Using Earth’s Resources: Humans and the Energy Cycle – Flashcards

distribution data regarding a population's attributes

the social and economic characteristics of a group of people

Anaerobic digesters provide a variety of environmental and public health benefits including: greenhouse gas abatement, organic waste reduction, odor reduction, and pathogen destruction. Anaerobic digestion is a carbon-neutral technology to produce biogas that can be used for heating, generating electricity, mechanical energy, or for supplementing the natural gas supply. In 2010, 162 anaerobic digesters generated 453 million kWh of energy in the United States in agricultural operations, enough to power 25,000 average-sized homes. In Europe, anaerobic digesters are used to convert agricultural, industrial, and municipal wastes into biogases that can be upgraded to 97 percent pure methane as a natural gas substitute or to generate electricity. Germany leads the European nations with 6,800 large-scale anaerobic digesters, followed by Austria with 551. In developing countries, small-scale anaerobic digesters are used to meet the heating and cooking needs of individual rural communities. China has an estimated 8 million anaerobic digesters while Nepal has 50,000.

Fixed nitrogen is nitrogen gas, N2, that has been converted to ammonia (NH3, an ammonium ion (NH4, nitrate (NO3, or another nitrogen oxide so that it can be used as a nutrient by living organisms. Nitrogen fixation is a key component of the nitrogen cycle.

We have adopted a model of the Earth System as a set of interacting "spheres", the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. Being open systems, energy and mass are constantly cycled between them. The transport and transformation of substances through the Earth system are known collectively as biogeochemical cycles. These include the hydrologic (water), nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen cycles.

This is an extremely important topic. The more developed a country is, the more energy they use. The problem is that energy can currently only be realistically be made by fossil fuels or by nuclear power. Some energy can be made hydroelectric, but this is limited. Alternative energies can be created, but they produce less energy then the cost to create so do not provide any additional power. Some people believe that the output of fossil fuel plants creates warming of our planet. If found to br true, this would be bad.

Increased energy use leads to increased economic activity and an increased quality of life. Ever since the industrial revolution, advances in technology have let humans in industrialized nations increase their standard of living significantly, which required significant increases in the amount of energy harnessed per capita.

c. the energy used per capita

Research has shown that there is a direct relationship between the amount of energy used and overall economic activity in a country. In many ways quality of life is also directly related to the level of economic activity in a country because sufficient economic resources can ensure the physical components required for a high quality of life. In this way, energy use directly impacts quality of life by impacting economic activity.

c. Finland

While there are many elements that might be considered important for a quality life, the ultimate determination of what defines a quality life is a personal judgement based on individual experiences and values. People in different socioeconomic situations will value different things; a homeless person will likely value shelter and food higher than convenience and luxury. Different experiences and relationships will result in different priorities.

c. years of dust storms in the Midwest in the 1930's

The goal of the World Resources Simulation Center is to study global resource use in order to solve current and predict future problems. The hope is that by identifying future problems now, many may be avoided, or minimized through proper planning. It is intended to answer the question of how world resources can be harnessed equitably by all of humanity.

Hunter-gatherer societies did not farm or raise livestock; they collected the resources they required from the local environment. In order to ensure a continuous supply of needed resources, hunter-gatherer societies followed their food sources and moved frequently.

c. Energy is lost at each successive energy level in the chain.

d. all of the above

c. Poor farming techniques that killed the soil were combined with drought.

True

a. the climate

False

c. culture

b. Generally, the quality of life is directly related to an area's energy use per person.

b. increase in land fertility due to the addition of the nitrogen and phosphorous byproduct

a. Increased energy use leads to increased economic growth.

True