Term
| What is the main source of air pollution? |
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Definition
| fossil fuels - oil, natural gas, coal |
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Term
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Definition
due to burning of coal
contains harmful sulfur and nitrogen and tiny particles of soot, ash or dust particles
sulfur and nitrogen combine with moisture in the air to become sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides |
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Term
| When did the biggest smog disaster occur? |
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Definition
London, 1952
4,000 people died on one day
12,000 people died due to incident
lasted 5 days
in 1956 Clean air act was established which encouraged cleaner energy sources |
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Term
| What was the purpose of the clean air act? |
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Definition
to clean up the air pollution that was occurring
encouraged use of cleaner sources other than coal - natural gas and oil and cleaner fossil fuel sources |
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Term
| What is the most polluted city in America? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the natural sources of air pollution? |
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Definition
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Term
| How do the natural sources of air pollution add to the air to pollute it? |
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Definition
releases large particles - block out sunlight
Release chemical pollutant - sulfur dioxide
can cause respiratory problems
increase susceptibility to disease |
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Term
| What is the number of U.S. deaths per year that are related to air pollution? |
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Definition
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Term
| What can be done to reduce the pollutants in the air? |
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Definition
* Use alternative fuels
* Add scrubbers on smoke stacks
* pass and enforce laws
* conserve natural resources |
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Term
| What generates most of the energy at power plants? |
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Definition
fossil fuels - coal
Biggest cause of industrial smog - coal
We use coal because it is cost effective, produces lots of energy and it is plentiful |
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Term
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Definition
* also known as acid deposition
* pollutants go up as nitrogen and sulfur compounds and they combine with the water in the air and a chemical reaction occurs
* The pollutants fall to Earth as Nitric oxides and Sulfuric acids
* The acids effect both the soil and water in which they fall upon. |
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Term
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Definition
* all organisms (plant and animal) have an environment that they do best in.
* acid rain changes ecosystems and the organisms either die or have to move out of their habitats |
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Term
| What is the biggest polluter of the fossil fuels? |
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Definition
coal, then oil, then natural gas
natural gas is the cleanest of the fossil fuels |
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Term
| What two pollutants in smog contribute to acid rain? |
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Definition
nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide
More of a problem in high density areas |
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Term
| What is the pH of normal rain? |
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Definition
| It is slightly acidic - 5 to 5.6 |
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Term
| What is the pH of normal tap water? |
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Definition
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Term
| When is acid rain a problem? |
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Definition
| when its pH is less than or equal to 4.4 |
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Term
| When you go to the left of a normal pH, it becomes more _______ |
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Definition
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Term
| When you go to the right of a normal pH, it becomes more ________ |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the difference between two numbers on the pH scale? |
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Definition
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Term
| Is a certain pH more desirable than another when planting a crop or garden? |
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Definition
| You need to look at what the crop or plants require to grow. The pH requirements varies with what you are planting. |
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Term
| How do you know the pH of the soil? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the pH difference between a pH of 5 and a pH of 8? |
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Definition
10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000
a pH of 8 is 1,000 times stronger than a pH of 5 |
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Term
| What damage can acid rain cause to Earth's ecosystems? |
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Definition
* it changes soil chemistry
* it can kill plants and therefore animals |
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Term
| What pH can fish no longer exist? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is a sterile lake or pond? |
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Definition
| When the pH of the water is such that fish life is no longer possible |
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Term
| What can be affected by acid rain? |
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Definition
living and nonliving things
nonliving - statues, buildings, bridges |
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Term
| What is the most effective way to reduce acid rain? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are some of the greenhouse gases? |
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Definition
| water, carbon dioxide and methane |
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Term
| Are some of the greenhouse gases produced by the environment? |
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Definition
| yes - methane, water (evaporation from oceans), and carbon dioxide (volcanoes, forest fires, animals) |
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Term
| Is global warming due to man and is it a proven science? |
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Definition
| NO - scientists have not come to an agreement Some say high carbon dioxide in world is just a natural cycle |
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Term
| What items are affected by acid rain? |
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Definition
| living and nonliving things |
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Term
| What is the most effective way to reduce acid rain? |
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Definition
| stop burning fossil fuels |
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Term
| Why are gases necessary to have around planet Earth? |
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Definition
| They hold in heat from the sun that would otherwise radiate back into space We need it to help maintain temperatures |
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Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
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Definition
The heat trapping action of gases in the atmosphere that may contribute to global warming
* global warming due to man is NOT a proven science |
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Term
| What would Earth's temperature be if there weren't any gases around it? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do some scientists believe is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide around Earth? |
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Definition
| The burning of fossil fuels - oil, coal and natural gas |
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Term
| What happens when the carbon dioxide levels around Earth increase in Earth's atmosphere? |
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Definition
| Earth's temperatures would increase |
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Term
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Definition
An increase in Earth's average surface temperature
Average Earth's temp is 59 degrees F |
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Term
| Why are some scientists concerned about Earth's temperature rising? |
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Definition
| it could bring about major climate changes |
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Term
| What do some scientists hypothesize will happen if the carbon dioxide levels around Earth keep rising? |
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Definition
| Earth's temperature may increase by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by the year 2050 |
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Term
| Why are some scientists concerned about Earth's temperature increasing? |
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Definition
| Just a few degrees could bring about major climate changes |
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Term
| What effect would changing temperatures have on earth? |
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Definition
* rising sea levels - flooding
* Change in rainfall patterns
* violent weather
* We need to preserve our forests - they remove carbon dioxide from environment
* increase in bugs and diseases |
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Term
| Describe Earth's ozone layer |
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Definition
acts as a global sunscreen
shields Earth from the sun's harmful radiation |
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Term
| What is happening to the ozone layer? |
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Definition
| Worldwide it is thinning as the total amount of ozone decreases |
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Term
| What happens to the ozone at certain times of the year? |
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Definition
| Enormous holes form in the ozone layer, especially over the N and S poles! |
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Term
| What is the main cause of the thinning of the ozone layer? |
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Definition
| Chlorofluorocarbons or CFC's |
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Term
| Who or what created CFC's? |
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Definition
Man - did not known their effect on environment
were put in aerosol cans and coolant systems |
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Term
| How long do CFC's last in the environment? |
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Definition
| Don't know for sure. They must self destruct. Man has not control over their life span. It is believed they can exist in the environment for long periods of time (100 years +) |
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Term
| Why is the depletion of the ozone layer hazardous to Earth and its inhabitants? |
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Definition
* increases Earth's UV radiation
* Causes cataracts and skin cancer
* may reduce resistance to disease
* can lead to reductions in crop yields and disruption of food webs |
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Term
| What is being done to deduce the production of CFC's? |
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Definition
| banned in the US and many other nations due to the damage it is causing to the ozone layer |
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Term
| Why are CFC's a world problem if they are no longer being produced? |
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Definition
| They stay in the environment for many years. They must self destruct. Man has no means of destroying them. |
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