APES Facts 1-9

Moratorium on mineral exploration for 50 years in Antarctica

Madrid Protocol: (1991)

set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health

Safe Drinking Water Act: (1974)

set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways; aims to make surface waters swimmable and fishable

Clean Water Act: (1972)

set emission standards for cars and limits for release of air pollutants

Clean Air Act: (CAA, 1970)

controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries

Kyoto Protocol: (2005)

phase-out of ozone depleting substances

Montreal Protocol: (1987)

set pesticide limits in food and all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects

Food Quality Protection Act: (1996)

identifies threatened and endangered species in the U.S., and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations

Endangered Species Act: (1973)

lists species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: (CITES, 1973)

states that environmental impact statements must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started.

National Environmental Policy Act: (1969)

allows timber companies to cut down economically valuable medium size and large trees in 71% of the country's national forests in return for clearing away smaller, more fire prone trees and underbrush.

Healthy Forest Restoration Act:

provides federal control of pesticide distribution, sale, and use - requires users to register when purchasing pesticides

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 1972, 1988: (FIFRA)

purpose is to identify sites where hazardous materials threaten the environment and/or public health as a result of leakage, spillage, or general mismanagement , and then to identify hazardous party - ensure the responsible party is also held to account for cleanup - these sites are called Superfund Sites

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act: (CERCLA) (1980)

gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave" - this includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: (1976)

The _________________________ warms the earth's surface by absorbing the sun's solar energy and radiates it into the atmosphere as infrared radiation.

Greenhouse effect

_________ is the only greenhouse gas that is exclusively anthropogenic and has the highest global warming potential.

CFC

Global climate change leads to ________________, and _______________ spreading from the tropics to the poles.

Rising sea levels, disease

Less ice and snow cover in the poles mean that ________ solar energy is reflected back leading to a positive feedback loop.

Less

Global warming and deforestation will lead to prolonged and severe ______________.

Droughts

Oceanic currents carry ________ throughout the world and impact global climate.

Heat

_________________________ is the decrease in pH of the oceans, primarily due to increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.

Ocean acidification

______________________________ are often generalists, r-selected species that may outcompete native species for resources.

Invasive species

Species that are able to adapt to changes in their environment or are able to move to a new environment are less likely to face _____________________.

Extinction

_______________________ occurs when large habitats are broken into smaller, isolated areas due to construction, agriculture, and logging.

Habitat fragmentation

__________ source pollution refers to a single, identifiable source of pollution whereas ____________ sources of pollution are diffused from a large area (runoff).

Point, nonpoint

_______________ have been suffering due to increasing ocean temperatures, sediment runoff, and destructive fishing practices.

Coral reefs

Oceanic _________________ are areas of low oxygen in the world's oceans caused by increased nutrient pollution.

Dead zones

An ________________________ is a plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution.

Oxygen sag curve

Increased ________________ in waterways can reduce light infiltration negatively impacting producers and visual predators.

Sediment

______________________ are chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system of animals and can lead to birth defects, gender imbalances, and developmental disorders.

Endocrine disruptors

_________________ are areas where water covers the soil, either part or all of the time including marshes, swamps, and saturated land.

Wetlands

________________________ is caused by excess nutrients in a body of water from agricultural runoff and wastewater release.

Eutrophication

_______________________ occurs when heat released into water negatively impacts aquatic organisms.

Thermal pollution

Warm water contains less ______________________ than cold water.

Dissolved oxygen

_____________________________________ are hazardous chemical compounds that are resistant to biodegradation remaining in the environment for a long time.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

______________________ is the selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds by cells in a living organism.

Bioaccumulation

___________________ is the increase in concentration of substances per unit of body tissue that occurs in selectively higher trophic levels of a food chain or food web.

Biomagnification

_________________ is any discarded material that is not a liquid or gas and in developed countries is most often disposed of in landfills.

Solid waste

Landfills contaminate ______________ and release harmful gasses.

Groundwater

___________________ is the process of organic matter decomposing and yielding fertilizer.

Composting

_________________ sewage treatment is the physical removal of large objects.

Primary

______________________ sewage treatment is a biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and sludge.

Secondary

_______________ sewage treatment is the use of ecological or chemical processes to remove pollutants left in the water.

Tertiary

Prior to discharge, treated sewage water is exposed to one or more ________________ to kill bacteria.

Disinfectants

_________________ is the dose of a chemical that is lethal to 50% of the population of a particular species.

LD50

A ______________________ describes the effect on an organism or mortality rate in a population based on the dose of a particular toxin or drug.

Dose response curve

_____________________ is an infection of the intestines caused by untreated sewage in streams and rivers.

Dysentery

____________________________ is a type of cancer caused mainly by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

____________________ are organisms that cause disease and include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

Pathogens

________ combustion releases air pollutants including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, toxic metals, and particulates.

Coal

_______________________ lead to the production of ozone, photochemical smog, and convert to nitric acid causing acid rain.

Nitrogen oxides

__________________________ react with one another and with air to form ____________________________.

Primary pollutants, secondary pollutants

___________________________ is formed when nitrogen oxides and VOC hydrocarbons react with heat and sunlight to produce a variety of pollutants.

Photochemical smog

______________ concentrations peak in the afternoon and are higher in the summer because it is produced by chemical reactions between oxygen and sunlight.

Ozone

_________________________ traps pollution close to the ground, especially smog and particulates.

Thermal inversion

____________________________ is an indoor air pollutant that leads to asphyxiation.

Carbon monoxide

Catalytic converters, wet and dry scrubbers, and electrostatic precipitators work to reduce ____________________.

Air pollution

Nitric oxides that cause _________________________ come from cars and coal-burning power plants.

Acid deposition

__________________________ is sound at levels high enough to cause physiological stress and hearing loss.

Noise pollution

____________________ energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount.

Nonrenewable

_____________________ energy sources are those that can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption, and reused.

Renewable

As the world becomes more industrialized, the demand for energy ____________.

Increases

__________ is partially decomposed organic material that can be burned for fuel.

Peat

____________, ____________, and depth of burial contribute to the development of various coal types.

Heat, pressure

________________ coal is considered the highest-grade coal with very little water present.

Anthracite

___________________, the cleanest of the fossil fuels, is mostly methane.

Natural gas

________________ is a liquid fossil fuel source located underground, extracted through drilling.

Crude oil

_________________ occurs when a fuel source is used to generate both heat and electricity.

Cogeneration

The ________________ of fossil fuels is a chemical reaction between the fuel and oxygen that yields carbon dioxide and water and releases energy.

Combustion

Energy from fossil fuels is produced by burning those fuels to generate heat, which then turns water into steam that turns a _____________, generating electricity.

Turbine

__________________________ can cause groundwater contamination and the release of VOCs.

Hydrologic fracking

Nuclear power is generated through fission, where atoms of _______________ are split, releasing heat that generates steam, which powers a turbine and generates electricity.

Uranium-235

____________________ does not produce air pollutants but does release thermal pollution and hazardous solid waste.

Nuclear power

Burning ____________ for heat leads to deforestation and the release of air pollutants.

Biomass

_____________ can be used as a substitute for gasoline.

Ethanol

_______________________ cells capture light energy from the sun and transform it directly into electrical energy.

Photovoltaic solar

____________ solar energy systems can store heat in a liquid while passive solar energy systems cannot store heat.

Active

______________________ is the world's leading renewable energy source used to produce electricity.

Hydroelectric power

______________________ use hydrogen as fuel, combining with the hydrogen and oxygen in the air to form water and release energy.

Hydrogen fuel cells

The _____________________ suggests that individuals will use shared resources in their own self-interest rather than in keeping with the common good, thereby depleting the resource.

Tragedy of the Commons

__________________ is the most efficient way to harvest trees but leads to increased soil erosion runoff, pollution, and a loss of biodiversity.

Clear cutting

________________ burn only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor while ___________ are extremely hot and burn whole trees.

Surface fires, crown fires

The _________________________ served to increase food production by increasing mechanization, GMOs, fertilization, irrigation, and the use of pesticides.

Green Revolution

_____________ is an agricultural practice that mixes organic matter into the soil but increases erosion.

Tilling

The use of _______________ increases pollutants in runoff and uses fossil fuels in their production.

Fertilizers

_________________________ agriculture involves deforestation to be able to farm land and then moving on to new land when that soil has been exhausted.

Slash and burn

____________________ is the cultivation of a single crop, usually in a large area.

Monoculture

The largest human use of freshwater is for _______________ (70%).

Irrigation

____________________ is a more costly and efficient method of irrigation while ____________________ covers an entire field with water and can lead to waterlogging.

Drip irrigation, flood irrigation

_____________________ occurs when too much water is left to sit in the soil, raising the water table, and inhibits the plants' ability to absorb oxygen through their roots.

Waterlogging

______________________ involves cutting furrows between crop rows and filling with water.

Furrow irrigation

______________________ occurs when the salts in groundwater remain in the soil after water evaporates.

Salinization

______________________ can be severely depleted if overused for agricultural irrigation.

Aquifers

Pests can easily become _____________ to pesticides due to a short generation time which leads farmers to spray more pesticides at a higher dose.

Resistant

A _____________________ occurs when farmers must continue to spray pesticides as part of the agricultural cycle.

Pesticide treadmill

Crops can be genetically engineered to increase resistance to pests and diseases which leads to a loss of _____________________.

Genetic diversity

Meat production has increased as more countries are becoming _____________________.

Industrialized

Most meat comes from animals that are raised in densely packed _______________ which leads to large amounts of waste that can contaminate ground and surface water.

Feedlots

_________________ grazing allows animals to graze on grass during their entire life cycle, uses fewer antibiotics and chemicals, and waste can be used as a fertilizer.

Free range

__________________ occurs when too many animals feed on a particular area of land and can cause a loss of vegetation leading to soil erosion and desertification.

Overgrazing