ESS Final Study Guide PDF

THE FINAL EXAM is from 11:00-1:00 PM on Wednesday, December 11 I. Regular Exam Type Stuff The first part of the exam will contain multiple choice, diagram, and one-sentence answer questions from the last section of the course. The following are IMPORTANT CONCEPTS covered in class. Please be sure...

THE FINAL EXAM is from 11:00-1:00 PM on Wednesday, December 11 I. Regular Exam Type Stuff The first part of the exam will contain multiple choice, diagram, and one-sentence answer questions from the last section of the course. The following are IMPORTANT CONCEPTS covered in class. Please be sure to know the details and the relationships amongst the concepts. Environmental Justice (Chapter 17) What is environmental justice? Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies What are the causes of environmental justice issues?  What are some examples of environmental justice problems at the local, national, and global levels? -​ National Housing Act of 1934: Home Owners Loan Corporation -​ Create "residential security maps” -​ Maps used to deny loans to people in minority communities -​ Concentrated poverty and stifled home ownership rates -​ Process became known as Redlining (1960) -​ Wealthy Part of the City: -​ Green spaces -​ Grocery stores with fresh food -​ Far way from freeways -​ Removed from industry -​ Less water/air pollution -​ Poor Parts of the City: -​ Close industry/power plants -​ Close to ports/highways -​ Less green spaces -​ Close to landfills/hazardous waste sites  -​ Urban Heat Islands and Redlining -​ Extreme heat kills more Americans every year than any other weather-related disaster -​ Analyzed heat in 108 US Cities -​ Redlined neighborhoods were hotter than the non-redlined neighborhoods -​ ~5-13 degrees -​ Micro-heat islands Have a basic understanding of what happened to the water supply in Flint, Michigan Why are the problems in Flint an environmental justice issue? Fossil Fuels (Chapter 13) ​ Know what fracking is and how it can cause environmental problems ○​ Pockets of natural gas: drill a hole + insert press, acid, sand, creates cracks and extracts it. ○​ Use lots of water ○​ Lots of chemical contamination ○​ Made natural gas cheap ​ Know why coal production is in decline ○​ Natural gas is so much cheaper and the market for coal energy by plants is too expensive. ○​ $ and labor force and time is too much ​ Understand what fossil fuels are and where they come from Climate Change (Chapter 11, 17.8, and Climate Change & Human Health Article) Know how the atmosphere is heated -​ Energy comes in, hits the earth, earth absorbs it and re radiates long wave radiation back out. -​ If it doesn't hit, molecule, it will leave. But CO2 traps it. Be able to describe how the greenhouse effect works ^^ possible diagram -​ Layer of gases/chemicals/molecules bounce long wave radiation back into earth  -​ Describe how climate has varied over the past 800,000 years. -​ Ice core data How do scientists know that climate has varied over the past 800,000 years? -​ Ice Core Data: air bubbles, as snow builds up, it traps air pockets, carbon isotopes, you can see layers-2 per season-. Why has climate varied over the past 800,000 years? -​ Ice core data: ice ages, milankovitch cycles What are the current trends in greenhouse gas production?  How do temperatures over the last 10 years or so compare to temperatures during the 20th century?  How do feedback loops act to control earth’s temperature? -​ Milankovitch Cycles: -​ Changes amount of incoming solar radiation comes in, is absorbed, goes out, -​ More or less heat: biological response. -​ Albeto: more snow, more solar reflections, less heat, more snow, colder. -​ Biological Effect: -​ More solar radiation: melt ice, absorbs more radiation in oceans or heat bouncing back or more plants and trees photosynthesis that trap more heat in the atmosphere. What are the predicted consequences of climate change according to the most recent IPCC report? What is ocean acidification? ​ongoing decrease in the PH of earth's oceans caused by absorption of carbon dioxide. What are some of the human health effects of climate change?  -​ Longer and more severe allergy seasons -​ Ragweed pollen production -​ Poison ivy: -​ Greater CO2 stimulation means more allergic urushiol -​ Water borne diseases -​ Dust storms -​ Increased risk of asthma related hospitalizations What systems are most vulnerable to climate change? -​ Humans! and environment  -​ What people are most vulnerable to climate change? -​ poor/marginalized What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation? -​ Adaptation : change the way we live to deal w/ a warmer world -​ Mitigation: reduce the # of warming by transitioning off fossil fuels Alternative Energy (Chapter 14) ⭐ Know the 5 main energy alternatives to fossil fuels and the advantages/challenges of each ​ Types of Energy Alternatives ○​ Wind Power ○​ Solar Power ○​ Hydropower ○​ Nuclear Power ○​ ○​ Geothermal Power  ​ ○​ Transportation Energy below** Know the major energy alternatives for transportation Understand the role energy conservation plays in transitioning to alternative energies ​ Role of Energy Conservation - Waste ○​ Energy created but not put to productive use ○​ 23% of energy in US is wasted annually ($1 trillion annually) ○​ 10% electricity lost along long transmission lines (Power NYC for 6 months) ​ Role of Energy Conservation - Efficiency ○​ Use the energy that is created more efficiently Know which alternative energy are the biggest employer in the US  Know the current options for energy storage -​ Batteries: Only store energy for short periods of time. -​ 1,300 ton nickel-cadmium battery power 40,000 homes for 14 minutes -​ 18,000 lithium-ion batteries power 100,000 homes for 4 hours -​ Solid State (900 vs 300 miles/charge) -​ Toyota car battery -​ Vehicle-to-grid-enabled EV -​ Pumped Hydro: uses extra energy to pump water to uphill reservoir, power a turbine when need to generate energy Understand the barriers to transitioning to renewable/alternative energies -​ Economic forces -​ wind/solar production cost:  -​ -​ Cheapest energy source : Know how do heat pumps work and how they can save energy A heat pump works by transferring heat from one place to another using a refrigeration cycle. It can heat or cool a space depending on the direction of the heat flow. Here's how it works, broken down into clear steps: 1. **Evaporation**: The heat pump uses a refrigerant, which absorbs heat from the outside air (even in cold weather) as it evaporates in the outdoor coil. The refrigerant absorbs the heat and turns into a gas. 2. **Compression**: This gas is then compressed by the compressor, raising its temperature and pressure. 3. **Condensation**: The hot, pressurized gas flows into the indoor coil, where it releases its heat to the indoor air. As the refrigerant releases heat, it condenses back into a liquid. 4. **Expansion**: The refrigerant passes through an expansion valve, reducing its pressure and temperature before returning to the outdoor coil to repeat the process. In cooling mode, the process is reversed: the heat pump extracts heat from inside the house and expels it outside. This makes it a versatile device for both heating and cooling. So, in essence, a heat pump moves heat rather than generating it, making it an energy-efficient solution for maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures. Know how an energy audit can help you save energy/money at your house Inspection Identifies cost-effective changes  For each action Energy saved Cost to implement Money saved over time Required for many govt programs/ remodels What are some ways alternative energy can be created in the home? -​ Sustainable Cities (Chapter 16) Why are cities important to sustainability? -​ Where the most people are What are some characteristics of cities? ​ ​ offer jobs ​ ​ - built high up ​ ​ Compact ​ ​ access and locality to areas How are cities systems? Inputs: people (skills), money, food, tourist, clean air, clean water, energy, raw material and business and consumer products Outputs: waste, pollution, water waste, trash, money, technology, heat, goods and services What are the environmental challenges of cities? What are the benefits? ​ benefits: convenience, efficiently (transportation because cities are compactly designed), cost effective ​ Challenges: traffic, crowded, hotter, air pollution, What are the four principals of sustainability in cities? How could they be implemented? 1- ecological preservation= design your cities to have green corridors that connect to all parts of cities, storm water management, 2-Environmental protection: harvesting sustainable materials and local goods 3-waste free production: have inputs and outputs cycled 4- social equity: in developing cities, ensure that all citizens from all incomes and race can afford and live within the city. Know about urbanization and sustainability issues in developing countries ​ speed: city infrastructure cannot keep up so there leads to slums, ​ ​ ^ leads to unsustainable practices Sustainable Practices (Chapter 19 and Ellis 2015) Understand the 12 steps outlined for sustainability 1- expand worldviews 2- do not damage ecosystems -​ Precautionary principle -​ Ecosystem services maintain -​ Don't exploit renewable resources 3- consider new technology 4- avoid tragedy of the commons 5- encourage local control of resources 6- let nature do the work 7- use systems efficiently 8- encourage resilience 9- let go of some stability -​ Goal is recovery, not perfections 10- adaptive development 11- realize things need to change 12- make it easy to do the right thing o Be ready to debate, argue, critique, discuss the relative importance of, and question these points Be able to discuss sustainability practices and policies at Berry -​ Water bottle refill stations -​ Dual flush toilets -​ Recyclemania -​ Signatory to american college and univseirty presidents climate commitment  -​ Green college -​ LEED GOLD deerfield + morgan -​ Tree campus usa Be prepared to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these practices II. ESSAY QUESTION. There will be one long essay for the second part of the exam. The essay question will be comprehensive, covering the entire course. I will give you one question from the five below to answer. You might consider using your study time to prepare outlines of your responses to each question, since you won’t know which one we will choose for the exam. Be sure to use material from the entire semester to support your argument. I expect your essay to be 4–6 paragraphs long and very detailed. 1. Of all the environmental challenges we face as a society (climate change, food production, water resources, biodiversity loss, pollution, population, waste, etc.), which one do you think is the most important to solve? How do you think this problem should be addressed? How will solving this problem affect other environmental challenges? Essay 1 Outline: The Most Important Environmental Challenge Thesis Statement: Among the myriad environmental challenges, climate change is the most critical to address because it amplifies other issues like biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and pollution. Solving it requires global cooperation, policy enforcement, and innovation, which will yield cascading benefits for interconnected environmental challenges. I. Introduction ​ Brief overview of interconnected environmental challenges. ​ Statement of climate change as the most critical issue. ​ Connection to broader environmental, societal, and economic impacts. II. Why Climate Change is the Most Important to Solve ​ Impact on Biodiversity: Altered habitats and species extinction due to rising temperatures (e.g., increasing rates of extinction mentioned in biodiversity hotspots). ​ Impact on Water Resources: Climate-induced droughts and extreme weather affect water availability (e.g., Mississippi Delta dependence on sediment). ​ Feedback Loops: Tipping points such as ice loss and ocean acidification worsen global warming​(ESS 104). III. Strategies to Address Climate Change ​ Government Approaches: ○​ Implement and strengthen cap-and-trade systems to limit emissions. ○​ Enforce international agreements like the Paris Climate Agreement (1995) and Montreal Protocol (1987)to regulate greenhouse gases. ​ Technology and Innovation: ○​ Invest in renewable energy technologies and carbon capture systems. ○​ Promote circular economies to minimize waste and resource use. ​ Public Engagement: ○​ Expand awareness campaigns to influence consumer behavior. ○​ Support environmental justice initiatives to address inequities in climate impact​(ESS 104). IV. Cascading Effects of Solving Climate Change ​ Biodiversity Conservation: Stabilizing ecosystems by reducing climate-induced habitat loss. ​ Improved Water Resources: Reduced droughts and preservation of critical hydrological cycles. ​ Mitigation of Pollution: Lower reliance on fossil fuels reduces air and water pollution. V. Conclusion ​ Reiterate climate change as the central challenge. ​ Emphasize the interconnected benefits of addressing climate change for other environmental issues. 1. Most Important Environmental Challenge: Climate Change ​ Why it's the most important biological challenge: ○​ Ecosystem disruption: ​ Rising temperatures affect ecosystems’ stability, leading to shifts in species distributions (e.g., polar bears losing hunting grounds due to melting Arctic ice). ​ Tipping points such as coral bleaching events threaten marine biodiversity and food webs. ○​ Global feedback loops: ​ Positive feedback, like permafrost melting and releasing methane, accelerates warming. ○​ Interconnectedness: ​ Climate change drives habitat loss, pollution, and resource scarcity (e.g., drought exacerbates soil erosion and food insecurity). ○​ Non-linear impacts: ​ Small changes in temperature can result in drastic, unpredictable ecosystem collapses. ​ How it should be addressed: ○​ Technological solutions:  ​ Expand renewable energy, like solar and wind, which are increasingly cost-effective. ​ Example: Germany’s renewable energy policy reduced its dependence on coal while cutting CO₂ emissions. ○​ Policy and market shifts: ​ Implement carbon pricing systems (e.g., California’s cap-and-trade program). ​ Ban subsidies for fossil fuels and redirect funds to green technologies. ○​ Natural solutions: ​ Large-scale afforestation (e.g., Trillion Trees Initiative). ​ Restoration of wetlands, which serve as carbon sinks and flood mitigation systems. ○​ Community action: ​ Promote local climate adaptation projects, such as urban heat island mitigation through tree planting and green roofs. ​ Effects on other challenges: ○​ Biodiversity loss: ​ Stabilizing ecosystems prevents mass extinctions caused by temperature shifts. ○​ Food production: ​ Reduces risks of crop failure from extreme weather and pests. ​ Encourages sustainable farming practices like agroforestry. ○​ Water resources: ​ Prevents glaciers and snowpacks from disappearing, securing freshwater supplies (e.g., Himalayas for South Asia). 2. Imagine you were asked to give a TED talk (a short presentation to a general audience) about the interconnectedness of environmental problems. In your answer, explain how three environmental challenges and their solutions intersect. Be sure to use specific examples. Challenges and Solutions: Climate Change: ​ Alters weather patterns, leading to extreme events like floods and droughts. ​ Disrupts water availability, stressing ecosystems. ​ Floods increase agricultural runoff, introducing pollutants into water bodies. Biodiversity Loss: ​ Disruption from climate change and habitat destruction harms species populations.  ​ Reduced biodiversity destabilizes ecosystems, further affecting water quality. Water Pollution: ​ Agricultural runoff, intensified by climate change, introduces pollutants. ​ Degraded water quality threatens aquatic life, worsening biodiversity loss. Interconnected Impacts: 1.​ Climate change, biodiversity loss, and water pollution reinforce one another. 2.​ A feedback loop of environmental degradation makes mitigation more complex. 3.​ Integrated solutions are essential to address these intertwined challenges. Climate Change Solutions: ​ Transition to renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating temperature rises and extreme weather impacts. ​ Implement sustainable agricultural practices to reduce runoff and minimize the contribution of pollutants to water bodies. ​ Enhance carbon sequestration through reforestation, which also supports biodiversity and stabilizes ecosystems. Biodiversity Loss Solutions: ​ Protect and restore habitats to maintain ecosystem stability and resilience, which can buffer the effects of climate change and improve water quality. ​ Promote biodiversity-friendly agriculture, reducing habitat destruction and minimizing water pollution. ​ Support conservation initiatives that integrate climate adaptation strategies, such as wildlife corridors that counter habitat fragmentation. Water Pollution Solutions: ​ Strengthen regulations on agricultural runoff and industrial waste to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems. ​ Use natural water filtration systems, such as wetlands, which simultaneously support biodiversity and reduce climate impacts by acting as carbon sinks. ​ Encourage sustainable urban planning that incorporates green infrastructure to manage stormwater and prevent pollution. Integrated Approaches: 4.​ Adopt nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and wetland restoration, which address all three challenges by enhancing carbon storage, supporting biodiversity, and filtering pollutants.  5.​ Develop policies that promote sustainable land use to balance human needs with environmental conservation, mitigating climate impacts while protecting ecosystems and water quality. 6.​ Foster cross-sector collaboration to create holistic strategies that address climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and water management together. 7.​ Climate Change: ○​ Accelerates habitat destruction and species extinction through temperature rise and extreme weather. ○​ Example: Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching due to increased ocean temperatures. ○​ Solution: Transition to renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 8.​ Food Production: ○​ Monoculture farming depletes soil nutrients and increases vulnerability to climate shocks. ○​ Example: Dust Bowl caused by overplowing and monoculture practices (notes from September 25). ○​ Solution: Crop diversification, sustainable irrigation, and precision agriculture. 9.​ Water Resources: ○​ Increased droughts and floods disrupt water supply and ecosystem health. ○​ Example: Agricultural runoff causing eutrophication in water bodies (notes from September 6). ○​ Solution: Implement policies like buffer zones and wetland restoration for natural water filtration. Intersection Examples: ​ Agriculture and water: ○​ Transitioning to drip irrigation reduces water use and runoff, benefiting both food security and ecosystems. ○​ Example: Israel’s advanced irrigation systems conserve water in arid climates. ​ Renewables and pollution: ○​ Solar farms reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cutting pollution and water use (e.g., coal plants require large amounts of cooling water). 3. Consider the three components of sustainability: environment, society/equity, and economy. Describe a change you would make to improve each of these components. In your answer, explain how your change would connect to the other components of sustainability. Environmental Improvement:  ​ Enforce stronger environmental legislation like the Clean Air Act (CAA, 1970) and Clean Water Act (FWPCA, 1972) to limit industrial emissions and reduce pollution. ○​ Connection: Reducing pollution improves air and water quality (environmental benefit), reduces health disparities in marginalized communities (societal/equity benefit), and mitigates costs associated with health and environmental damage (economic benefit). Societal/Equity Improvement: ​ Expand the application of Environmental Justice Initiatives (1994) to ensure marginalized communities are prioritized in addressing pollution and climate change impacts. ○​ Connection: Improved equity fosters healthier communities, promotes participation in environmental decision-making, and enhances workforce productivity, which supports economic growth (economic benefit). Economic Improvement: ​ Adopt cap-and-trade systems, where emissions are capped, and industries can trade allowances to meet these limits. ○​ Connection: This incentivizes innovation in clean technology (environmental benefit), fosters economic opportunities in green industries, and redistributes economic benefits to mitigate disparities in pollution impacts (societal/equity benefit)​(ESS 104). ​ Environmental Improvements (Stronger Environmental Laws): ○​ Connection to Society/Equity: Limiting pollution through laws like the Clean Air Act reduces health disparities in marginalized communities, who are often  disproportionately affected by poor air and water quality. This strengthens societal well-being and equity by ensuring access to cleaner environments for all. ○​ Connection to Economy: Cleaner air and water reduce healthcare costs and improve worker productivity. This makes the economy more resilient by minimizing pollution-related economic losses and creating jobs in environmental monitoring and compliance industries. ​ Societal/Equity Improvements (Environmental Justice Initiatives): ○​ Connection to Environment: Prioritizing environmental justice ensures that the ecosystems in marginalized areas are preserved and restored, reducing the overall environmental degradation caused by industrial activities. ○​ Connection to Economy: Addressing environmental disparities creates healthier, more productive communities, which leads to reduced healthcare costs and increased economic contributions from all population sectors. ​ Economic Improvements (Cap-and-Trade Systems): ○​ Connection to Environment: By capping emissions and incentivizing innovation, cap-and-trade directly reduces greenhouse gases and promotes the development of clean energy technologies. ○​ Connection to Society/Equity: Revenue from cap-and-trade programs can be reinvested in underprivileged communities, funding renewable energy projects and creating green jobs that improve economic opportunities while addressing energy inequities. These changes create a feedback loop 4. Throughout the semester, we have examined several themes related to environmental science and sustainability: path dependence, risk perception, equity, and scale. Consider the issue of climate change in the context of these themes and, using these ideas to inform your answer, offer concrete solutions to the problem. Path Dependence: ​ Explanation: ○​ Historical decisions like industrial reliance on coal limit present options. ​ Example: ○​ The U.S. Interstate Highway System entrenched car culture and increased oil dependency. ​ Solution: ○​ Develop high-speed rail systems like Japan’s Shinkansen to reduce automobile reliance. Risk Perception: ​ Explanation: ○​ People prioritize immediate risks, underestimating long-term threats like sea-level rise. ​ Example: ○​ Public attention surged after events like the 2019 Australian bushfires but waned afterward. ​ Solution: ○​ Public education campaigns highlighting tangible local impacts (e.g., flooding in Miami neighborhoods). Equity: ​ Explanation: ○​ Vulnerable communities bear the brunt of climate impacts but have fewer resources for adaptation. ​ Example: ○​ Small Pacific island nations face displacement due to rising sea levels. ​ Solution: ○​ Allocate funds through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund to help marginalized regions adapt. Scale: ​ Explanation: ○​ Climate change requires global collaboration and local implementation. ​ Example:  ○​ Paris Climate Agreement emphasizes country-specific goals while promoting global accountability. ​ Solution: ○​ Strengthen local initiatives like rooftop solar in India, which enhances energy security. 5. At the end of this course, are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Using at least three examples from the class, please explain why. Be sure to use concrete examples and data -​ Optimism -​ Why: -​ Saving environment through legislation= forest service act: "to improve and protect the forest within the reservation,... securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States." -​ CITES -​ Clean air act: cleaned up 6 dominant pollutants Government Initiatives and Treaties: ​ Paris Climate Agreement: ○​ Aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C with nationally determined contributions (NDCs). ​ Montreal Protocol: ○​ Successful reduction of ozone-depleting substances proves international cooperation works. ​ Inflation Reduction Act (U.S.): ○​ Invests $369 billion in clean energy, including tax credits for renewable installations. Technological Advancements: ​ Renewable energy: ○​ Offshore wind farms like Scotland’s Hywind exemplify efficient energy harvesting. ​ Energy storage: ○​ Battery innovations like Tesla’s Powerwall improve renewable energy reliability. ​ Carbon capture: ○​ Norway’s Sleipner project removes millions of tons of CO₂ annually. ​ Current trends show that we are transitioning away from fossil fuels Redesigning Cities: ​ Urban greenery: ○​ Singapore’s "City in a Garden" integrates greenery into dense urban landscapes to reduce heat islands. ​ Public transit: ○​ Expanded subway networks in cities like Seoul and Paris reduce car dependency. ​ Sustainable housing: ○​ Passive housing designs lower energy consumption by up to 90% (e.g., Germany’s Passivhaus standards). -​