Posted: March 28th, 2023
Industry and Energy – Renewable Energy and Pollution
question
Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)
answer
government mandate responsible for higher standard for miles per gallon in vehicles
question
unconventional fossil fuel resources
answer
Resources are considered unconventional if we lack economically feasible or environmentally sound technology with which to extract them
question
oil sands
answer
unconventional resource found in Canada, Venezuela, and Russia, sands saturated with petroleum, profitable mining in Alberta, Canada
question
hydraulic fracturing
answer
involves pumping water at high pressure to further break apart rocks and release more gas that can be extracted; Texas, Oklahoma, and Appalachian Mtns, requires a lot of water and opponents fear env. damage
question
fission
answer
the splitting of an atomic nucleus to release energy
question
radioactive waste
answer
one product of all nuclear reactions
question
Fukushima Daiichi plant
answer
in Japan, in 2011, earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown
question
Chernobyl
answer
1986, nuclear reactor meltdown from a runaway reaction
question
plutonium
answer
harvested from radioactive waste and used for making nuclear weapons
question
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
answer
nuclear waste is stored here, 660 meters underground in New Mexico
question
uranium
answer
nonrenewable, proven reserves will last 124 years, Australia has 29% of the world's supply
question
breeder reactor
answer
turns uranium into a renewable resource by generating plutonium - this is more lethal and easier to make into a bomb so few have been built
question
nuclear fusion
answer
the fusing of hydrogen atoms to form helium - cannot be generated with current technology
question
renewable energy
answer
a source of energy that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by people
question
biomass fuel
answer
derived from burning wood, plant material, and animal waste directly or converting them to charcoal, alcohol, or methane gas
question
hydroelectric power
answer
generating electricity from the movement of water
question
wind power
answer
90% of world production in China, N America, and Europe - high cost of constructing turbines - only 1/3 of US has sufficient winds for power - some people say they are harmful for birds and bats
question
geothermal energy
answer
energy from hot water or steam, can be harnessed where crustal plates meet, leading producers are the US, Philippines, and Indonesia, also in Iceland
question
passive solar energy system
answer
collects energy without the use of mechanical devices
question
active solar energy system
answer
collects solar radiation through the use of mechanical devices and converts it either to heat energy or to electricity
question
passive solar energy in window panes
answer
double and triple window panes, low-emissivity glass filled with argon to insulate, and phase-change technologies
question
photovoltaic cells
answer
made of silicon, electrons move through the silicon to produce direct current (DC) electricity
question
Bell Laboratories
answer
invented photovoltaic cells in 1954
question
indirect active solar energy
answer
solar radiation is first converted to heat and then to electricity
question
hybrid vehicles
answer
conserve gasoline by running on electricity at low speeds
question
pollution
answer
occurs when more waste is added to air, water, and land than those resources can handle
question
air pollution
answer
a concentration of trace substances at a greater level than occurs in average air
question
carbon monoxide
answer
reduces blood oxygen level, impairs vision, worsens breathing problems
question
photochemical smog
answer
formed when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight
question
particulates
answer
dusk and smoke particles
question
temperature inversion
answer
trap pollution near the ground
question
acid deposition
answer
the accumulation of acids, including sulfuric and nitric acid, on Earth's surface
question
acid precipitation
answer
sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, emitted by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere, where they combine with oxygen and water and fall
question
greenhouse effect
answer
the increase in Earth’s temperature, caused by carbon dioxide trapping some of the radiation emitted by the surface
question
ozone
answer
a gas that absorbs ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere
question
chlorofluorocarbons
answer
a gas used as a solvent, a propellant in aerosols, a refrigerant, and in plastic foams and fire extinguisher
question
non-consumptive water use
answer
use of water that is returned to nature as a liquid – most industrial and municipal uses
question
consumptive water use
answer
use of water that evaporates rather than being returned to nature as a liquid – most agricultural uses
question
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
answer
the amount of oxygen required by aquatic bacteria to decompose a given load of organic waste
question
point-source pollution
answer
enters a body of water at a specific location, 2 main sources are manufacturers and municipal treatment plants
question
nonpoint-source pollution
answer
comes from a large, diffuse area, principal source is agriculture
question
Aral Sea
answer
once the world's 4th largest lake, now shrinking because of pollution
question
sanitary landfill
answer
a place to deposit solid waste, where a layer of earth is bulldozed over garbage each day to reduce emissions of gases/odors from the decaying trash, to minimize fires, and to discourage vermin
question
hazardous wastes
answer
include heavy metals (including mercury, cadmium, and zinc), PCB oils from electrical equipment, cyanides, strong solvents, acids, and caustics
Expert paper writers are just a few clicks away
Place an order in 3 easy steps. Takes less than 5 mins.