Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 1: Introduction to Energy
chemical energy stored energy that is released during chemical reactions
electrical energy the energy of moving electric particles
energy the ability to do work
energy efficiency the amount of usable energy you get out of a system
heat energy a type of energy associated with changes in temperature
mechanical energy energy of motion
nonrenewable energy a source of energy not replenished in human time scales and once
it is used up, it is essentially gone forever
nuclear energy energy stored in the nucleus of an atom
radiant energy energy that comes from an electromagnetic wave, such as light, radio
waves, or infrared
renewable energy a source of energy replenished in a short time
sound energy mechanical energy that is transmitted through air or other materials in the
form of vibrations you can hear
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 2: Energy Consumption History
ethanol a type of liquid fuel used largely in the transportation sector and
derived from plant materials
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 3: Fossil Fuels
conventional oil oil extracted from a traditional oil well
crude oil liquid petroleum as it comes out of the ground as distinguished from
refined oils manufactured out of it
natural gas a gas used as a fuel formed naturally in the earth by the decay of organic
materials
non-conventional oil oil extracted from oil shale or oil sands
oil refinery a manufacturing facility that uses special processes to convert crude oil
into usable products
oil reserve a deposit of oil that can be extracted for a profit
oil sands mixtures of sand and a special type of petroleum called bitumen
oil shale a layer of sedimentary rock that contains a solid form of petroleum called
kerogen formed naturally in the earth by the decay of organic materials
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 4: Coal
anthracite a desirable form of coal because of its high carbon content
bituminous coal a type of coal with a higher carbon content than lignite and used
worldwide for electricity production
clean coal term used to describe technologies aimed at reducing coal's
environmental impact
coal washing a type of clean coal technology used to remove impurities from coal
before it is burned
electrostatic precipitator a type of clean coal technology used to collect particulate dust as
it comes out of the flue
flue gas the material, mostly smoke, ash, and particulate dust that comes out of a
smokestack at a coal-burning power plant
lignite a geologically young form of coal, has a lower carbon content and higher
water content
peat a precursor to coal, made of partially decomposed plant material
sub-bituminous coal a type of coal with characteristics between lignite and bituminous
coal
wet scrubber type of clean coal technology used to remove sulfur from coal emissions
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 5: Synthetic Fuels
biofuels a category of liquid fuels derived from biomass, or plant materials and
organic wastes
coal liquefaction the process of converting solid coal to a liquid fuel
synfuel another name for a synthetic fuel
syngas a synthetic gas made by heating coal in the presence of steam and
oxygen
synthetic fuels liquid petroleum-like fuels made from coal, natural gas, or biomass
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 6: Introduction to Nuclear Energy
chain reaction occurs when an isotope's nucleus fissions and releases neutrons that in
turn cause more nuclei to fission, setting off a chain reaction
half-life the period of time required for half of the atoms in a sample to decay
isotope a variant of an element with a different number of neutrons but the same
number of protons
natural radioactive decay a type of nuclear change in which the nucleus of an isotope
spontaneously emits particles and energy
nuclear change changes that take place in an atom's nucleus
nuclear fission splitting of an isotope's nucleus, associated with a tremendous release of
energy
nuclear fusion joining of two nuclei associated with a tremendous release of energy
radioisotopes unstable isotope that undergo radioactive decay
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 7: Nuclear Power Plants
boiling water reactor a type of nuclear reactor where there is only one circuit of water;
the water enters the reactor, is heated, and produces steam
control rods rods of metal used to slow down the nuclear fission chain reaction in a
nuclear reactor
cooling tower part of a nuclear power plant where waste heat is allowed to escape out
to the atmosphere
fast breeder reactor a type of nuclear reactor that breeds more fuel than it uses
fuel rods long narrow rods that contain the nuclear fuel used in a nuclear reactor
moderator a substance, commonly water, used in a nuclear reactor to moderate, or
slow down, the nuclear fission chain reaction
nuclear fuel cycle the progression of nuclear fuel from the mining stage to the waste
disposal stage
nuclear reactor special equipment where nuclear fission reactions are initiated and
controlled for the purpose of producing nuclear power
pressurized water reactor a type of nuclear reactor in which there are two circuits of water.
The first is kept at a very high pressure so that it remains a liquid even at extremely high temperatures. This water is pumped to the secondary source of water, where it is used to heat the secondary water, bring it to boiling and produce steam
reactor core the part of a nuclear reactor where the fuel is contained
spent fuel the used fuel from a nuclear reactor
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 8: Nuclear Energy and the Environment
high level waste a type of radioactive waste that is highly radioactive and requires special
handling, transporting, and disposal in deep geological repositories
low level waste a relatively safe form of radioactive waste that poses little environmental
harm
millirems a unit of measure used to express an amount of radiation exposure
transuranic waste an intermediate level of radioactive waste that comes mostly from the
reprocessing of spent fuel rods
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 9: Hydroelectric Power
fish ladders structures used to help migrating fish get around the barrier of a dam
hydroelectric power electricity generated when moving water is used to turn a turbine
hydropower derived from the energy of moving water
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 10: Tides and Waves
offshore turbines turbines that are much like wind turbines but work underwater to generate
electricity from the tides
tidal barrage a large dam built over an estuary or bay to generate tidal power
tide power generated by the movements of tides twice a day in a predictable way
wave power power produced by harnessing the energy of ocean surface waves
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 11: Solar Energy
active solar heating uses pumps to circulate and distribute heat energy from the sun
insolation a measure of the amount of solar radiation striking a given area
passive solar heating heating spaces or water by orienting a structure to receive the
maximum amount of sunlight, involves no use of special mechanical
devices
photovoltaic cells thin wafers of a semi conductive material that emit electrons when struck
by sunlight
solar energy energy derived from the radiant energy of sunlight
solar power plant a facility that uses solar energy to generate electricity
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 12: Wind Power
anemometer instrument that measures wind speed
small wind the small-scale use of wind power for individual homes or businesses
wind farms large area of land where many wind turbines are clustered together and
used to power a wind power plant
wind power generation of electricity from the movement of wind turning a turbine
wind vane instrument that measures wind direction
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 13: Geothermal Power
geothermal energy energy derived from hot rocks and fluids beneath the earth's surface
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 14: Hydrogen Fuel
fuel cell a device that converts the energy in fuel directly to electricity and heat
hydrogen fuel hydrogen gas used to fuel motor vehicles
hydrogen vehicle a vehicle that runs on hydrogen, either by combusting hydrogen directly
or by using a fuel cell to convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electric energy
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 15: Energy Efficiency
energy conservation the reduction or elimination of unnecessary waste of energy
energy efficiency the ratio of useful work we get out of a given amount of energy
energy sustainability the concept that the future generations' access to energy should
not be compromised by our present energy use
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 16: Introduction to Air Pollution
air pollution substances in the air that can harm organisms, ecosystems, or buildings
air quality index a measure of how polluted the air in a certain area is for a given time
particulates particles of dust or fine materials suspended in the air
photochemical smog forms when certain primary air pollutants combine and react with
sunlight to form smog
smog a combination of chemicals including sulfur dioxides, smoke, and fog
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 17: Climate Change
carbon sequestration technology used to capture the carbon released from smokestacks
and store it in some part of the environment to keep it out of the
atmosphere
greenhouse effect a term used to describe the role that greenhouse gases play in keeping
the earth warm
greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrogen oxides, and some CFCs
that absorb heat and keep it in the earth's atmosphere
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 18: Reducing Air Pollution
criteria pollutants the six pollutants monitored under the national ambient air quality
standards; they are carbon monoxide, ozone, particulates, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead
electrostatic precipitator a pollution control technology that works by putting a negative
charge on particulates as they enter a smokestack and then collecting them on a positively-charged collection plate
national ambient air quality standards establish maximum levels at which certain
pollutants can safely exist in the air
primary standards air pollution standards aimed at protecting human health
secondary standards air pollution standards aimed at protecting the environment and
buildings
wet scrubber a pollution control technology that uses a fine mist of water vapor to collect
particulates
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 19: Noise Pollution
decibel a unit of measure that expresses sound loudness
noise pollution any human-made or machine-generated noise that disrupts human or
animal life
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 20: Water Pollution
non-point source pollution pollution that comes from scattered sources or is diffuse over a
large area
point source pollution pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source
water pollution any chemical, biological, or physical change to water that makes it
hazardous to living organisms or makes it otherwise unsuitable for use
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 21: Sewage Treatment
primary treatment a physical process wherein large materials are screened out of
wastewater and solid wastes are settled to the bottom
secondary treatment a chemical process in which wastewater is treated with helpful
bacteria to remove more solid wastes
septic tank an underground tank that collects household waste water and lets solids
settle to the bottom and be decomposed by bacteria
sewage the waste water that comes from human communities
tertiary treatment a physical and chemical process that continues the removal of nutrients
from wastewater
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 22: Solid Waste
incineration the process of disposing of solid waste by burning it
integrated waste management a three-tier framework for dealing with solid waste that
places emphasis on reducing the amount of waste generated, recycling
waste, and disposing of the waste
landfill a large area of land used for burying solid waste
solid waste any unwanted or discarded material that is not liquid or gas
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 23: Hazardous Waste
bioremediation using bacteria to treat hazardous waste and make it less toxic
corrosive a substance that easily destroys materials or living tissue such as skin
hazardous waste any unwanted or discarded material that is harmful to human health or the
environment
ignitable easily catches fire
phytoremediation using plants to take up or filter out hazardous waste from soil and water
reactive describes a substance that undergoes violent chemical reactions
toxic poisonous to living organisms
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 24: Environmental Health
carcinogen a substance that causes cancer
environmental health a branch of study that deals with how factors in the natural and
built environment affect human health
mutagen a substance that damages the genetic material of a person's DNA
pathogen an organism that spreads diseases
teratogen a substance that causes birth defects
toxicity a measure of how harmful a given substance is to humans, wildlife, or the
ecosystem
toxicology science that examines how harmful substances in the environment affect
human health
vector an organism that transmits a disease-causing pathogen
vector control minimizing or preventing the amount of contact between humans and
disease vectors
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 25: Sustainable Cities
megalopolis a mega city with more than 10 million people in one large urban area
smart growth urban land-use planning that strives to make cities more sustainable and
to mitigate the harmful environmental impacts of cities
urban area an area that has a higher density of human population than the areas
around it
urban sprawl the outward spread of cities as they gobble up the rural areas around
them
zoning use of land-use laws to limit certain pieces of land to specific uses
Unit 1 Environmental Science Semester Two
Assignment 26: Environmental Economics
economy a nation's system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods
full-cost pricing involves including the cost of environmental harm in the market costs of
goods and services
genuine progress indicator an economic indicator that includes the cost of
environmental harm in the accounting of a nation's economy