SCI 1102 Exam 3

What does LEED stand for?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

What is Green Spaces?

An environmental nonprofit that focuses on the built environment and furthering regional sustainability through programs, education, and advocacy

Describe the production of the solar array system from the video.

56 Kw system;provides enough electricity to power 6-7 homes or offsets the consumption of 120 barrels of oil

Real lasting change is not in the buildings, however, it's in what?

Behaviors; the way we live and work through education and advocacy

How was the city of Chattanooga described in 1969 by the EPA?

The dirtiest city in the United States after identifying high levels of ozone, particulates, and other toxic substances in the local air

How was Chattanooga recognized in 2014?

One of the top 15 Americans cities for air quality improvement

What is one of the main ways Chattanooga combated air pollution?

Free, all-electric shuttle buses in the downtown area, bike-sharing system, soon to open an electric car-sharing system, and decommissioned all but 5 of its coal plants

Describe some of the things the Living Light Solar House did.

A self-sustaining home that uses passive building techniques and automatic controls to produce energy needs. As the sun rises, shades are raised to let daylight in, as night falls, lights within the windows turn on and brighten to provide ambient light

How does the bicycle transit system work in Chattanooga?

Locate a bike at one of the 42 stations and determine the availability using the app. You may use the bike for 60 mins with your membership. Any use after 60 mins are extra fees. Dock the bike at any station and wait for the green lock light to turn on.

Can you purchase an annual pass?

Yes, for $50. $15 for a 3 day pass, and $5 for a one day pass

Describe the EPB community solar project.

A community-based solar program that offers an easy option for current participants to support renewable energy through solar power.

Why is the EPB community solar project a good idea for residents?

It's an affordable way to participate in green power generation and you can share the cost with other participants. It's flexible too, starting at just $5 per month

How could EPB solar be cost-effective for residents?

In the long term, the financial benefit of solar is that it locks in your energy cost at todays rate. As the cost of conventional electric rates goes up, your solar share bill credits become more valuable

What is the immediate benefit of using the community solar share?

You are investing in a brighter future by supporting community based power generation and you don't have to own your home in order to participate

What are some of the benefits of the Creative Discovery Museum Green Roof project?

Reduction of indoor sound and extension of existing roof life, reduces cooling expenses during summer and limits storm runoff by 90%

How did they set up Finley Stadium?

As a canopy structure over the parking lot of the south side of the stadium in order to generate electricity

How do they use rainwater at Majestic Theatre?

Rain water is used to flush toilets and water landscaping

What is the goal of NextGen homes?

Net-zero energy residential construction in the Northshore neighborhood

The shift from rural to urban living is called

urbanization

Residential/commercial communities that ring larger cities are called

suburbs

The spread of low-density urban or suburban development outward from an urban center is called

sprawl

Designing neighborhoods on a walkable scale is called

new urbanism

The practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use is called

zoning

Broad land-use strategy that encompasses several cities and adjoining nonurban areas is called

regional planning

Commuter towns, generally populated by affluent individuals, lying some distance from a central city are called

exurbs

What is the major factor driving the move to the suburbs from cities?

desire to live in less crowded, more peaceful conditions

The greatest general problem with suburbs is ________.

that they spread environmental impact over a larger area

The world's urban populations are ________.

growing at a faster rate than the global population as a whole

In developing nations such as India and Nigeria, ________.

rural people are moving to the cities in large numbers

American cities in the northern United States, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit, ________.

grew very rapidly in the 19th and early 20th centuries

Air travel, the Internet, cheap fossil fuels, and television all have allowed people to ________.

remain connected while living in less centralized locations

Historically, large cities have tended to develop ________.

along trade routes

Any consideration of the true costs of sprawl must include ________.

the increased use of fossil fuels

This figure shows the population of Portland, Oregon, from 1850 to 2015. What is the explanation for the population trend from 1950 to 1980?

the exodus of residents to the suburbs

Urban sprawl typically results in ________.

increased commuting distances

Curitiba, Brazil, has shown us that ________.

a walkable city center and expanded bus system can solve a large city's traffic congestion

A city undergoing gentrification is experiencing ________.

the loss of working-class people from traditional neighborhoods as housing prices become too expensive

Mass-transit systems include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

taxicabs

New urbanism seeks to ________.

develop walkable neighborhoods, with homes and businesses close together

Which of the following is a method that governments use to improve urban transportation?

Designate lanes as carpool-only.

Greenways ________.

are links that provide pathways for wildlife to travel between parks and preserves

Which of the following approaches would earn points toward LEED certification?

recycling all construction wastes

A resource sink is ________.

an area that produces almost none of the things that it needs

People who live entirely within an urban environment ________.

may become disconnected from nature and from the true costs of their needs and activities

From where does New York City get its drinking water?

reservoirs far to the northwest of the city

LEED-certified buildings could be described in all of the following ways, EXCEPT ________.

their construction usually costs less than for conventional buildings

The urban heat island effect is caused by ________.

heat-generating buildings and dark, heat-absorbing surfaces

This figure shows the chloride concentration in Baltimore-area streams. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data shown?

Urban areas are more impervious than rural areas.

In the study of urban ecology in Baltimore and Phoenix, how do the two cities differ in their citizens' exposure to toxic chemicals?

In Phoenix, ethnic minorities are more likely to be exposed to such hazards, whereas in Baltimore, those living in working-class white neighborhoods are more likely to be exposed.

Oregon's strong policy of enforcing UGBs (urban growth boundaries) to create livable cities has been exemplary for many years, but between 2004 and 2007, voters ________.

passed a bill giving property owners some exceptions from UGB rules

In 2010, the Portland area's Metropolitan Service District (Metro) made a historic agreement between landowners and citizens that ________.

included a regional plan to identify exactly where urban growth would be allowed over the next 50 years

What species in Alaska has become vulnerable that the local people depend on?

Caribou

What do the elders see?

Quick changes in temperature and are worried that the caribou won't have enough time to adapt and will perish. Without them, the local people will also decline.

Why are the caribou grazing on the rocky hillside rather than the lush pastures?

They run to the hills to find a strong enough breeze to keep mosquitoes

Why are the mosquitoes becoming worse?

Warmer days mean a longer insect breeding season, meaning more mosquito herds

Why is more rain in the winter months a bad thing?

Caribou survive off of lichen that is buried in the snow. The more precipitation, the deeper they have to dig. Deeper snow means harder to avoid predators. When it rains, the rain forms a crust on the snow and when the caribou walks on the crust, it cuts their legs. When it rains, and it gets beneath the snow and freezes, to can become an impenetrable layer between the caribou and their food

How much of the earth’s water is in the Pacific Ocean?

50%

What is the most basic and important food source in the Pacific?

Zooplankton

How does the population of zooplankton compare to the 1950’s?

They were down to 20% of what they were.

What two things combined are threatening zooplankton from rebounding?

rearrangement of warm and cold water disrupts food supply.

What do studies show about temperature tolerance of intertidal animals?

They are nearing their limit

How much of a temperature difference can the crabs take if the waters warm up?

About 2 degrees higher than what they experience in the wild

In Trinidad there is a rise of two diseases. What is the first disease being faced especially by young children?

Asthma

What is the second disease and in what species?

Sea fan disease in coral

What is causing these two very separate diseases?

Dust from the Sahara desert

Why is Lake Chad in Nigeria disappearing?

Drought

What in particular is causing the sea fan disease in coral?

pathogenic soil disease carried by the dust in the air

Dust has always been blown through the air. What is causing it to become worse?

North Atlantic oscillation. Changes temp and precipitation patterns

How is the Indian Ocean connected to this problem?

It is warming particularly quickly, producing more rainfall and heat in the atmosphere to affect the North Atlantic oscillation

All of the following are anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change EXCEPT ________.

breathing

Recent research indicates that the variation in solar output ________.

is less than any of the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change

The best fit between observed and model data is shown by the model that ________.

incorporates both natural and anthropogenic factors

The predominant greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels is called _______.

carbon dioxide

What is produced by microbes decomposing matter in landfills and swamps?

methane

The by-product of feedlots, chemical manufacturing, and fertilizer use is called _______.

nitrous oxide

The most abundant greenhouse gas is __________.

water vapor

The compound that contributes to short-term atmospheric cooling is ___________.

sulfate aerosol

The stratospheric greenhouse gas that absorbs the sun's incoming ultraviolet radiation is ___________.

ozone

Global warming has been greatest in this area of the planet …

Arctic

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international panel that ________.

reports on how climate change influences wildlife, ecosystems, and society

Which of the following may result in a positive feedback mechanism that would intensify climate change?

Warmer temperatures result in the melting of permafrost.

Which of the following states is expected to experience the greatest increase in temperature by the year 2100?

Alaska

The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________.

electricity generation

Which of the following technologies is currently allowing us to decrease carbon emissions from automobiles?

electric cars

Scientists are beginning to agree that one of the reasons climate change is leading to more extreme weather events stems from polar warming and weakened ________.

jet streams

Which of the following is a mitigation approach to climate change?

replanting forests

The major energy source for electricity in the United States is ________.

fossil fuels

The major renewable energy source for electricity in the United States is ________.

wind

Most of the homes in Iceland are heated using this energy source--

geothermal

What is an inexhaustible, nonpolluting, decentralized energy source?

solar

A form of kinetic energy that can be harnessed with turbine is _______.

wind

A form of biofuel is _______.

cellulosic ethanol

A method of converting sunlight to electrical energy is __________.

photovoltic cells

Alternative energy sources that are often called "new renewables" include ________.

solar, wind, and geothermal

Which new renewable energy source experienced the most rapid rate of growth from 2010 to 2015, mostly due to Germany and China's production?

photovoltaic (PV) solar

The primary motivation to develop new renewable energy sources comes from ________.

concerns over diminishing fossil fuel supplies and the negative environmental impacts of fossil fuel use

According to the model depicted in this figure, in approximately what year are fossil fuels and nuclear power first expected to provide less than half of the energy consumed in the United States?

2025

The largest problem with adopting the new technologies of renewable resources is that ________.

the startup costs may be high

Which of the following methods is considered a type of passive solar energy collection?

using heat-absorbing construction materials

Solar represents a minuscule portion of U.S. energy production because of ________.

costs and lack of investment