2010 archive

Coal vs. Nuclear

Team,

Please watch this video, questions are below.

Friday:

We will review 20 questions before the exam on chapter 8. Choose your questions wisely, perhaps ones that you may not be certain of.

Test to follow the review session, homework due at the beginning of class, so make a note of the questions you want to review before you turn in your work.

Below is a summary of notes from chapter 8 that might help you review.

Let us know if you have questions.

aloha

b

<b>Video questions:</b>

Please complete these over the weekend, and email your answers as well as the questions to me at bill@hpa.edu:

What is the "perfect storm" referred to in the video?

Trace the evolution of coal from a 19th century fuel to a 21st century fuel

What are the two biggest fuels for electrical power in the US? Compare this to the audio about the two energy systems in the US. What is the connection?

China starts a coal fired power plant every 6 days. How long will each plant be emitting CO2?

What are the big issues with coal?

"Clean coal" is now (2010) thought to be a myth. The video was done five years ago. Discuss both sides of this issue, including research on recent data (wikipedia might help).

How many years could coal provide energy is the issues were resolved?

Why would a politician from Montana want a carbon sequestration plant there? Where is the powder river basin? What comes from there?

The Coal Lady describes sequestration like a sponge-a better analogy might be CO2 into carbonated water, like we did in class. Why would they be concerned about faults? Why has no one tested CO2 sequestration, even the progressive test plant in Florida?

Su-bituminous coal is one type. What are the others, and why are they different?

Why does Dan Kammen think CO2 sequestration is a bad idea, or bad science? Is he wrong? What do you think? Why is he against the IGCC plant?

Coal power costs about $2 per kWh. Solar is about $5 per kWh, but may soon be as cheap as $0.50 per kWh. What would this do to the coal industry?

Coal lady says that we now release 100% of the CO2. How is she manipulating you?

IGCC stands for what, and why is it different from traditional plants? Why is the government helping fund this test? What do they do with the CO2?

Are you starting to see why to understand global climate change you first have to grasp the coal issue? Why?

We studied the cyclic nature of renewable energy development. Why is the fossil fuel cycle making this problematic?

Why is nuclear desirable over coal? Nuclear guy compares wind to nuclear, but he fudges the numbers-how is he lying?

What are the challenges to using nuclear power? Are these social or scientific?

Explain what happened at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

What is a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR), and how is it different from traditional nuclear plants?

The Germans keep coming up in our discussions of energy. Why? In Victorian England of 1850, a gentleman was taught Latin instead of Chemistry, which was thought of a subject for menials. How did this differ from the German system?

Explain the Lego model for a PBMR, and why it changes the return on investment (ROI) and the net present value (NPV) for a nuclear plant.

The video does not mention it, but we are now (2010) reaching peak cheap uranium as well as peak cheap oil. How would this change the tone of the solutions presented?

Vijay is optimistic-why?

<b>Notes from Chapter 8 in the textbook</b>

ch 8 notes-energy patterns of consumption

sun->photosynthesis is main course of terrestrial energy

civilization: agriculture, domesticated animals, wood for cooking/shelter

industrial revolution: coal (was for heating, hard to mine)

Ind. rev: more coal (mining devices), steam heat/power-began in UK

good points: portable, can be industrially concentrated (e.g. mined), used for many purposes (heat, steam-> kWh, syngas, plastics)

n.b. fig 8.4-note trends from renewable (wood) to limited (fossil fuels)

natural gas-easy to gather (surface wells), easy to process, store

nat gas 23% of US energy

n.b. T. Boone Pickens' energy plan (look up on wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_boone_pickens#The_Pickens_Plan

biomass: renewable, but low energy density

How to concentrate? See BTL, Fischer-Tropsch process:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_to_liquid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer_Tropsch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel

Portals:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Ecology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Sustainable_development

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Category:Renewable_energy

See fig 8.6-why is Canada so high? Why is Bengaladesh so low?

n.b. heating water-greatest energy use for lowest quality energy-crazy!

See fig 8.8-why are we so high? why again is B so low?

Electricity: both a means for consumption and a means of transport (e.g. wires)

Primary electircal sources: burning fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, wind, tidal, solar

n.b. Norway and Canada hydro-why?

n.b. Iceland all geothermal-why?

n.b. France-nuclear-why? recall Mururoa atoll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nuclear_testing#Atmospheric_tests_at_Mururoa_.26_Fangataufa

50% of power in Korea for industry!

Governmental influence on energy use: OPEC 1973, CAFE standards, coal subsidies, interstate system vs. rail and bus systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Oil_Embargo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAFE_standards

electrical energy pricing-we will soon see a film on Enron-yikes!

OPEC-July 2008: $149/bbl

n.b. fig 8.14-what is the fastest growing region? why should this worry us?

see fig 8.15-notice OPEC countries, and regions of political instability

Is renewable energy our best means of national defense?

Energy, Chapter 8

Team,

Remember in the beginning of our time together we discussed the four critical issues that you will have to navigate, cope with and/or solve: water, energy, food and culture.

This chapter is about energy, but not in the way usually covered in science textbooks, yet more in depth than you may have covered in any social studies textbook. This is such an important issue, yet it goes unmentioned in most of your classes.

It is vital that you understand not only the chain of energy use in our society and that of others, but the changes and vulnerabilities in these chains.

Some basic concepts:

1. All energy ultimately comes from the sun, either long ago as fossil fuels or biomass, as precipitation turning into hydroelectric power, convection driving wind, uranium deep in the core from the formation of the earth for geothermal, or the motion of the moon for tidal energy. It all comes from the sun in one way or another, renewably or stored from events long ago.

2. Before plants evolved on this planet, it looked a lot like Mars: red atmosphere, very hot, very high carbon dioxide levels. You saw this in the video. Plants converted this atmospheric carbon into plant structures like wood, which then either decomposed back into atmospheric carbon, or if it were covered, into fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, depending on what covered it up (swamps, oceans or land).

3. When we dig up this stored carbon and combine it with oxygen in the atmosphere, a process we call "burning", it releases that stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Why should we care about this? Remember Mars? Radiation from the sun passes through our atmosphere. Some of it is trapped by layers in the atmosphere on the way down, this is necessary for life. I'm talking about the ozone layer and ultraviolet light. Visible light passes relatively easily to the ground, where it heats the ground, turning visible light into heat (longer wavelength, lower energy). This heat radiates back to space, but is trapped by several gases: among these are water vapor (one reason IR telescopes are located on the top of Mauna Kea, above the water vapor in the atmosphere), and carbon dioxide, which is dispersed through the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide does not allow infrared (heat) radiation to pass very well, effectively bouncing it back to the surface. Think of the black dashboard of your car in the sun: visible light passes through the windshield, hits the black plastic, then re-radiates back as heat, which cannot pass through the glass. Result: your car gets very hot. This is called the greenhouse effect, because since Roman times, it has been used to grow warm plants in cold environments, using glass houses called greenhouses. Clever, eh?

So, here's your question: if we continue digging up and burning fossil fuels stored eons ago when the atmosphere was full of carbon dioxide, and use this stored energy to run our civilization, what will happen to the temperature of the atmosphere?

This is one reason this chapter is much more important than you might sense at first reading.

4. Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal have other elements stored with them that are released when burned. One example is the heavy metals and sulfur stored in coal: when it burns, it releases these elements into either the air (sulfur dioxide which then becomes acid rain) or in the toxic ash left behind (fly ash). So, beyond the greenhouse effect, fossil fuels make our life harder in other ways.

5. The control of fossil fuels begins with the industrial revolution, when coal was the big fuel, because it could be mined from the ground at rates higher and cheaper than one could harvest and transport wood. It is all about "intensity". Wood is a great, renewable biomass, but if you are lazy, or you run out of forest, you can dig up coal, which has much more energy stored in it per kg. Until about 1870, all oil came from whales (the reason that Lahaina developed over on Maui back then). After 1870, oil was discovered in Pennsylvania (you may have seen cans of oil labeled Pennzoil, this is why), which at first replaced whale oil for lamps and lubrication for machines, then was distilled or "cracked" into it's constituents: kerosene, diesel, gasoline, tar, asphalt, and others. Natural gas usually came along with oil, and the methods for collecting and compressing this into a usable fuel came along as well (you may have heard of gaslight in older literature-this was usually methane from these wells, captured and stored in large urban areas, then piped into houses and streets for lighting, heating and cooking).

The big concept again is intensity: wood is renewable, but coal, oil and gas are more concentrated, can be stored without rotting, and can be more easily transported and concentrated for industrial use. If we were still an agrarian (farming) society alone, we would not find fossil fuels so critical-unless…

6. Fertilizers are made up of three elements: N-P-K, which stand oddly for nitrogen, phosphorus and potash or potassium (kalium). The more critical of these for agriculture are the N and P parts. Through history, P was so critical that they actually dug up the bones of dead soldiers after major battles (such as Waterloo) to use as fertilizer, since bones are where we store phosphorus in our bodies. Nations sent ships all over the world looking for islands populated by birds and caves of bats because the bat guano (poop) was so high in phosphorous as well as nitrogen. Sailing ships would fill their holds with bird and bat poop and sail back to England to maintain their agricultural economy. Gunpowder (potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal) is made from nitrogen as well, in the form of nitrates. Most of this came from Chile, or from these poop ships.

Until…

Late in the 1800's, a German chemist named Haber found a way to extract the nitrogen in the air to form three chemicals: aniline, used to dye wool and cotton (recall the term "dyed in the wool"), make nitrogen based fertilizers, and to make gunpowder. You may know that a big thing happened in Germany around this time, with a dude named Bismarck (later to have a battleship and a town in the Dakotas named after him). Bismarck united the various city-states of Germany into one country. Ok, now put these together:

a. large country, lots of land

b. fertilizer, to make lots of crops on that land

c. food from these crops to increase the health and number of the population

d. new permanent chemical dyes that break the British monopoly on dying wool and cotton from their plantation countries of India and Egypt, among others. Think: loads of money.

e. gunpowder so you can go to war to get more land for (a) above using the soldiers from c above, fed by crops from (b) above, with weapons bought with money from (d) above.

The Germans invaded France, among other places. This was called World War I.

7. Later on, in 1932 King Ibn Saud formed the country of Saudi Arabia (see the word Saud in there?). Shortly thereafter, while drilling wells for water, they discovered oil. They then worked with an American company (Standard Oil) to collect and refine this oil, called ARAMCO, the Arab American Oil Company in 1933. All was just dandy until 1973, when the Arabs in Egypt, Syria and other places tried to attack Israel, our ally in the Yom Kippur War, to whom we gave weapons, and more importantly, satellite photos of the attacking Arabs, who were then defeated by the Israelis. Do you imagine the Arabs were happy about this? They were not. As major players in OPEC (the organization of petroleum exporting countries, controlling 78% of the world oil supply) they embargoed oil from any country friendly to Israel, including the US.

Check it out:

The result? All oil products increased in price, our economy faltered (we were just then finishing up a nasty, long war in Asia), and our country realized that energy was a critical issue. Conservation became important, our approach to cars, buildings and electricity changed, and it seemed like we were moving towards renewable energy sources.

Then, in 1978, Russia invaded Afghanistan. We pulled out of the olympics in 1980, Reagan came to power, devoted to crushing the Soviets by outspending them on the military. The Soviets needed cash, so they sold as much oil and natural gas as they could. The result? The price of oil dropped, renewable energy went to sleep, and Reagan took off the solar panels President Carter had installed on the white house. So it goes.

But wait! There's more! In 1990, Iraq, a major oil country, invaded Kuwait, our pal and an even more major oil country. Though small, these guys were loaded with cash, so we offered to help them kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait, which we did in the first gulf war. Oil, politics and the economy are never far from each other through history. Fast forward to 2008, when oil went from around $20 per barrel to $149 per barrel. This was like the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, renewable energy once again became popular, conservation and smaller cars were in vogue, you get the picture. Do you notice a cycle here? Can you see a solution to this problem that will only get worse as you get older?

Well you need to know something else: the supply is running out. This is called "Peak oil" and it is even scarier than the last few oil shocks, because it is not so much political as it is a physical reality:

The point is, we are running out of what is known as "cheap oil". Think of this: why was BP drilling in water 5 thousand feet deep off the coast of Louisiana? There will always be oil in some places, but the cost of recovering it (either money or environmental or political) will exceed the market value. Notice I say market value here, if a country goes to war, this is no longer market driven.

Does this mean all we have to do is conserve energy, develop alternate renewable energy sources and we are all set?

Not quite.

Remember the Haber process? Sometime after oil became cheap, folks found a way to create fertilizers economically using petrochemicals. These replaced the less intense fertilizers (like bat and bird poop) that one had to gather, and enabled farmers to have access to cheap, effective fertilizers, raising yields and lowering the cost of food. Now think of peak oil. What will this mean for farmers, food supplies and political stability?

Throw into this mix a relatively recent development: using petrochemicals to grow corn in a monoculture that is then used not for food but for ethanol. The carbon balance on this is not only ugly, it is not sustainable. More than 1 liter of petroleum is used to create 1 liter of ethanol, while also diverting food crops to fuel.

There is another recent development related to crops and energy: Back in the 1930's, Germany (again) had limited access to petroleum, but ready access to coal. They needed petroleum for their economy, and two German scientists Fischer and Tropsh devised a process for turning coal into liquid fuel, called CTL (coal to liquid).

Recently, this process has been updated to enable biomass to liquid (BTL) to be economically viable. This is key, because it (a) does not use food crops, instead focusing on grasses and fast growing trees, (b) is sustainable, as the biomass grows naturally, captures carbon from the atmosphere, then carries this carbon as an energy vehicle where needed, then releases the carbon as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and c) enables countries with low intensity energy (e.g. agrarian or farming nations) to be energy self sufficient, or even energy exporters, enabling them to trade for other things, or to fend off predatory investment that might otherwise threaten their people, their environment, or their future.

So, we come full circle: Forests were sustainable, yet not concentrated enough for the wasteful industrial revolution of the 1850's. It was replaced by coal, then by oil, which has now reached peak production. We are now at a place in history where we can once again harvest sustainable biomass, use it wisely, and reach a sustainable energy future, while not threatening food supplies, political boundaries or cultures. Biomass is a part of the solution, that fits our current energy use, storage and distribution system. One reason we are studying electricity in class is that you may have heard of the "smart grid". One key to the adoption of renewable energy will be the storage and distribution of this energy from places where it is harvested (sunny, windy, geothermal or hydroelectric areas) to the places where the users are (urban areas formed in the fossil fuel era). Will these areas shift to be closer to the sources of the power? Perhaps. Some very wise, very wealthy folks are on to this: T. Boone Pickens made his billions on oil. He has now sold all of that, and is installing wind farms all over Texas.

Warren Buffet, another billionaire just bought the Southern Pacific Railroad, on which most of the coal in our country is delivered, usually from the Powder River Basin in Utah and nearby to power what? The coal fired electric plants around the country. Notice where these guys, who are experts at looking around the next corner are positioning themselves.

LIsten:

Two energy Systems in the US

T.Boone Pickens: "we don't get on our own resource when we have the opportunity to do it, this generation could go down as probably the dumbest crowd that ever came down the street."

Electricity in America:

Framing climate change

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123950399

Please review these questions, and turn in for credit Wednesday:

Our first energy exam will be on Friday, 10.29.

Let us know how we can help.

aloha

b

AAAAHHHH! The test from hell!

Team,

First of all, each and every one of you did better than you think on this test. It was our first example of what Mr. Emmons and I have been describing in the AP exam: some questions are easy, some are so so, and some are really brutal. You all did surprisingly well in the toughest parts of this, and I've created a review sheet of the most commonly missed questions here:

What might be a nice idea would be for us to re-test you on these questions soon, so you can get some of those precious points. Let us know how you think about this idea.

Second point: the question on parallel growth was poorly worded, so I threw it out. You will all notice that your grade on the gradebook for the test is 2 points higher than that listed on the test site. It's because we are such nice guys.

Speaking of nice guys, Mr. Emmons and I care deeply about your experience here, and how we can both prepare you for a tough exam in May, while also engaging you as creative, whole, contributing beings with a great deal to share.

We are working on finding the best ways to do this, and each class is different, just as each of you learns in your own unique way. We are trying to find that way for each of you, and support you. You may have noticed we tried multiple choice, true false and short answer questions on this last test. You all rocked on the multi-part matching question, which should have been one of the toughest-great work folks.

As for the short answer questions, many of you had great answers, others had just enough to get the point across, and others tried valiantly to snow us. We have seen more snow than Antarctica, so don't go that route next time. The best answers came from those who took notes in class, reviewed the notes, and read the text before class. This is not magic, but you may find it makes the difference in college between those who survive and those who thrive.

Next class: Wednesday we'll go over the exam, then prepare for chapter 8 on energy. We will have a hands-on workshop for you, so make sure you bring your calculator to class.

As always, please let us know how we can help.

aloha

b

Week of 10.18.10

Team,

Monday we will begin with an exam. We'll be including both true/false and short answer questions this time, to help prepare you for the AP exam.

Make sure you read the following topics on wikipedia:

BOD

Dissolved Oxygen

Water quality index

capillary action

biodiversity

Please also listen to this short clip on population:

We appreciate that you need to plan out your week, so please read chapter 8 for class this week, which will prepare you for our discussion of energy. Please make sure you bring your calculator to class on Wednesday.

Let us know if there is any way we can help.

aloha

b

Update

Team,

Let's move the test for chapter 7 to Monday, and go over population some more on Thursday. There was a great deal of material, and we went over it very, very fast.

Here's what you are responsible for:

Thursday: turn in your chapter outline to Mr. Emmons

Weekend: Finish your questions, and do the online practice quiz (see previous post)

Monday: HW and online practice quiz due, test on chapter 7, finish up soils lab.

Wednesday: Begin chapter 8 on energy, lab on energy audits

Thursday: Show your parents how smart you are with the energy meters

We hope this is better and more humane, let us know if we can help further. Please view these videos for class Thursday:

If you have time, this is another very cool one where Ted Rosling predicts what day, month and year that Asia will overtake the world:

aloha

b

Chapter 7 questions, notes-SEE Q2 PLAN BELOW

Chapter 7 population questions Due Thursday 10.14.10

What factors impact a population?

What are the three survivorship curves for sheep, birds and plants?

Describe the population curves for + growth, neutral growth and - growth

Explain "biotic potential"

What are the 4 parts of a population curve, including overshoot

In the Denali wolf/moose example, explain the overshoot and phase shift

Explain the K and r tragegies, including the formula for growth rate

What is the extinction rate?

Explain the rule of 70, and give three examples

What was Malthus' proposal, and why has it not come true (so far)

Explain the IPAT formula, and give an example (be creative)

TFR means what?

What TFR is belived to be stable equilibrium?

What was the TFR for women in China in the 1980's? Why?

Explain why the literacy of women is related to fertility and sustainability?

Explain the trophic level pyramids, and why vegetarians are more sustainable than carnivores (e.g. humans)

Explain and graph the four stages in the demographic transition model

If you look at the population curves for the US (figure 7.18), you will see the WW I baby boom and the WW II baby boom. Explain the "boom echo".

Chapter 7 population notes

n.b. c/c means cunningham text, see the AP env sci folder on this server, here:

http://physics.hpa.edu/physics/apenvsci/cunningham_text/

population: same species, same location

Factors: birthrate (natality), death rate (mortality), sex ratio, age distribution, growth rate (r), density, spatial distribution

birthrate is per 1000 people, so 20/2000 is 10/k per year

mortality is same

survivorship curves (see fig 7.2) sheep-long life, birds-predators, non specific, plants-lots of offspring don't survive

population growth rate = Brate - Drate

See Fig 7.1, see also 6.6 in c/c page 123

Sex ratio: women always on the right

age distribution curves: pyramid is + growth, parallel is stable growth, inverted pyramid is - growth

repro years = 15-40 for female humans

see figure 7.3

spatial distribution: flowers

emigration: out, immigration:in

biotic potential: inherent repro capacity: geese=10/year, elephants=0.5/year

population curves: see figure 7.5

lag section: lots of food, takes time to reproduce

exponential section: grows according to At = A0 e kt

deceleration: food supply outstripped by population

stable: balance

overshoot: too many for food supply

see figure 6.3 and 6.4 in c/c chapter 6, page 119

see also figure 6.8 in c/c on overshoot

limiting factors: environmental resistance

extrinsic: predators, food source

intrinsic: self controlled, mice fertility drops in overpopulation (negative feedback)

see figure 6.10 in c/c, extinction rate

density dependent: predators, food

density independent: frost, flood, fire

limiting factors: energy, waste, raw materials

CARRYING CAPACITY-always on the AP exam: stable population, renewable resources, sustainable

"stable" is really negative feedback, equilibrium

Strategies:

K: mammals, take care of young, reach stable population at carrying capacity, few offspring, density dependent, low infant mortality

r: bacteria, lots of offspring, high infant mortality, limited by density independent factors (fire, flood, etc.)

see the growth formula: N is population, t is time, r is growth rate, K is carrying capacity:

∆N/∆t = rN(1-N/K)

n.b. as N/k -> 1, ∆N/∆t -> 0

negative feedback is the key here

r: less crowded, so N/K is close to 0, so rate is rN

K: follows carrying capacity, so N/K close to 1, so rate is close to 0

Malthus: population grows exponentially, food linearly, tf crash

see fig 7.12

Impact: IPAT

Impact = population * affluence * technology (we are high on all three)

imagine a village...

Demography: birthrate vs. deathrate

TFR: total fertility rate: number of offpring in female lifetime

2.1 is stable (why not 2.0?)

first child age: 14 in LDC, 21 in DC

see population bomb, ca. 1970

see c/c 7.17

see fig 7.14

Africa vs. US (5.0 TFR vs. 1.6 TFR)

female literacy prop. to TFR, tf GFO focus, also Grameen bank

china 1980, one child policy (some of these kids go to HPA)

tf no concept of sister or brother...the term disappeared...

ChengDu earthquake-China govt. allowed parents to have another child

GNI = gross national income

PPP = purchase power parity (e.g."fair trade")

see Mexico workers

see fig. 7.15, p. 159 Grameen bank

Trophic pyramid: n = 1% for carnivore, 10% for herbivore

see fig. 7.17 Demographic transition model

1. premodern: high BR, high DR, low, stable population

2. urbanization: high BR, low DR, growing pop.

3. mature: low BR (literacy of females), low DR, slowly increasing pop.

4. post-industrial: low BR, low DR, stable pop.

see fig 7.18, pop curves

WW I baby boom, ca. 1918

WW II baby boom, 1945-65 (parents were 20-40 yrs. old)

where is the "boom echo"?

What happened to the pop curves of Iran and Iraq following 1980-1990 period?

To what gender?

Why?

See c/c 7.11 and 7.14

Quarter 2 plan

Team,

Nice work on the last quarter, our next section will begin with population, then spend a few chapters on Energy.

Let's begin this week with Chapter 7 in the text, which you should read before class. We'll go over notes on chapter 7 Monday in class, then test on it when we meet on Thursday. Since this is being posted on Sunday afternoon, instead of Friday afternoon, let's make the chapter outline due to Mr. Emmons on Thursday, unless we have any schedule changes.

Here's an outline of the next two weeks:

Monday, 10.11: Chapter 7-Population notes in class (check here for video updates as well)

Thursday, 10.14: Chapter 7 test: population

Monday, 10.18: Begin Chapter 8 on energy, begin our first energy lab

Wednesday, 10.20: Chapter 8 on energy, more hands-on labs

Thursday, 10.21 (parent's day): short class on energy audits, you get to show your parents how smart you are...

Please complete the practice quiz for chapter 7 by Thursday, here is the link:

One last thing: Here is a question from the AP exam last year. Make sure you know the answer before class tomorrow:

If you were to look at a map of the world biomes, what five-step pattern would you generally see as your eyes move from the regions at the equator to the regions at the poles (put these in correct order):

deciduous forest, tropical forest, ice and snow, taiga, tundra

As always, let us know how can help.

aloha

b

Week of 10.4.10, last week in the first quarter

Team,

This week (Tuesday and Thursday), we'll be going over chapter 6 (see notes below), reviewing your answers to the Earth video, and wrapping up our soils lab. As you may already know, Friday is the end of the quarter, so all work must be turned in for credit before then.

We'll plan on a chapter 6 test Thursday, along with all of the other test in every other class you are taking.

Here are some helpful links from past entries:

Study questions online:

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073383201/student_view0/

Remember to select the chapter on the left, then look for practice quiz below that:

Test link:

Online grades:

Let us know if you have any questions.

aloha

b

Notes for chapter 5, 6 and earth videos

Team,

Please check out the notes below, and the earth videos assignment:

Addition: here are Mr. Emmons' notes from last class:

<b>apes reading notes 
ch 5</b>

apes reading notes

ch 5 environments and organisms

codes:

n.b. means nota bene, in latin, "note well"

esp. = especially

w/o = without

bc = because

wrt= with respect to

iff=if and only if

e.g.=for example

Op cit= Opus Citera, cited in the work

btw=by the way

ttfn=ta ta for now

pos=parent over shoulder

Notes

energy and matter flow is critical

everything that affects an organism=environment

abiotic=not living, biotic=living

limiting factor-see also rate limiting factor-recall cafeteria line, create your own image

range of tolerance-critical to adaptability (not mentioned in the book)

habitat-place, niche-role

adaptation-change in organism to meet surroundings and survive/thrive

genes-DNA determining characteristics

you=25% mom, 25% dad

population=same kind, same place

species=population concept: all organisms capable of reproduction with that gene set

natural selection: process, close fit between demands of environment and organism

NS over time=evolution

Natural Selection:

1. genetic variation (if none, then there is no outstanding survivor possible)

2. plenty of offspring, leading to…

3. stress on the system resources (food, water, land etc.)

4. outstanding survivors reproduce

5. incremental changes over generations improve adaptation (could be fast, like bacteria or fruit flies)

Speciation=like specialization in medicine: general doctors become radiologists

Often caused by splits in populations (sub populations) like the bunnies and the river…

diploid=you, 2 sets of chromosomes (colored bodies)

ployploidy=many chromosomes (e.g. plants)

Extinction=not enough of a species to effectively reproduce. Effective is the key word, genetic variation diminishes way before extinction occurs.

background rate: 10 species per year

present rate: many times this

co-evolution: two species change together, often in symbiosis

Interactions:

Predator-prey

Competition: interspecies (hawks, owls, foxes hunting the same mice), intraspecies (fastest wins in similar plants)

Symbiosis (see below)

Competitive Exclusion Principle (CEP): no 2 species can occupy the same niche in the same place (habitat) at the same time.

Symbiotic relationships:

Parasitism: B (parasite) feeds on A (host), A suffers for this

Vectors may be involved that carry the parasite (e.g. mosquitoes)

ectoparasites-outside endoparasites-inside

Commensalism: B benefits from A, A does not suffer

"opportunistic"

Mutualism: A benefits, B benefits

e.g. nitrogen fixing bacteria: mycorrhizae

Others: nest parasitism (cow bird), blood parasites

Community: different species in same area (ecosystem)

Ecosystems:

Producers: turn inorganic sources into organic sources, e.g. plants (sun energy) or sulfur plants (Sulfur oxidation and heat from deep sea volcanic vents)

consumers: Primary (eat the plants, e.g. herbivores) or secondary (carnivores, they eat the herbivores)

Omnivores: eat everything

Decomposers: decay everything back to organic and inorganic materials

Keystone species: critical role in balance of the ecosystem: remove them and the ecosystem cannot function

e.g. bison, sea otter

n.b. energy flow through the ecosystem

Trophic levels (very important)

producers: level 1

primary consumers: level 2

secondary consumers: level 3

meat eating carnivores: level 4

90% energy is lost in every transition (recall our talk on energy tax)

Low trophic level is sustainable

Can also be demonstrated by comparing biomass pyramid

Food chains, food webs (both were on the AP exam last year btw)

Food chain: series of organisms at ascending trophic levels, energy flows up

see also bio-accumulation of Hg (mercury)

detritus-decaying matter from living things

good web-intersection of several food chains, mutual interdependence, biodiversity, all good things...

Biochemical cycles (n.b. chemical)

Many chemical cycles, three are critical: carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

Carbon-stored in atmosphere as CO2, then in bones and organic matter (e.g. wood)

Nitrogen-stored in atmosphere as N2 (gas), used as NO3 and NH4 by primary producers, basis for protein (CHON)

Phosphorus-from rocks, stored in bones-see Waterloo diggers…yuk

photosynthesis-50% occurs in the oceans

light converted to sugar (recall Maui onions)

can track carbon as C14/6 through atmosphere, to CHO (plant) to CHON(protein) to CO2 or oil

All Americans over 50 have traces of C14 from atomic bomb testing in our bones…radioactive phosphorus as well…more yuk

green manure-sacrificial bean crops

crop rotation-n.b.

Question: why was Nauru so high in PO4? Hint: it is an island

fossil fuels burned-how does this change the Carbon cycle balance?

n.b. erg runoff: recall the video on Chesapeake R. eutrophication, algal blooms and red tides (we did not cover these, look them up on wikipedia)

<b>Chapter 6 notes</b>

Chapter 6 notes: Ecosystems and communities

Succession-communites proceed through series of recognizable, predicatable changes in structure over time

long lasting and stable

factors: climate, food, invasion etc.

climax comm. stable, long lasting result of succession

determined by climate, water, substrate and org. type

primary succession-no existing organisms

secondary succession-destruction of existing ecosystem

Primary succession-terrestrial-

factors: substrate (e.g. soil), climate, repro structures, rate of growth, organic matter, water

pioneer comm.- first to colonize bare rock (e.g. lichen)

later comm.-soil available, holds water (life)

1 pioneer stage

lichen: mutualistic: algae/bacteria(photosynthesis) + fungi to hold on

2 secondary stage: soil: retains water, structural support

(succession: plants shade lichens)

3 climax community-stable, diverse, interconnected, interdependent, many niches, recycle biomass (constant)

process of succession is called a sere, stages are seral stages

see fig 6.3-imagine driving from puako to waimea

Primary succession-aquatic

oceanic-stable

limnotic/riparian-transitional, fills with sediment

stages:

1. aquatic vegetation-e.g. aquarium, leads to wet soil and terrestrial networks (roots, wet meadow)

2. transitional: biomass of trees creates top layers of soil, transition to terrestrial climax comm.

imagine trip from middle of lake to shore-see all transitions

bogs=transitional stage from shore to dry land (Ireland, Scotland)

Secondary Succession-terrestrial

recall: existing comm. is replaced

e.g. pond fills to become a meadow, then climax forest

can reverse: beaver dams: land to aquatic

see also human dams, exponential decay curve

Biomes-------

determined by climate, altitude, water (precipitation), temperature

similar niches and habitats in each biome

<b> Earth Questions</b>

earth questions

How old is the earth? How old did early church leaders think it was?

Hutton found what rock formation in Scotland was the clue to the real age of the earth?

Kelvin used thermal cooling calculations to determine the age for the earth-how long was this?

Why was he wrong?

What is "deep time"?

What is so special about "pillow lavas"? What is the Hawaiian name for these?

What does Zircon have to do with aging the planet? What do they tell us about the source of water?

Water is neat stuff. Why would the temperature of the earth 4 bY ago accelerate changes?

3.4 bY ago a new type of rock was formed-what is this rock, and how does it fit into the asthenosphere picture of plate tectonics?

South Africa hosts the CapeVal Cretins: what are these? Why are these important? What did these have to do with the beginning of life? Where was life limited to before these?

What are stromatolites, and what did they produce? From what?

Playford found what? What is the impact of what he found?

What caused the change in the color of the oceans? What then happened to the atmosphere? What color was the planet after this?

What is a trilobite, and where are they found? Why are they significant? What did they prove?

What did Wegener believe? How easy was this to prove? When and how was it finally proven?

What does convection have to do with plate tectonics?

Why is Iceland such an ideal place to study plate tectonics?

What was Rodinia? Why did it cause climate change about 700 mY ago? Why is this so critical to understand today?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodinia

What was the Cambrian Explosion? Why is it important? What did Walcott discover? Where? What is the Burgess Shale Quarry? Why is shale so special in this process?

When did carnivores show up? Why? How did their presence change the evolution of creatures?

What did the ozone shield enable the growth of? Where did the ozone come from?

What formed the carbon in the carboniferous era? What did life look like 60 mY ago? What does this carbon look like today?

What does the freshwater in a swamp enable? Why is this important?

What did dead marine organisms transform into? Why is this important to us?

What caused the first mass extinction? What is a mantle flume eruption?

What was the name of the next supercontinent?

What were the predominant survivors of the first mass extinction?

Why would Utah be a good place to find these survivors?

What would be the advantage of being "luke-warm" blooded?

How did the first global warming trend change the dinosaurs? Why did this eventually become their downfall?

The Kimberly "stove pipe" means what? How are diamonds formed?

Who discovered the CT (KT) boundary, and what does it signify? When was this? When was it discovered, and how?

How big was the Yucutan meteor? How was it found (look this up on wikipedia)

50 mY ago, the mammals evolved. How did the demise of the dinosaurs make this possible? Science fiction movies often show cavemen fighting dinosaurs-why is this totally bogus?

What is similar about the Alps and the Himalayas, apart from them being mountains? What limits their ultimate altitude?

Mauna Loa is the largest landmass in the world. From the base of Mauna Loa on the 20,000 ft. deep ocean floor to it's top 13,500 ft. above sea level is much higher than Everest (29,000 ft.). How is this possible?

2 mY ago, an ice age again struck. What triggered this? How long did it last?

What makes glaciers flow? Do they flow faster or slower when they are thicker? Why?

Explain the balance between temperature and the progress of glaciers.

Glaciers often leave "unsorted" rocks, called glacial "till". What does this mean? Why would this differ from normal sedimentary sorting?

It is said that our civilization has been a brief, stable warm period. What does this predict for global warming/cooling?

What two oceans/seas will disappear when pangea ultima forms?

Where are the videos?

Here:

http://physics.hpa.edu/physics/apenvsci/media/earth/

We'd like you to view this video (broken into pieces for downloading) this week, so we can discuss it in class. The earth questions above will be due Tuesday, 10.5.10.

Please prepare for a quiz on chapter 5 Thursday, 9.30.10. We'll be going over notes on chapter 6 Tuesday and Thursday, as we have time, and you can plan for a chapter 6 test 10.5.10.

Let us know if we can help, we hope chapter 6 articulates well with chapter 5. Chapter 7 will be on Populations, which is extremely interesting for you, we hope.

aloha

b

e2 questions

e2 questions

Gray to Green

1. What is the gray in gray to green?

2. What were the challenges for the architects in the story?

3. What is the Bauhaus, and why was it key in the success of the story?

4. Can you imagine a similar recycling solution in your home town? How?

5. What is the final message of this story?

Green Machine

1. Why is the title of this piece ironic (hint: it has to do with Chicago politics)

2. What is the "heat island effect" and why is it so key in this case?

3. How did they address this heat island effect?

4. As a botanist, why would you think this is important?

5. There is a proposal floating around to restore the prairie to native prairie grasses, which could then be used as biofuels. From an ecological perspective, why would this be a good step? Why from an energy standpoint? How would this compare to planting the same areas with corn for bio-ethanol?

6. Sadhu Johnston mentions that Chicago is in a unique position to effect change. Why?

7. What were the main industries in Chicago, and how could these moves change that direction?

8. Sustainability is seen as finding new solutions to age old problems. Is this a social, education or technical issue?

9. The lady mentions that quality of life does not need to diminish, why?

10. What is the impact of LEED on green building? Short term and long term. 11. Describe the Factor 10 house.

12. Describe the McDonald's green roof, and why it is bogus

13. Looking around the energy lab, what ideas are shared in this story?

Weekend readings-UPDATED

Team,

We hope you have a great weekend, full of glee and bliss, while Mr. Emmons and I are shackled to our desks Monday.

That said, to even out the burden of pain, we'd like you to read chapter 5, which is full of all sorts of goodies, including but not limited to:

"Help! I've lost my niche!

Who is that predator predating me and why?

Keystone species exposed in building fraud!

I'm a prisoner of a food web chain gang!

My boyfriend and I have a symbiotic relationship..."

As our resident biologist, Mr. Emmons will be leading the charge on these scintillating (good SAT word) goings-on, so make sure you bring lots of paper for notes, and kleenex for the weepy bits.

We'll also be going into our soils lab, so you would be wise little grasshoppers if you read chapter 13 as preparation. Make sure you bring along your lab handouts. And your shovels. And your tractors. And any earth moving equipment you might own. We'd like to take you to the flume to see the double-secret ash deposits.

Our next unit will be on biomes and ecosystems, which we will follow with chapter 7, on populations, which will be a real barn burner, particularly if your name is Malthus.

For this weekend, please view the two videos, and check here for questions on them. I should have them up by Saturday.

<b>UPDATE--Team, let's move the e2 video assignment to Friday, ok?

Notes and questions will be up tonight.

b</b>

Let us know how we can help.

aloha

b

Friday 9.17.10

Team,

Please remember to bring in your chapter 4 outlines for HW. We'll have a test on chapter 4 in class, then begin our soils lab (weather permitting). Let us know if you have any questions. Please bring in a flash drive so we can give you the movies for the weekend:

Check here for questions on these videos, due next week.

Test link:

aloha

b

Wednesday

Team,

Wednesday we'll begin with a quick quiz on atoms, elements and pH, then we'll begin our soils lab. It would be a good idea to review thermodynamics as we'll have a piece on this in our Friday quiz, and we want you to be prepared.

aloha

b

Flash drives

Team,

Please bring in a flash drive of your choice so we can pass on videos for questions this week.

aloha

b

Cycle 3

APES cycle 3

3.1:

Monday 9.13

W 9.15

F 9.17

-

W 9.22

F 9.24

This weekend, chapter 4 is the reading assignment. Here are some notes:

Please look these up on wikipedia for our discussion in class Monday:

Cold fusion

Cargo cult science

Monday, we'll continue our discussion on the scientific method, then get into some basic notes on matter and chemistry. These are all in chapter 4.

We'll be meeting in the whiteboard rooms so make sure you bring your notebooks.

Wednesday, we'll begin our soils lab, which will use some of the concepts we discuss on Monday, such as pH, compounds and elements

Friday, we'll have a test on chapter 4, then begin a discussion of chapter 5: the predator chapter…

Wednesday 9.22 we'll continue the soil lab and chapter 5 notes, with the soil lab completed by Friday 9.24.

Please let me know by email if you are still having issues viewing the e2 video.

Jhernie found this cool 4 minute video on graphs:

Check it out

Check here for notes and updates

Lab report format

e2 videos, homework

Folks,

After viewing the two TED videos on sustainability, we'd like you to move on to the first in a series of videos from a program called "e2: the economies of being environmentally conscious"

The first series is on Design I, and the first episodes are "The Green Apple" and "Green for All". Please watch these so we can discuss in class Friday.

We'll have three more in this series, then we'll move on to the others:

Design I

Design II

Design III

Energy

Transport

Each season has 5 episodes, with each episode focusing on an aspect of what we are studying together. We hope you find these as compelling as we do, and that they might inspire you to be change agents...

"Green Apple"

"Green for all"

Questions Due Friday:

design: e2 The Green Apple

1. Why is Manhattan considered greener than most cities?

2. Newer cities like LA have created automobile accessible designs. How does this directly tie to health and energy consumption for those working in that city compared to NYC?

3. Describe 4TimesSquare in NYC as a green skyscraper. Discuss “frit” (sunlight) and “slag” (CO2).

4. Describe how the “cost of people” living in a large city building affects the sustainability of that building.

5. The Solaire is located in Downtown Manhattan's most desirable waterfront neighborhood - Battery Park City. Describe why it has become a marketing trend for culture change and eventually sustainability.

design: e2 Green for All

1. One in seven homes in the world are deemed inadequate. What is predicted in 30 years?

2. Describe the Mexican government’s attempt to provide “modern” housing for the Yaqui Indians.

3. The University of Texas graduate students devised a different design. Describe it.

4. Step one of the Guadalupe Project in Austin Texas was The Alley Project? Describe the Alley project and what it was intended to do.

5. New homes create a level of ownership in a community fueling sustainability that in turn develops political and social rights in the world. How can homes essentially reflect how a person lives?

Let us know how we can help.

aloha

b

Peak oil in the news

Folks,

Just released in Germany, this article in Der Spiegel is perfect timing for our discussion of peak oil and of supply and demand. Be sure to read the points in the middle:

ALSO:

Please have a look at this cool link that Mr. DK found for you:

way cool...

aloha

b

Cycle two: 8.30.10-9.10.10 --UPDATED 1700 8.30.10

<b>APES cycle 2 plan</b>

8.30 Monday

9.1 Wednesday

9.3 Friday

----

9.8 Wednesday

9.10 Friday

UPDATE: study questions online:

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073383201/student_view0/

In your readings for chapter 3, you may notice that the chart in figure 3.3 is whacky beyond belief.

Here is a link to a much more clear explanation of supply and demand, pay attention to the graphs in blue and red:

If you've already had Economics, then you probably know this...

Lab folder:

----

--updated link to Poisoned Waters Video:

Weekend: view Poisoned waters on water quality issues, questions due Monday at beginning of class

If you want to get ahead: read chapter 3 (see links below for chapter locations)

8.30 Monday

Poisoned Waters questions due at beginning of class

Review chapters 1 and 2, quiz on chapters 1 and 2

Water Quality Lab discussion

Chapter 3 introduction

9.1 Wednesday

Chapter 3 discussion, more shorter videos online

Water Quality Lab beginning

Reminder: X period open for questions

Please watch this video online: 


and this one on sustainability: 


These are the first of many TED talks I'll be passing on to you. I hope these are enlightening for you. 
I'd like to move from economics and environmental science to design, in other words, how you would use the wisdom you are now developing to change the design of our buildings, our cities and our world. 

You will find some things in the readings that would be very helpful to look up on wikipedia. I trust all of you have seen wikipedia at http://www.wikipedia.org 


The list from Chapter 3: 


risk assessment 


ASTM 


ISO 


LD50 


IPCC 


clean air act 


safe drinking water act


BPA 


Eutrophication 


cradle to cradle 


RfD 


DfE 


dioxin 


seventh son of the seventh son 


indoor air pollution 


dead zones in gulf of Mexico 


supply and demand (study the three curves) 


contingent valuation method 


deferred costs 


external costs 


pollution 


biodegradable 


pollution-prevention costs 


cost benefit analysis 


Environmental impact statement 


NEPA act of 1969 


tragedy of the commons

1968 


command and control approach 


cap and trade 


brownfields 


SBLRBRA 


CERCLA/Superfund 


RoHS 


sustainable development 


debt for nature swap 


methyl mercury 


Responsible Care 

9.3 Friday

Water Quality Lab

Check here for more details

Weekend:

Lab work

Videos (check here for update)

Read chapter 4

9.8 Wednesday

Chapter 3 wrap-up, quiz

Begin work on chapter 4

9.10 Friday Chapter 4 notes, class discussion

UPDATE----

Test link for Monday's class, chapter one test:

Questions for Water Quality Index, due Wednesday:

Water Quality Index questions

Look up WQI in wikipedia and answer the following:

What is the WQI

What metrics are part of the WQI

Why is it called an index instead of something else?

Why are each category weighted differently?

After viewing the Polluted Waters video, how effective is the WQI in measuring water quality in each of the cases presented? Why? What is missing? How would you detect these?

What would be the impact financially, socially, and environmentally, and in what time frame?

In your opinion, do you think water quality is getting better, worse or staying the same:

In Hawaii

In the Mainland US

In your home town (if you live in Waimea, then in Honolulu)

Resource links

Hi folks,

I hope this helps you now and in the future:

Here is the folder with all of the chapters from the text:

You might find some interesting things hidden in there.

Likewise, there is a folder for all of our videos here:

The main folder for all of our resources is here:

Here is a link to the phone version of the video:

I hope this helps.

aloha

b

Week two, cycle 01.2-UPDATED

---UPDATE---

Text link:

Please see me Wednesday if you are having issues with the video.

------------------

Meeting dates this week:

Tuesday 8.24

Thursday 8.26

Readings:

Text chapter two: Environmental Ethics

Outline for homework, due Thursday

Review Questions, due Thursday

Video: Frontline: Poisoned Waters

Or here:

Watch online, answer questions here:

1 When was the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed? What events prompted its formation?

2 How did deregulation of industry during the Reagan years affect water quality and the overall power of the Environmental Protection Agency?

◦ What does “voluntary compliance” mean?

‚ó¶ Why do businesses favor voluntary compliance?

3 The Clean Water Act of 1972 allows citizens to sue alleged offenders if government agencies do not act. Why is that provision of the law important?

4 The expression “canary in the coal mine” means an early warning of danger. (Coal miners would carry canaries or small animals with them into mines to detect deadly but odorless and tasteless methane gas.)

◦ To what does the expression “canary in the coal mine” apply in Poisoned Waters?

5 Twenty million Americans took to the streets for the first Earth Day in 1970 as a result of pollution they could see and smell: The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland burned, with flames that towered eight stories high; the1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara closed virtually all the beaches in Southern California; people had declared Lake Erie dead.

‚ó¶ How, according to the film, have both pollution and people's reaction to Earth Day changed since 1970?

6 What do “endocrine disruptors” do? Why do genetic mutations in fish disturb scientists so much?

7 How do the products that average people use each day end up polluting the nation's and world's waterways?

8 How should we pay for environmental cleanup? Should it be the responsibility of industry? Government? Individuals? Explain your reasoning.

Please turn in our answers at the beginning of class Thursday.

In class:

Lab format:

See this link:

Grading template:

Data analysis:

Check out this page online:

Keeling curve and CO2 trends at Mauna Loa

Check this out if you have time:

Let us know how we can help.

aloha

b

2010 year begins!

Welcome folks, to AP Environmental Science.

The link to the first chapter of the text is here:

and the contents page is here:

If you have time, please watch this 22 minute video on wind:

and this one on the Grameen Bank

Here are some thoughts:

The wind video demonstrates how many decisions can be made that are harmonious with both business, consumers and the environment.

The second video is very compelling about the impact of even small changes in society.

We will spend more time on these in the future, this should serve as a teaser to give you a sense of the media we will be covering.

As we mentioned in class, we recommend getting a textbook as soon as possible. If the bookstore is out, you can look on Amazon (used for about $96) or some of the other online textbook sources. Be careful to get the 12th edition, ISBN 0073383201

We'll have a chance to discuss more in class Wednesday.

Let us know if we can help.

aloha

b

Free Response Prep.

All you need to know...

1)Water

2)Energy

3)Pollution

a)LD50/ED50

4)Population

a)Habitat

b)bioaccumulation/biomagnification

c)food webs

d)endangered species

Possibly...

-soils

Sunday

Team,

Please bring at least ten interesting questions for our discussion on Sunday, and think up at least two very clever free response questions, with increasing depth as one goes through the question.

See you all Sunday!

aloha

b

Update

First of all, from Ms. Mitchell:

Please inform your AP Environmental Science students to report to Castle Lecture Hall at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 11 for their exam. Rob Engel will proctor the exam.

Updated review sheet:

APES notes updated 5.6.2010

Keystone species: influence greater than relative abundance

ex: predator keeps herbivore pop down, preserves rare grass

Biomes:

terrestrial, freshwater, marine

latitude, humidity, elevation-terrestrial

freshwater:

rivers, wetlands and basins (deeper than what they serve)

marine:

neritic -close to shelf

benthic-deep, sloping away from con shelf

pelagic-open sea

abyssal-very deep

hadal-trenches

food webs:

connections of energy from producer to consumer

trophic pyramid (see plankton to ahi, bioaccumulation)

primary producers: autotrophs-photosynthetic plants, chemotrophic (sulfur)-inorganic sources (also foundation species)

heterotrophs-get energy from organic sources:

herbivores, carnivores, scavengers

lots of energy lost between trophic levels (thermodynamics)

ecosystems-

abiotic environment

producers-autotrophs, e.g. plants

consumers-heterotrophs, e.g. herbivores, canrivores

decomposers-detritovores

photosynthesis-

CO2, water, light into organic compounds (e.g. sugars)

photoautotrophs-plants

carbon fixation (redox rx) reduction is CO2 to CHO

chlorophyll, carotenes and xanthophylls

cellular respiration-

conversion of energy to ATP (phosphate bonds)

glucose, amino acids and fatty acids with O2 as an oxidizer (accepts electrons) OIL RIG

aerobic and anaerobic metabolysis (aerobic is 19x more efficient)

TCA cycle, mitochondria

biodiversity-

variation of life forms within a biome or ecosystem

genetic

species

ecosystem

creates stability and robustness in ecosystems

biogeochemical cycles (nutrient cycles)

how an element or molecule travels through biotic (living things) and abiotic (earth, air, water) parts of earth

reservoirs may differ: N2 in air, P in soil

closed system: C N O P

open system: energy, e.g. photosynthesis

cycles:

carbon

nitrogen

oxygen

phosphorus

water

also mercury and atrazine (herbicide)

GM crops

genetic engineering vs. selective breeding or mutation breeding

concerns: ecological, economic (LDC) and IP rights (see Monsanto)

uses restriction enzymes to ID and isolate genes

inserted using gene gun (plasmid) or agrobacterium

GMO

insertion or deletion of genes

recombinant DNA, transgenic organisms

if no DNA from other species, cisgenic (cis vs trans)

lentiviruses-can transfer genes to animal cells

Genentech-Berkeley 1978, created human insulin from E. Coli (vs. cow or pig insulin)

pesticides-

biological, chemical, antimicrobial, disinfectant

pests: pathogens, insects, weeds, mullosks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes and microbes

any food competitor or spoiler, also disease vectors

herbicides-glyphosate (roundup)

insecticides-HCl, carbamates, pyrethrins, etc.

green fungicides-paldoxins

EPA regulates

banned: carcinogenic, mutagenic or bioaccumulators

see also NRDC

pesticide laws-

Federal insecticide act-1910

Federal insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide act (FIFRA)-1947 then 1972, 1988

1947-ag dept

1972-EPA

3 categories: antimicrobials, biopesticides, conventional

forest management-

silviculture, protection and regulation

conservation and economic concerns

watershed management included

see also FSC 1993, forest stewardship council

applied ecology-

conservation biology, ecology, habitat management

invasive species management

rangeland management

restoration ecology

land management-

habitat conservation

sustainable ag

urban planning

sustainable ag-

environmental stewardship

farm profitability

farming communities

e.g. ability to produce food indefinitely, without causing damage to ecosystem health

see also erosion, irrigation/salinization, crop rotation

see also landraces, e.g. prairie grasses

mining laws-

SMCRA

surface mining control and reclamation act (1977)

1. regulates active coal mines

2. reclamation of abandoned mines

dept of interior admin

response to strip mining (1930+)

SMCRA

regulation:

1. standards of performance

2. permitting

3. bonding

4. inspection/enforcement

5. land restrictions

compare to 1945 strip mining practices

Fisheries laws-

monitor and protect fisheries resources

overfishing conference 1936

1957: Beverton and Holt did study on fish dynamics

goals:

1. max sustainable biomass yield

2. max sust. econ yield

3. secure employment

4. secure protein supply

5. income from export

6. bio and economic yield

UNCLOS-UN convention on law of the sea

EEZ-exclusive economic zones

12 mi = coastal sovereignty

200 mi = fishing restrictions

2004-UN made stricter laws on fisheries mgt.

1995 code of conduct for responsible fisheries

quotas, taxation, enforcement (USCG)

tragedy of the commons-

1968 Science article-Garrett Hardin

individual benefit, common damage

strict management of global common goods

see also overgrazing, pollution, privatization

"a fundamental extension of morality"

ozone depletion-

stratospheric ozone depletion

4% since 1970

ozone hole over antarctica

catalytic destruction of ozone by chlorine and bromine

halogen compounds CFCs (freons) and bromofluorocarbons (halons)

ODS ozone depleting substances

ozone blocks UVB 270-315 nm

Montreal protocol 1987 banned CFCs

O + O3 --> 2O2 (transparent)

Cl + O3 -->ClO + O2

ClO + O3 -->Cl + 2O2

effects:

1. ++ carcinomas

2. melanomas

3. cataracts

4. ++ tropospheric ozone (toxic)

5. kills cyanobacteria (rice nitrogen fixers)

Water quality:

WQI is a composite of many qualities (see below)

BOD is a measure of the oxygen demand to decompose organic materials

BOD measures the rate of oxygen uptake by micro-organisms in a sample of water at a temperature of 20°C and over an elapsed period of five days in the dark.

The following is a list of indicators often measured by situational category:

Drinking water

‚ñ™ Alkalinity

‚ñ™ Color of water

‚ñ™ pH

‚ñ™ Taste and odor (geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), etc)

‚ñ™ Dissolved metals and salts (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium)

‚ñ™ Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia

‚ñ™ Dissolved metals and metalloids (lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.)

‚ñ™ Dissolved organics: colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), dissolved organic carbon

‚ñ™ Radon

‚ñ™ Heavy metals

‚ñ™ Pharmaceuticals

‚ñ™ Hormone analogs

Environmental

Chemical assessment

‚ñ™ Conductivity (also see salinity)

‚ñ™ Dissolved Oxygen

‚ñ™ nitrate-N

‚ñ™ orthophosphates

‚ñ™ Chemical oxygen demand (COD)

‚ñ™ Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

‚ñ™ Pesticides

Physical assessment

‚ñ™ pH

‚ñ™ Temperature

‚ñ™ Total suspended solids (TSS)

‚ñ™ Turbidity

Electrical power numbers:

1 Watt

1000 Watts = 1 kW

These measure rate of energy use (this is called power)

energy use: power x time

kW x hours or kWh

example: 1 kWh is a 500 Watt device used for 2 hours

MWh is a megawatt hour

power plants are often rated in MW rating, or GW rating (gigawatt, or 1000 MW)

LD50 is the measure of toxicity that kills 50% of the population after 2 weeks

The LD50 is usually expressed as the mass of substance administered per unit mass of test subject, such as grams of substance per kilogram of body mass.

As a measure of toxicity, LD50 is somewhat unreliable and results may vary greatly between testing facilities due to factors such as the genetic characteristics of the sample population, animal species tested, environmental factors and mode of administration.[3] Another weakness is that it measures acute toxicity only (as opposed to chronic toxicity at lower doses), and does not take into account toxic effects that do not result in death but are nonetheless serious (e.g. brain damage). There can be wide variability between species as well; what is relatively safe for rats may very well be extremely toxic for humans, and vice versa. In other words, a relatively high LD50 does not necessarily mean a substance is harmless, but a very low one is always a cause for concern.

3 laws of thermodynamics:

1. you cannot win (no process can be more than 100% efficient)

2. you cannot break even (no process can be even 100% efficient)

3. you cannot get out of the game (entropy or disorder tends to increase in spontaneous processes)

See also Gibbs free energy: ∆G = ∆H - T∆S or "goldfish are hell without tartar sauce"

ENSO: el nine southern oscillation

coriolis effect: recall hurricane iniki

aquifer: have an example ready for the depletion/pollution and describe recharge rate

main soil types, main rock types, geological basics (eras etc.)

climate shifts: how do these effect migration and location of animals? Why not plants?

fertility rates, doubling times (rule of 70), demographic transitions, age-structure diagrams

nutritional requirements

sustainable ag (see above)

urban sprawl: define. How has the auto made this possible?

urban heat island effect: define

ore concentration curves

CAFE standards-definition, impact, exceptions

Please also check out the entry from one year ago, 5.5.09 below, particularly the apx folder. We'll review in class Friday.

See you all Friday

aloha

b

AP exam review folder, homework

Team,

We're in the home stretch and I appreciate you have lots of material to cover this week. To make this more efficient, I've collected practice materials in a folder here:

Please start with the folder labeled "critical readme", which contains a summary document I'll be editing and adding to over the next few days. Check it out daily, as I'll be giving you what I think you'll need to cover or review that we might not have covered.

There are several other folders:

AP central stuff is material from the folks who created the exam

Barron's reviews includes both timed simulation exams and other more standard formats

Princeton is the Cracking the AP review folder

AP review course is a curriculum developed by an instructor. Good browsing to see if you need to review anything.

Labs AP is a folder with labs you should review, particularly if the topic in the lab is unfamiliar to you.

I'll post more here later Sunday 5.2.2010, so please check in frequently.

Here is one of your last assignments for credit:

Find and read these articles on Wikipedia:

Superfund:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfund

RCRA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCRA

Clean Air Act:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_air_act

Federal Water Pollution Control Act:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Water_Pollution_Control_Act

National Environmental policy act:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act

And answer the following questions:

1. CERCLA stands for what?

2. What happened at Love canal?

3. How was CERCLA expanded in 1986?

4. How is the SuperFund funded now?

5. What two kinds of response actions are outlined in the CERCLA?

6. Who are the "potential responsible parties" under CERCLA?

7. What is the NCP revision, and how does it impact polluters?

8. What is the NPL and what is it's role?

9. What does RCRA stand for?

10. Why is it an improvement on the 1965 law on solid waste?

11. Explain "cradle to grave" requirements and give an example.

12. What is a TSDF, and how does it manage hazardous waste?

13. What is a "whistleblower" and how are they provided for in the RCRA?

14. What are the corporate arguments against the clean air act?

15. Describe the 1955, 1963, 1967, 1970, 1977 and 1990 acts and cite a common theme and opponent.

16. What was new in the 1990 law that may affect third world nations?

17. Last week the EPA made news regarding CO2 emissions and the clean air act. What happened?

18. What is the CWA, and how is it enforced?

19. What are navigable waters, and how are they defined?

20. How does the CWA treat point sources? Give at least two examples.

21. How is this different for non-point sources?

22. What is different with the WQA of 1987?

23. Explain the NEPA act of 1970, and its impact.

24. What happened off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969 (also the year of Woodstock, and several assassinations), and how is it relevant today, March 2, 2010?

25. What is an EIS, and are they required today?

26. How does an EIS differ from an EA?

aloha

b

Plan for week of April 26

Team,

We're closing in on the end of our material, and need to wrap up pollution and global climate change this week, beginning risk assessment by Friday.

Here's what we need to cover:

Monday: you read chapters 9 and 11, so we can review in class. Some questions for credit in class.

Tuesday: we finish chapter 9 on pollution in class, begin work on ch 11 (climate change)

Wednesday: short class-ch 11

Friday: chapter 11, questions for credit.

Work for the week: both AP exams in this folder:

Please take your time with these, and record anything you feel we need to review.

More here soon, this is a really good finish to a strong year...

aloha

b

Plan for the rest of time...

Team:

Here is our plan for the rest of the year:

4.20 T Chapters 9 and 11 in Barron's: Pollution and global climate change

4.21 W Pollution

4.23 F Climate change/Ozone issues

4.27 T Health issues/regulations

4.28 W chapter 10

4.30 F Chapter 10

5.4 T review/practice exam diagnostics

5.5 W review/diagnostics

5.7 F all-of-the-missing-pieces-that-will-get-you-a-five

5.11 Tuesday AP exam 8 AM. Be there or be flabby.

So...

For tomorrow (Tuesday) please read all of chapter 9 in the Barron's text, so we may all be experts in pollution by the end of class.

<b>Easter Egg: Find and listen to the song "we didn't start the fire" by Billy Joel.

What is the line following "AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz"? Why is this important?

Hint: see the section on solid waste in chapter 9...</b>

As always, should you or any of your IM force be caught, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your mission...

aloha

b

Atmosphere and footprints

Team,

Please complete and email the following to me before class on Tuesday:

<b>APES Air questions</b>

1. Describe the major levels of the atmosphere, with a description of the temperature in each level and why the temperature profile changes with altitude.

2. Describe the four "criteria pollutants" and where you might find them, why each is hazardous, and why these stand out over the other thousands of air pollutants.

3. Describe the four major greenhouse gases, including how they are formed, how long they last, and if there is any connection between these and human activity.

4. As the climate crisis progresses, eventually the permafrost will begin to melt. Why is this an example of positive feedback?

5. PM refers to particulate matter. Why is this specification based on particle size, and which sizes are the most hazardous?

6. Describe the flow of air on the planet, including the convection zones. Explain how this creates high and low pressure areas on the surface.

7. What is the albedo of the earth, and how does this interact with climate change?

8. The Coriolis effect is often poorly understood. In your own words, explain the rotation of a hurricane approaching Hawaii from the southeast.

9. Is the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) an air event, a sea event, a global event, or all three? Explain.

10. Many people believe that the ozone layer is involved in global warming. How can you distinguish between these two? What is the main impact of a thinner ozone layer, and what might cause this?

<b>APES Footprint questions</b>

1. Explain why the data you were given ends several years ago

2. What is the nature of your country: industrial, rural, etc. and how developed is your country?

3. Describe the ratio of biocapacity to footprint for your country. Calculate this number for each year in your graph, and express it as a ratio: greater than 1.0 is good, less than 1.0 is not so good.

4. Create a graph of your new ratio data, in the same range as your data graph. You can use excel or any other simple graphing app.

5. How do you explain the trends in your ratio graph? What events or changes in the slope might be significant?

6. Next, look at the breakdown of farmlands, carbon and so on, and relate these changes to your ratio graph. What correlations do you notice?

7. What changes would you make in the management of this country, either in resource management or in footprint?

8. Ok, now that you have a good picture of your country, as leader, what is the ideal compromise value that would keep the ratio over 1.0?

<b>Quote for today:</b>

In November of 2009 it was reported that 16 ships create as much pollution as all the cars in the world.

Please read for class Tuesday (these are long, ignore the comments section on the first reading, and browse the second one):