Unit 11 Blog

Unit 11 Blog

This unit has covered air pollution (indoor and outdoor), ozone depletion and global warming.  Below are suggested vocabulary words and pollutants to make sure you know.  Like the previous blogs, you do not have to define them in your blog unless you just want to! You do, however, need to make sure you discuss the topics provided for you thoroughly and thoughtfully in your own blog!

Suggested Vocabulary

Primary Pollutant - Primary pollutant are those pollutants that are directly emitted from for their sources. Like CO2, CO as these gaseous are directly emitted form burning of fossil fuel.

Secondary Pollutant - Secondary pollutants are those which are formed from the combination of primary pollutants with some other compound. Like smog which is formed by combination of smog and fog. And pesticides, insecticide

Thermal Inversion - Thermal inversions are when a layer of warm air traps a layer of cooler air under it. This can cause variations in weather conditions like freezing rain. The worst thing about thermal inversion is that smog and air pollution can be trapped near the ground and stay there until the thermal inversion is gone. Thermal inversions are also called temperature inversions.

Scrubber - Scrubber systems are a diverse group of air pollution control devices that can be used to remove some particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.

Sick Building Syndrome - a condition affecting office workers, typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, attributed to unhealthy or stressful factors in the working environment such as poor ventilation.

Global Change - refers to planetary-scale changes in the Earth system. The system consists of the land, oceans, atmosphere, polar regions, life, the planet's natural cycles and deep Earth processes. These constituent parts influence one another.

Global Climate Change -  refer to an increase in average global temperatures. Natural events and human activities are believed to be contributing to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO₂).

Global Warming - a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.

Greenhouse Gase - a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, e.g., carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons.

Greenhouse Warming Potential - (GWP) is a relative measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere. It compares the amount of heat trapped by a certain mass of the gas in question to the amount of heat trapped by a similar mass of carbon dioxide.

Positive Feedback - enhance or amplify changes; this tends to move a system away from its equilibrium state and make it more unstable. Negative feedbacks tend to dampen or buffer changes; this tends to hold a system to some equilibrium state making it more stable.

Negative Feedback - occurs when some function of the output of a system, process, or mechanism is fed back in a manner that tends to reduce the fluctuations in the output, whether caused by changes in the input or by other disturbances.

Air Pollutants (make sure you know the source, environmental effects and health effects of each- also, imagine the numbers are subscripts)

SO2 - (Sulfur Dioxide) Combustion of fuels that contain sulfur, including coal, oil, and gasoline. Respiratory irritant, can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory ailments

NOx - (Nitrogen oxides) All combustion in the atmosphere including fossil fuel combustion, wood and other biomass burning. Respiratory irritant, increases susceptibility to respiratory infection. An ozone precursor, leads to formation of photochemical smog.

CO - (Carbon Monoxide) Incomplete combustion of any kind, malfunctioning exhaust systems, and poorly ventilated cooking fires.

PM - (Particulate Matter) Combustion of coal, oil, and diesel, and of biofuels such as manure and wood. Agriculture, road construction, and other activities that mobilize soil, soot, and dust. Can exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular disease and reduce lung function. 

Pb - (Lead) Gasoline additive, oil and gasoline, coal, oil paint. Impairs central nervous system. At low concentrations, can have measurable effects on learning and ability to concentrate. 

O3 - (Ozone) A secondary pollutant formed by the combination of sunlight, water, oxygen, VOC's and NOx.

VOC - (Volatile Organic Compounds) Evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints; Improper combustion of fuels such as gasoline. A precursor to ozone formation.

Hg - (Mercury) Coal, oil, gold mining. Impairs central nervous system. Bioaccumulates in the food chain. 

O2 - (Carbon Dioxide) Combustion of fossil fuels and clearing of land. Affects climate and alters ecosystems by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. 

Smog (sulfurous and photochemical) - Smoke + Fog. Photochemical smog: dominated by oxidants such as ozone, Sulfurous smog: dominated by sulfur-dioxide and sulfate compounds

Indoor Pollutants

Asbestos - long, thin, fibrous material with insulating properties. Used an insulator for stream and hot-water pipes for many years. - Causes lung cancer

Radon 222 - radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the decay of uranium. Steps into the cracks in the foundations of homes and decays to Polonium- 210. Either can attach to dust particles and be inhaled. - 2nd leading cause of lung cancer 

VOCs - (volatile organic compounds) in home products - formaldehyde, glues, paints, detergents, dry-cleaning fluids, deodorizes solvents. - May be harmful if inhaled, suspected of being carcinogens.

Greenhouse Gases

Water Vapor - (Variable with Temperature, GWP < 1, Duration = 9 days)

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide, 390 ppm, GWP = 1, Duration = Highly variable (ranging from years to hundreds of years))

CH4 - (Methane, 1.8 ppm, GWP = 25, Duration = 12 years)

N2O - (Nitrous Oxide, 0.3 ppm, GWP = 300, Duration = 114 years)

CFCs - (Chlorofluorocarbons, 0.9 ppm, GWP = 1,600 to 13,000, Duration = 55 to > 500 years) 

Discussion Topics:

Connections Discussion:

We discussed in class today that everything is connected (remember Joe's pond and Johnson's run??)  One of the main concerns about the increased carbon dioxide emissions is that they are linked to an increase in global temperature, rising sea levels and increased oceanic carbon dioxide concentrations.  These three things can have cascading effects on many different ecosystems globally.  Follow the link to the National Wildlife Federation website to read more information on how coral reefs are being negatively impacted by these global changes.  NWF- Coral Reefs  First, discuss the topics below in relation to the coral reef (the link should take you right there) then pick one other animal/plant/ecosystem from the menu on the left side and discuss in relation to your choice.  

Why is this animal/plant/ecosystem important?  Explain at least two ways that this animal/plant/ecosystem is directly impacted by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, make sure to describe any negative effects these environmental changes have on coral reefs/your pick and the primary source of the carbon dioxide emissions.  What kind of economic impact does this have and what conservation efforts are being made to reduce the destruction?

Coral Reefs are essential to plant and animal life because they give homes and are a structured habitat for many creatures and species belonging in the ocean. Coral reefs have an extremely rich biodiversity which attracts researchers, tourism industries, and commercial and recreational fisheries. Threats from global warming include increased temperatures, extensive bleaching events, ocean acidification, and the sea level rising. Water temperatures result in corals undergoing through extensive bleaching. Some coral can recover from the damage bleaching causes but often many die and an entire ecosystem then becomes obliterated. Warmer water temperatures usually cause  diseases to develop within the coral such as black band disease, white plague, and white pox, resulting in the coral ecosystem to die down and become extinct. Ocean acidification occurs when oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but this becomes a natural and evident threat to the corals. As oceans increase in their acidic content the corals are inhibited of their certain functions resulting in slower growth. Rising of the sea level results in the ice melting and causing problems to reefs because they are not receiving enough exposure to sunlight. 

Mangrove forests live on the land and sea and are stilt like roots in brackish waters. Mangroves don't allow other plants to grow in their area. They are located along the coasts of Florida, covering about 469,000 acres from St. Augustine south on the Atlantic, and from Cedar Key south of the Gulf Coast. There are four species of Mangrove trees-red, black, and white estuaries. They are usually low lying and host a variety of fish and wildlife, including wading and sea birds, such as the great white heron and brown pelican.  They usually play a role in protecting the lives of many plant and animal species and serve as breeding, feeding, and nursery grounds for many different animals. They also hold a very high economic value. However, they have many negative threats as well, such as, changing the salinity of the water, but also increased wave actions affects the animals by impacting their community as well as the coastal community. Conservation efforts include monitoring and reestablishing the mangrove population and community. 

Ozone Discussion
I can't say it enough, ozone is awesome and horrible all at the same time!  It's essential for life in the stratosphere but damaging in the troposphere!  In this discussion piece, I basically want you to summarize everything you know about ozone at each level!  Discuss the negative human health effects of both tropospheric (too much)  and stratospheric (not enough) ozone.  Describe the closed-loop chemical reactions associated with the formation and breakdown of stratospheric ozone (if you can find pictures or diagrams, feel free to insert here).  Explain how other compounds, particularly CFCs, interfere with these chemical reactions (again, a diagram would be helpful).  Finally, explain the role of tropospheric ozone in the formation of photochemical smog (diagrams, why not??  You chose how you want to convey your message as long as you understand what you are talking about).

The tropospheric and stratospheric ozone layers of the atmosphere cause and result in negative health effects. The tropospheric ozone layer causes the eruption of many upper respiratory health conditions that negatively effect humans. Many other diseases rise too due to this such as the whooping cough, lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis and decreased growth of healthy habits. The tropospheric layer also causes eye problems and other negative health effects. The stratospheric ozone layer provides protection from ultraviolet solar radiation but causes ozone destruction as well. The UV rays associated in this layer causes skin effects and plays a huge role in melanoma development. Anthropogenic compounds contain chlorine and are used in sources and tools used around the house and other buildings. The compounds are known a chlorofluorocarbons, that are stable, nontoxic, nonflammable so that they do not harm the ozone layer. 

The closed loop cycle is when UV-C breaks the bonds holding the oxygen molecule together. Than free oxygen from step 1, encounters an oxygen molecule forming ozone. Lastly  the UV-B or UV-C break the bond in the ozone forming molecular oxygen and free oxygen again. 

The role of photochemical smog formation in the tropospheric ozone includes an absence of VOC's, ozone will form during the daylight hours and break down after sunset. In the presence of VOC's, ozone will form during the daylight hours. The VOC's combine with nitrogen oxides to form photochemical oxidants, which reduce the amount of ozone that will break down later and contribute to prolonged periods of photochemical smog.

Positive and Negative Feedbacks
Obviously climate change can be a hot topic to debate! Many arguments for or against global warming are based off of the idea that our actions will continue the cycle and magnify the situation (positive feedback) OR that the earth will correct the issue because ultimately a cycle will slow down or stop the process on its own (negative feedback).  Provide an argument for and against global climate change by giving and example of both a positive and negative feedback can increase or decrease the impact of climate change.  There are examples of this in your text, but I would encourage you to seek out other sources to see if you can find one that we have yet to discuss in class!  

A positive feedback is a feedback loop where output of one type act as input that moves the system in one direction. Input and output drives the system towards an extreme (away from equilibrium) For example, the more people that are born, the more people there are to give birth to even more people. Where as a negative feedback is a feedback loop where output that results from a system moving in one direction acts as an input that moves the system in the opposite direction (stabilizing) For example, A thermostat stabilizes a room's temperature by turning the furnace on when the room gets extremely cold and turns it off when the room's condition is more towards being hot. 

Temperature and CO2 represent a positive feedback system. When the concentration of CO2 increases in ht atmosphere, it can cause global temperatures to increase. This in turn can cause more rapid decomposition, thereby releasing even more CO2 into the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide and producers represent a negative feedback system. Increased CO2 in the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources can be partially removed by increased photosynthesis by producers. 
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 15 and 19) and from the notes in class. 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. 

Human Impact - Throughout out this unit, there were more examples of the weather doing impacts on human than humans doing impact on the air. The air effects the humans by potential relocation from coastal communities, habitats become unsuitable for human habitation becomes habitable, the air affects the range of temperature limited diseases such as west Nile and malaria, lastly, the air effects tourism. The air or ozone layers can also cause diseases and upper respiratory problems. The humans impact the air by releasing greenhouse gases or burning fossil fuels which effects the air and atmosphere by releasing methane and other toxic substances.

Environmental Impact - Global warming causes many different environmental effects such as heat waves are effected because long period of hot weather are likely to increase creating a greater demand for energy to cool building and water for irrigation of crops. Precipitation patterns include warmer temperatures increase evaporation leading to increased rainfall which may be good for crops but could also lead to flooding, erosion, and mudslides. Sea levels are effected also because the melting ice caps and glaciers adds to the volume of water and as water heats up, it expands. This could lead to a 180-590 mm rise in sea levels which could endanger coastal cities. Environmental impacts also effect wild animals and plants due to global change.

Economic Impact - Economic impacts include pollution control in which a lot of money is needed to reduce the amount of pollutants being released into the air. In order for this to occur technology is bought so that the air can be refurbished and not expose to humans and the environment negative health and air conditions. The economy is negatively impacted due to the restoration of the atmosphere because of the release of methane and toxic gases which contaminate the air. Also diseases and health effects brought to humans and animals force those species to go to hospitals and vets because of health conditions and positively and negatively effect the environment. 

Government Legislation/Impact - The Kyoto Protocol in 1997 representatives of the nations met in Kyoto, Japan to discuss how to best control emissions contributing to global warming. In 2001, protocol was modified but US argued that there was too much uncertainty in global warming predictions to justify ratification and that the cost of controlling CO2 emissions would unfairly disadvantage US businesses while India and China have no requirements. 2007 - Supreme Court ruled that the EPA had the authority to regulate greenhouse gases as part of the Clean Air Act. 2010- proposed increase in fuel efficiency requirements for automobiles would allow for a 30% reduction in CO2 and other green house gases. 

Unit 10 Blog

Energy!

Suggested Vocabulary

Nonrenewable - A resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means on a level equal to its consumption. Most fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal are considered nonrenewable resources in that their use is not sustainable because their formation takes billions of years.

Renewable - A renewable resource is a resource which is replaced naturally and can be used again. Examples are: oxygen, fresh water, solar energy, timber, and biomass. Renewable resources may also include goods commodities such as wood, paper and leather.

Fossil Fuels - a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Nuclear Fuels - a substance that will sustain a fission chain reaction so that it can be used as a source of nuclear energy.

Capacity - the maximum amount that something can contain.

Efficiency - the state or quality of being efficient.

Cogeneration - the generation of electricity and other energy jointly, especially the utilization of the steam left over from electricity generation to produce heat.

Electrical Grid - An electrical grid is an interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Oil Sands - a deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone containing petroleum or other hydrocarbons.

Bitumen - a black viscous mixture of hydrocarbons obtained naturally or as a residue from petroleum distillation. It is used for road surfacing and roofing.

CTL - (coal to liquid) the process of converting solid coal into liquid fuel 

Fission - the action of dividing or splitting something into two or more parts.

Fusion - is the process that powers the sun and the stars. It is the reaction in which two atoms of hydrogen combine together, or fuse, to form an atom of helium. In the process some of the mass of the hydrogen is converted into energy.

Half-Life - the time taken for the radioactivity of a specified isotope to fall to half its original value.

Nondepletable - an energy source that cannot be used up

Peak Demand - Peak demand is used to refer to a historically high point in the sales record of a particular product. In terms of energy use, peak demand describes a period of simultaneous, strong consumer demand or a period of highest demand in a billing period.

Modern Carbon - carbon in biomass that was recently in the atmosphere

Fossil Carbon - carbon in fossil fuels 

Carbon Neutral - an activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations 

"off-the-grid" - not dependent on public utilities, especially the supply of electricity.

Fuel Cell - a cell producing an electric current directly from a chemical reaction.

Electrolysis - chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid or solution containing ions.

Important Units

BTUs - A British thermal unit (Btu) is a standard unit of energy that is used in the United States and sometimes in the U.K. It represents the amount of thermal energy necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of pure liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit at the temperature at which water has its greatest density (39 degrees Fahrenheit).

Watt - the SI unit of power, equivalent to one joule per second, corresponding to the power in an electric circuit in which the potential difference is one volt and the current one ampere.

kW - One kilowatt (kW) is equal to 1000 watts (W):

1kW = 1000W

One kilowatt is defined as energy consumption of 1000 joules for 1 second:

1kW = 1000J / 1s

One kilowatt is equal to 1000000 milliwatts:

1kW = 1000000mW

MW - Watts (W) are the yardstick for measuring power. A one hundred watt light bulb, for example, is rated to consume one hundred watts of power when turned on. Watts, therefore, measure instantaneous power while watt-hours measure the total amount of energy consumed over a period of time.

kWh - The kilowatt-hour (symbolized kWh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one kilowatt (1 kW) of power expended for one hour. One watt is equal to 1 J/s. One kilowatt-hour is 3.6 megajoules, which is the amount of energy converted if work is done at an average rate of one thousand watts for one hour.

ppm - ppm is an abbreviation of parts per million. ppm is a value that represents the part of a whole number in units of 1/1000000. ppm is dimensionless quantity, a ratio of 2 quantities of the same unit. For example: mg/kg. One ppm is equal to 1/1000000 of the whole:

ppb - Represents the concentration of something in water or soil. One ppbrepresents one microgram of something per liter of water (ug/l), or one microgram of something per kilogram of soil (ug/kg).

mpg - MPG is a file extension for an MPEG animation in the MPEG-1 OR MPEG-2 codec. MPEG-1 was designed for coding progressive video at bit rates of about 1.5 million bits per second. It was designed specifically for Video-CD and CD-i media. MPEG-1 audio layer-3 (MP3) has also evolved from early MPEG work.

Joule - the SI unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one newton when its point of application moves one meter in the direction of action of the force, equivalent to one 3600th of a watt-hour.

MJ - Megajoule (MJ) 

GJ - Gigajoule (MJ) 

EJ - Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

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.

1. Hydroelectric Energy

Reasons: Has no use or does not need access to a dam, doesn't need a system of any kind to efficiently produce energy, no emissions of any kind that can harmfully affect the environment, uses other energy sources such as water and electricity because it doesn't necessarily require a dam, has no emissions, and uses an energy source that is always around, making it not need supplemental energy. 
Type of Pollution produced: Methane pollution from decomposition

2. Geothermal Energy
Reasons: No emissions of bad pollutants, does not obliterate or effect animals in any way, and is independent in its extraction of earth energy.
Type of Pollution produced: Thermal/Heat Pollution 

3. Natural Gas
Reasons: Nonrenewable, always available in large quantities, environmentally friendly with benefits at times
Type of Pollution produced: Carbon Emissions/Pollution 

4. Nuclear Energy 
Reasons: a large quantity of radioactive waste is usually produced and needs to be disposed of properly which can be expensive or costly, but there are usually no air pollutants 
Type of Pollution produced: Radioactive waste and pollution 


5. Solar Energy 
Reasons: Solar panels on top of roofs or buildings release/produce toxic substances 
Type of Pollution produced: Silicon tetrachloride

6. Wind Energy 
Reasons: Can cause environmental pollution, the increased spread of pollen, increased death of births, increased use of turbines, environmentally having negative effects 
Type of Pollution produced: Air/Atmospheric pollution

7.  Oil
Reasons: Oil spills can contaminate waters, kill animal species, produce toxic odors such as increased spread of sulfur and acid deposition
Type of Pollution produced: More contamination than pollution, but air/atmospheric/and SO2

8. Biomass
Reasons: Burning biomass can negatively affect the air quality, animals are harmed by smoke inhalation, destruction of forests occur and a decrease in biodiversity 
Type of Pollution produced: Particulate matter or pollution

9. Coal
Reasons: Mercury and Sulfur emissions, toxic waste released, increased acid deposition, 
Type of Pollution produced: SO2 and Mercury

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

1. Oil 2. Natural Gas 3. Coal 4. Nuclear 5. Biomass 6. Hydroelectric 7. Wind 8. Geothermal 9. Solar

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

1. Oil 2. Coal 3. Natural Gas 4. Biomass 5. Nuclear 6. Hydroelectric 7. Wind 8. Solar 9. Geothermal

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

1. Wind (100%) 2. Hydroelectricity (85%) 3. Natural gas (45%) 4. Coal (35%) 5. Oil (35%). 6. Nuclear (35%) 7. Biomass (35%) 8. Geothermal (35%) 9. Solar (15%

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.   

Fossil Fuels are in increased abundance but extremely difficult to extract or access. They release sulfur and mercury to the atmosphere and are the leading cause of increased carbon emissions in to the slightly healthy environment. This also causes greenhouse gases to be released into the environment. Fossil fuels are usually made out of fossilized animals and plants that have been dead for a longer period of time. They not only release sulfur but also carbon. The release of carbon results in an overflow of carbon dioxide which is harmful in large quantities or excess. 

Biofuels are usually a liquid companion of biomass. They are readily available where plants grow and require less energy to extract or use. They usually contain little or no carbon. Examples of liquid biofuel include, diesel and ethanol and solid biofuel, wood and manure. Biofuels release particulate matter and this type of pollution results in upper respiratory infections, problems, and diseases as well atmospheric and environmental defects. Air pollutants are also released into the environments. Biofuels, however, are readily available and are far greater than fossil fuels because the materials they possess are used until they run out.

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.

Human Effects: The incident at Chernobyl included many getting sick due to the disease or sickness of Leukemia, including other cancers and exposure to radiation. The disaster proved to negatively take away not only lives but also homes within a time span of one and a half days. Many were also hospitalized and the sickness continued to spread. 

Economic Effects: Chernobyl was exposed to radiation which made the atmosphere in need of restoration. This restoration costed a fortune and drastically impacted the economy. The environment was effected in such a negative aspect that it is now known to be a place no one can ever live. This economically causes a loss in land area and provided shelter.  

Environmental Impact: The incident or disaster brought with it a loss in biodiversity and killed many animal/plant species. There was also a whole bunch of radiation and leaching effecting the groundwater. 

A similar example of a nuclear disaster that occurred is in Fukushima, Japan. A tsunami flooded and damaged the 5 active reactor plants drowning two workers. The loss of backup electrical power led to overheating, meltdowns, and evacuations. Many died and others faced physical difficulty. Nuclear waste is currently being recycled at plants in the West area of the United States. It is better to recycle this waste in dry, arid, and isolated areas so that no people are around the area. 

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.  

ANWR or the National Wildlife Refuge is an arctic coastal tundra that does not proceed to have the presence of humans at any point. There are many living species but no human impact whatsoever. Examples of animals that live there include the polar bear. The environment can or could be effected by say any sort of contamination or drilling of natural gas or other resources. Fracking could also result in a negative effect that includes extinction of many different animals. Biologists are certainly accurate when they state that in order to help the future generation and save species from running out one must isolate them to grow. Economic benefits, however, do include independence over oil prices and many employment opportunities. This economically helps people financially but also environmentally because there are more workers to benefit the wildlife. 

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.

Consumption can be reduced in many different ways. To start off, a windmill turbine can generate more electricity and become efficient energy through the mixture of water and the turbine energy. Next could be the use of solar energy. Solar energy requires no burring of anything and is a efficient in using the atmosphere/earth to produce energy. Another way is to use ethanol as a source to run cars, or as a substitute for oil. Cogeneration practices also reduces the use of electricity for heat which is beneficial because nothing has to be burned off that way. I do think though, however, that technology has not been fully advanced to give an overall method to reduce consumption. Time, research and the mode of necessity will solve this problem as well. 

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. 

Human Impact: 
The humans have the biggest impact in this unit for sure and the reason is because they are the ones that do the research and find different ways to take energy out of different sources. Energy is what allows humans to travel from one location to the other and to conduct their daily lives and actions as needed. The need for energy also allows humans to work and financially provide for the government, and their surrounding habitat. Humans however do play a huge role in waste. The disposal of many things such as waste is not properly done by humans which then results in economic losses. 

Environmental Impact: 
The environmental impact occurs in many different ways such as fracking or even the burning of greenhouse gases which emit harmful chemicals or toxins into the environment. Also the exposure to radiation and disasters due to extraction or formation of certain types of illnesses or even energy impacts the environment, plant and animal species. Contamination and the non proper disposal of waste can destroy habitats, obliterate shelters and ecosystems. Hydroelectricity, drilling, and even exposure excess chemicals can drain the life out of an environment. 

Economic Impact:
The economic impact occurs also in many different ways. The impacts all discussed in the environmental impact above all needs the product of money to restore or refurbish the land, air, ecosystem. The world needs energy and in order to balance out the use of a particular type, there has to be research, extraction and advancement in technology. Another way the economy is effected or in this case benefited is the source of cheap electricity. Other economic impacts that are prevalent is extracting energy such as those in natural gas, the expenditure of solar panels for solar energy, or even windmills to use wind energy. 

Governmental Legislation: 
The governmental legislation or impact is usually provided by acts or laws that have been passed such as the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 which provided a beneficial system for nuclear waste dispel. This not helped create a proper incentive of disposal but also allowed an increase of biodiversity in many areas. Another act is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which provided ways to use the various types of energy, such as wind. This also reduced emissions from coal and oil and allowed for people to better save their energy in a renewable style/way. 

Unit 9 Blog

Unit 9- Waste Management

Suggested Vocabulary:

• MSW - is one of the best degrees you can have for helping others and getting paid to do so. Social workers serve individuals, families, and communities. They can work for themselves, corporations, schools, and the government.
• E-Waste - is a term for electronic products that have become unwanted, non-working or obsolete, and have essentially reached the end of their useful life. Because technology advances at such a high rate, many electronic devices become “trash” after a few short years of use.
• Closed-loop recycling - Production system in which the waste or byproduct of one process or product is used in making another product. For example, recycling waste newspaper to make paper-board or other types of paper. 
• Open-loop recycling - The conversion of material from one or more products into a new product, involving a change in the inherent properties of the material itself (often a degradation in quality). For example, recycling plastic bottles into plastic drainage pipes. Often called downcycling or reprocessing.
• Compost - decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer.
• leachate - water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents.
• Sanitary Landfill - are sites where waste is isolated from the environment until it is safe. It is considered when it has completely degraded biologically, chemically and physically.
• Environmental justice - is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
• Incineration - is the process of burning hazardous materials at temperatures high enough to destroy contaminants. Incineration is conducted in an “incinerator,” which is a type of furnace designed for burning hazardous materials in a combustion chamber.
• Waste-to-energy - Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into useable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery. This process is often called waste-to-energy (WTE).
• Hazardous Waste - is waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, gases, or sludges. They can be discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides, or the by-products of manufacturing processes.
• Superfund - a fund established to finance a long-term, expensive project.
• Brownfield - (of an urban site for potential building development) having had previous development on it.
• IWM - is an exchange-traded fund of US stocks that tracks the Russell 2000 index, in the iShares ETF family. IWM is used by day traders and investors alike to gain access to the small-cap segment of US stocks. It is highly liquid.
• Epidemic - a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.
• Pandemic - (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.
• Synergistic Interactions - means that the effect of two chemicals taken together is greater than the sum of their separate effect at the same doses. An example is pesticide and fertilizer; the biological effect is devastating.
• Biomagnification - the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.
• Persistence - firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

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

Neurotoxins - a poison that acts on the nervous system. Examples: Lead, Mercury, Parasites, viruses, candida, lyme based infections. (on metals)

Carcinogens - a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue. Examples: radiation, asbestos, radon. (do not effect DNA directly but changes do occur)

Teratogens - an agent or factor that causes malformation of an embryo. Examples: virsus, drugs (alcohol), chemicals, stressors, and malnutrition. (usually in the environment)

Allergens - a substance that causes an allergic reaction. Examples: dust mites, cockroaches, molds, pets, and plants. (In foods and plants)

Endocrine Disruptors - chemicals that may interfere with the body's endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. Examples: things that interfere with hormones, telling cells to die prematurely, competing with essential nutrients. (found in mammals, birds, fish and many humans and wildlife)

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 - is a serious bacterial infection that can be deadly. Referred to as the black plague and is caused by bacteria called yersinia pestis, which primarily affects wild rodents. It is spread from one rodent to another by fleas. Humans bitten by an infected flea usually develop a bubonic plague which is characterized by a swelling of the lymph node draining the flea bite site. It is treated by antibiotics.

Malaria - is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitos. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Symptoms include fever, headache, and vomitign that usually appear after being bitten. Treatment includues artemisinin-based combination therapies; use of insecticidal nets by people at risk; and indoor residual spraying with insecticide to control the vector mosquitos.

Tuberculosis - (TB) is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affect the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease. Usually a person's immune system acts "wall off" the bacteria. There is however, coughing, weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. It is treatable or its treatment includes a six month course of antibiotics.

Cholera - is an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It has a short growing period and causes a watery but painless diarrhea that can lead to severe and an enormous amount of dehydration and vomiting. Death is also possible! Treatment is not evident but drinking lots of water, taking rest, and adequate sanitation can prevent and help treat this disease.

HIV/AIDS - The human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. As the infection progresses, the immune system becomes weaker, and the person becomes more susceptible to infections. It is transmitted through sexual intercourse or the transfusion of contaminated blood, sharing of needles and childbirth or breastfeeding. Treatment includes antiretroviral therapy

Ebola - is known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90%. The illness affects humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Found near the Ebola river in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the other in a remote area of Sudan. People become infected through direct contact of broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood or other bodily fluids or secretions. There is no specific treatment but with appropriate medial care many will recover. 

Mad Cow Disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, and fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle. This is caused by an abnormal version of a protein normal found on cell surfaces, called a prion. This protein apparently becomes altered or destroys nervous system tissue - the brain and spinal cord. this does not effect the U.S. food supply and there are only 2 cases per 1 million people throughout the world. There is no treatment for this disease accept managing the symptoms appropriately.

Bird Flu (Avian Influenza) - is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The infection can cause wide spectrum of symptoms in birds, ranging from mild illness, which pass unnoticed. Does not normally infect humans. However there have been instances of certain highly pathogenic strains causing severe respiratory disease in humans. Usually occurs with close contact to infected or contaminated poultry. The best treatment would be to us an antiviral medication called oseltamivir or Tamiflu.

West Nile Virus can cause neurological disease in humans. Approximately 80% of people who are infected will not show any symptoms. West Nile virus is transmitted to people through infected mosquito bites. The virus can cause severe disease and death in horses. Vaccines are available for use in horses but not in humans. Birds are the natural hosts of WNV.

SARS - (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) - is a virulently infectious disease caused by a corona virus. It is a respiratory illness that is both contagious and fatal. First identified in China and then spread across the world. Caused by moderate upper respiratory illness such as the common cold. Patients with SARS are treated mainly for pneumonia. There are no generally effective treatments for most types of viral pneumonia. They also may be hospitalized.

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.  

Three types of materials that should not be placed in a landfill are drums, tires, motor oil, old batteries, and electronics. These items are banned from landfills because of concerns with toxicity or handling needs. Recyclable items are prohibited to encourage recycling and to preserve our world's raw materials. Chemicals, hazardous and toxic waste require special disposal methods to prevent environmental damage. There are special ways to handle or put to waste items that are banned from landfills. Health effects include increased amounts of toxicity, and radiation. Two methods to reduce the amount of these substances entering the input include having one day in the year in which cities collect objects or things that need proper disposal and also allowing residents to themselves properly dispose of materials that would result in toxicity and increased amounts of health effects.

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?

Plastics are used to manufacture an incredible number of products we use every day, such as beverage and food containers, trash bags and grocery bags, plastic cups and utensils, children's toys and diapers, and bottles for everything from mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid. The need for plastic is growing and recycling proves to be beneficial/and negative. Recycling plastic also saves landfill space and is relatively easy. It also helps conserve energy and natural resources. However, negative affects include, contamination, and air pollution, Most plastics cannot be recycled and is automatically sorted at recycling plants. Paper can be reused again and is not super expensive to recycle and aluminum on the other hand is a sustainable metal which can be recycled over and over again which generally conserves energy and natural resources. If the city had a recycling center paper would be the most beneficial to recycle on a mass basis because it is efficient, easy, and extremely useful because paper is always needed in school, work, and home. 

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.

Superfund sites are polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contamination and a brownfield site is means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.The superfund program has carried our or is currently involved in the cleanup of close to 700 such sites since the law went into deep effect. It has worked to clean and provide for those waste sites that are hazardous and deathly. An example is New England States in the U.S. which have 118 toxic and hazardous waste sites listed on the NPL. The brownfield program is used for land revitalization. It creates many benefits for local communities, and promotes area wild planning. he Brownfield Amendments to the Superfund law provide important protections from Superfund liability to landowners who meet certain statutory criteria. Landowners who qualify as bona fide prospective purchasers, contiguous property owners, or innocent landowners are not liable under Superfund. Whether you are interested in purchasing, leasing, or selling a Superfund site, there are important factors to consider. It is always important to make sure that your use of the site does not interfere with the ongoing cleanup or engineered controls at the site, and that you do not cause a release of hazardous substances into the environment; otherwise you could become responsible for those actions. One of the main issues involving brownfield redevelopment is the concern over legal liability. The uncertainty of rehabilitation costs for contaminated sites can frighten away many potential developers and investors. In an effort to combat such liability risks, laws at the federal and state levels have been implemented to minimize risk.

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.  

Human Impact: Humans generate more waste that other organisms cannot to a certain extent use. A society that promotes wealth and good health generates very little waste but planned obsolescence will need to be replaced within a few years. Solid waste is collected from households, businesses, and institutions such as schools, prisons, municipal buildings and hospitals. These solid wastes affect the sewage treatment plants because many a times the solid waste is of that which cannot be broken down or used again such as plastic. Humans litter and do not methods such as reusing, reducing, or recycling which could help benefit the environment and economy if tried. Humans help the environment by constantly coming up with new methods and ways to reduce the contamination, and pollution caused by waste. 

Environmental Impact: An environmental impact is when electron waste such as televisions, computers and cell phones containing toxic metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium are disposed of incorrectly and inappropriately. The best way to environmentally make an impact is the through the 3 R's. Reducing would result in waste minimization or prevention. Reusing would result in using a something multiple times and recycling would be collecting materials that are then converted into raw materials and to produce new objects. This way the environment is conserving and additionally adding to its resources and simultaneously saving resources. A negative impact however is the landfill where waste is taken to be burned or kept in one certain area. There is way to much trash being produced and decreased amounts of space left in a landfill. The landfill is now not only filling up but also producing a toxic smell which can be harmful and disturbing to those living around the landfill.

Economic Impact: Not only does trash create a high economic impact but so do the outbreak of diseases. To certain extents it creates a negative economic impact because money is being taken away to cure diseases that are recurring and health damaging. The positive side would be that the money being used for treatment is re-circulating into the economy and hospitals and clinics are earning the money. Another economic impact is caused by the reducing, reusing, recycling, of materials that are too difficult or cost worthy such as plastic and electronics. Plastic is to hard to reuse and does not break easy where as electronics increase toxicity. 

Governmental Legislation: Governmental Legislation includes resource conservation and recovery act (RCRA). It is designed to reduce or eliminate hazardous waste. It ensures that hazardous waste is tracked and properly disposed of. There is also the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Libaility Act (CERCLA) also known as "superfund" which puts a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries. The revenue is used to cleanup hazardous waste sites where a responsible party cannot be found. The CERCLA also requires the federal government to respond directly to the release of substance that may pose a threat to human health or the environment.