Chapter 13 – Energy
a.
The building can be oriented to face the sun.
b.
Passive solar heating systems can be installed.
c.
Active soar heating systems can be installed.
d.
Superinsulation can be added to the walls and ceilings.
e.
Living or green roof tops can be added.
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.2 – Describe the use of solar energy to heat water and buildings.
53. Why do we continue to waste energy rather than convert to more energy efficient behaviors?
a.
A glut of substantial tax breaks for certain sectors
b.
A lack of artificially low-cost fossil fuels
c.
No clear or substantial benefits to the environment from reduction
d.
A lack of concern about the adverse environmental effects of wasting energy
e.
A lack of substantial tax breaks and a glut of artificially low costing fossil fuels
54. Why is it risky for companies to invest in renewable energy?
a.
Pricing for renewable energy resources are artificially low.
b.
None of the known renewable energy resources are reliable.
c.
Renewable energy is expected to fall out of favor with the American public in the next decade.
d.
Subsidies and tax breaks have to be renewed by the government every few years.
e.
The energy net yield is often low and changes yearly.
55. What is an advantage of solar cells?
a.
Some designs have high net energy yield.
b.
No electricity storage systems or backups are needed.
c.
The costs are low for older systems and dropping rapidly.
d.
Solar-cell power plants do not disrupt desert ecosystems.
e.
There are little or no direct emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants.
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.5 – Describe how sunlight can be used directly to produce electricity.
56. What is a disadvantage of solar thermal systems?
a.
There is low potential for growth.
b.
The systems have low net energy yield and high costs.
c.
There are some direct emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants.
d.
There are high costs associated with the necessary natural gas turbine backups.
e.
The high technology requirements could displace jobs for local workers.
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.2 – Describe the use of solar energy to heat water and buildings.
57. What is an advantage of using passive or active solar systems?
a.
There is no need to access the sun for most of the day.
b.
The blocking of sunlight by structures has no impact.
c.
The net energy yield is medium.
d.
The installation and maintenance costs are very low.
e.
There is no need for a backup system on cloudy days.
c
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.2 – Describe the use of solar energy to heat water and buildings.
58. The leading renewable energy resource that is used to produce electricity in the world today is ____.
a.
tidal power
b.
hydropower
c.
wind power
d.
biomass
e.
geothermal
59. What is a disadvantage of large-scale hydropower?
a.
There is a low net energy yield.
b.
There are high CH4 emissions from rapid biomass decay in shallow tropical reservoirs.
c.
Most of the potential energy has already been tapped.
d.
The generated electricity comes at a relatively high cost.
e.
There are high emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants in temperate areas.
60. The world’s second fastest-growing source of electricity after solar cells has been ____.
a.
nuclear power
b.
cogeneration power
c.
coal power
d.
wind power
e.
hydropower
61. Wind farms that are located ____ are more costly to install, but are expected to see increasing use because they can
harness stronger winds and thus reduce the cost of producing electricity.
a.
on mountaintops
b.
offshore
c.
near shorelines
d.
in wide open plains
e.
desert valleys
62. What is a disadvantage of wind power?
a.
Wind farms have a low net energy yield.
b.
Wind farms need backup storage systems when the wind dies down.
c.
Wind is not widely available.
d.
Wind farms are expensive in terms of generating electricity.
e.
Wind farms are difficult to build and expand.
63. What is a disadvantages of producing energy by burning solid biomass?
a.
The availability of biomass is relatively low.
b.
There are high costs associated with growing suitable plants.
c.
The net energy yield is low.
d.
There is a high CO2 emission problem.
e.
The clear-cutting of trees and plants can lead to soil erosion, water pollution, and loss of habitat.
64. What is an advantage of geothermal power?
a.
The cost is relatively low at most sites.
b.
There are a great variety of suitable sites.
c.
There is a medium net energy yield and high efficiency at accessible sites.
d.
There is zero noise and no greenhouse gas emissions.
e.
There are government subsidies and tax incentives that make the systems relatively cheap.
c
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.10 – Describe how geothermal energy can be tapped.
65. What is the byproduct of combing hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy?
a.
carbon dioxide
b.
smoke
c.
water
d.
hydrogen sulfide
e.
heat
c
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.11 – Discuss the three challenges in using hydrogen as a major fuel.
66. What is an advantage of hydrogen fuel?
a.
It has a positive net energy yield.
b.
It produces no CO2 when engineered from carbon compounds.
c.
Its low cost eliminates the need for subsidies.
d.
It can be produced from plentiful water at some sites.
e.
It requires no new storage and distribution systems.
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.5.11 – Discuss the three challenges in using hydrogen as a major fuel.
67. What is the benefit of including the harmful environmental and health costs associated with fossil fuels, nuclear
energy, and other nonrenewable resources?
a.
It would ensure that renewable energy is competitive with nonrenewable resources in terms of market price.
b.
It would make more funding available for cleanup and health care.
c.
It would provide more profit-based incentives for energy production.
d.
It would ensure infinite resources by requiring conservation and higher efficiency.
e.
It would eliminate the need for subsidies, tax incentives, and government regulations.
13.5 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?
produced from oil.
Chapter 13 – Energy
13-6 HOW CAN WE MAKE A TRANSITION TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE?
68. The coal and electric utility industries have financed a highly effective publicity campaign touting the benefits of
____; however, this campaign is misleading because there will always be some associated environmental damage.
a.
clean burning natural gas
b.
clean coal
c.
nuclear energy
d.
renewable energy
e.
green technology
13.2 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Fossil Fuels?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.2.7 – Explain why the clean coal campaign was misleading.
Completion
69. One way to save energy is through ____________________, which uses a combined heat and power (CHP) system.
70. ____________________ produces fewer pollutants than burning coal, but is significantly more expensive and
produces radioactive wastes.
Nuclear energy
13.3 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Nuclear Power?
ENVS.MLSP.16.13.3 – Outline the advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear fuels.
71. Large reserves of ____________________ are located in Canada and its oil reserves are considered to be second only
in size to those in Saudi Arabia.
72. Although coal is an abundant fuel, when burned it produces very high ____________________
____________________ emissions.
73. Wind can be thought of as an indirect form of ____________________ energy.
74. ____________________ is a mixture of gases that is approximately 50–90% methane (CH4).
75. Available deposits are called ____________________, which are deposits of oil and natural gas that can be extracted
profitably and using current technology.
76. _________________________ is the point in time when we reach the maximum overall rate of crude oil production
for the whole world.
77. About 72% of the world’s proven crude oil reserves are controlled by an organization known as
____________________.
78. About 37% of the electricity used in the United States is produced from the fossil fuel called ____________________.
Chapter 13 – Energy
79. The cleanest burning alternative among the fossil fuels is ____________________ ____________________.
80. The element ____________________ is said to be a potentially safer alternative to uranium that could be used in
newer nuclear power plant reactors.
81. The most common reactors, called ____________________ produce 100% of the United States’ nuclear-generated
electricity.
82. Houses in Sweden that have ____________________ use approximately 90% less energy for heating and cooling
compared to the typical American home.
83. The heat stored in soil, underground rocks, and fluids in the earth’s mantle that we can use for the production of
energy is called ____________________.
84. ____________________ loading washers are more efficient than ____________________ loading washers.
85. The ____________________ are those not included in the market price of a resource because of subsidies and tax
breaks.
86. In the United States many experts suggest that the top priority for the national power transmission system should be
updating to ____________________, which would include automated controls and high levels of energy efficiency.
87. The amount of power produced by nuclear power plants is regulated by ____________________, which can be moved
into the reactor core to absorb neutrons.
88. Energy sold in the market place is referred to as ____________________.
89. Improvements in ____________________ could save at least a third of the energy used in the world and up to 43% of
the energy used in the United States.
90. By using a mix of ____________________ resources, we can satisfy our energy needs while drastically reducing
pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity losses.
Chapter 13 – Energy
Subjective Short Answer
91. Explain what the U.S. Department of Energy says about the potential for wind power in the United States.
92. Outline three things that you can do to shift toward more sustainable energy use.
93. Discuss one of the three general conclusions of experts regarding the future of energy.
94. Why has Nobel Prize–winning chemist Paul Crutzen warned that intensive farming of biofuel crops could speed up
atmospheric warming?
95. What are two ways to save money in existing buildings?
96. Briefly explain why it is so expensive to close down a nuclear power plant.
97. Discuss the role of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in controlling the world’s oil supplies.
98. Discuss the potential harmful effects of the continued horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in the
United States.
99. List the five criteria that some energy analysts say should be required by any new generation of nuclear power plants.
Chapter 13 – Energy
100. Explain the current problems associated with nuclear fusion.