Uconn Environmental Science Unit 16-20

Primary way to get rid of garbage

 Reduce, reuse and recycle. Composting: Creation of organic matter by decomposition under controlled conditions to produce organic rich material. Sanitary landfills: engineered ground facilities designed to hold MSW with little contamination of the environment. Contain a clay or plastic lining on the bottom.

MSW

Municipal solid waste is refused collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, schools, hospitals and town buildings. Developing countries have become responsible for a greater portion of the global MSW due to a growing population and the production of various goods. 

Issue with e waste in landfills

the release of toxic heavy metals (like lead, mercury, cadmium) and hazardous chemicals (like flame retardants) that leach into soil and groundwater, contaminating ecosystems and harming human health through polluted water and food chains

Closed loop and open loop recycling

Closed loop recycling is when you recycle a product into the same product, such as metals, aluminum, and glass. Open loop recycling is when you recycle one product into a different product such as plastic into fiber.

Source reduction

seeks to cut waste by reducing the use of potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacturing 

Aerobic vs anaerobic decomposition in a landfill

aerobic decomposition (with oxygen) happens initially and quickly, producing mostly CO2, water, and heat, resembling composting; while anaerobic decomposition (no oxygen) takes over as waste compacts, slowing down significantly and producing methane CH4 and CO2 (landfill gas), a potent greenhouse gas, requiring management for energy capture or release

Leachate and issues with them

Leachate can contaminate waterways and release methane and carbon dioxide. 

Best soil for sanitary landfills

Should be located in loam or clay loam soil and away from water. 

Waste to energy system

Some of the heat energy can be used in a process known as waste to energy system. 

Incineration issues

Burning can release metals and toxins. Charge expensive tipping fees. Need large quantities of MSW to burn efficiently and be profitable. Some communities don't promote recycling. 

Brownfield

contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded. 

Life cycle analysis / cradle to grave

Examines the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product. From the procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use and disposal. Should help a community determine which is a more or less desirable incineration or a landfill. Difficult to determine environmental impact of specific materials. Helpful in assessing economics and energy use.

Different risk factors that people are exposed to in developed vs developing countries (diseases)-

Low income countries have poverty, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and malnutrition. High income countries: availability of tobacco, less active lifestyle, poor nutrition, and overeating.

Drug resistance or super bugs

a microbe (usually bacteria, but also fungi or viruses) that has evolved to resist multiple treatments, making infections difficult or impossible to cure with standard drugs

Emergent infectious disease-

An infectious disease that has not been previously described or has not been common for at least 20 years. Many come from pathogens that infect animal hosts. Can mutate rapidly. 

West Nile

Lives in hundreds of species of birds. Can be transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. First human case in West Nile Region of Uganda in 1937.

Epidemic vs Pandemic-

Epidemic is a situation in which a pathogen causes a rapid increase in disease. Pandemic is an epidemic that occurs over a large geographic region.

Carcinogen

Chemicals that cause cancer. Mutagens are carcinogens that cause damage.

Neurotoxin

Chemicals that disrupt the nervous system. EX: insecticides, lead and mercury. 

Teratogen

Chemicals that interfere with the normal development of embryos of fetuses EX: alcohol.

Endocrine disruptors-

Chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones. Binds to receptive cells and causes the cells to behave in ways not beneficial to the organism. EX: hormones found in waste water. 

ED50

 is used to determine the effective dose that causes 50% of the individuals in a dose - display a harmful effect 

Acute vs chronic (study, disease)

Acute diseases rapidly impairs the functioning of the organisms. Ex: flu Chronic diseases slowly impairs the functioning of the organism. 

Persistence of a chemical refers to

the length of time a chemical remains in the environment. Depends on ph, whether in soil or water, degraded by sunlight or microbes. Measured by half life. 

Bioaccumulation vs biomagnification

Bioaccumulation is from chemicals that can be stored in fats and oils. An increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time. EX: DDT Biomagnification is when an increase in chemical concentrations in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain.

Risk management and example-

Third step in risk analysis uses the data on risk assessment and analysis on acceptable levels of risk with other factors. Factors include economic, social, ethical and political. Done by governments. EX: arsenic regulation.

Natural and manmade ways to lose biodiversity-

Habitat loss due to human development. Habitat alteration, Deforestation, loss of wetlands, coral reefs, reduction in habitat. Natural ways include disasters, disease outbreaks, geological changes, climate variability. 

Intrinsic value of an ecosystem

Ecosystems are valuable independent of any benefit to humans. 

Different types of services the environment can give you

Provisions: a good that humans can use directly. Lumber, crops, fur. 800 natural chemicals to help human health. Regulating services: natural ecosystems. Rainforests and oceans help to take in carbon dioxide. Regulate biogeochemical cycles. Support systems: natural ecosystems, pollination of food crops. Bees, hummingbirds, and bats. Natural pest control. Filter pathogens and chemicals from water. 

Factors that could increase or decrease genetic diversity

Low genetic diversity are not well suited for environmental change. Higher genetic diversity allows for a wider range of genotypes and reduces harmful mutations. Some factors that decrease diversity include inbreeding, genetic drift, restricted gene flow, and small population size. To increase diversity with mutation, gene flow (migration), sexual reproduction (recombination), natural selection (favoring diverse traits), and outbreeding.

Edge effect impacts

Occurs where 2 different communities come together, typically

forming an abrupt transition, such as where a grassy field meets a forest.

Overharvesting impacts/reasoning

When individuals are removed at a rate faster than

the population can be replaced. Ex. Dodo Bird, bison, passenger pigeons

Ocean acidification-

The ongoing decrease in the pH of the ocean, making it more acidic, as it absorbs excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, primarily from human activities like burning fossil fuels, which disrupts marine chemistry and makes it harder for shell-building organisms like corals, oysters, and clams to survive.

Theory of island biogeography

Number of species on an island consider size, shape, connectedness of protected areas. Use the theory of island biogeography for protected areas. Incorporate conservation while sustainable habitat use. Using metapopulations to design protected areas.

Greenhouse effect

the absorption of infrared radiation by atmosphere gases and re-radiation of the energy back towards the Earth. Greenhouse gases. Reflection vs. absorption. Inputs of energy = outputs of energy. Inputs can change in the short term.

Connection between greenhouse gases and global warming-

Water vapor is the most common. Tropospheric ozone, CFCs, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide. Greenhouse warming potential estimates how much of a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years relative to 

Sources of greenhouse gases (doc)

Volcanic eruptions and decomposition are a source of carbon dioxide. Wetlands and digestion are a source of methane. Denitrification and agriculture are a source of nitrous oxide. Nitrogen oxides and vocs/vehicle emissions are a source of ozone. Combustion of fossil fuels and evaporation are an example of water vapor. 

CFCs and impact on the environment-

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) severely damage the environment by destroying the stratospheric ozone layer, allowing harmful UV radiation to reach Earth, and by acting as potent greenhouse gases, trapping heat and contributing to global warming.

Global dimming

the gradual decrease of sunlight reaching Earth's surface, primarily caused by human-made atmospheric aerosols (pollution) from activities like burning fossil fuels

Information ice cores can give us (isotopes)

heavier isotopes means warmer temps, more light isotopes signify colder periods. and atmospheric composition (air bubbles) for greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane, allowing reconstruction of ancient temperatures, ice ages, and climate dynamics over hundreds of thousands of years.

Albedo effect what could increase or decrease-

The albedo effect, Earth's reflectivity, increases with lighter surfaces like snow/ice/clouds, causing cooling by reflecting sunlight, and decreases with darker surfaces like oceans/forests/asphalt/soot, causing warming by absorbing more solar energy, creating a positive feedback loop where warming melts ice, reducing albedo further.

Kuznets curve-

As per capita income in a county increases, environmental degradation first increases then decreases. 

Different types of capital-

The natural capital refers to the resources of the planet, such as air, water, and minerals. Human capital refers to human knowledge and abilities. Manufactured capital refers to all the goods and infrastructure that humans produce.

Supply and demand-

Factors that influence supply include input prices, technology, expectations of future prices and number of people selling the product. Factors that influence demand include income, prices of related goods, tastes, expectations, number of people who want the goods. 

Leapfrogging-

Leapfrogging is when less developed countries use new technology without first using the precursor technology.

Valuation-

Valuation is the practice of assigning monetary value to intangible benefits and natural capital. This helps protect the national capital because it is an incentive for people to keep Earth's resources healthy.

GPI vs GDP-

Gross domestic product is the value of all products and services produced in a year in a given country. Genuine progress indicator is a measure of economic status that includes personal consumption, income, education, resource depletion, pollution and health of the population.

World views-

Anthropocentric view focuses on human welfare and well being, nature is there to meet our needs. Stewardship within this view supports the careful and responsible management and care for Earth and its resources. Biocentric view is life centered and holds that humans are just one of many species on earth, all of which have equal intrinsic value. Ecosystems have instrumental value. Ecocentric view is earth centered and places equal value on all living organisms and ecosystems in which they live. 

HDI-

Human development index looks at three basic measures of human status. Life expectancy, knowledge and education, and standard of living. In developing countries this is low, and in developed countries this is high. 

Precautionary principle-

When the results of an action are uncertain, it is better to choose an alternative known to be harmless. EX: Montreal Protocol

Different types of approaches-

Command and control approach is when regulations and enforcement mechanisms for pollution control. Incentive based approach is financial and other incentives for lowering emissions based on profits and benefits. Green tax is put on environmentally harmful activities or emissions. Triple bottom line considers economic, environmental, and social factors. 

Planned obsolescence

the process of designing a product so that it will need to be replaced within a few years. 

Integrated waste management-

An approach to waste disposal that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies in order to reduce the environmental impact of MSW. This includes recycling, landfills, source reduction, composting, and incineration. 

Quantitative vs Qualitative-

Risk analysis tries to identify a potential hazard and determine the magnitude of a potential harm. Environmental hazards include pollutants, chemical contaminants, combustion of fossil fuels and catastrophes. Qualitative is making judgements on perceptions not data. Quantitative risk assessment is the risk of a rare event that has a high likelihood of causing harm can be equal to the risk of a common event that has a low likelihood of causing harm. Database studies. 

Inbreeding depression-

the reduced survival and fertility of offspring of related individuals. reduces biological fitness. 

Examples of environmental injustice-

disproportionate exposure of poor and minority communities to hazardous waste sites, lead paint, air pollution, substandard housing, dangerous jobs, and polluting industries.