Unit 10 Blog

Energy!

I can't repeat it enough, this unit is SUPER important!  You need to be familiar with not only the content but also the math supporting the concepts!  Take your time and make sure your answers are thorough and thoughtful!  Below are some suggested vocabulary words and important units to be familiar with.  I have provided you with plenty of practice math in Schoology, don't forget to work through it! 

Suggested Vocabulary

Nonrenewable

Renewable

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear Fuels

Capacity

Efficiency

Cogeneration

Electrical Grid

Oil Sands

Bitumen

CTL

Fission

Fusion

Half-Life

Nondepletable

Peak Demand

Modern Carbon

Fossil Carbon

Carbon Neutral

"off-the-grid"

Fuel Cell

Electrolysis

Important Units

BTUs

Watt

kW

MW

kWh

ppm

ppb

mpg

Joule

MJ

GJ

EJ

Discussion Questions

Primary Source Ranking  

Rank the top 9 primary sources of energy using the following parameters (each parameter is a different list).  Your energy sources are: Wind, Coal, Hydroelectric, Biomass, Natural Gas, Solar, Geothermal, Oil, and Nuclear

List #1: Rank the sources in order of MOST environmentally friendly to LEAST environmentally friendly based on what you have learned in class.  Next to each source, give an example of the type of pollution produced by that source.

List #2: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source in the US.

List #3: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source WORLDWIDE.

List #4: Rank the sources based on the MOST amount of useful energy generated versus LEAST amount of useful energy generated by the source. 

Biofuels VS Fossil Fuels
Although the product of the combustion of each of these energy sources is carbon dioxide, which is considered to be a green house gas, biofuels are being sold as an alternative to fossil fuels.  If they both release the same "pollutant" how can one be better than the other??  Compare and contrast these two energy sources in terms of their availability and environmental impact, give examples of each, and explain the difference between the carbon dioxide released by fossil fuels and biofuels in terms of their impact on the carbon cycle.   

Nuclear Disasters
Chernobyl was the first major Nuclear disaster in the world, the effects of which can still be seen almost 30 years later.  Take a minute to watch the 60 minutes clip provided (about 10 minutes) 60 Minutes- Chernobyl.  Discuss the environmental, economic and human health impact (specifically the effect of ionizing radiation) of this disaster.  Give another example of a similar nuclear disaster at a different location.  Give an example of how nuclear waste is currently being disposed of, note the characteristics that make the location of the sites ideal.

ANWR
Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge has been a hot topic of debate for 1977.  Recently in the news because Obama proposed new wilderness protections that would further inhibit the prospect of drilling (Washington Post ANWR Article).    Take a minute to watch this 5 minute National Geographic clip provided National Geographic- ANWR. What type of biome is this classified as and why is it considered to be fragile and susceptible to damage?  Discuss the environmental and economic impacts of drilling in this area.  Make an argument for and against doing so.  

Reducing Consumption
The need for energy will never go away, our supply for most of our energy sources will eventually run out, so our options are to lower the amount of energy we require and look for alternative sources of energy if we would like to continue to consume it!  Give at least two suggestions for how we can reduce overall consumption of the oil needed for transportation and the fuels needed to provide electricity.

BIG Picture Discussion
This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 12 and 13), from the notes in class, the clips we watched and from your Switch Energy Project  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth. 

Your blog is due Thursday April 2nd by midnight.  Happy Blogging!!!

Unit 9 Blog

Unit 9- Waste Management

Hey guys!  Happy spring break!   Since this is a relative short unit, this will be a relatively short blog!  I will begin with suggested vocabulary, pollutants and a new section, diseases!   Like before, you only have to include them in your blog if you want to, but you are responsible for knowing them... especially the pollutants and diseases! 

The second section is your discussion section.  Please respond thoughtfully and thoroughly!

Suggested Vocabulary:

MSW

E-Waste

Closed-loop recycling

Open-loop recycling

Compost

leachate

Sanitary Landfill

Environmental justice

Incineration

Waste-to-energy

Hazardous Waste

Superfund

Brownfield

IWM

Epidemic 

Pandemic

Synergistic Interactions

Biomagnification

Persistence

Pollutants- you should know the health effects and common examples of each and where they can be found

Neurotoxins

Carcinogens

Teratogens

Allergens

Endocrine Disruptors

Diseases- you should be able to differentiate between historical and emergent diseases, explain what causes them/how they are spread, basic symptoms and how they are treated.  WHO website

Plague

Malaria

Tuberculosis

Cholera

HIV/AIDS

Ebola

Mad Cow Disease

Bird Flu

West Nile Virus

SARS

Discussion

Landfill Discussion

Now that we have seen a landfill in person (you did if you went on the field trip), discuss at least 3 types of materials that should not be placed in a landfill and explain the potential environmental and public health consequences of disposing of such things in a landfill.  Outline two methods for reducing the amount of these substances that enter MSW input.  

Recycling Discussion

Three common examples of items that can be recycled are paper, aluminum, and plastics.  Discuss at least one environmental and economic benefit and cost of recycling each of these items.  If your city only had the funding to set up a recycling center for one of these materials, which would you choose and why?  Finally, how would you persuade the members of your community that recycling is ultimately good for the community?

Superfund/Brownfields Discussion

We watched a news clip about the industrial waste buried under the Love Canal near Niagara Falls.  This area was a Superfund site but has been deemed safe enough for people to now live there and has since been redeveloped.  Explain the difference between a Superfund site and a Brownfield and give another example of each in the US.  There are two primary ways for turning these sites back into usable land by either removing the contaminated soil or by planting vegetation that would decontaminate the soil.  Explain two potential problems with each of these methods of reclamation. Reclaiming these sites is a debatable hot topic these days.  Explain one societal and one environmental for reclaiming and using the land.

BIG Picture Discussion

This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 16 and 17), from the notes in class, the clips we watched and from your reading and research.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth.      

Your blog is due Monday March 16th by midnight!