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| 9414662655 | Describe what is meant by suburban sprawl | It's a concept of people moving into suburban areas from the unplanned, uncontrolled spreading of urban development. | 0 | |
| 9414665040 | Describe one benefit of suburban sprawl | A benefit of suburban sprawl is that it's assumed that is safer to raise a family because it is more quiet and safer in the suburban area. | 1 | |
| 9414667045 | Describe three problems caused by suburban sprawl | a. Air pollution-increased transportation to and from cities b. Loss of agricultural capacity-land being used for living and homes instead of farms c. Obesity-higher rates of high blood pressure, hypertension and chronic diseases due to more sedentary, calm lifestyle | 2 | |
| 9414670232 | Describe one ecological problem caused by sprawl | One ecological problem caused by sprawl is that many people use their cars more frequently to get to work or other errands, which causes in an increase in in air pollution and leading to the degradation of organisms around them. | 3 | |
| 9414674137 | Describe three ways to mitigate urban sprawl (methods of Smart Growth) | a. Compact our cities-make them take up less space with the building of more skyscrapers, to leave land for other things (farming, beauty) b. Invest into light rail systems-making all locations within a city more connected lessens the need of more building of things used by all people if they can all access just a few (grocery stores, malls) as well as lessen the energy used and the pollution created by individual transportation c. Replace inefficient light bulbs with more efficient bulbs-use less energy | 4 | |
| 9414676653 | Describe one Smart Growth development you have seen in South Pasadena | There has been a growing push for light rail systems; the Gold Line has grown greatly, allowing for people to access more parts of LA on train instead of driving. | 5 | |
| 9414679227 | Describe one way to make a building LEED certified. | One way to make a building LEED certified is to allow the building to be water efficient. | 6 | |
| 9414681167 | List 3 advantages of paying the extra costs for a LEED certified building | a. A person's electrical bill is reduced b. Insulation in households are better-warmer c. Has solar panels on the house-energy bill reduced, helps environment as less fossil fuels are used | 7 | |
| 9414683770 | Describe one design you have noticed at SPHS that make it more LEED certified. | SPHS changed lights to flourescent | 8 | |
| 9414687381 | Describe two problems caused by air pollution in cities. | a. Development of lung cancer-respiratory problems caused by PM in air as well as harmful fumes b. Irritation of the eyes-PM in air gets into eyes | 9 | |
| 9414691280 | Describe two ways to mitigate those problems. | a. Ride bikes to locations-less vehicle exhaust and pollution b. Plant more trees-trees treat air by taking in toxins and removing them from the air | 10 | |
| 9414693931 | DESCRIBE 3 problems that come from the heat island effect | a. Increase in summertime peak energy demand-everyone uses a great deal of energy, so it is not being sustainably used b. Air conditioning costs-increased cost as needed to deal with heat, increased AC usage c. Heat-related illness and mortality-heat stroke, dehydration as well as payment to treat and time taken off of work to deal with illnesses, sadness of mortality of friends and family | 11 | |
| 9414696262 | DESCRIBE 3 ways to mitigate the heat island effect | a. Trees and vegetation-transpiration and shade cool temperatures b. Green roofs-transpiration cools temperatures, also absorb heat from sun so it doesn't directly hit building c. Cool pavements-cools temperatures? | 12 | |
| 9414698449 | Describe 3 problems created by storm water runoff | a. Pollution of water-picks up toxins in streets from pollution b. Disruption of recreational use such as people swimming in a river or lake-people can't swim in lake with toxic water c. Health problems-water consumed is filled with toxins and can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, cancer, etc. | 13 | |
| 9414700767 | Describe 3 ways to mitigate storm water runoff problems. | a. Rain gardens-allows rainwater runoff the opportunity be contained in a depression/hole to be absorbed b. Replacing potable water used and/or contributing additional supplies by rainwater and stormwater harvesting-reusing untreated but healthy water to complete non-consumption activities, instead of using solely treated water c. Reducing stormwater flooding to the levels outlined in floodplain management Programs | 14 | |
| 9414703153 | Describe 3 ecological harms caused by recreation | a. Visual impacts such as animals noticing bright equipment in which the animals will avoid the area and decrease diversity b. Audible impacts such as loud noises from people performing activities such as moving stuff out of a car or people cooking with pots and pans and making loud clashing noises, animals will avoid area, decrease diversity c. Physical impacts such as people chopping wood and starting a fire, eliminating the vegetation and organisms in the area, eroding the soil, and preventing plants from growing there in the future, reducing diversity | 15 | |
| 9414705630 | Describe 3 ways to mitigate the problems caused by recreation. | a. Having good ethics and common sense of knowing when to do anything or not to the environment, taking in mind the results of the actions b. Use methods such as concentrated impact camping, keeping the nature around the campsite as pristine as possible and taking up less space, being less spread out to not entirely drive out organisms c. No trace camping in which if someone was to leave, no one would know if they were there and therefore helps preserve the condition of the environment | 16 | |
| 9414713305 | Describe 3 Benefits provided by open spaces | a. Water quality protection and flood prevention through wetlands b. Provides opportunities for recreation and health benefits through wooded areas and trees c. Air quality improvement because of the increase of vegetation, plants, and trees | 17 | |
| 9414715406 | Describe 3 problems created by open space parks and nature preserves. | a. pesticide runoff-pesticides used to maintain greenery can lead to runoff and eutrophication B. siltation from overused hiking and logging trails-caused by soil erosion or sedime nt spill, chemical contamination of sediments accumulated on the bottom, or pollutants bound to sediment particles, damages dams and creates build up of sediment in rivers C. destruction of habitat-land is manufactured to serve people and habitat is changed as well as well-walked on, resulting in damage to the habitat | 18 | |
| 9414717626 | Describe 3 ways to mitigate those problems. | a. Don't use pesticides, instead use more organic ways to deal with pests B. maintain land cover and prevent soil erosion, trap the material before it reaches the stream network, keep land uncovered for as short a time as possible during construction, and to use silt screens to prevent the sediment from getting released in water bodies C. maintain and enjoy land in its most natural state, have visiting hours to allow for habitat time without human interference | 19 | |
| 9414730967 | Wilderness act | The effort to preserve land because it is unique and spectacular. | 20 | |
| 9414737677 | Antiquities act | The law used to establish National Parks | 21 | |
| 9414741388 | U.S. Forest Service | Manages public forests | 22 | |
| 9414747001 | Bureau of Land Management | Manages public lands for public use like preservation, hunting, recreation, mining, forestry and livestock grazing. | 23 | |
| 9414755463 | National Park Service | Protects areas from development, including roads. | 24 | |
| 9414757300 | Monumentalism | Manages and preserves public lands set aside for preservation but allows certain developments and roads to improve public access. | 25 | |
| 9414767489 | What are rangelands? | Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals, open country used for grazing or hunting animals. | 26 | |
| 9414770679 | Which of the following ecosystem services (see below) are provided for by rangelands? | Climate regulation, water purification and storage, supplying raw materials, provide food for humans, population control, provide recreation, soil formation, waste treatment, pollination, and nutrient cycling. | 27 | |
| 9414772641 | Choose three ecosystem services and describe how rangelands provide for them. | Supplying raw materials- provide wood and medicinal resources Water purification and storage- watershed functions (including ood control, storage, and ltering Recreation- hunting and beauty | 28 | |
| 9414774364 | Give evidence that rangelands are not being used sustainably. | Rangelands are not being used sustainably because scientists have said that when farmers have many animals feeding on the rangelands, it creates a positive feedback loop that exacerbates the quality of soil. | 29 | |
| 9414776379 | What is Overgrazing? | Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves. | 30 | |
| 9414778124 | What is the Taylor Grazing Act? (When was it passed and why? Was it effective? Explain why.) | The Taylor Grazing Act was passed in 1934 in which it is suppose to prevent overgrazing and soil deterioration on public land. It was not effective because the act was pre-empted by the Federal land Policy and Management Act in 1976. | 31 | |
| 9414779934 | How has fire suppression on the prairie hurt the productivity of the grazing land? | In the absence of wildfire, ecosystems change over time, often becoming less productive and hosting a diminishing variety of flora and fauna. Without fire, many of the tallgrass prairies and savannahs that were not converted to other uses eventually changed to shrub thicket and dense forests of oak, ash, maple and elm. Fire is needed to restore and maintain most of these rare communities. | 32 | |
| 9414781721 | List 3 native prairie species that were harmed by human efforts at ranching and grazing animals. | Indiangrass, Big Blue Stem, and elk. | 33 | |
| 9414783153 | How did ranching harm the native prairie species? | The grasses and other plants were ripped up and plowed under. They were destroyed forever since, with the prairie plants gone, there was no longer any way for the seed to spread or for animals to eat. | 34 | |
| 9414785413 | Why did ranchers want to exterminate them initially? | Prairie dogs chop down a lot of foliage to get a better view of their predators and ranchers believed that they were competing with cattle for grass. | 35 | |
| 9414787242 | What actions of the ranchers probably caused an overpopulation of Prairie Dogs? | The ranchers probably did not insert natural predators of the prairie dogs to keep the population of the prairie dogs stable. | 36 | |
| 9414789788 | How does a controlled population of prairie dogs actually help rancher? | By turning over and aerating the soil, prairie dogs encourage vegetation that is actually more nutritious. | 37 | |
| 9414792530 | List 2 government agencies that regulate rangelands | US forest service wild horse and burro program -regulate feedlots | 38 | |
| 9414802002 | What is a Feedlot? | An area or building where livestock are fed and fattened up. | 39 | |
| 9414804153 | Describe one way feedlots are better for the environment than using rangeland to raise livestock. | Feedlots allow for a greater production of food to provide for livestock than rangelands. | 40 | |
| 9414805927 | How do feedlots accelerated antibiotic resistance? | Feedlots accelerate antibiotic resistance because when the livestock consumes an antibiotic for the first time, it may not be strong enough to eliminate all the disease cells and when the livestock reproduces, the offspring will develop a stronger immune system to the disease. | 41 | |
| 9414808823 | How do feedlots increase eutrophication? | Feedlots increase eutrophication because the great concentration of waste that comes from the cattle increases the amount of nitrates and phosphates, allowing for the growth of algae, blocking the source of light. | 42 | |
| 9414810668 | How do feedlots increase air pollution? | Feedlots increase air pollution because cows emit methane when the release wastes such as feces, in which the methane is a greenhouse gas, affecting the condition of the atmosphere. | 43 | |
| 9414813230 | How do feedlots increase human health risks? | Feedlots increase human health risk because when ranchers provide antibiotics and growth hormones to the livestock and are later butchered and sent to the markets, humans ingest the livestock that contain the unnatural chemicals, therefore having the possibility of affecting their system. | 44 | |
| 9414814984 | Describe animal welfare issues regarding feedlots. | Animal welfare in feedlots is not very efficient and good overall because the rancher's and producers goal is to produce a greater amount of food in a shorter amount of time to gain more money rather than be conscious of the health risk of the consumers. | 45 | |
| 9414816649 | Describe TWO methods to mitigate the environmental impacts of feedlots. (be specific—reducing the size of the feedlot is not an option) | a. Set a tax for farmers that exceed a certain limit of environmental degradation the government sets. b. Setting a law to force farmers to raise only organic cattle. | 46 | |
| 9414821595 | Give specific evidence that ocean fisheries are not being used sustainably. | The extinction of the Caribbean monk seal, Steller's sea cow, and the Atlantic gray whale. Eutrophication and hypoxia occurring in Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico due to the overharvesting of oyster beds. Sea grass grows thickly, dies, and rots, giving rise to disease. The near-extinction of many whale species. | 47 | |
| 9414825101 | What is Aquaculture? | The rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food. | 48 | |
| 9414826930 | Give an example of an Invasive species that came from aquaculture. | The red claw crayfish from Australia was introduced in Africa. | 49 | |
| 9414828435 | Give an example of an invasive species that came from commercial shipping. | The European green crab was introduced in North and South America, Africa, and Australia. | 50 | |
| 9414831158 | Describe how aquaculture can promote fish diseases. | Concentrated fish can mean concentrated waste. Combined with uneaten food pellets, fish waste can impact the local environment by polluting the water and smothering plants and animals on the seafloor. There are also concerns that diseases and parasites—common occurrences in crowded pens—are spread to wild fish. | 51 | |
| 9414831159 | Describe how aquaculture can promote antibiotic resistance. | Antibiotics applied as part of farming practices for livestock and farmed seafood can fuel the proliferation of antibiotic-resistance genes among bacteria—including pathogenic strains. When such pathogens end up in the resulting meat or fish, they can cause antibiotic-resistant infections in people who eat it. | 52 | |
| 9414834330 | Describe one problem caused by use of hormones in aquaculture. | Some hormones may be endocrine disruptors that interfere with the thyroid, which is crucial to various fish and human biological functions. | 53 | |
| 9414836488 | Describe two ways aquaculture can cause eutrophication and dead zones in the ocean. | - increased concentration of nitrogen from fish food - increased concentration of nitrogen and phosphorous from fish feces and urine | 54 | |
| 9414840270 | Describe how acquiring food for feeding aquaculture species creates ecological problems. | water footprint increases with terrestrial crop-based ingredient use | 55 | |
| 9414847286 | Describe how aquaculture can cause human health problems related to bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Be sure to explain where the toxins come from. | -Using small fish as feed in aquaculture operations could also pose a potential hazard since small fish may bioaccumulate environmental contaminants like persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and methylmercury. -Fish like salmon, tuna, and tilapia, which are higher on the food chain, or bottom-feeder fish, which ingest more sediment, are more likely to contain more contaminants such as mercury. | 56 | |
| 9414850434 | Read the central case on page 443 and explain what is meant by a "fishery collapse". | Fish catches dwindle because too many fish are taken and because trawling has destroyed so much underwater habitat. | 57 | |
| 9414854929 | What is a "Fishery"? Give an example. | A place where fish are reared for commercial purposes. | 58 | |
| 9414861181 | What are the three methods of commercial ocean fishing? | Driftnetting, longlining, and bottom-trawling. | 59 | |
| 9414863381 | For each method describe an ecological problem it can cause (besides overfishing). | Driftnetting-results in a large by-catch of non-target fish, sharks, turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals, which are usually jettisoned, dead, back to the ocean. Longlining- when the fishing gear is lost and not collected by the fishermen, allowing it to float around the world's oceans indiscriminately catching and killing marine life Bottom-trawling- rip up the seabed itself. | 60 | |
| 9414865315 | What is a "Non-target" fish? | Species not specifically targeted as a component of the catch; may be incidentally captured as part of the targeted catch. | 61 | |
| 9414867875 | Give an example of Bycatch. | Give an example of Bycatch. | 62 | |
| 9414872611 | How are Mangrove forests, Estuaries, Saltwater Marshes, Swamps, Coral Reefs, and Kelp beds important for the sustainability of ocean fisheries? (p449-454) | They all increase productivity, and in turn, create an increased production of fish, which then replaces the fish taken to be consumed by ocean fisheries.They allow for fish consumption as they boost productivity and fish growth. | 63 | |
| 9414874588 | Besides damage to fisheries, describe two other ways humans damage the ocean environment. | Oil spills are detrimental to marne life (especially petroleum, because it can physically coat and kill marine organisms and poison them). Ocean transportation leads tp the transplanting of invasive species (such as the zebra mussel). | 64 | |
| 9414876366 | What does it mean to "fish down the food chain" and what problem does it cause? (Page 461) | The overfishing of some kinds of fish leads to the fishing of species that are in greater abundance--meaning going from large, desirable species to smaller, less desirable ones--and catching species at lower trophic levels. The fishing pressure will make the larger species more scarce, and fishing will move towards the smaller species.When you remove these smaller species - the species down the food web - you not only begin to exploit their populations, you also destroy any hope that there may have been for the recovery of predator species. | 65 | |
| 9414879206 | Describe the provisions of one program that is designed to restore a fishery. | Marine reserves- areas where fishing is prohibited, "no-take" areas designed to preserve entire ecosystems intact without human interference | 66 | |
| 9414880931 | How do ocean preserves help make ocean fisheries sustainable? | They produce rapid and long-term increases in abundance, diversity, and productivity of marine organisms. | 67 | |
| 9414883458 | Describe one United States government act or program that protects fisheries. | Marine Mammal Protection Act | 68 | |
| 9414884907 | Describe one international treaty or program that protects fisheries. | Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora | 69 | |
| 9414887055 | Go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website and find one fish species you should avoid eating and explain why it is recommended that people stop purchasing and eating this species. (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org ) | Pacific bluefin tuna- overharvested and many young bluefins are caught before they have the chance to reproduce. | 70 | |
| 9414888821 | Go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium website and find one fish species that is a good choice for eating and explain why it is recommended that people purchase and eat this species. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_gear.aspx | Lingcod- a sustainable seafood "Good Alternative." The population of lingcod on the U.S. West Coast has experienced long-term declines due to overfishing but appears to be stabilizing. | 71 | |
| 9420262437 | Which of the following ecosystem services (see below) are provided for by forests? | Soil formation, water purification and storage, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, supply raw materials, provide food for humans, and provide beauty. | 72 | |
| 9420263282 | For three ecosystem services you identified, describe how forests provide for them. | Supply raw materials-trees in forests supply wood Soil formation- forest vegetation stabilizes soil and prevents erosion Water purification and storage- plants regulate hydrologic cycle, slow runoff, lessen flooding, and purify water as they take it in from the soil and release it to the atmosphere | 73 | |
| 9420263733 | Give evidence that forests are not being used sustainably. | The central case study shows that areas in the world are being logged or clear cut, removing all the trees in one area. This happens in many areas all over the world. 1/3 of forests globally are being designated primarily for timber production. | 74 | |
| 9420264307 | Why isn't harvesting at the "Maximum Sustainable Yield" always best for the ecosystem? | Harvesting at Maximum Sustainable Yield isn't always best for the ecosystem because although it may sound ideal at first, sometimes it can alter the ecosystem and the ecosystem ceases to function properly and may decrease the availability of the resource. | 75 | |
| 9420264919 | List two problems caused by forestry monoculture (or plantation forestry). | Two problems with monoculture is that it doesn't provide enough diversity so if a disease were to be rampant, the organism may not be able to combat it, and that it is not adaptable to its environment because it takes away diversity. | 76 | |
| 9420265899 | If monoculture is bad for the ecosystem, why is it the most widely used method of forest harvesting? | Many people choose to do monoculture because it may be cheaper because they only have to worry about one type of crop. | 77 | |
| 9420266552 | What is one method timber companies are using to protect the forest from the harms of monoculture? | 78 | ||
| 9420266553 | What is an "Old Growth Forest" and why is it more valuable ecologically than a cut and replanted forest? | An old growth forest is a forest that has attained great age without significance disturbance. It is more valuable ecologically because it can have more biodiversity. | 79 | |
| 9420268258 | Why are uneven aged and mixed species forests more sustainable? | Uneven aged mixed species forests have more diversity in species, and the different aged trees imitate more natural forests. | 80 | |
| 9420268745 | List the three methods of timber harvesting from the most damaging to the most sustainable. | Clear-cutting, seed-tree/shelterwood, and selection. | 81 | |
| 9420269147 | Explain why select cutting is the most sustainable harvesting practice. | Select cutting allows uneven aged trees as a result, it's more natural, and provides more diversity although it is more expensive. | 82 | |
| 9420269768 | What is the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and how does it ensure that forests are being harvested sustainably? | The Forest Stewardship Council is an international organization established to promote responsible management of the world's forests. FSC certification shows consumers that a company operates in an environmentally, economically and socially responsible way. An informed consumer allows for them to make a decision of what wood to buy based of its sustainability. | 83 | |
| 9420270186 | List three criteria of FSC certified wood. | The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on a wood or wood based product is your assurance that it is made with, or contains, wood that comes from FSC certified forests or from post-consumer waste. There are three types of FSC label: 100%, FSC Mix or FSC Recycled. | 84 | |
| 9420271238 | How has fire suppression on the forest hurt the productivity of the forests? | Forests rely on it especially there are some seeds that germinate only in response to fires, and tree rings have shown fires are common and healthy for the forests. ? | 85 | |
| 9420272434 | Why is it an ecological problem for timber companies to remove dead snags (dead trees) from a forest in order to reduce the fire hazard? | By suppressing fires, there is a buildup of material on the forests floors like logs, dead trees, sticks, leafs, that when ignited cause a much larger fire. | 86 | |
| 9420273079 | What are three government acts, agencies or programs that protect forests and the organism that live there? | The Healthy Forests Restoration Act- promotes the physical removal of small trees, underbrush, and dead trees by timber companies, to lessen the chances of a fire. National Forest Management Act-mandated that plans be drawn up for resource management for national forests The Forest Stewardship Council- promotes responsible management of the world's forests. It goes about doing this by standard setting, certification, and labeling of forests products. | 87 | |
| 9420275858 | Open pit mining description | Ore lies near the surface and is reached by scraping away the earth over it | 88 | |
| 9420278572 | Strip mining | practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock | 89 | |
| 9420279354 | Placer mining | mining of stream bed (alluvial) deposits for minerals, used when the metal of interest is associated with sediment in a stream bed or floodplain | 90 | |
| 9420280614 | Shaft mining | form of underground mining using shafts driven vertically from the top down into the earth to access ore or minerals | 91 | |
| 9420281745 | Mountain Top Removal | surface mining at the summit or summit ridge of a mountain, form of mining in which the mountain overlying the coal is blasted away with explosives | 92 | |
| 9420282183 | In-situ/solution mining | used to recover minerals such as copper and uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit | 93 | |
| 9420282713 | Overburden | material that lies above an area that lends itself to economical exploitation, such as the rock, soil, and ecosystem that lies above a coal seam of ore body | 94 | |
| 9420283023 | Acid mine drainage | the outflow of acidic water from a mining site. In most cases, this acid comes primarily from oxidation of iron sulfide | 95 | |
| 9420283872 | Tailings | also called mine dumps, culm dumps, slimes, tails, refuse, leach residue or slickens, terra-cone (terrikon), are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore | 96 | |
| 9420284555 | What is Ore (high grade/low grade)? | Ore is a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted. High-grade ores contain relatively large amounts of particular minerals; low-grade ores contain lesser amounts. | 97 | |
| 9420285190 | Describe Smelting (Use the following terms in your explanation: flux, coke, limestone, charcoal, slag) | Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore in order to melt out a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a chemical reducing agent to decompose the ore, driving off other elements as gases or slag and leaving the metal base behind. The reducing agent is commonly a source of carbon, such as coke—or, in earlier times, charcoal.The carbon (or carbon monoxide derived from it) removes oxygen from the ore, leaving the elemental metal. The carbon thus oxidizes in two stages, producing first carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide. As most ores are impure, it is often necessary to use flux, such as limestone, to remove the accompanying rock gangue slag. | 98 | |
| 9420285694 | Describe the Heap-Leach extraction method. | The mined ore is usually crushed into small chunks and heaped on an impermeable plastic and/or clay lined leach pad where it can be irrigated with a leach solution to dissolve the valuable metals. The solution then percolates through the heap and leeches both the target and other minerals. The leach solution containing the dissolved minerals is then collected, treated in a process plant to recover the target mineral and in some cases precipitate other minerals, and then recycled to the heap after reagent levels are adjusted. | 99 | |
| 9420286138 | 4. Describe the source of Tailings and how they damage the environment | Mine tailings consist of process effluents that are generated in a mineral processing plant. Tailings are the byproducts left over from mining and extracting resources. Mine tailings are the ore waste of mines, and are typically a mud-like material. Tailing piles can lead to slumps and landslides, dust, and leaching. Sulfuric acid is sometimes produced when water interacts with tailings, and as a result, highly acidic water leaks from the tailings and disrupts aquatic life downstream. Tailings from copper and uranium mining often produce measurable levels of radioactivity.Tailing ponds may lead to dam failure, leaks, and wildlife exposure. | 100 | |
| 9420286574 | 5.. Watch the following video and comment on the General Mining Law of 1872 | This law is completely outdated and does not take into account what is known about the negative environmental impacts of mining. This law needs to be updated and make mining less accessible and more environmentally friendly. There is no reason why something that degrades our environment so greatly at a time when we are close to reaching the tipping point is still in law. This also shows the lack of environmental care that US policy makers have. | 101 | |
| 9420287235 | List 5 ways energy is used in mining. | 102 | ||
| 9420287896 | Why does mining use so much water? What does it use the water for? | As miners dig deeper into the ground ro obtain ore, they eventually hit the water table and have to pump out the water to keep the put dry. | 103 | |
| 9420288531 | How does a mine contribute to Surface water and Aquifer contamination? | Rocks rich in minerals often contain high concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. When rainwater seeps through sulfide minerals exposed in mines, sulfuric acid is produced that in turn dissolves other toxic substances in the spoil banks of coal and metal ore mines. This substances (acid mine drainage) are washed into soil and water, including groundwater, by precipitation runoff. | 104 | |
| 9420289071 | What is one creative way to clean up mining site pollution? | Replainting mining sites. Planting millions of plants (such as legumes and black locust trees) that tolerate acid conditions through the time-releasement of seeds and fertilizers by helicopter. The leaves dropped by these plants contribute to organic material of the soil as well as provide shade and food for animals that begin to return. | 105 | |
| 9420289605 | What is the name of the international treaty that was created to regulate mining and resource extraction in Antarctica? | Antarctic Treaty | 106 | |
| 9420289645 | What is the name of the international treaty that was created to regulate mining and resource extraction in international ocean waters? | U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) | 107 | |
| 9420290507 | What is "Mineral substitution" give and example and explain how it helps the environment? | Mineral substitution is the substitution of more abundant materials for scarce minerals in an important goal of manufacturing. Tin was a critical metal for industries. It was substituted with other materials such as plastic, glass and aluminum. | 108 | |
| 9420291042 | Describe three methods that will help reduce the need to mine for minerals and thereby reduce the damage to the environment? | Reuse- Using the same product over and over again instead of throwing it away and buying a new one. Example: reusing glass bottles by rinsing them out and then refilling them. Recycle- Converting waste into reusable materials. Gold, lead, and nickel can be recycled. Change our mineral requirements- Reduce mineral consumption by becoming a low-waste society. Get rid of "throwaway" mentality. Force industries to look at the long-term instead of the short-term economic profit. An example is to create more laws requiring a deposit on beverage containers to reduce consumption. | 109 | |
| 9420291756 | How does bankruptcy increase the environmental harm caused by mining? | A company declaring bankruptcy means the closing of the mine in a short-period of time, leaving a large local tax bill unpaid, laying off employees, stopping essential environmental maintenance, and abandoning the site. This abandonment in a place of snow lead to a heap-leach system overflow, and bringing cyanide into a water source. | 110 | |
| 9420292629 | If companies do not pay to clean up environmental damage from mining, who pays for the clean up? | tax payers | 111 | |
| 9420293976 | What is the name of the law that designates toxic mine sites and tries to collect money to clean them? | Superfund Law (CERCLA) | 112 | |
| 9420294841 | Comment on the success of the Superfund Law (CERCLA) and its design to protect the taxpayers from mining clean up costs. | Superfund has not been very successful as not very many sites have been cleaned up. Investors and banks often refuse to lend money for development of Superfund sites or sites that might have Superfund liability attached to them. This is a major flaw that forces Superfund to use taxpayers money, because they have no one else to receive money from. | 113 | |
| 9420295379 | What is the relationship between salmon and gold in Bristol Bay, Alaska? | The gold mine is in a watershed that is a major drainage basin into Bristol Bay, where the salmon population is large. Acid mine drainage and other chemicals (cyanide) could contaminate the watershed across the area, This would contaminate fish and their entire ecosystem. Waste is to go into large tailings pond, but risk of spills and seepage is a major threat. They will never be able to keep chemicals out of the pure water of Bristol Bay. This would wipe out the salmon diversity and immense population. | 114 | |
| 9420296226 | What is the difference between Restoration and Reclamation? | Restoration-the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. Restoration is a legally and technically specific term for returning a disturbed site to a more-or-less natural condition. Reclamation- the process of claiming something back or of reasserting a right. Reclamation is a blanket term often used, for example, by mining engineers when they rehabilitate a disturbed site for some useful purpose | 115 | |
| 9420297431 | Describe the 1872 Mining Law and explain how it has created problems for the environment. | The General Mining Act of 1872 is a United States federal law that authorizes and governs prospecting and mining for economic minerals, such as gold, platinum, and silver, on federal public lands.The Mining Law of 1872 gives anyone the right to enter, stake a claim and prospect for minerals on public lands, no matter what other values may exist there, such as wildlife habitat, recreation, scenic beauty, or water resources. | 116 | |
| 9420298409 | What is required by The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act? | 117 | ||
| 9420299100 | Why has it not been very successful? | 118 | ||
| 9420300557 | Use following link to list 3 arguments in favor and three against the United States ratifying the UNCLOS | In favor: -would strengthen the U.S. economy and help create American jobs. -Bush administration, the Pentagon, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee favored ratification -establishes guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources which is good for conservation and the planet's health Against: -involvement in some international organizations and treaties as detrimental to U.S. national interests -The U.S. claimed that the provisions of the treaty were not free-market friendly and were designed to favor the economic systems of the Communist states. -The U.S. also argued that the International Seabed Authority established by the Convention might become a bloated and expensive bureaucracy, due to a combination of large revenues and insufficient control over what the revenues could be used for. | 119 |
