may be persistent. |
|
|
Examples of pesticides commonly used around the house include
|
insecticides and miticides for pet pests like fleas and ticks.
insecticides for household pests like termites. insecticides for kitchen pests like roaches and ants. herbicides for garden and lawn weed pests like dandelions. |
|
|
Which of the following may be components of an integrated pest management system for insect control?
|
crop rotation
biological controls pesticides |
|
|
Organisms most likely to suffer from biomagnifications are
|
carnivores
|
|
|
Why do we ban DDT?
|
It is toxic to non-pests living things
Many pests develop resistance to chemical pesticides such as DDT |
|
|
Which of the following is not a alternative pest control methods?
|
control by inorganic pesticides such as cyanide gas
|
|
|
Pest in the U.S. destroys about an estimated ___ of potential agriculture production a year.
|
37%
|
|
|
Which of the following was mentioned in the class as an example of resistance developed by pest to pesticides?
|
Gummy stem blight
|
|
|
The cultural control of wheat rust is to
|
remove barberry in wheat growing regions
|
|
|
Monoculture
|
is widely practiced in developed countries
is to plant large stands of single species of crop (such as wheat) makes crops susceptible to outbreak of pests. |
|
|
GM crops
|
European countries are generally reluctant of planting and consuming them.
Their long term health effect is unknown. Argentina is the second largest grower of GM crops in the world. |
|
|
Leaching is a term that refers to
|
chemicals being removed from the soil by water percolating through the soil.
|
|
|
Most municipal solid waste in the United States is
|
stored in landfills
|
|
|
Countries with high population densities are most likely to
|
recycle municipal solid waste.
combust municipal solid waste. |
|
|
Some of the problem(s) associated with storing solid waste in landfills is/are
|
ground water contamination.
methane production. surface subsidence. leachate generation. |
|
|
Ground water contamination from landfills
|
is common with old unlined landfills.
is common in areas having high water tables. |
|
|
Most municipal solid waste is
|
organic matter
|
|
|
New modern landfills
|
are lined so that leachate cannot percolate through the soil to contaminate ground water supplies.
are configured so that leachate is collected. are capped with layers of clay and topsoil to prevent water from readily percolating through the contents of the landfill. are built on high ground that is well above the water table. |
|
|
Combusting organic solid waste to produce heat energy
|
reduces the weight of trash by 70 percent and the volume by 90 percent.
provides a way of producing electricity which can then be sold to consumers. |
|
|
Finding places to build new landfills and waste to energy facilities
|
is difficult because the public considers these to be LULU's.
is difficult because most politicians want them built NIMTOO. is difficult because the public prefers to have these facilities located NIMBY. |
|
|
Methods of reducing the amount of material stored in landfills include(s)
|
"bottle bills".
eliminating "junk mail". converting organic waste to heat. recycling. |
|
|
An approach to reducing municipal solid waste by reducing volume at production is called
|
source reduction
|
|
|
Recycling aluminum
|
produces 95% less air pollution than using virgin ore.
Produces 97% less water pollution than using virgin ore. Could potentially reduce aluminum solid waste by 100% is a close-loop recycling |
|
|
Pay-as-you-throw garbage collection
|
provides incentives for recycling
charges customers only when they use special garbage collection bags. |
|
|
What percentage of MSW is biodegradable?
|
about 70%
|
|
|
How much (in percentage) of MSW is recyclable?
|
60%
|
|
|
since 1990
|
Since 1990, per capita generation of MSW has leveled off
|
|
|
Which country generates the second most per capita MSW per day?
|
canada
|
|
|
Which of the following item is the most recycled in the United States
|
car batteries
|
