UNIT 6:

ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES

SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

Group: 1º Bachillerato
Teacher: Irene Martínez Clares
Academic year: 2011-2012

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SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

UNIT 6: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - THEORY

INDEX

A) MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

1.- Climate Change / Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect
2.- 'Hole' in the Ozone Layer
3.- Acid Rain
4.- Air Pollution
5.- Water Pollution
6.- Introduced Species
7.- Biological Control
8.- Biological Magnification
9.- Soil Salinity
10.- Population Explosion

B) ENERGY CRISIS & ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

1.- Non-renewable energy sources
2.- Renewable. energy sources

A) MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

1.- Climate Change / Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect

The earth's atmosphere allows a lot of sunlight to reach the earth's surface, but reflects
much of that light back into space. Some gases trap more sunlight, so that less light reflects
back into space. These gases are called Greenhouse Gases, because the effect is like
being in a plant glasshouse, or in a car with the windows wound up. The result is a gradual
increase in earth's temperature or Global Warming. The major greenhouse gases are
water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's).

The main man-made causes are thought to be carbon dioxide and methane from factory,
power station and car emissions, the waste products of respiration, logging, the mining of
fossil fuels and the breakdown of plant matter in swamps. The long-term effects may
include melting of glaciers and a rise in sea level, and a global change in climate and type
of vegetation.

Video: GLOBAL WATCH: Global Warming and the Environment | PBS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KtKr3gAtGI&feature=player_embedded

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2.- 'Hole' in the Ozone Layer

Ozone is a gas in the earth's upper atmosphere whose chemical formula is O 3. Ozone acts
to block out much of the sun's ultraviolet radiation which causes skin cancer and
contributes to the fluctuations of global climatic conditions that affect the environment.
Above Antarctica is a thinner layer of ozone caused by the destruction of ozone gas by
emissions of chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons that are propellants in
pressure-pak spray cans and refrigerants in refrigerators and air-conditioning units. In
1987, a treaty called the Montreal Protocol was introduced to reduce usage of ozone-
destroying gases. Australia has banned CFC's, but many nations such as China still use
them.

3.- Acid Rain

When gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water in the
atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid, they form an acidic 'rain' which can
destroy vegetation. Some of these gases are from natural sources such as lightning,
decomposing plants and volcanoes. However, much of these gases are the result of
emissions from cars, power stations, smelters and factories.

4.- Air Pollution

Air pollution is the release into the atmosphere of excessive amounts of harmful gases (e.g.
methane, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides) as well as particles (e.g. dust,
tyre rubber, lead from car exhausts). To reduce emissions, the Australian government has
legislated that all new cars use unleaded petrol and have catalytic converters fitted to the
exhausts.

5.- Water Pollution

1. Sewage is all household waste water. Many detergents contain phosphates

which act as plant fertilisers. When these phosphates and the sewerage reach
rivers, they help water plants to grow in abundance, reducing the dissolved
oxygen in the river water. The result is death of aquatic animals due to
suffocation by the algal blooms. This harmful effect is called eutrophication.
2. Biodegradable detergents are more environmentally friendly because they are
readily broken down to harmless substances by decomposing bacteria.
3. Suspended solids in water such as silt reduce the amount of light that reaches
the depths of the water in lakes and rivers. This reduces the ability of aquatic
plants to photosynthesise and the result is less plant and animal life. Turbidity is
the measure of 'cloudiness' or the depth to which light can reach in water.

6.- Introduced Species

They are species of plants or animals that have migrated or been brought to Australia.
Many fit into the natural ecosystems and are kept in control by natural predators and
parasites. However, some become pests as they are well-adapted to our environment,
readily obtain nutrients, and lack natural predators or parasites. Examples include rabbits,
foxes, carp, and prickly pear cactus plant.

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7.- Biological Control

It is an environmentally-friendly method to control these pests by the introduction of

species-specific, living organisms to control their numbers. Successful examples include
the myxoma virus and the calici virus for rabbits, and the cactoblastis moth feeding on the
prickly pear. Unsuccessful examples include the introduction of the cane toad to reduce the
numbers of natural cane beetles.

8.- Biological Magnification

It is the accumulation in body tissues of certain chemicals such as DDT pesticide and
mercury. The higher along the food chain, the greater is the accumulation, sometimes to
toxic levels, causing birth defects and death.

9.- Soil Salinity

Soil Salinity has increased greatly since the widespread logging of trees by farmers. Deep
tree roots normally draw water from the underground water table. However, when logging
of trees occurs, the water table rises close to the surface bringing with it salt from rocks.
This creates soil that is so salty that vegetation cannot grow effectively. The result is loss of
vegetation and erosion.

10.- Population Explosion

It is the rapid increase in population in developing countries causing famine, and also in
developed countries causing more demand for energy and with that, increased pollution
and destruction of the environment.

Video: 7 Billion, National Geographic Magazine http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=sc4HxPxNrZ0&feature=player_embedded

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B) ENERGY CRISIS & ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

With population growth comes increased usage of energy. The energy crisis is the
inability of the earth's resources to keep pace with the population's needs. The solution to
the energy crisis is twofold - build more power stations to supply more energy, or reduce
the usage of energy by building more energy-efficient devices.

There are 2 types of energy sources - non-renewable and renewable.

1.- NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES


 e.g. fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear energy (uranium, plutonium)
 Takes a long time to form (e.g. millions of years)
 Cannot be reused

Advantages

 Cheap
 Readily available
 Efficient
 Multipurpose (e.g. oil for cars, heating)

Disadvantages

 Polluting or radioactive
 Running out

 Fossil fuels began forming millions of years ago. At the time when it is believed that
dinosaurs roamed the earth, forests of trees fell into swamps and were covered by
silt and mud. They gradually changed into the coal, oil and natural gas that we use
today.
 The advantages of using fossil fuels are that they are readily available at the present
time and are cheap. They can also be used for many purposes e.g. coal can be
burnt in power stations to make electricity and also in homes for heating.
 These fossil fuels took millions of years to form, yet humans are using them rapidly
in cars, power stations and factories. They will probably run out within the next 100
years. So the disadvantages of fossil fuels are that they will run out and also that
they are polluting.

Video: 300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-J91SwP8w&feature=player_embedded

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2.- RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

 e.g. biomass, solar, wind, wave, tidal, hydroelectric, geothermal

 Takes a shorter time to form (e.g. decade or two)
 Can be reused or is very abundant

Advantages

 Won't run out

 Environmentally friendly

Disadvantages

 Inefficient

 Geographically selected

 Biomass is plant matter that is used as an energy source. For example, timber can
be burnt for both cooking and heating in many homes around the world. Methane
gas that is flammable can be made from rotting vegetation in methane digesters.
Also alcohol made from sugar cane can be used as an environmentally-friendly
alternative to petrol.
 Solar Energy can be used in many ways. Buildings can be designed to take
advantage of the sun's warmth in the winter so that we don't use electric heaters.
Solar hot water heaters can reduce our electricity bills. Photovoltaic or solar cells
can generate electricity. Solar energy is particularly useful here in Australia because
of our abundance of sunlight.
 Hydroelectric Power Stations are initially expensive to build but are cheap to run.
They can be located in mountainous areas where water is stored in dams and then
released to turn turbines that generate electricity.
 Wind Energy from windmills can be used to generate electricity by turning turbines
in the same way as in hydroelectric power stations. These are particularly useful in
areas close to the coast where the winds are strong and continuous.
 Wave and Tidal Power can be used to generate electricity from the rise and fall of
the waves and the tides. These forms of power can only be utilised at the moment in
places such as Broome where the tide rises and falls through a considerable height
very rapidly.
 Geothermal energy is energy harnessed in areas of the earth that are near
volcanoes or hot springs such as in Rotorua in New Zealand. The heat can be used
for domestic use. It can also be used to generate electricity by heating steam to turn
turbines.
 The advantages of using renewable energy sources are that they won't run out and
they are relatively friendly to the environment. Unfortunately, they are not as efficient
in producing electricity as coal-powered power stations. Also another disadvantage
of solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal energy sources is that they can only be
used in certain areas around the world.

Video: Sustainability explained through animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=B5NiTN0chj0&feature=player_embedded

SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

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 UNIT 6: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – ACTIVITIES

INDEX

ACTIVITY 1. CLOZE: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

ACTIVITY 2. CLOZE: ENERGY CRISIS AND ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

ACTIVITY 3. CANAL DEVELOPMENT DEBATE

ACTIVITY 4. DEBATE : ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ENERGY

RESOURCES

ACTIVITY 5. QUIZ: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

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 ACTIVITY 1. CLOZE: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

Topics:
1. Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
2. „Hole‟ in the Ozone Layer
3. Acid Rain
4. Air Pollution
5. Water Pollution (includes Eutrophication)
6. Introduced Species (includes biological control)
7. Biological Magnification
8. Soil Salinity
9. Population Explosion
10. Energy Crisis and Energy Alternatives

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming – The earth‟s atmosphere allows a lot of sunlight
to reach the earth‟s surface, but reflects much of that light back into s____. Some gases
trap more sunlight, so that less light r_______ back into space. These gases are called
Greenhouse Gases, because the effect is like being in a plant glasshouse, or in a car with
the windows wound up. The result is a gradual i_______ in earth‟s temperature or Global
Warming. The major greenhouse gases are water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
ozone and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC‟s). Possibly, the main man-made causes are thought
to be carbon d______ and methane from factory, power station and car emissions, the
w____ products of respiration, logging, the mining of fossil f____ and the breakdown of
plant matter in swamps. The long-term effects may include m______ of ice-caps and a rise
in sea l____, and a global change in climate and type of vegetation.

“Hole” in the Ozone Layer – Ozone is a gas in the earth‟s upper atmosphere whose
chemical formula is O3. Ozone acts to block out much of the sun‟s ultraviolet r_________
which causes skin c_____ and contributes to the fluctuations of global climatic conditions
that affect the e__________. Above Antarctica is a thinner layer of ozone caused by the
destruction of ozone gas by e________ of chlorofluorocarbons and
hydrochlorofluorocarbons that are propellents in pressure-pak spray c___ and refrigerants
in refrigerators and air-conditioning units. In 1987, a treaty called the Montreal Protocol was
introduced to reduce usage of ozone-destroying gases. Australia has b_____ CFC‟s, but
many nations such as China still use them.

Acid Rain – When gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides r____ with water in
the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric a___, they form an acidic „rain‟ which can
destroy vegetation. Some of these gases are from natural sources such as lightning,
decomposing plants and volcanoes. However, much of these gases are the result of
emissions from cars, power stations, smelters and f________.

Air Pollution – Air pollution is the release into the atmosphere of excessive amounts of
harmful g____ (e.g. methane, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides) as well as
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particles (e.g. dust, tyre rubber, lead from car exhausts). To reduce emissions, the
Australian government has legislated that all new cars use unleaded p_____ and have
catalytic converters fitted to the e_______.

Water Pollution –
1. Sewage is all household waste water. Many detergents contain phosphates which act as
plant fertilisers. When these p_________ and the sewerage reach rivers, they help water
plants to g___ in abundance, reducing the dissolved o_____ in the river water. The result is
death of aquatic animals due to suffocation by the algal blooms. This harmful effect is
called eutrophication.
2. Biodegradable detergents are more environmentally friendly because they are readily
broken d___ to harmless substances by decomposing bacteria.
3. Suspended Solids in water such as silt reduce the amount of l____ that reaches the
depths of the water in lakes and rivers. This reduces the ability of aquatic plants to
p______________ and the result is less plant and animal l___. Turbidity is the measure of
„cloudiness‟ or the depth to which light can reach in water.

Introduced Species are species of plants or animals that have migrated or been brought to
A________. Many fit into the natural ecosystems and are kept in c______ by natural
predators and parasites. However, some become pests as they are well-adapted to our
e__________, readily obtain nutrients, and lack natural predators or parasites. Examples
include rabbits, foxes, carp, and prickly pear cactus plant.

Biological Control is an environmentally-f_______ method to control these pests by the

introduction of species-specific, living organisms to control their numbers. Successful
examples include the myxoma virus and the calici virus for rabbits, and the cactoblastis
moth feeding on the prickly pear. Unsuccessful examples include the introduction of the
cane t___ to reduce the numbers of natural cane beetles.

Biological Magnification is the accumulation in body tissues of certain chemicals such as

DDT pesticide and mercury. The higher along the food c____, the greater is the
accumulation, sometimes to toxic levels, causing birth defects and d____.

Soil Salinity has increased greatly since the widespread logging of t____ by farmers. Deep
tree roots normally draw water from the underground water table. However, when logging
of trees occurs, the water table rises close to the surface bringing with it salt from rocks.
This creates soil that is so s____ that vegetation cannot grow effectively. The result is loss
of vegetation and e______.

Population Explosion is the rapid increase in p_________ in developing countries causing

famine, and also in developed countries causing more demand for energy and with that,
increased pollution and d__________ of the environment.

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 ACTIVITY 2. CLOZE: ENERGY CRISIS AND ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

Fill in the blanks using words from the word list.

Word List: sunlight, electricity, strong, stations, fuels, polluting, out, oil, electricity,
cooking, environment, world, methane, electric, solar, plant, energy, heating, gas,
generate, cheap, dams, waves, New, out, stations, tides, crisis, cheap, burnt, cane,
water, bills, power, years, earth, energy, mud, electricity, heating

With population growth comes increased usage of energy. The energy c________ is the
inability of the earth’s resources to keep pace with the population’s needs. The solution to
the energy crisis is twofold – build more p________ stations to supply more e________, or
reduce the usage of energy by building more energy-efficient devices.

There are 2 types of energy sources – non-renewable and renewable.

NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

e.g. fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and e.g. biomass, solar, wind, wave, tidal,
nuclear energy (uranium, plutonium) hydroelectric, geothermal
Takes a long time to form (e.g. millions of Takes a shorter time to form (e.g. decade or
years) two)
Cannot be reused Can be reused or is very abundant
Advantages Advantages
Cheap Won’t run out
Readily available Environmentally friendly
Efficient Disadvantages
Multipurpose (e.g. oil for cars, heating) Geographically selected
Disadvantages Inefficient
Running out
Polluting or radioactive

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NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Fossil fuels began forming millions of y________ ago. At the time when it is believed that
dinosaurs roamed the e________, forests of trees fell into swamps and were covered by
silt and m________. They gradually changed into the coal, o________ and natural
g________ that we use today.
The advantages of using fossil fuels are that they are readily available at the present time
and are c________. They can also be used for many purposes e.g. coal can be b________
in power stations to make e_________ and also in homes for h_________.

These fossil f________ took millions of years to form, yet humans are using them rapidly in
cars, power s_________ and factories. They will probably run o________ within the next
100 years. So the disadvantages of fossil fuels is that they will run out, and also that they
are p________.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Biomass is plant matter that is used as an e_________ source. For example, timber can
be burnt for both cooking and h_________ in many homes around the world. Methane gas
that is flammable can be made from rotting p________ vegetation in m________ digesters.
Also alcohol made from sugar c________ can be used as an environmentally-friendly
alternative to petrol.

Solar Energy can be used in many ways. Buildings can be designed to take advantage of
the sun's warmth in the winter so that we don't use e________ heaters. Solar hot
w________ heaters can reduce our electricity b________. Photovoltaic or s________ cells
can generate electricity. Solar energy is particularly useful here in Australia because of our
abundance of s________.

Hydroelectric Power Stations are initially expensive to build but are c________ to run.
They can be located in mountainous areas where water is stored in d________ and then
released to turn turbines that generate e____________.
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Wind Energy from windmills can be used to g________ electricity by turning turbines in
the same way as in hydroelectric power stations. These are particularly useful in areas
close to the coast where the winds are s________ and continuous.

Wave and Tidal Power can be used to generate e________ from the rise and fall of the
w________ and the t________. These forms of power can only be utilised at the moment
in places such as Darwin where the tide rises and falls through a considerable height very
rapidly.

Geothermal energy is energy harnessed in areas of the earth that are near volcanoes or
hot springs such as in Rotorua in N________ Zealand. The heat can be used for
c________ and heating in homes. It can also be used to generate electricity by heating
steam to turn turbines.

The advantages of using renewable energy sources is that they won't run o________ and
they are friendly to the e____________. Unfortunately, they are not as efficient in producing
electricity as coal-powered power s________. Also another disadvantage of solar, wind,
wave, tidal and geothermal energy sources is that they can only be used in certain areas
around the w________.

Because Australia has a lot of sunlight and many places where we could use wind, wave
and tidal power, more research must be done in these areas for our future e________ use.

12
 ACTIVITY 3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

Task: Cut out all the boxes. Match one box from the left column with one
box from the right column. Glue the matching boxes onto a large sheet
of paper.

PROBLEM SOLUTION
- Too much lead in air from car - Make laws to control factory gas emissions
exhausts
- Logging forests to make pine bark -Organise car-pooling between workers

- House is too hot in summer and too - Better regulation of chemicals made and used
cold in winter by factories
- Slowly rotting grass clippings make - More regular car maintenance
too much methane gas
- Detergents in rivers kill fish - Build dams that are friendly to the environment

- Electricity bill is too high - Have fewer children

- Flooding - Use unleaded petrol

- Old car that ‘blows smoke’ - Spread grass clippings out to speed up decay

- Too many poisonous factory gases - Turn off lights when not in use

- Overpopulation - Put insulation in roof and walls

- Too many car exhaust fumes - Make laws to control the movement of oil
tankers
- Cats kill wildlife - Use detergents that are phosphate-free

- Too many toxic chemicals in - Have air-circulating areas in the roof to release
waterways hot air
- Non-decaying packaging - Solar or wind-powered power -

- CFC gases from spray cans destroy Walk or ride a bike more often
the ozone layer

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- Noise pollution
- Oil spills in the ocean
- Detergents in rivers kill fish
-Too much sunlight enters
windows to heat the house in
summer
-House is too hot in summer and
too cold in winter
- Plastic bait bags that strangle
marine animals
-Too much litter
-Electricity bill is too high
-Too many insect pests
-Pollution from coal-burning power
stations
-Destruction of animal habitats by
mining
-Damage to beaches by 4WDs
-Overfishing
-Waste of too much fresh water in
houses
-Endangered or extinct animals
-Too much air pollution from tyre
rubber vaporising into air
-Too many cars on the road with
just one person
-Land clearing for more and more
housing estates
-Too many polluting softdrink
bottles
-Too much salt in the soil
- Use safer gases in spray cans
stations
- Plant more trees
-Kill cats in national parks
-Wash the car on the grass not the road so
soapy water does not enter stormwater drains
-Make bottles from recycled plastic
-Install a solar hot water system
-Put litter in
-Build wide verandahs to shade the windows
the bin
-Put all plastic bags in the bin and not in the
ocean
-Use natural predators to kill insects pests not
pesticides
-Have shorter showers
-Restrict mining leases and encourage land
reafforestation
-Save the habitats of animals so they -can
breed successfully
-Ban fishing in fish breeding grounds
-Ban 4WDs from certain beaches
-Use cardboard and not plastic packaging
-Make laws to have parks in new housing
estates
-Plant more trees to reduce soil salinity
-Walk or ride a bike more often
-Fine people who operate noisy machinery
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 outdoors

ACTIVITY 3. CANAL DEVELOPMENT DEBATE

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

Background Information
Sunny Bay is a popular fishing spot fringed by mangroves. A development proposal for a
new canal housing estate and marina has been put to the local shire council for debate by
interested parties.

The Topic of the Debate

Should the canal housing and marina development go ahead?

The 3 Parties in Favour of the Development.

- Real Estate Agent – His concerns include more housing in the fast-growing area to
cater for all types of people, to bring income to the shire through tourism and
recreation and to rid the area of mosquitoes that breed in the mangroves.
- Builder – Future employment for many tradespeople and a considerable profit for his
company are his interests in this matter.
- Shop Owner – Her concerns are the increased profits for her business and long-term
employment for the small shire.

The 3 Parties Against the Development

- Local Resident – Her concerns are for the increased demand on the infra-structure
(i.e. bus transport, schools, medical facilities, electricity and water supply, sewerage
etc) and for the increase in noise and pollution with building and the greater number
of residents. Conservationist – Her concerns are that fish breeding habitats
containing mangroves and eel grass will be destroyed, that the detergent-containing

15
 run-off from canal front houses may pollute the waterways and that the lead-based
anti-fouling paint used on boats will further accumulate causing long-term problems.

- Representative from the Local Fishing Club – His concern is that fish breeding areas
will be destroyed and that there is insufficient regulation to prevent over-fishing in the
area.

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 ACTIVITY 4. DEBATE : ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
OF ENERGY RESOURCES

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

Background Information
Due to increased residential and industrial demand for energy, the state government is
considering a proposal for a new coal-powered power station to be built. The proposal is
the building of a power station at Brownfield, an arid country town which is close to coal
mines and has both a well-maintained highway for truck transport and a nearby deepwater
port for coal export.

The Topic of the Debate

Should the development of the power station go ahead?

The 3 Parties in Favour of the Coal-Powered Power Station

- Local Member of Parliament in the Brownfield Electorate – She is pleased that there
is an opportunity to bring employment and prosperity to a small country town.
- Chief Executive Officer of the NRG Coal Mining Company – His company provides
coal for electricity production that is used by a large range of local and international
manufacturing businesses.
- State Director of Energex – Demand for electricity has been increasing in recent
years because of the increase in global warming and the need for cooling devices
such as air conditioners. He believes that a new power station will supply the needs
of the growing population and associated industry.

The 3 Parties Against the Coal-Powered Power

- Station Local Mayor of Brownfield – Her concerns are for the increased demand on
the infra-structure (i.e. bus transport, schools, medical facilities, electricity and water
supply, sewerage etc) and for the increase in noise and pollution with mining and
building and the greater number of residents.

- Greenpeace Conservationist and Local Doctor – His concerns are that the emission
gases are unhealthy and will put stress on the state health system. Representative
from the World Alternative Energy Commission (WAEC) – Her concerns are that
insufficient money is being spent on renewable energy research and development
and that the millions of dollars for a new power station would be better spent in
scientific research for solar energy and the like.

17
More information:
POWER
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
SOURCE
Coal Cost effective Non-renewable
Appropriate for large scale use Limited resource
High employment Waste emissions of CO2, SO2, NOx
Readily available and Large scale chronic health risk
transportable in some Land degraded by mining
countries Solid waste disposal of ash
Natural Gas Appropriate for large scale use Non-renewable
Valuable as raw material in Limited resource
industry, residential and Waste emissions of CO2, SO2, NOx
commercial heating
Oil Appropriate for large scale use Non-renewable
Readily available in some Limited resource
countries Waste emissions of CO2, SO2, NOx
Large scale chronic health risk
Expensive
Used in production of plastics,
pharmaceuticals, transportation,
and commercial and residential
heating Mostly available from
politically volatile countries
Nuclear Cost effective in large scale Non-renewable
use Accident risk
Almost unlimited resources Radioactive waste disposal can be a
using reprocessing problem
methods High initial building costs
No greenhouse emissions
Solar Renewable Not cost effective at present Occupies
Pollution-free large expanses of land Limited
Good for small scale heating hours
developing technology Need to store energy
Hydro- Renewable Limited sites available
Electricit Pollution-free Large scale accident risk
y Reliable, continuous resource Large scale environmental damage
High initial building costs
Wind Renewable Limited areas suitable
Pollution-free Winds must be greater than 21km/h
Low cost Good for small scale Backup provisions necessary
‘wind farms’ Visibly disturbing on a large scale
Interference to TV and microwave
transmission
Tidal Renewable Pollution-free Not cost effective at present
Only available on certain coastlines
Geothermal Renewable in the long term Local use only Bad smelling gases
Cost effective Reliable constant Contains corrosive harmful gases
resource such as H2S, NH3 and radon
18
19
ACTIVITY 5. QUIZ: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Name:________________________________________________________Date:______

1. The main gases responsible for the Greenhouse Effect are:

A water and ozone
B oxygen and nitrous oxide
C carbon dioxide and methane

2. According to the United Nations, the main cause of climate change / global warming is
the result of:
A water pollution
B factory and car emissions
C sewage

3. It is believed that the thinning of the ozone layer is the result of chlorofluorocarbons.
These gases have been used in:
A electric heaters and clothes driers
B spray cans and refrigerators
C cigarette lighters and air-conditioners

4. The main gases that produce acid rain are:

A sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
B ozone and oxygen gas
C chlorofluorocarbons

5. The release of excessive amounts of harmful substances such as car and factory fumes
and tyre rubber into the atmosphere is called:
A noise pollution
B mutagenic pollution
C air pollution

6. To reduce pollution from cars, the Australian government has legislated that all new cars
must use:
A unleaded petrol
B diesel fuel
C leaded petrol
20
7. When phosphate-containing wastes from detergents and fertilisers reach our waterways,
water plants grow excessively extracting oxygen from the water causing fish to suffocate.
This process is called:
A phosphatisation
B sewage recycling
C eutrophication

8. Substances that are easily broken down into harmless substances by decomposers are
termed:
A environmentally unfriendly
B biodegradable
C non-biodegradable

9. An example of a species that was introduced to Australia with harmful results is the:
A cactoblastis moth
B cane toad
C potato

10. Instead of using pesticides to eradicate pests, another method using the pest's natural
predators or parasites to control its numbers is frequently used. This environmentally
friendly method is termed:
A biological control
B predator release
C insecticide management

11. Examples of toxins that biologically magnify or accumulate in organisms are:

A heavy metals and carbon dioxide
B mercury and DDT
C fat and CFC's

12. Examples of fossil fuels are:

A uranium and carbonised dinosaur remains
B renewable fuels
C coal, oil and natural gas

13. Renewable energy alternatives are those that:

A are abundant or can be regrown or recycled in a short time period
B are environmentally friendly such as coal
C never cause pollution nor environmental damage at all

14. Examples of biomass energy alternatives are:

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A uranium and plutonium
B coal, oil and natural gas
C timber, methane and alcohol

15. Present disadvantages of using renewable energy alternatives are that they are:
A expensive to run and environmentally unfriendly
B relatively inefficient and geographically selective
C inefficient and polluting

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