Download Radioactive isotopes are widely used in the field of medicine, in the

2004-3
Radioactive isotopes are widely used in the field of medicine, in the generation of electricity, and in the military. The use
of radioactive isotopes has increased significantly over the past fifty years, leading to a corresponding increase in the
amount of radioactive waste produced. The question of how to deal with radioactive waste is a topic of ongoing
environmental concern.
(a) Explain how the properties of low-level radioactive waste differ from those of high-level radioactive waste and
how these properties lead to different storage requirements. For one of the two types of radioactive waste, give an
example of a specific isotope that may be present in the waste, and explain how human activity generates the
waste.
(b) The United States Department of Energy recently chose Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the site for the deep
underground burial of high-level radioactive waste. Describe THREE characteristics of an ideal deep underground
storage site for high-level radioactive waste.
(c) Identify TWO other options that have been suggested for the long-term management of radioactive waste. Discuss
the feasibility of each method.
(d) Exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation has adverse effects on human health and can result in immediate
death. Identify one sublethal adverse effect on human health that can result from exposure to ionizing radiation,
and explain how this effect is caused by the radiation.
2005 #3
Most of the coal mined in the United States today comes from surface (strip) mines. In surface mining, the vegetation,
soil, and rock covering the coal (referred to as overburden) are removed and set aside. After the coal has been hauled
away, good conservation practices require that the overburden be replaced and the surface be restored to its original
condition. Land restoration may be difficult in some regions, due to factors such as the local climate, the thickness of the
coal seam, the extent of the overburden, and the sulfur content of the coal.
(a) Describe the steps that should be taken to restore the land after the overburden has been replaced.
(b) Explain why the restoration of the land would likely be more difficult in an arid climate (less than ten inches of
precipitation per year).
(c) Describe one environmental impact that the sulfur content of the remaining coal and the tailings would have on
the reclamation process and suggest a possible remedy.
(d) Other than mining and reclamation, describe TWO environmental impacts of using coal for energy.
(e) Explain why per capita coal consumption in the United States is likely to increase.
2005-4
The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on Alaska’s North Slope is frequently in the news because petroleum
geologists estimate that there are billions of barrels of economically recoverable oil beneath the surface of its frozen
tundra. According to a 1998 United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimate, ANWR could contain up to 10 billion
barrels of technically recoverable oil. Oil company officials advocate opening the refuge to oil exploration and the
subsequent development of its petroleum resources. Environmentalists argue that oil exploration and development will
damage this fragile ecosystem and urge Congress to protect ANWR by designating it as a wilderness area.
(a) The United States consumes approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day. According to the USGS estimate, for
how many days would the technically recoverable oil resource in ANWR supply the total United States demand
for oil?
(b) Describe TWO characteristics of arctic tundra that make it fragile and explain how these two characteristics make
the tundra particularly susceptible to damage from human impacts.
(c) Identify TWO activities that would be associated with the development of ANWR petroleum resources and
describe a substantial environmental impact of each in ANWR.
(d) Identify and describe TWO major end uses of the 20 million barrels of oil that the United States consumes each
day and for each use describe a conservation measure that would substantially reduce United States consumption.
2006-Q1 Please accomplish this AP question on the back of this sheet.
Upon receiving notice from their electric utility that customers with solar power systems are permitted to sell excess
power back to the utility, an Arizona family is considering the purchase of a photovoltaic solar energy system for their
2,700-square-foot suburban home. The initial costs of the systems they are considering range from $7,000 to $30,000.
While gathering information prior to making a decision, the homeowners find the following information at the Web site of
the United States Department of Energy.
Stand-Alone vs. Grid-Connected Systems
Stand-alone systems produce power independently of the utility grid. In some off-the-grid locations as near as one-quarter
mile from the power lines, stand-alone photovoltaic systems can be more cost effective than extending power lines.
Direct-coupled systems need no electrical storage because they operate only during daylight hours, but most systems rely
on battery storage so that energy produced during the day can be used at night. Some systems, called hybrid systems,
combine solar power with additional power sources such as wind or diesel.
Grid-connected photovoltaic systems supply surplus power back through the grid to the utility and take from the utility
grid when the home system’s power supply is low. These systems remove the need for battery storage, although arranging
for the grid interconnection can be difficult. In some cases, utilities allow net metering, which allows the owner to sell
excess power back to the utility.
(a) Describe one environmental benefit and one environmental cost of photovoltaic systems.
(b) From the two types of solar systems described on the government Web site, select the system (either standalone or
grid-connected) that you think best meets the needs of the homeowners. Write an argument to persuade them to
purchase the system you selected. Include the pros and cons of each system in your argument.
(c) Describe TWO ways that government or industry could promote the use of photovoltaic power systems for
homeowners in the future.
(d) Describe TWO ways that homeowners could use passive solar designs and/or systems and, for each way explain
how it would reduce the homeowners’ energy costs.
2008-1
Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.
(a) Calculate the number of acres required to produce 1,000 gallons of oil in one year from
(i)
Microalgae
(ii)
Soybeans
(b) Describe TWO environmental advantages that biodiesel production from microalgae offers over biodiesel
production from the other crops listed in the table.
(c) Explain why burning biodiesel fuel has a different impact on atmospheric CO2 concentrations than does burning
fossil fuels.
(d) Discuss TWO benefits, other than those related to atmospheric impacts, of increased reliance on biodiesel fuels
over the next 50 years.
(e) Describe TWO economic or societal problems associated with producing fuel from corn.
2013-#2
2. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have been introduced to consumers as an alternative way to reduce the
environmental effects caused by use of internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. A comparison of both
vehicle types can help determine whether the use of BEVs would be beneficial in the future. Where calculations
are required, show your work.
(a) Identify THREE strategies that the federal government could implement to encourage the use of BEVs.
(b) Assume that the fuel efficiency of the ICE vehicle is 25 miles per gallon (mpg) and that gasoline costs $3.75
per gallon (gal). Calculate the cost of gasoline per mile.
(c) The charger supplies energy to the BEV battery at an average rate of 4.0 kilowatts (kW) and fully charges
the BEV battery in 7.0 hours. The car will run for 100 miles on a full charge. The cost of electricity is $0.11 per
kilowatt-hour (kWh).
i. Calculate the cost of the electricity to fully charge the battery. Assume that the battery is not charged to
begin with.
ii. Calculate the cost of electricity per mile to drive the BEV.
When it is driven 100 miles, the ICE vehicle contributes 72.8 pounds (lb) of CO2 from the burning of the
gasoline. The drilling, refining, and transportation costs of getting the gasoline to the gas station add an
additional 17.7 lb of CO2 per 100 miles. The BEV does not emit anyCO2 itself, but the extraction,
transportation, and combustion of the coal that produced the electricity at the power plant add 63.6 lb ofCO2 for
the same 100 miles.
(d) Calculate the difference in the amount ofCO2 that would enter the atmosphere if both cars were driven 100
miles.
(e) Describe TWO economic impacts (excluding costs related to climate change resulting from CO2 emissions
or the cost of gasoline at the pump) that result from an increased number of BEVs on the road.
2014 #1
1. Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.
(a) State whether you agree or disagree with each of the following remarks made by Dr. Kull. For each remark,
provide one justification for your position.
(i)
“Nuclear power plants produce no dangerous solid waste.”
(ii) “Using nuclear power avoids the release of greenhouse gases.”
(b) If the plan for a nuclear power plant in Fremont is approved, it will take several years for the plant to be
built. Describe TWO environmental problems that could result from the construction of the plant (i.e., prior to
operation).
(c) Suppose that the nuclear power plant is constructed on the Fremont River site.
(i)
Identify the most likely pollution threat that the plant will pose to the Fremont River as a result of
the plant’s normal daily operation.
(ii)
Discuss one potential ecological consequence of the pollution threat that you identified in part (i).
(iii) Identify a system often used in nuclear power plants to reduce the pollution you identified in part (i).
(d) Describe TWO specific steps that Fremont residents and/or businesses could take to reduce the use of
electricity.
(e) Identify a specific nuclear power plant at which a major accident has occurred. Explain one environmental
consequence (other than effects on human health) of a nuclear power plant accident.
2014 #3
3. Plate-tectonic theory states that the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into very slowly moving pieces or plates.
Plate movements over vast stretches of time have led to the current orientation of our continents and oceans.
Individual events along plate boundaries, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, pose periodic threats to
human activity and ecosystems. The “Ring of Fire” is a term that describes the location of increased seismic and
volcanic activity around the margins of the Pacific Ocean basin. On the map above, each dot represents a
volcano or an earthquake.
(a) Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines are examples of volcanic island chains that have formed along
subduction zones between plates in the western Pacific.
(i)
Describe what happens when two tectonic plates collide along a subduction zone.
(ii)
Explain how subduction leads to volcanic activity.
(b) Although the landscape following a volcanic eruption may appear unable to support ecological
communities, over time the area can be transformed through succession.
(i)
What is primary succession?
(ii)
Explain how primary succession can lead to soil formation on a newly formed volcanic landscape.
(c) In addition to volcanic activity, highly destructive tsunamis are generated along Pacific Plate subduction
zones.
(i)
Explain how a tsunami is generated along a subduction zone.
(ii)
Describe one negative ecological impact that tsunamis have on coastal environments.
(d) Southern California experiences periodic devastating earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault, which is a
transform boundary located along the eastern edge of the Pacific Plate.
(i)
Describe what happens to the tectonic plates along a transform boundary at the moment when an
earthquake occurs.
(ii)
Describe what happens to the tectonic plates along a transform boundary during the time between
earthquakes.