9 Week Environmental Science: Chapter 15 Air pollution Textbook Reading and Questions

Go to page 321 and read the case study about Antarctica: 1. What happened to the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002?

2. What is the volume of the ice released and what do scientists believe this release indicates?

3. What caused the Larsen A ice shelf and the Larsen B ice shelf to collapse?

4. What are ice sheets (hint: refer to figure 15.2)?

5. How is Antarctic warming effecting wildlife, specifically krill and how has this affected the penguins?

6. What are the effects of concern if these ice sheets and other glaciers were to melt?

Turn to page 322 and begin reading at the top of the page: 7. Our atmosphere has 4 distinct zones. Describe the:

a) Troposphere:

b) Stratosphere:

8. In which zone of the atmosphere is the ozone layer and specifically, how does this layer help humans?

Turn to page 324: 9. Describe the causes of the greenhouse effect.

Turn to page 330 and begin reading in the section titled "Climate": 10. How are ice cores from glaciers used to reveal climate history?

11. What is the age of the longest ice record ever recorded?

12. What specific gas is studied by using these ice cores and how is this gas related to the greenhouse effect?

Turn to page 333 and begin at the section titled, "Our actions are now causing global climate change": 13. In 1895, Svante Arrhenius won the Nobel Prize for his prediction about carbon dioxide. What was his prediction regarding carbon dioxide released from burning coal?

14. In 1988, the United Nations Environment Program and World Meteorological Organization formed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The panel studies climate change and its impact on the environment. What did the panel report from its research in February 2001 ?

15. What did the IPCC conclude regarding human activities impact on climate change?

16. What are some of the main greenhouse gases and where do they come from?

9 Week Environmental Air Pollution Chapters 15 & 16 Questions

Turn to page 334 of the textbook and start at the section titled "Evidence of climate change is becoming overwhelming": 1. List and describe 5 pieces of evidence that our average global temperature is rising.

2. What is the Kyoto Protocol and who signed it and who did not?

Go to page 339 and start at the section titled "How can we control greenhouse emissions: 3. What are some ways that each of the following countries has reduced CO2, the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide? a) United Kingdom

b) Germany

c) Denmark

4. List at least 5 things you can do to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (Hint: use the yellow box on 339 for ideas).

Turn to page 345 in Chapter 16 and read the case study on Mercury Pollution: 5. In what commercial products is mercury found?

6. What are some of the health problems associated with overexposure to mercury?

7. What type of food are pregnant women and young children advised to not eat due to high levels of mercury in this food?

8. What are some of the major sources of mercury?

9. In a means of regulating mercury release, a plan called "cap-and-trade" was passed. Explain what this means and what are some of the concerns, especially for poorer communities.

1O. In the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, mercury is being removed remarkably well out of smokestacks, how? Could this be used to remove mercury from other factories?

9 Week Environmental Science Chapter 16 Air Pollution Questions

Turn to page 346 and begin reading at the section titled "Natural Sources of Air Pollution": 1) Name 5 or more natural sources of air pollution.

2) If there are natural sources of air pollution, why do we care if people add a bit more air pollution to the air?

3) Tum to page 349 and look at the 7 pie charts of air pollutants in the United States, what is the predominant source of each of the following pollutants: a) particulate materials b) lead c) nitrogen oxides (NOx): d) Carbon monoxide: e) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) f) Sulfur dioxide g) SOx

4) Give a brief description of what each of the following air pollutants are and what is the concern with each: a) sulfur dioxide

b) nitrogen oxides

c) carbon oxides

d) particulate material

Turn to page 352 and begin at the section titled "Volatile Organic Compounds": 5) VOCs often can lead to formation of smog. What are VOCs and where do they come from?

Tum to page 353 and begin at the section titled "Indoor air is more dangerous for most of us than outdoor air": 6) What is the most important and most dangerous indoor air pollutant to human health?

7) Regarding the indoor air pollutant identified in question 6, what does the Surgeon General estimate is the impact of this air pollutant?

Turn to page 355 and begin reading at the section titled "Wind currents carry pollutants intercontinentally: 8) Why should we be concerned with air pollution that happens in other countries across the globe?

Turn to page 363: 9) Describe at least 5 things you can do to help reduce air pollution.

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Name ________________________

Chapter 15/16 Air Pollution Vocabulary

Please number and identify each term below on a separate sheet of paper, the first column

will be your first vocabulary assignment (For those that are *, please illustrate).

Aerosols* Climate Convection Currents*

Greenhouse Effect* Ozone Troposphere*

Acid Precipitation Carbon Monoxide CFCs

Nitrogen Oxides Particulate matter* Sulfur Dioxide

Weather Stratosphere Carbon Dioxide*

Anthropogenic

Chapter 15 The Atmosphere and Climate

-_________________-daily temperature and moisture conditions in a given place

-______________- long term weather patterns

-Majority of atmosphere is ___________________, all other gases make up less than 1%

-___________________- the layer of air adjacent to the surface of the Earth

-___________________- layer above troposphere where most ozone is found

Climate

A. Climate have changed dramatically throughout history

-Evidence found through ______________ found in glaciers gives us evidence of

ancient volcanic eruptions, and climate in a given year dating back 420,000 years

-Ice samples show that atmospheric temperature and _________________

correlate

B. El Nino/La Nina

-El Nino- occurs in late ____________, surface trade winds that normally push

warm water westward toward Indonesia weaken and allow for storms in the

Americas and drought in Asia

-______________- occur in intervening years of El Nino, regular weather

conditions occur

C. Human Actions are causing climate change

-1988 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was a group of

scientists who concluded that the Earth’s surface temperature has risen _______

over the past 100 years

D. Greenhouse gases have many sources

-By altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere, we have increased the

______________________ on Earth causing average temperature to rise

-Humans have increased CO2, CH4, and N20 levels, CO2 is the most important

cause of climate change, levels have increased from preindustrial-280 ppm, to a

projected _____________by the year 2100

-The sources of these gases are burning of ______________ 49%, agriculture 13%,

_______________ 14%, industrial processes 24%

E. Evidence of climate change is becoming overwhelming

-20 of the warmest years in the past 150 years have since _____________

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-Arctic sea ice is ____________________ and has completely melted during

summer months, Hudson Bay polar bears have a shorter hunting season leading to

a population decline

-__________________ everywhere are retreating leading to less water for

irrigation

-sea levels have risen __________ (15-20 cm) in the past 100 years

-Biologists have confirmed that some species are migrating further north as climate

changes, some amphibian species have disappeared

-___________________ are bleaching due to warmer ocean temperatures

-Storms (hurricanes, cyclones, etc) are increasing in ________________

F. The Kyoto Protocol attempts to slow climate change

-This treaty set different limits for individual nations depending on their output

before 1990

-Poorer nations were exempt such as _____________________, wealthy nations

were suppose to set emission limits since they were the countries who created the

problem, poorer nations argue

-U.S. has less than 5% of the world population but produces ______ of all

anthropogenic CO2

Chapter 16 Air Pollution

-Over the past 20 years air quality has improved in most developed cities of

Western Europe, North America and Japan, air quality in the developing world has

been getting much worse

A. Human Caused Air Pollution

-U.S. _________________________________designated seven major pollutants:

sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulates, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides,

photochemical oxidants, and lead

-________________ (air around us) is mandated based on pollutant levels

-_________________- colorless corrosive gas that is directly damaging to plants

and animals, forms acid rain in the atmosphere

-Nitrogen oxides- react with sunlight to make photochemical smog

-____________________- CO2 and CO, carbon monoxide is colorless and

odorless, inhibits respiration in animals

-____________________- (aerosols), reduce visibility, leave dirty deposits,

examples: asbestos, cigarette smoke, diesel fumes, dust, pollen, spores, lint, soot,

etc

-Halogen and metals- metal fumes as of result of mining can be toxic or leaded

gasoline (banned in the U.S.)

-_____________________________ (VOCs)-compounds such as methane,

terpenes, formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform, etc. tend to be toxic to life

-Photochemical oxidants- driven by solar energy, such as ozone (O3) which

provides a valuable shied in the stratosphere, in the troposphere it damages

vegetation, building materials, eyes and lungs

B. Indoor Air is more dangerous than outdoor air

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-We spent the majority of our time inside, smoking is without doubt the most

important indoor air pollutant causing ________________________ (20% of all

deaths in the U.S.)

-Homes- indoor air pollutants from various products include: chloroform, benzene,

formaldehyde, etc. which cause various health concerns

C. Stratospheric ozone is declining

-Over ____________________ ozone levels drop dramatically in September and

October annually since the 1960s due to the invention of chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs invented in the 1930s)

-CFCs, the cause of ozone depletion were used for industrial gases, refrigerators,

air conditioners, Styrofoam inflation, aerosol spray

-Ozone is important to absorb ___________________, which harms plant and

animal tissues

1. __________ of ozone = 1 million extra human skin cancers cases per year

2. reduces agricultural output

3. reduces populations of phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain

D. We have made progress in controlling some pollution

-The discovery of ozone layer depletion let to the ______________________

phasing out most CFC uses

-Cited as the most effective international environmental agreement ever established

Effects of Air Pollution

A. Polluted Air in unhealthy

-the World Health Organization estimates 5-6 million people die prematurely due

to air pollution

-One of the biggest threats is from soot or fine particulate matter which can be

trapped in lungs causing bronchitis, lung cancer and other health problems

1. soot can come from _________________, smoke from wood stoves and

fireplaces and industrial activity

B. Acid deposition has many negative effects

-Acidity is described in terms of pH, values below 7 are considered __________,

above 7- alkaline

-Unpolluted water has a pH of 5.6, slightly acidic due to _________________

created by CO2 in the air

-Acid deposition can occur as rain, snow fog, mist and dew

1. Aquatic effects- reproduction is the most sensitive stage, when pH drops

to 5, many species are killed, adults die if pH drops below 5

2. Forest damage- forest _____________absorb acid deposition depleting it

of vital nutrients from trees, very apparent in New England forests

3. Buildings and Monuments- stone buildings and monuments built from

____________________, marble and sandstone are covered in soot,

destroyed by acid at an alarming rate

Air Pollution Control

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A. The most effective strategy for controlling pollution is to minimize production

-________________________, electricity, insulated houses, taking public

transportation, use of alternative energy, the list is endless!!!

B. Clean Air Legislation

-Clean Air Act of 1970 has been modified, updated and amended, if we enforced

legislation to its limit, would prevent 6,000 premature deaths and 140,000 asthma

attacks

Name ______________________

Video: Air Quality

Focus Questions

1. What is the difference between a primary pollutant and a secondary pollutant?

2. What are some common outdoor and indoor air pollutants?

3. What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)? How do scientists measure the AQI?

4. What is photochemical smog?

5. What are some of the environmental and health effects of air pollution?

6. What chemicals are primarily responsible for the thinning of the ozone layer? How do they

destroy ozone?

7. Why did the EPA phase out the use of leaded gasoline?

8. What is the Kyoto Protocol?

9. What are some technologies that can help reduce air pollution?

10. What are “green roofs”? Why are they used?

Environmental Science Ozone Web Activity:

Go to http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/q_a.html and use the information to answer the questions below:

1) What is the ozone and where is it in the atmosphere?

2) Why do we care about atmospheric ozone?

3) How is ozone measured in the atmosphere?

4) What is the process in stratospheric ozone depletion?

5) What emissions from human activities lead to ozone depletion?

6) What are the reactive halogen gases that destroy stratospheric ozone?

7) What are the chlorine and bromine reactions that destroy stratospheric ozone?

8) Do changes in the Sun and volcanic eruptions affect the ozone layer?

9) Are there regulations on production of ozone-depleting gases?

10) Has the Montreal Protocol been successful in reducing ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere?

11) How will recovery of the ozone layer be detected?

12) When is the ozone layer expected to recover?

Go to http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/tour_images/cartoon.gif and illustrate the ozone depletion process below:

Name _____________________________

Class Transportation Survey

Roughly one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector: trains, planes, boats, trucks, cars, etc. In

Washington State, transportation contributes nearly half of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions, with cars and trucks in particular

generating more than any other source. Choices made everyday about how to get to school, work, the mall, etc., directly impact the

size of your CO2 “footprint”. Your CO2 “footprint” is basically a measurement of how much carbon dioxide is emitted into the

atmosphere as a result of your individual actions. Transportation choices are just one component of a CO2 footprint - but can often be

the most significant. How big is your transportation footprint? And how does it compare with that of your classmates? Through this

activity you’ll conduct a survey to identify the different modes of transportation you and your classmates use to get to and from

school. You’ll then use this information to calculate the combined impact of those choices on your CO2 footprint.

Before you begin:

1. Find out the round trip distance from your home to school. You can either do this by noting the mileage while doing the journey or

go to www.mapquest.com and put in the correct addresses to calculate the distance.

2. If you travel to and from school in a car – alone or in a carpool - determine the average fuel economy of that vehicle in miles per

gallon by checking www.fueleconomy.gov 1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and

Sinks, 2006.

Miles traveled _________

Miles per gallon __________

How do you typically get to and from school? In the table below, find the option which best fits your mode of transportation and then

answer the relevant section. If you get to and from school by… Answer the following section:

Car, driving alone Section A, Carpool – either with other students, or dropped off by a parent/guardian/other on the way to work or

elsewhere Section B, Walk, bike or other zero-emission mode Section C, Bus – public or school bus Section D

Section A:

Transportation = Car- driving alone

1. Estimate gallons of gas consumed each day getting to and from school.

Answer: ___________ gallons of fuel consumed

2. Calculate the CO2 emissions of your commute. Show your work. Each gallon of gasoline burned emits 20 lbs of CO2. Show your

work.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted getting to and from school.

3. Estimate your annual CO2 emissions from getting to and from school. Multiply your total from #2 above by 180 school days.

Record the answer in the Class Transportation Data Summary.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted getting to and from school each year.

4. Estimate the CO2 footprint of your school from transportation. What if every student at your school produced the same amount of

CO2 as you, just by getting to and from school?

What would your school’s CO2 footprint from transportation be?

Multiply your answer from #3 by the number of students at your school.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 generated per year.

Section B:

Transportation = Carpool

1. Estimate gallons of gas consumed each day getting to and from school.

Answer: ___________ gallons of fuel consumed

2. Calculate the CO2 emissions of your commute. Show your work. Each gallon of gasoline

burned emits 20 lbs of CO2. Show your work.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted getting to and from school.

3. Calculate your individual impact. How many people shared your ride? Divide your total from #2 by the number of people in your

carpool (include yourself!) to calculate the individual CO2 emissions of each person in the carpool.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted per person.

4. Estimate your annual CO2 emissions from getting to and from school. Multiply your total from #3 above by 180 school days.

Record the answer in the Class Transportation Data Summary.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted per person per year.

5. Estimate the CO2 footprint of your school from transportation What if every student at your school produced the same amount of

CO2 as you, just by getting to and from school?

What would your school’s CO2 footprint from transportation be?

Multiply your answer from #3 by the number of students at your school.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 generated per year.

Section C:

Transportation = Bus

(public or school bus)

1) Estimate the amount of fuel used by the bus

The average bus drives 40 miles round trip. Buses get about 5 miles per gallon. Calculate the gallons of diesel used by your bus per

trip.

Answer: ___________ gallons of fuel consumed

2) Calculate the CO2 emissions of your commute. Show your work. Each gallon of diesel burned creates 22 pounds (lbs) of CO2.

Calculate the amount of CO2 generated by the bus for each roundtrip journey.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted getting to and from school by bus.

3) Calculate the CO2 emissions per passenger How many people shared your ride? Estimate the number of students who rode the bus

with you today.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 per passenger on the bus.

4) Estimate your annual CO2 emissions from getting to and from school. Multiply the total from #3 by 180 school days per year and

record your answer in

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted per year by taking the bus.

5) Estimate the CO2 footprint of your school from transportation.

What if every student at your school produced the same amount of CO2 as you, just by getting to and from school? What would your

school’s CO2 footprint from transportation be? Multiply your answer from #4 by the number of students at your school.

Answer: __________lbs CO2 emitted per year by the whole school.

Section C:

Transportation = Walk, bike, skateboard, or other emission free mode of transport

Your CO2 footprint equals zero!

Record a “0” in the Class Transportation Data Summary.

If everyone in your school traveled as you did today, this part of the CO2 school footprint would be zero!

General Questions (copy to loose leaf and answer)

1. What is the most common way students in your class get to and from school? Why do you think this is the case?

2. Which mode of transportation generates the most CO2 per person in your class?

3. How many students generated “zero” pounds of CO2 from their commute?

4. Looking at the Class Data Summary, how many students in your class ride the bus to and from school?

5. What might be some ways to increase bus ridership?

6. If you do not currently walk or bike to school, would you consider either of these options as possible for you? Why or why not?

7. Does your school give incentives to students who carpool? What are these incentives and how effective are they?

8. What might be some new incentives your school might offer to encourage carpooling?

9. How might your class decrease its transportation CO2 footprint?

Class Transportation Survey - Class Data Summary

Record each student’s data in the table (separate sheet) and add up the CO2 emissions for the entire class.

Environmental Science Name: ____________________ Per: _______ Global Warming: The Signs and the Science.

Please take a minute to review the questions before we start the video.

As you watch the video, please answer the questions as best you can.

You do not need to use complete sentences, but please make sure you write legibly.

Turn in this worksheet at the end of the period.

1. List 3 signs of global warming:

2. Over the last 100 years, what’s the average temperature rise over the globe?

3. In what regions of the earth do we see the biggest effect of global warming?

4. What gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?

5. What changes “sunlight into carbohydrates”?

6. What is “ancient sunlight”?

7. What are the major sources of C in our atmosphere?

8. How long does CO2 remain in the atmosphere?

9. What were CO2 levels at the time of the industrial revolution? Today? A level we’ll probably see during our lifetimes?

10. What are two biological roles of CO2?

11. What country is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter today? In 2050?

12. What are symptoms of “carbon pollution”?

13. What populations are often disproportionately affected by climate change?

14. Climate changes result in new diseases and the spread of disease. How many cases of West Nile virus were reported in Colorado in 2003? (There are many more cases than the number reported.)

15. What changes have been reported recently in thefrequency of El Nino currents?

16. What happened in Colan, Peru in 1983?

17. As the oceans expand, the gulf coast loses land area at what rate?

18. A 1F rise in temperature reduces water availability by what percent?

19. What’s the earth’s most important food crop?

20. What major country did not sign the Kyoto treaty in 1997?

21. What measures are being taken in China and in the US to decrease carbon emissions?

22. What nonpolluting, underused energy resources are now being used some countries and communities?

23. What is the single largest contributor to increased levels of CO2?

24. What temperature rise are we likely to see by 2050?