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SC4730 Environmental Science

Study Guide

SC4730 Environmental Science Study Guide

DISCUSSION 1.1 (2.0 HOURS)

Title: Environmental Issues

Environmental problems exist, but are not always addressed adequately. Provide at least one example

of an environmental problem that needs to be resolved and why it deserves the attention of lawmakers.

Participation Requirements:

Answer the discussion question. Then, respond to contributions made by at least two of your

classmates. When responding:

Provide complete, well-thought-out responses.

Ask questions, share experiences, challenge ideas, and help your peers expand their responses.

Your contributions need to be detailed. If your answer is "I agree" or "I disagree," explain why you agree

or disagree. Remember that a discussion is an opportunity to interact with your fellow classmates.

Observe discussion etiquette: Be respectful, kind, and nonjudgmental of your classmates.

Evaluation Criteria:

This assessment will be evaluated using the Discussion rubric in addition to the following parameters:

Did you provide an example of an environmental problem?

Did you explain why the problem deserves the attention of lawmakers?

© ITT Educational Services, Inc. [2] 6/15/15

All Rights Reserved.


ANALYSIS 1.1 (3.5 HOURS)

Assessment Preparation Checklist:

To prepare for this assessment:

Read Chapter 1 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. This chapter introduces

environmental science and the factors that are most important in determining human impact on

the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the characteristics of environmental

science and the environmental issues caused by human factors.

Title: Human Contribution to Environmental Issues

Review the case study titled “The New Orleans Disaster” on p. 23 of your textbook, Visualizing

Environmental Science. Based on your understanding, analyze the following statement and answer the

subsequent questions.

Although Hurricane Katrina would have done severe damage regardless of human intervention:

How did human actions contribute to increasing the devastation in this area?

How would better planning for flood control system upgrades have helped in reducing some of

the damage caused by the hurricane?

Submission Requirements:

Submit your response in a Microsoft Word document of the following specifications:

Font: Arial; Point 12

Spacing: Double

Page length: 1–2 pages


This assessment will be evaluated using the Analysis rubric in addition to the following parameters:

Did you explain the role of human actions in the devastation of the area?

Did you explain how better planning for flood control system upgrades would have helped in

reducing the damage caused by the hurricane?





Title: Plastics Recycling

Nathaniel C. Wyeth, a DuPont engineer, invented the plastic soda bottle and patented it in 1973. He

hoped to recycle the discarded plastic to produce body parts for cars, and after the car body parts were

discarded, to recycle them into plastic bottles again—a great solution, but never realized. As a result,

and because of the lack of recycling efforts, plastic bottles have become a nuisance to the environment

and to human health.

In light of the above information, discuss the following points:

1. Why do you feel that we are not recycling plastic bottles as we should? Is this a greater issue for

developed nations or for developing nations?

2. Should plastic bottles be banned or should we require a deposit such as 5 or 10 cents for

returning them to the store or recycling center just as some nations or regions are doing?











Did you explain why we are not recycling plastic bottles as we should?

Did you explain why recycling plastics is a greater issue for developed nations than it is for

developing nations, or vice-versa?

Did you provide your view on banning plastic bottles or depositing plastic bottles for recycling?








the historical, political, and economical factors that impact environmental issues.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses how environmental legislation,

economics, and history affect the environmental issues.

Title: Renewable Energy Policy Challenges

Analyze the case study titled “Renewable Energy Policy Challenges” on p. 48 in Chapter 3 of your

textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science, and answer the following questions:

Explain how historical, political, and geographical factors contribute to the difference in

renewable energy consumption globally.

Which factor do you think impacts the renewable energy consumption the most? Provide an

example to support your position.


Submit your response in a MS Word document of the following specifications:


Spacing: Double

Page length: 1 page


This assessment will be evaluated using the Analysis rubric.




RESEARCH 2.1 (3.5 HOURS)





Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the characteristics of important

environmental legislation framed to address environmental issues.

Title: Earth Day

Using two credible sources, research how Earth Day was celebrated last year. Explain any two issues that

people focused on. For each issue, identify the major geographical, political, economic, and cultural

factors involved.




Spacing: Double

Include an APA title page. Refer to the sample APA title page.

Cite all sources used in APA format, including at least one in-text citation from each source and a

Reference page.

Page length: 1–2 pages, excluding the APA title page and Reference page.


This assessment will be evaluated using the Research rubric in addition to the following parameters:

Did you use two credible sources to research how Earth Day was celebrated last year?

Did you explain two issues that people focused on while celebrating Earth Day last year?

Did you identify the major geographical, political, economic, and cultural factors involved for

each issue?




LAB 2.1 (3.5 HOURS)





Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the characteristics of important

environmental legislation that was framed to address the environmental issues.

Title: Controversies on Environmental Issues

Refer to the Lab 2.1 handout to gain an understanding of various research resources that you can use for

this assessment. In light of the information provided in the handout, perform the following tasks:

Select one of the controversies related to environmental issues in the media and find two

newspaper articles (one must be a local/regional newspaper and the other a national

newspaper—The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington

Post, USA Today, and so on) and two news magazine articles (e.g., Newsweek, Time, and US

News & World Report).

Based on the articles you found, evaluate the positive and negative contributions of the media

coverage. Focus on the media’s ability to impart the information necessary for the public to

make properly informed decisions on environmental issues.

How does each of the examples you picked heighten or diffuse the controversy?




Spacing: Double



Reference page.



This assessment will be evaluated using the Lab rubric in addition to the following parameters:

Did you select a controversy and two newspaper articles as per the given requirements?

Did you evaluate the positive and negative contributions of the media coverage?





Title: Human Dependence on the Environment

Easter Island is a striking example of the dependence of human societies on their environment. Locate a

credible source on Easter Island and discuss what lessons humans can learn from their failures, such as

ineffective conservation and preservation practices. What didn’t go well as a result of these practices?

How can humans change themselves to save other living species? Provide a rationale for your responses.











Did you use a credible source to research Easter Island?

Did you explain the lessons humans can learn from their failures?

Did you explain how humans could change themselves to save other living species?








biodiversity and explains how it helps in the sustenance of ecosystems.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the importance of preserving

biodiversity.

Title: Threat of Declining Biodiversity

Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the many services they

provide. Using two credible sources, research the importance of biodiversity’s contribution in ecosystem

services to humankind. Ecosystem services can be grouped into four broad categories:

Provisioning, such as the production of food and water

Regulating, such as the control of climate and disease

Supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination

Cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits

Based on your research, analyze why declining biodiversity is a threat to ecosystems and the four

services that ecosystems provide to humankind.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you use two credible sources to research the importance of biodiversity in servicing the

ecosystem’s health?

Did you explain why the declining biodiversity is a threat to ecosystems and the services that



http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/abc/biodiversity.htm


ecosystems provide?








biodiversity and explains how it helps in the sustenance of the ecosystem.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses endangered and extinct species and ways

to conserve the declining biodiversity.

Title: Effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Familiarize yourself with the ESA. Find two credible sources that reflect on the success of the ESA in the

US compared to efforts by the European Union. Compare those efforts and provide one example of a

species successfully protected in the US and one in the European Union.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you use two credible sources that reflect on the success of the ESA in the US compared to

European Union efforts?

Did you compare the success of the ESA in the US to the efforts by the European Union?

Did you provide an example of a species successfully protected in the US and one in the

European Union?




LAB 3.1 (3.5 HOURS)



Read Chapters 5 and 6 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. These chapters

introduce the ecosystem and its functions.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the evolution of the ecosystem.

Title: Local Ecosystem

Botkin and Keller (2007:50) define ecosystem as “a community of organisms and its local nonliving

environment in which matter (chemical elements) cycles and energy flows.” Sustained life on earth

depends on ecosystems, not on individual species or populations. Sometimes, the boundaries of an

ecosystem are well defined and sometimes they are vague. An ecosystem may be a large forest or a tiny

puddle; whatever the size, it must have the flow of energy and the cycling of chemical elements. An

ecosystem can be artificial or natural or a combination.

Source: Wagner, T., & Sanford, R. (2010). Environmental science: Active learning laboratories and

applied problem sets (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

With this background in mind, create an illustration that could be used in a high-school environmental

science textbook. Select a local ecosystem that is familiar to you and draw the ecosystem. You can also

create your ecosystem in a Word document if you do not have means to scan a hand-drawn ecosystem.

Based on the ecosystem that you drew or created, answer the following questions:

1. Where is this ecosystem found?

2. What roles are performed by this ecosystem in terms of the surrounding environment?

3. What are the principal characteristics of this ecosystem?

4. What is necessary to sustain this ecosystem?

5. What is the advantage of studying the environment at the ecosystem level?







Spacing: Double

Page length: 1–3 pages



Did you create the local ecosystem as per the given requirements?

Did you answer all the questions completely?








environmental health hazards and describes how they impact the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses ways to analyze the risk associated with

environmental health hazards.

Title: Endocrine Disrupters

Review the case study titled “Endocrine Disrupters” on p. 92 in Chapter 4 of your textbook, Visualizing

Environmental Science, and answer the following questions:

1. Describe endocrine disrupters.

2. Because of endocrine disrupters, why did Congress amend the Food Quality Protection Act and

the Safe Water Drinking Act in 1996?

3. What is the precautionary principle and what are two criticisms of it?




Spacing: Double

Page length: 1 page, excluding the APA title page and Reference page.



Did you describe endocrine disrupters?

Did you explain why Congress amended the Food Quality Protection Act and the Safe Water

Drinking Act in 1996?

Did you explain the precautionary principle and provide its two criticisms?







Read Chapters 8, 9, and 16 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. These

chapters focus on the various pollutants and contaminants that pollute the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the impacts of harmful contaminants on

the environment.

Title: Sources and Impacts of Contaminants

Analyze the sources of contaminants, such as airborne contaminants and petroleum spills, in the area

where you live. Based on your analysis, explain the two biggest sources of these contaminants and their

impact on the local environment.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you analyze the sources of contaminants in the area where you live?

Did you explain the two biggest sources of these contaminants and their impact on the local

environment?




LAB 4.1 (3.5 HOURS)



Read Chapters 8 and 16 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. These chapters

focus on the various pollutants and contaminants that pollute the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the impacts of harmful contaminants on

the environment.

Title: Vehicle Sources of Pollution

Refer to the Lab 4.1 handout for the data on air pollution caused by motor vehicles. In light of the

information provided in the handout, perform the following tasks:

1. Visit the parking lot of a public place, such as your university, a hotel, a shopping mall, your

workplace, and your building. At the parking lot, count and record 10 cars and the make, model,

and year (for example, Honda Civic, 2008). If you do not know the exact year, make a reasonable

guess about the age. This raw data must be submitted with your report. Be sure to record the

number for each category if there are multiple cars. You can use the following Parking Lot Tally

Sheet as a reference to record the data.

Make Model Year

Honda Civic 2008

VW Golf 1990

Ford Explorer 2004



2. Go to the US Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agency’s Fuel Economy

web site at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Findacar.htm . Input each automobile (assume

15,000/miles per year) and record the combined estimated fuel consumption and annual CO2

emissions.

3. After completing this chart, combine all the data and calculate the parking lot sample mean for

fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.



http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Findacar.htm


4. Using the data obtained in Step 2, use the two means to calculate the total amount per

pollutant category and the fuel consumption, contributed by all the registered vehicles in your

state.

Note: Remember that you almost never have the exact data you need. You will have to make

assumptions and/or extrapolations. Clearly identify what assumptions you made and briefly

explain why you chose those assumptions.

5. Use this same data, but for the country. Using the Federal Highway Administration’s web site

(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/quickfinddata/qfvehicles.cfm), find the total

number of cars registered in the United States. Using your two means, calculate the national

total amount of gasoline consumed and the total amount of CO2 emitted on an annual basis.

Based on the data you gathered, answer the following questions:

1. What is the environmental significance of your findings? Were you surprised by any of the car

comparisons in your data?

2. Recommend two new policies to reduce automobile fuel consumption and the resultant air

pollution in your area.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you gather the data and perform the data analysis, as per the given requirements?

Did you explain the environmental significance of your findings?

Did you recommend two new policies to reduce automobile fuel consumption and the resultant

air pollution in your area?



http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/quickfinddata/qfvehicles.cfm



Title: Effects of Pollution on Potable Water

About 71% of the earth’s surface is water. Of that, 96.5% is salt water and the remaining is fresh water.

Fresh water exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as

soil moisture, and in aquifers. However, only 1% of fresh or potable water is available for human

consumption.

In light of this data, do you think bottled water is a good way to provide access to clean water for all?

Should governments encourage the packaging of bottled water and subsidize it for public consumption?

Why or why not? Research how the idea of bottled water came into existence using a credible source

and use the information to justify whether it can address our potable water problems.











Did you explain your views on whether bottled water is a good way to provide access to clean

water for all?

Did you explain your views on whether the governments should encourage the packaging of

bottled water and subsidize it for public consumption?

Did you use a credible source to research how the idea of bottled water came into existence?

Did you use the information to justify whether bottled water can address potable water

problems?







Read Chapter 7 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. This chapter focuses on

the impact of human population change on the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses how changes in human population affect

environmental issues.

Title: Effects of Population Growth

Using two credible sources, research how fast the human population is growing. Where is growth the

greatest? Based on your research, explain how population growth will affect humans given our limited

amount of resource availability.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you use two credible sources to research how fast the human population is growing?

Did you identify the area where the growth is greatest?

Did you explain how population growth will affect humans given our limited amount of resource

availability?







Read Chapter 7 from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science. This chapter focuses on

the impact of human population change on the environment.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses how changes in human population affect

environmental issues.

Title: Positive Impacts of Human Activities on the Environment

Using two credible sources, research two human activities that have a positive impact on the

environment. Explain the role of these activities, comparing the adaptation versus mitigating approaches

to manage those environmental issues.




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you use two credible sources to research two human activities that have a positive impact

on the environment?

Did you explain the role of these activities, comparing the adaptation versus mitigating

approaches to manage those environmental issues?




LAB 5.1 (3.0 HOURS)




fresh water resources and water pollution.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses how water pollution impacts the

environment.

Title: Issues Related to Clean-Water Supply

Water districts supply water to large areas and may treat their sewage wastes. If you have a public

water supply, the district treats the water to destroy possible disease-causing microorganisms, such as

bacteria and protozoa. Ozone treatment is an alternative to the intense chemical and filtering processes

that occur in most water-treatment facilities.



In this lab, you will explore where drinking water or potable water originates, how it is treated and

distributed, and how the resource is protected. Obviously, the cleaner the water source, the less

treatment it requires. As a result, we should all be concerned about the activities occurring in our

watershed because it is the source of our potable water.

Take the virtual water plant tour. You can use the following EPA web site to take the virtual tour:

EPA

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watertreatmentplant/flash/index.html



http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watertreatmentplant/flash/index.html


Based on your understanding of the virtual water plant, answer the following questions:

1. What is the source of the plant’s water? If the source is a public or private set of wells, where

are they located and how are they protected? If the source is surface water, how is it protected?

2. How much and what type of treatment is employed to make the water potable? What are the

greatest water quality concerns facing the watershed?




Spacing: Double



Reference page.



This assessment will be evaluated using the Lab rubric.








renewable energy resources.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the techniques to conserve energy

resources.

Title: Green Architecture

Review the case study titled “Green Architecture” on p. 463, Chapter 18 of your textbook, Visualizing

Environmental Science. Based on the case study, analyze the role of green technology in reducing the

use of fossil fuels. Provide three examples to support your answer.




Spacing: Double




Did you analyze the role of green technology in reducing the use of fossil fuels?

Did you provide three examples to support your answer?




LAB 6.1 (3.0 HOURS)




nonrenewable energy resources.

Go through the lesson of this module, which discusses the steps to conserve energy resources.

Title: Debate on Energy Issues

Refer to the Lab 6.1 handout for oil availability data. In light of the information provided in the handout,

perform the following task:

Using two credible sources, research the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) debate. Based on the

research, answer the following questions:

1. Assuming that the estimates are correct, and oil from ANWR achieves the 710,000-barrel level in

2030, based on projected consumption, what percentage of our total oil consumption will be

supplied by ANWR?

2. Search the Internet using a credible source and determine the total number of miles traveled in

the United States last year. Hint: See http://www.eia.doe.gov or http://www.fhwa.dot.gov.

3. Create a table comparing the gallons of gasoline consumed in the United States for passenger

cars and trucks for 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010. Look at the changes in miles per gallon for cars

and trucks over these years and determine the overall percent change.

4. A gallon of crude oil does not mean a gallon of gasoline. The conversion of oil to gasoline

through distillation at a refinery depends on several factors, including the quality of the crude

oil, the efficiency of the refinery, the product mix desired by the refiner (e.g., diesel fuel, home

heating oil, jet fuel, and so on), and so forth. In general, in a 42-gallon barrel of crude oil,

refining yields 19.5 gallons of gasoline. Based on this and all the information in this problem set,

determine how many years ANWR would be able to supply our gasoline (not total petroleum)

needs if it were our sole source. Support your answer with calculations and clearly identify any

assumptions that you made.

5. Based on your answer to Question 4, discuss drilling in ANWR purely from an energy supply

perspective. Support a position regarding drilling in ANWR from an energy and an

environmental perspective.




http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

http://www.eia.doe.gov/




Spacing: Double



Reference page.




Did you use two credible sources to research the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

debate?

Did you answer all the questions?

Did you provide calculations and assumptions to support your answers?




FINAL EXAM (2.0 HOURS)



Read all assigned chapters from your textbook, Visualizing Environmental Science, from Module

1 to Module 6.

Go through the lessons for Modules 1 through 6.

Title: Final Exam

Take the final exam based on the concepts covered in Modules 1 through 6.

(End of Study Guide)




APPENDIX A: GRADING RUBRICS FOR STUDENTS

DISCUSSION RUBRIC




ANALYSIS RUBRIC




LAB RUBRIC




RESEARCH RUBRIC

APPENDIX B: HANDOUTS AND WORKSHEETS




LAB 2.1 HANDOUT

A critical component of environmental science is to identify, locate, and retrieve scientific information—

the process of research. Research is essential to help you find a topic or narrow down a topic. A critical

step to successful research is to identify and evaluate other studies that have been conducted because

their results can assist you in formulating a hypothesis and designing an experiment.

Based on your research, you must evaluate the validity of the information source that you plan to use in

an academic assignment. Print sources (e.g., books and articles found in the library) traditionally go

through an editorial process that involves editors and fact-checkers verifying the information. The most

reliable information is from peer-reviewed journals. A peer review is a process used for checking and

verifying the work performed by one’s equals—peers—to ensure that it meets specific academic criteria.

However, with the Internet, a peer review is still generally not the case except for online versions of

peer-reviewed journals.

Anyone with a computer and access to the Internet can post information or publish a web site. As a

result, there is no guarantee that the information is accurate or true. Therefore, exercise caution and

employ skepticism when using information from web sites to conduct research. However, you should

also be cautious with print media. Using a book from 1985 as your primary source for a research paper

on the status of global oil production is bound to lead to erroneous conclusions and a poor grade.

Alternately, sole reliance on a book published by the Coal Coalition or Greenpeace for your paper on the

future of fossil fuels is likely to skew your conclusions. In both of these examples, these books may serve

as appropriate supporting references, but only when combined with more current or neutral-position

sources.

For most people, the popular media is the primary source of information on scientific breakthroughs and

environmental issues. The media publishes stories that are newsworthy, which is not the same as

important. The media also focuses on frontier science (results from an undeveloped field of study that

are not widely tested or accepted) because such “breakthroughs” make good news stories—they are

newsworthy. Although newspapers and TV may be valuable sources of information, news stories can

generate confusion by using bureaucratic terminology unfamiliar to the public, by introducing biases,




and, often, by flagrantly appealing to the reader’s emotions rather than his or her intelligence.

Moreover, newspaper reporters and editors (known as communication gatekeepers) generally are not

trained scientists, but journalists, which can affect their ability to distill and report science accurately.

Environmental issues tend to be emotionally charged because they can influence human or animal

health and welfare and can have significant economic impacts. Controversy makes interesting reading—

it may be profitable to inflate or focus on the extremes as a way to charge an issue and make

controversies seem greater than they are. Journalists may also give both sides of an issue equal weight

even if they do not have equal evidence. Consumers of public information need to be critical thinkers.

This is especially true when the basic science is so young (try looking for Environmental Science as a

term in 19th century literature).






LAB 4.1 HANDOUT

Motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution. In 2006, nationwide, motor vehicles (trucks, cars, and

SUVs) were responsible for approximately 36% of nitrogen oxide emissions, 22% of volatile organic

compound emissions, 8% of ammonia and particulate matter, and 53.8% of carbon monoxide emissions

(US EPA, 2007). Motor vehicles also are a major source of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas. In 2003,

the US transportation sector accounted for 23% of all greenhouse gases (EPA, 2008). As discussed

below, air pollutants present a potentially significant direct risk to public health and the environment.

And, as depicted in the following figure, the automobile contributes a number of secondary pollutants.

In addition, the health and environmental effects of global climate change are becoming increasingly

serious. Although emissions from an individual car are generally low, in numerous cities across the

country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter—emissions from millions of vehicles add

up. Driving a private car is probably a typical citizen’s most “polluting” daily activity and is the most

significant contribution to environmental degradation (US EPA, 1994).

The automobile is a major source of air pollution. Primary pollution refers to emitted or discharged

pollutants when they react in the atmosphere. Secondary pollution is produced from chemical

reactions involving the primary pollutants. PAN is peroxyacetyl nitrate.

Source: Raven, P. H., L. R. Berg and D. M. Hassenzahl. 2008. Environment. 6th ed. John Wiley & Sons,

New York (p. 454).




HYDROCARBONS

Hydrocarbon emissions (or volatile organic compounds—VOCs) occur when fuel molecules in the

internal combustion engine do not burn completely. Hydrocarbons react in the presence of nitrogen

oxides and sunlight to form ground-level ozone—a major component of smog. Ozone irritates the eyes,

damages the lungs, and aggravates respiratory problems (US EPA, 2007). It continues to be the nation’s

most widespread and intractable urban air pollution problem. A number of exhaust hydrocarbons are

also toxic and carcinogenic. Hydrocarbon pollutants also escape into the air through fuel evaporation.

Evaporation occurs primarily during refueling, while the engine is running and right after the engine is

shut down (US EPA, 1994).

NITROGEN OXIDES

Under the high pressure and temperature conditions in an engine, nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the air

react to form various nitrogen oxides, collectively known as NOx. Nitrogen oxides, such as hydrocarbons,

are precursors to the formation of ozone. Nitrogen oxides also contribute to the formation of acid rain

(US EPA, 2007).

PARTICULATE MATTER

Particulate matter refers to solid or liquid particles found in the air. Some particles are large or dark

enough to be seen as soot or smoke, but fine particulate matter is tiny and generally not visible to the

naked eye. Particulate emissions from automobiles generally consist of very tiny particles, also known as

PM2.5 because they are less than 2.5 microns in diameter. It is a health concern because very fine

particles can reach and lodge in the deepest regions of the lungs. Health effects include asthma, difficult

breathing, and chronic bronchitis, especially in children and the elderly. Fine particulate matter

associated with diesel exhaust is a suspected carcinogen. Fine particulate matter can travel long

distances and is a major cause of haze, which reduces visibility, affecting cities and scenic areas (US EPA,

2007).

CARBON MONOXIDE

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a product of incomplete combustion and occurs when carbon in the fuel is

partially oxidized rather than fully oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon monoxide binds to

hemoglobin in the blood (forming carboxyhemoglobin), taking the place used by oxygen, and thereby

reducing the flow of oxygen in the bloodstream. It is particularly dangerous to persons with heart




disease (US EPA, 2007). The combustion of a typical gallon of gasoline releases 495 grams (1.091

pounds) of CO.

CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a product of full or complete combustion. Although carbon dioxide does not

directly impair human health, it is a greenhouse gas that traps the Earth’s heat and is a major factor in

global climate change (US EPA, 2007). The combustion of a typical gallon of gasoline releases 8.8

kilograms (19.4 pounds) of CO2.






LAB 6.1 HANDOUT

Oil is a nonrenewable resource. In 1859, the first oil well—the Drake Oil Well—was drilled in Titusville,

Pennsylvania, launching the petroleum revolution. On that day, we began to deplete the resource.

Today, oil has become part of a global market. For example, according to the US Energy Information

Administration (2008a), in 2007, the US imported 153.6 billion gallons of crude oil, produced 77.6 billion

gallons, and exported 420 million gallons of crude oil (Canada currently is the largest exporter of oil to

the United States). Some in the US argue that there is a lot of oil sitting in the ground, but is it usable? If

so, who should use it? The current National Energy Policy calls for more exploration and production of

oil within the United States. The rationale is that it will reduce prices, reduce our dependence on foreign

sources of oil, and improve our national security. Questions that we must ask ourselves include, “Is this

merely political rhetoric?” and “Is this good environmental policy?”

AVAILABLE OIL

There is a widespread lack of understanding of the significant difference between the terms “resources”

and “reserves.” The total resource base of oil is the entire volume formed and trapped in-place within

the Earth before any production. The largest portion of this total resource base is not recoverable by

current or foreseeable technology. Most of the nonrecoverable volume occurs at very low

concentrations throughout the Earth’s crust and cannot be extracted, short of mining the rock or the

application of some other approach that would consume more energy than it produced. Reserves, a

subset of the total resource base that is of societal and economic interest, are technically recoverable

portions of the total resource base. Therefore, reserves are not a fixed amount and are estimated; they

can increase or decrease based on geological data, technology, and prices and costs.

A hotly debated subject is whether the United States should open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

(ANWR) specifically for petroleum production. Federal law currently prohibits oil and natural gas

development in ANWR; however, there have been numerous attempts to change this law. Given the

high price of oil, it is likely that this debate will intensify. The purpose of this problem set is to

investigate further some important facts of the ANWR debate to help you make a more informed

decision about the issue of opening up protected land for energy needs. According to the US Energy

Information Administration (2008b), it will take 10 years from the beginning of the project before oil




starts to flow. The mean estimated oil reserve of ANWR is 4.21 billion barrels. (A barrel is 42 gallons.)

The mean estimated production in ANWR would reach 780,000 barrels per day in 19 years and then

decline to 710,000 barrels per day for the remaining 3 years until depletion. By 2030, the United States

is projected to consume 26.95 billion barrels of petroleum each day (EIA, 2008c).

Source: Wagner, T., & Sanford, R. (2010). Environmental science: Active learning laboratories and applied problem sets (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.



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