Environment

What are advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power?

Nuclear energy has many advantages. Nuclear fuel is a very concentrated energy source.
Furthermore, nuclear power plants do not produce air-polluting gases. When operated
properly, nuclear plants release less radioactivity than coal-fired power plants do. Many
countries with limited fossil fuel reserves rely heavily on nuclear plants to supply
electricity

The serious problem with nuclear power is the storage of radioactive waste. Each year,
about 30 metric tons of used fuel is created by every 1000-megawatt nuclear electric
power plant. Most of this waste is stored at the power plants because of the lack of
high-level radioactive waste disposal sites. Long-term storage is crucial now and will
become even more important as additional radioactive waste accumulates.
Explain what is nuclear fission and nuclear fussion?

Fission and fusion are two physical processes that produce massive amounts of energy
from atoms. Fission occurs when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to excite
and split into two smaller atoms—also known as fission products. Additional neutrons
are also released that can initiate a chain reaction. Uranium and plutonium are most
commonly used for fission reactions in nuclear power reactors.

Fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, like when two
hydrogen atoms fuse to form one helium atom. This is the same process that powers the
sun and creates huge amounts of energy—several times greater than fission. It also
doesn’t produce highly radioactive fission products.

What causes air pollution?

Clean air consists mostly of nitrogen and oxygen gas, as well as very small amounts of
argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. When harmful substances build up in the air to
unhealthy levels, the result is air pollution. Substances that pollute the air can be in the
form of solids, liquids, or gases. Most air pollution is the result of human activities, but
pollutants can also come from natural sources. A volcano, for example, can spew clouds
of particles and sulfur dioxide.

What are primary and secondary pollutants, what are major sources for each?
A pollutant that is put directly into the air by human activity is called a primary
pollutant. An example of a primary pollutant is soot from smoke. Household products,
power plants, and motor vehicles are sources of primary air pollutants such as carbon
monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide

Secondary pollutants form when a primary pollutant comes into contact with other
primary pollutants or with naturally occurring substances such as water vapor and a
chemical reaction takes place. Example of secondary pollutant is ground level ozone.

What causes acid precipitation?

This lake and thousands of lakes throughout the world are victims of acid precipitation,
which is also known as acid rain. Acid precipitation is precipitation such as rain, sleet, or
snow that contains a high concentration of acids. When fossil fuels are burned, they
release oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. When the oxides combine with water in the
atmosphere, they form sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which fall as acid precipitation

How acid precipitation affects soil, plants and aquatic ecosystems?

Plant communities have adapted over long periods of time to the acidity of the soil in
which they grow. Acid precipitation can cause a drop in the pH of soil and water. This
increase in the concentration of acid is called acidification. Acidification changes the
balance of a soil’s chemistry in several ways. When the acidity of soil increases, some
nutrients are dissolved and washed away by rainwater. Increased acidity causes
aluminum and other toxic metals to be released and possibly absorbed by the roots of
plants. Aluminum also causes root damage. Aquatic animals are adapted to live in an
environment with a particular pH range. If acid precipitation falls on a lake and changes
the water’s pH, acid can kill aquatic plants, fish, and other aquatic animals. The change
in pH is not the only thing that kills fish. Acid precipitation causes aluminum to leach out
of the soil surrounding a lake

Explain indoor air pollution?

In both developed and developing nations, indoor air pollution poses a greater health
risk than outdoor air pollution. Indoor air generally contains higher concentrations of
toxic pollutants than outdoor air. Additionally, people generally spend more time
indoors than outdoors, hence, the health effects from indoor air pollution in workplaces,
schools, and homes are far greater than outdoor. Indoor pollution sources that release
gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in
homes.

What is climate and what factors determine climate?

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place at a particular moment.

Climate is the long-term prevailing weather conditions at a particular place based upon
records taken. Climate is determined by a variety of factors. These factors include
latitude, atmospheric circulation patterns, oceanic circulation patterns, and the local
geography of an area, solar activity, and volcanic activity. The most important of these
factors is distance from the equator.

Explain wind formation and oceanic circulation patterns?

Winds that blow predominantly in one direction throughout the year are called
prevailing winds. Belts of prevailing winds are produced in both hemispheres between
30° north and south latitude and the equator. These belts of wind are called the trade
winds.

Ocean currents have a great effect on climate because water holds large amounts of
heat. The movement of surface ocean currents is caused mostly by winds and the
rotation of the Earth. These surface currents redistribute warm and cool masses of
water around the planet. Some surface currents warm or cool coastal areas year-round.
Surface currents affect the climate in many parts of the world

Explain how topography and volcanic eruptions influence the climate?

Topography creates differences in climate across very small distances. These differences
in temperature, moisture, and exposure to wind and sun are called microclimates, and
they are important predictors as to where various natural communities can be found.

In large-scale volcanic eruptions, sulfur dioxide gas can reach the upper atmosphere.
The sulfur dioxide gas, which can remain in the atmosphere for up to three years, reacts
with smaller amounts of water vapor and dust in the stratosphere. This reaction forms a
bright layer of haze that reflects enough sunlight to cause the global temperature to
decrease.

What are the consequences of climate change?

The seasons result from the tilt of Earth’s axis (about 23.5° relative to the plane of its
orbit). Because of this tilt, the angle at which the sun’s rays strike the Earth changes as
the Earth moves around the sun. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the
Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun and receives direct sunlight. The number of
hours of daylight is greatest in the summer. During summer in the Northern
Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun and receives less direct
sunlight. During summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the situation is reversed

Explain the greenhouse effect and what are greenhouse gases?

The Earth is similar to a greenhouse. The Earth’s atmosphere acts like the glass in a
greenhouse. Sunlight streams through the atmosphere and heats the Earth. As this heat
radiates up from Earth’s surface, some of it escapes into space. The rest of the heat is
absorbed by gases in the troposphere and warms the air. This process of heat
absorption is called the greenhouse effect. Many scientists think that because
greenhouse gases trap heat near the Earth’s surface, more greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperature. Major greenhouse gases are
carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor.

Explain the influence of greenhouse gases on Earth s temperature?

Today, we are releasing more carbon dioxide than any other greenhouse gas into the
atmosphere. Millions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere each
year from power plants that burn coal or oil and from cars that burn gasoline. Millions
of trees are burned in tropical rain forests to clear the land for farming. It makes earth’s
temperature warmer.

What is global warming and how predictions are made?

Many scientists think that the increasing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere result in
increasing the average temperature on Earth. The result, they believe, will be a warmer
Earth. This predicted increase in global temperature is known as global warming.

Many scientists project that the warming trend that began in the 20th century will
continue throughout the 21st century. However, not all scientists agree that the
observed global warming is due to greenhouse gases. Some scientists believe that the
warming is part of natural climatic variability

What causes ozone depletion?

During the 1970s, scientists began to worry that a class of human-made chemicals called
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) might be damaging the ozone layer. For many years CFCs
were thought to be miracle chemicals. They are nonpoisonous and nonflammable. But
CFC molecules break apart high in the stratosphere, where UV radiation, a powerful
energy source, is absorbed. Once CFC molecules break apart, parts of the CFC molecules
destroy protective ozone.

What are the measures of protecting the ozone layer?

In 1987, a group of nations met in Canada and agreed to take action against ozone
depletion. Under an agreement called the Montreal Protocol, these nations agreed to
sharply limit their production of CFCs. After developed countries banned most uses of
CFCs, chemical companies developed CFC replacements. Aerosol cans no longer use
CFCs as propellants, and air conditioners are becoming CFC free. Because many
countries were involved and decided to control CFCs, many people consider ozone
protection an international environmental success story

Explain the impact of humans on carbon cycle?

Human activities have a tremendous impact on the carbon cycle. Burning fossil fuels,

changing land use, and using limestone to make concrete all transfer significant
quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere is rapidly rising; it is already greater than at any time in the last 3.6
million years.

Explain different types of land categories and their ecosystem services?

We use land for many purposes, including farming, mining, building cities and highways,
and recreation. Land cover is what you find on a patch of land, and it often depends on
how the land is used. For example, land cover might be a forest, a field of grain, or a
parking lot. There are different types of land cover and different human uses for each
cover type. Land that is covered mainly with buildings and roads is called urban land.
Land that contains relatively few people and large areas of open space are rural areas.

Whether people live in cities or in the countryside, people are dependent on resources
produced in rural areas. These resources include clean drinking water, fertile soil and
land for crops, trees for wood and paper, and much of the oxygen we breathe, which is
produced by plants. The resources that are produced by natural and artificial
ecosystems are called ecosystem services.

Explain the categories of rural land and why it is important to manage these lands
sustainably?

The main categories of rural land are farmland, rangeland, and forest land.

Farmland is land that is used to grow crops and fruit. The United States contains more
than 100 million hectares of prime farmland. However, in some places, urban
development threatens some of the most productive farmland.

Land that supports different vegetation types like grasslands, shrub lands, and deserts
and that is not used for farming or timber production is called rangeland. Rangelands
can be arid, like rangelands in the desert southwest, or relatively wet, like the
rangelands of Florida. The most common human use of rangeland is for the grazing of
livestock.

Trees are harvested to provide products we use every day, such as paper, furniture, and
lumber and plywood for our homes. In addition to wood and paper, we also value forest
products such as maple syrup and turpentine

What ecosystem services are provided by forests and what are the consequences of
deforestation?

There are many ecosystem services provided by forests; however, one of the most
important is the removal of CO2 from the air.
The clearing of trees from an area without replacing them is called deforestation. Most
countries become severely deforested as populations expand and the demand for forest
products increases. Deforestation reduces wildlife habitat, but it has other impacts, too.
For example, when forests are cleared from hillsides, soil erosion usually results if the
area is not quickly planted with a cover crop. Without tree roots to hold the soil in place,
soil is easily washed or blown into the valley below.
What is reforestation and why is it important?

Reforestation is the process by which trees are planted to re-establish trees that have
been cut down in a forest land. In some places, reforestation is happening faster than
trees are being cut down. New England, for example, now contains more forest than it
did a century ago. Much of the original forest had been cleared for farming, but the land
was unable to sustain productive crops over a long period. As farming in this area
became less economical, farms were abandoned and the forest regenerated.

The importance of reforestation is explained by the role trees play on our planet. New
forests help prevent soil erosion or desertification; they are important to protect
buildings and fields from winds.

What is urban crisis and urban sprawl?

When urban areas grow rapidly, they often run into trouble. A rapidly growing
population can overwhelm the infrastructure and lead to traffic jams, substandard
housing, and polluted air and water. Infrastructures are all of the things that a society
builds for public use. Infrastructure includes roads, sewers, railroads, bridges, canals,
fire and police stations, schools, libraries, hospitals, water mains, and power lines. When
more people live in a city than its infrastructure can support, the living conditions
deteriorate. This growth problem has become so widespread throughout the world that
the term urban crisis was coined to describe the problem

Rapid expansion of a city into the countryside around the city is called urban sprawl.
Much of this growth results in the building of suburbs, or housing and associated
commercial buildings on the boundary of a larger town. People living in the suburbs
generally commute to work in the city by car.

Explain the benefits of open spaces?

Open space is land within urban areas that is set aside for scenic and recreational
enjoyment. Open spaces include parks, public gardens, and bicycle and hiking trails.
Open spaces left in their natural condition are often called greenbelts. These greenbelts
provide important ecological services. Open spaces have numerous environmental
benefits and provide valuable functions. The plants in open spaces absorb carbon
dioxide, produce oxygen, and filter out pollutants from air and water.

How can soil become polluted and types of soil pollution?

Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants)

in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the
ecosystem. In the case of contaminants which occur naturally in soil, even when their
levels are not high enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of
the contaminants in soil exceed the levels that should naturally be present. Soil
pollution is defined as the build-up in soils of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals,
salts, radioactive materials, or disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on
plant growth and animal health.
Types of soil pollution are biological agents, agricultural practices, radioactive
pollutants, urban wastes. The main pollutants of soil are biological agents and some of
the human activities.
What are effects of soil pollution?

Agricultural -
Reduced soil fertility
Reduced nitrogen fixation
Increased erodibility
Larger loss of soil and nutrients
Deposition of silt in tanks and reservoirs
Reduced crop yield
Imbalance in soil fauna and flora
Industrial
Dangerous chemicals entering underground water
Ecological imbalance
Release of pollutant gases
Release of radioactive rays causing health problems
Increased salinity
Reduced vegetation
Urban
Clogging of drains
Inundation of areas
Public health problems
Pollution of drinking water sources
Foul smell and release of gases
Waste management problems
Explain how human activities cause soil pollution?