Biology 104 Test 4

chemicals released directly into the air in a harmful form

• chemicals modified to a hazardous form after entering the
• air or that are formed by chemical reactions as components of the air mix and interact

substances that enter the air without going through a smokestack, such as dust from soil erosion, strip mining, rock crushing, construction, and building demolition

the air immediately around us

the seven major pollutants (sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulates, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, photochemical oxidants, and lead) identified and regulated by the U.S. Clean Air Act

a colorless, corrosive gas directly damaging to both plants and animals

highly reactive gases formed when nitrogen in fuel or combustion air is heated to over 650º C (1,200º F) in the presence of oxygen or when bacteria in soil or water oxidize nitrogen-containing compounds

colorless, odorless, nonirritating but highly toxic gas produced incomplete combustion of fuel, incineration of biomass or solid waste, or particularly anaerobic decomposition of organic material

minute particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air

atmospheric aerosols, such as dust, ash, soot lint, smoke, pollen, spores, algal cells, and other suspended materials; originally applied only to solid particles but now extended to droplets of liquid

organic chemicals that evaporate readily and exist as gases in the air

products of secondary atmospheric reactions

especially dangerous air pollutants including carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens, teratogens, endocrine system disrupters and other highly toxic compounds

a program created by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1984 that requires manufacturing facilities and waste handling and disposal sites to report annually on releases of more than 300 toxic materials

changes in environmental quality that offend our aesthetic senses

a stable layer of warm air overlays cooler air, trapping pollutants near ground level

chemical compounds with a carbon skeleton and one or more attached chlorine and fluorine atoms. Commonly used as refrigerants, solvents, fire retardants, and blowing agents

the ozone (O3), occurring in the stratosphere 10 to 50 km above the earth’s surface

a persistent inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles (large and small airways in the lungs)

irreversible damage to the linings of the lungs caused by irritants

when an injury caused by exposure to two environmental factors together is greater than the sum of exposure to each factor individually

acidic rain, snow, dry particles deposited from the air due to increased acids released by anthropogenic or natural resources

the application of force through a distance; requires energy input

a unit of energy. One joule is the energy expended in 1 second by a current of 1 amp flowing through a resistance of 1 ohm

the capacity to do work (that is, to change the physical state of motion of the crop)

the rate of energy delivery; measured in horsepower or watts

the force exerted by 1 joule, or the equivalent of a current of 1 amp per second flowing through a resistance of 1 ohm

petroleum, natural gas, and coal created by geological forces from organic wastes and dead bodies of formally living biological organisms

inflammation and fibrosis-caused by accumulation of coal dust in the lungs or airways

storing carbon (usually in the form of CO2) in geological formations or at the bottom of the ocean

sand deposits containing petroleum or tar

a fine-grained sedimentary rock rich in solid organic material called kerogen. When heated, the kerogen liquefies to produce a fluid petroleum fuel

a bundle of hollow metal rods containing uranium oxide pellets; used to fuel a nuclear reactor

the radioactive decay process in which isotopes split apart to create two smaller atoms

a self-sustaining reaction in which fission of nuclei produces subatomic particles that cause the fission of other nuclei

neutron-absorbing material inserted into spaces between fuel assemblies in nuclear reactors to regulate fission reaction

a nuclear reactor that produces fuel by bombarding isotopes of uranium and thorium with high-energy neutrons that convert inert atoms to fissionable ones

a nuclear reactor that produces fuel by bombarding isotopes of uranium and thorium with high-energy neutrons that convert inert atoms to fissionable ones

holding wastes in underground mines or secure surface facilities such as dry casks where they can be watched and repackaged, if necessary

a process in which two smaller atomic nuclei fuse into one larger nucleus and release energy; the source of power in a hydrogen bomb

a measure of energy produced compared to energy consumed

a small gasoline engine that generates electricity that has stored in batteries and powers electric motors that drive vehicle wheels

vehicles with hybrid gasoline-electric engines adapted with a larger battery array (enough to propel the vehicle for 50 km or so on the batteries alone) and a plug-in to recharge the batteries from a standard electric outlet

the simultaneous production of electricity and steam or hot water in the same plant

the use of natural materials or absorptive structures without moving parts to gather and hold heat; the simplest and oldest use of solar energy

a mechanical system that actively collects, concentrates, and stores solar energy

setting prices to encourage conservation or renewable energy. Plans that invite customers to pay a premium for energy from renewable sources

an energy-conversion device that captures solar energy and directly converts it to electrical current

photovoltaic cells that collect solar energy and convert it to electricity using noncrystalline (randomly arranged) thin films of silicon

mechanical devices that use hydrogen or hydrogen-containing fuel such as methane to produce an electric current. Fuel cells are clean, quiet, and highly efficient sources of electricity

a device that strips hydrogen from fuels such natural gas, methanol, ammonia, gasoline, or vegetable oil so they can be used in a fuel cell

fuels such as ethanol, methanol, or vegetable oils from crops

small-scale hydro technology that can extract energy from small headwater dams; causes much less ecological damage

ordinary river flow not accelerated by dams, flumes, etc. Some small, modern, efficiency turbines can generate useful power with run-of-the-river flow or with a current of only a few kilometers per hour

small power generators that can be used in low-level rivers to provide economical power for 4 to 6 homes, freeing them from dispense on large utilities and foreign energy supplies

energy drawn from the internal heat of the earth, either through geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, or other natural geothermal features, or through deep wells that pump heated groundwater

energy derived from temperature differentials between warm ocean surface waters and cold deep waters. This differential can be used to drive turbines attached to electrical generators

an aggregation of many cities into a large metropolitan area

an area in which most residents depend on agriculture or the harvesting of natural resources for their livelihood

an area in which a majority of the people are not directly dependent on natural resource-based occupations

a collection of rural households linked by culture, custom, and association with the land

a differentiated community with a sufficient population and resource base to allow residents to specialize in arts, crafts, services, and professional occupations

also known as megalopolis or supercity; megalopolis indicated an urban area with more than 10 million inhabitants

the primary industrial region of a country; usually located around the capital or largest port; has both the greatest population density and the greatest economic activity of the country

(in urbanization) conditions that force people out of the country into the city

(in urbanization) conditions that draw people from the country into the city

settlements created when people move onto undeveloped lands and build their own shelter with cheap or discarded materials; some are simply illegal subdivisions where a landowner rents land without city approval; others are land invasions

shantytowns that occupy land without owner’s permission; some are highly organized movements in defiance of authorities; others grow gradually

efficient use of land resources and existing urban infrastructures

a new town with special emphasis on landscaping and rural ambience

experimental urban environments that seek to combine the best features of the rural village and the modern city

housing projects built on previously undeveloped farmlands or forests on the outskirts of large cities

building on abandoned or reclaimed polluted industrial sites

consideration of landscape history, human culture, topography, and ecological values in subdivision design. Using cluster housing, zoning, covenants, and other design features, at least half of a subdivision can be preserved as open space, farmland, or natural areas

the steady flow of varied wastes, from domestic garbage and yard wastes to industrial, commercial, and construction refuse

a huge expanse of the Pacific Ocean stretching from about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California almost to Japan in which floating refuse and trash is accumulated and concentrated by ocean currents. It’s estimated that is swirling garbage vortex contains at least 100 million tons of flotsam and jetsam, much of it plastic that has been ground up into tiny particles

discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc.

a landfill in which garbage and municipal waste is buried every day under enough soil or fill to eliminate odors, vermin, and litter

incineration of solid waste to produce useful energy

processing of solid waste to remove metal, glass, and other unburnable materials; organic residue is shredded, formed into pellets, and dried to make fuel to power plants

incineration of unsorted solid waste

reprocessing of discarded materials into new, useful products; not the same as reuse of materials for their original purpose, but the terms are often used interchangeably

the biological degradation of organic material under aerobic (oxygen-rich) conditions to produce compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment and conditioner

disassembly or products so components can be reused or recycled

plastics that break down when exposed to sunlight or to a specific wavelength or light

plastics that can be decomposed by microorganisms

any discarded material containing substances known to be toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogens to humans or other life-forms; ignitable, corrosive, explosive, or highly reactive alone or with other materials

a fund established by Congress to pay for containment, cleanup, or remediation of abandoned toxic waste sites. The fund is financed by fees paid by toxic waste generators and by cost-recovery from cleanup projects

abandoned or underused urban areas in which redevelopment is blocked by liability or financing issues related to toxic contamination

use of biological organisms to remove or detoxify pollutants from a contaminated area

placing waste storage containers in a secure building, salt mine, or bedrock cavern where they can be inspected periodically and retrieved, if necessary

a solid waste disposal site lined and capped with an impermeable barrier to prevent leakage or leaching. Drain tiles, sampling wells, and vent systems provide monitoring and pollution control

a societal plan or statement of intentions intended to accomplish some social good

public decision making based on reason, logic, and science-based management

the decision to leave a margin of safety for unexpected developments

is the cornerstone of U.S. environmental policy. It authorizes the Council on Environmental Quality, directs federal agencies to take environmental consequences into account when making decisions, and requires an environmental impact statement for every major federal project likely to have adverse environmental effects

an analysis, required by provisions in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970, of the effects of any major program a federal agency plans to undertake

the special body of official rules, decisions, and actions concerning environmental quality, natural resources, and ecological sustainability

formal documents or decrees enacted by the legislative branch of government

precedents from both civil and criminal court cases

executive orders, administrative rules and regulations, and enforcement decisions by administrative agencies and special administrative courts

amendments attached to bills in conference committee, often completely unrelated to the bill to which they are added

the right to take part in legal processing

the body of court decisions that constitute a working definition of individual rights and responsibilities where no formal statutes define these issues

court cases that seek compensation for damages

• lawsuits that have no merit but are brought merely to
• intimidate and harass private citizens who act in the public interest

rules and regulations that govern our impacts on the environment and natural resources

problems with no simple right or wrong answer where there is no single, generally agreed-on definition of or solution for the particular issue

a management plan designed from the outset to “learn by doing,” and to actively test hypotheses and adjust treatments as new information becomes available

the ability of a community or ecosystem to recover from disturbances

a formal process of dispute resolution in which there are stringent rules of evidence, cross-examination of witnesses, and a legally binding decision made by the arbitrator that all parties must obey

an informal dispute resolution process in which parties are encouraged to discuss issues openly but in all decisions are reached by consensus and any participant can withdraw at any time

• integrated national environmental plans for reducing
• pollution and resource consumption while achieving sustainable development and
• environmental restoration

the official rules orregulations concerning the environment adopted, implemented, and enforced bysome governmental agency