Download 3. Relevant laws and treaties

Summer Assignment 2012-2013
In order to be successful in this course, you will be required to synthesize great amounts of
material about a variety of different subjects. As you will soon realize, “everything is connected”.
To facilitate this learning process, you will be required to complete the assignments in this
packet. The assignments are designed to enhance your environmental literacy as well as
introduce you to the topics you will study in APES. In addition, a section on mathematical
reasoning is provided.
All assignments are due on the first day of class. (NO EXCUSES!!!) You will be asked to
discuss the content of your articles and NGO selection with your classmates on the first day
of school. You will be tested on the math and chemistry portion during the first week of
school.
If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at [email protected]
Enjoy the summer!
Ms. Lippi
Part 1 ScrAPESbook
Environmental Issues in the News
Read and collect environmental science related articles representative of the summer (covering
the months of June, July and August). Each article must be referenced and presented in full.
Find eight current print and internet (June, July and August) environmental science news articles.
Four of the news articles must come from print sources (newspapers, magazines, online
newspapers or magazines). The date of publication and URL must be visible on the printout.
The date that you do the printing is not important.
In addition to the eight print/internet articles, find one news article from TV news. If you are
watching a news program, write a summary of the presentation. You can also use online sites
such as www.msnbc.com or www.cbsnews.com
Additionally, find one news article from a radio source such as www.npr.org. Summarize the
main points of the presentation or locate a transcript online.
Find one blog that deals with environmental issues. Summarize the issues discussed on the blog.
How does the blog relate to the information presented in the APES course description?
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For each news article, give a brief description of the issue and describe how it relates to
environmental science and answer the questions below:




What are the key points made in the article?
What are the points of view presented about this issue?
Does the article teach you something new?
Does the information presented in this article support or refute other information you
have read or heard in the news? How so/in what way?
 What are scientific, economic, and political implications associated with the article?
 Identify the species and/or groups of people impacted by the issue. Describe how each is
or potentially will be affected by the decisions made?
 What is your take on the issue? How should the issue be addressed or resolved? Why?
Provide support, reasons, etc. for your stand. If you decide not to take a stand on the
issue, what additional information would your need to take a position? The support you
provide is as important as your position on the issue.
The articles should be neatly cutout (or copied) and taped/glued/displayed with the summary
facing its article. Summaries may be neatly handwritten or typed.
Include a "Table of Contents” in which you number the articles; and list the title, source, and date
of each article.
The articles that you select must have some "substance" and must have a clear connection to
Environmental Science. See the Course Outline (Appendix I) for the outline of topics presented in
APES.
Your ScrAPESbook is due on the first day of school. You will be required to discuss at least two
of your articles on the first day of school. BE PREPARED!! 
Part 2 Environmental Issues—Non-Governmental Organizations
Select a non-governmental or private organization to research. NGOs are typically nonprofit,
nongovernmental organizations. Examples of NGOs are educational institutions, labor unions,
and mainstream and grassroots environmental organizations (Sierra Club, Environmental
Defense, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Working Group, etc.).
For a comprehensive list of environmental groups, visit
http://www.nrdc.org/reference/environGroups.asp , http://www.envirolink.org, OR use a search
engine such as www.google.com. Read through the list—don’t just pick the first name on the
list!! Choose a NGO that interests you!
Visit the website of your chosen NGO. Take note of the “hot issues”. Are they the same issues
that are reported in the news? Do they receive the same type of coverage in the news?
Prepare a brief summary (for the first day of school) indicating your NGO choice, reasons for
your choice, and major activities/accomplishments of the NGO. Include the following
information:
 What is the mission, or point of view, of the organization?
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




Is it a governmental or a private organization?
What actions does the organization take? Be specific!!
How are the activities of the organization funded?
What are the sources of information presented? Are they from science journals or other
sources?
Are other organizations linked to this NGO?
Be prepared to discuss the NGO that you studied!
Part 3 Math Review and Practice for APES/Chemistry Review for APES
Calculators are not permitted on the APES exam. It is important that you are proficient in using
dimensional analysis. Please complete the attached problems to without a calculator. You may
use a calculator to check you work.
You must be able to solve problems using scientific notation without a calculator. You must also
be able to convert between units in the metric system.
Use the following resources if you need a review or additional practice problems:
Metric System/Scientific Notation Resources
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/everyday.htm
http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=47&l=&c3=
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070294267/student_view0/the_metric_system.html
Need Practice??
Complete the online scientific notation assessment at the following site:
http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/scinot.htm
Need More Practice??
http://www.edhelper.com/metric_system.htm
Math for the APES Exam Review
http://www.kwanga.net/apesnotes/apes-math-tips-for-ap-exam.pdf
See Appendix II for a math review.
Some Fairly Easy Practice Problems to Get You Started
Try all of the problems without a calculator--only use a calculator to check your work!
Remember: Usually more than one correct sequence of steps can be completed for
calculating answers, but there is only one correct answer. If you, your calculator, or a
friend get a different value doing it a different way, one of those ways is incorrect. It can be
fun to do this with a friend, and then see which way each of you approached the problem.
(.025)(20) =
1/25 =
1/250 =
85/5 =
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14/.02 =
log (1 x 10-6)2 =
(.035)(5) =
7
1/34 =
If pH = 10, then [H+] =
If Ka = 1 x 10-4, then pKa =
[H+] = 1 x 10-11 then pH =
15 x 90 =
1/28 =
log (2 x 10-6) ≈
log (3 x 105) ≈
log (3 x 105)2 ≈
Scientific Notation
All APES students should be able to work comfortably with numbers in scientific notation. Write
the following numbers in scientific notation.
1.) One billion
2.) Twenty four thousand
3.) 70 trillion
4.) Three hundred
Complete the following calculations using scientific notation (without using a calculator).
Express your answer in scientific notation.
1.) Five hundred billion X thirty five thousand
2.) Six thousand divided by 300 billion
3.) One ten thousandth of three million
4.) 6 billion divided by 35 trillion
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Now for some conversion problems…
Complete the following problems without using a calculator! Show all work using dimensional
analysis. Remember that each value needs to have a unit. You may have to consult reference
materials for the conversion factors.
Convert the following:
1.) 82.1 cm3 to nm3
2.) 96.4 L to cm3
3.) 15.2 mg/L to g/m3
4.) 67000000 m to km
5.) A 100 square mile area of national forest is equivalent to ______________ acres. Convert
this value to hectares.
6.) A city uses ten billion BTUs of energy each month. Assuming 100% efficiency, convert
this value to kilowatt-hours.
7.) Fifty eight thousand kilograms of solid waste are landfilled by a community. Convert this
value to metric tons.
8.) One barrel of crude oil provides six million BTUs of energy. How many BTUs will one
liter of crude oil provide? How many calories of energy will one gallon of crude oil
provide?
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9.) For crude oil, 150 pounds of CO2 is released per million BTUs of energy. How many
pounds of CO2 are produced by each barrel of crude oil? (Use information from the
previous problem.)
Percentages
All APES students should be able to work comfortably with percentages (without a calculator).
1.) If 35% of a natural area is to be developed, leaving 500 acres untouched, how many acres
are to be developed?
2.) Calculate the percentage growth rate for a country with a population of 6 million for a
year in which there were 100,000 births, 70,000 deaths, 30,000 immigrants and 50,000
emigrants.
3.) If the concentration of mercury in a water supply changes from 65 ppm to 7 ppm, what is
the percentage change in the mercury concentration?
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Concentration problems…
Three factors determine the severity of the harmful effects of pollutants. One is its chemical
nature: how active and harmful it is to living organisms. Another is its concentration: the amount
per unit of volume or weight of air, soil, or body weight. The third factor is a pollutant’s
persistence: how long it stays in the air, water, soil, or body.
A concentration of 1 part per million (ppm) corresponds to 1 part pollutant per million parts of
the gas, liquid, or solid mixture in which the pollutant is found. A concentration of 1 part per
billion (ppb) refers to 1 part pollutant per billion parts of the gas, liquid, or solid mixture in which
the pollutant is found. A concentration of 1 part per trillion (ppt) means that 1 part pollutant is
found in one trillion parts of its medium. In a gas mixture the reference is usually to ppm, ppb,
ppt by volume; in liquids and solids the reference is generally to ppm, ppb, or ppt by mass.
Parts per million, billion, or trillion may seem like such negligible amounts of pollution,
nevertheless, concentrations of some pollutants at such low levels can have deleterious effects on
organisms. For example, bass need a level of at least 4 parts per million. The EPA ambient air
standard for carbon monoxide is 9 ppm. Organisms can be affected by very small amounts of
materials in water, soil, or air. It is important to know the tolerance level of a substance. As
technology develops, more sensitive equipment and testing technologies are available to detect
tiny concentrations of contaminants in water, soil, and air. The smallest amount that can be
detected is the detection limit. The smaller the detection limit, the more we know about what is in
our water, soil, and air, and more can be done to keep the ecosphere safe.
Common Units for Expressing Trace Concentrations
Unit
parts per million
Abbreviation
ppm
Mass/ Mass
mg/kg
µg/g
parts per billion
ppb
µg/kg
ng/g
Mass/ Volume
mg/L
µg/mL
g/m3
µg/L
ng/mL
mg/m3
Volume/Volume
µL/L
nL/mL
nL/L
Complete the following practice problems without using a calculator. Use dimensional analysis
and show all work!
Click on the hyperlinks for more information about the terms. You will be tested in the terms as
well as the math!
1.) Express the concentration of the following substances in ppm and ppb
a.) 60.0 mg PCBs in 0.150 kg herring gull eggs
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b.) 1,500 pg Pb in 0.35 g soil
c.) 200 µg phosphates (PO4-3) in 175 mL water
2.) If you were the hazardous waste manager of factory, you might be responsible for diluting
dangerous chemicals to safe levels in order to dispose of them legally. If a one liter sample of a
chemical had a concentration of 5000 ppm, how much water would have to be added to dilute the
sample to an acceptable concentration of 5 ppm?
Hint: Use the dilution formula.
Waste Disposal….Do the Math! (Without Your Calculator)
Annual precipitation at a landfill in the town of Fremont is 100 mm per year, and 50% of this
water runs off the landfill without infiltrating the surface. The landfill has a surface area of 5,000
m2. Underneath the landfill, the town installed a leachate collection system that is 80% effective.
Any leachate not collected by the system enters the surrounding soil and groundwater. The
leachate may contain cadmium and other toxic metals.
a.) Calculate the volume of water in cubic meters (m3) that infiltrates the landfill per year.
b.) What is the volume of the leachate in m3 that is treated per year?
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c.) Given that the cadmium concentration in the water draining the landfill is 2.0 g/m3,
calculate the mass, in kg, of cadmium that is released into the surrounding soil per year?
Projecting Future Increases in CO2
Since Charles David Keeling and his colleagues began measuring CO2 in 1958, we have an
excellent record of how CO2 concentrations have changed in the atmosphere over time. From
1960 to 2010, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increased from 320 ppm to 390 ppm.
Based on these two points in time, what has been the average annual increase of CO2 in the
atmosphere?
Finally, a few energy calculations…
Show all of your work using dimensional analysis and include units in your answer.
Reminder: You are not permitted to use a calculator!
The Cobb family of Fremont is looking at ways to decrease their home water and energy usage.
Their current electric hot-water heater raises the temperature to 140 °F, which requires 0.20
kWh/gallon at a cost of $0.10/kWh. Each person in the family of four showers once a day for an
average of 10 minutes per shower. The shower has a flow rate of 5.0 gallons per minute.
a.) Identify all of the conversion factors given in the problem.
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b.) Calculate the total amount of water that the family uses per year for taking showers.
c.) Calculate the annual cost of electricity for the family showers, assuming that 2.5 gallons
per minute of the water is used from the hot water heater.
d.) The family is considering replacing their current hot-water heater with a new energyefficient hot-water heater that costs $1,000 and uses half the energy that their current hotwater uses. How many days would it take for the new hot water heater to recover the
initial $1,000 cost?
e.) Describe TWO practical measures that the family could take that would reduce their
overall water use at home.
f.) Describe TWO conservation measures (other than recycling hot water use) that the family
could take to reduce the total amount of energy that they use at home.
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Grade your response to the question above by going to the College Board website:
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/ap/students/envsci/ap07_sg_envir_sci.pdf
(2007 Free Response Question #2) What is your score? _________/10
Chemistry Review
Know the formulas and names for the following compounds/polyatomic ions:
Name
carbon monoxide
carbon dioxide
methane
ammonia
sulfur dioxide
sulfur trioxide
nitrogen monoxide
nitrogen dioxide
dinitrogen monoxide
sulfurous acid
sulfuric acid
nitrous acid
nitric acid
hydrochloric acid
carbonic acid
phosphoric acid
acetic acid
oxygen gas
nitrogen gas
ozone
phosphate ion
sulfate ion
ammonium ion
nitrite ion
nitrate ion
hydrogen sulfide
Formula
CO
CO2
CH4
NH3
SO2
SO3
NO
NO2
N2O
H2SO3
H2SO4
HNO2
HNO3
HCl
H2CO3
H3PO4
CH3COOH
O2
N2
O3
PO43SO42NH4+
NO2NO3H2S
Successful completion of chemistry is a pre-requisite for this course. You should be very proficient with the
following concepts. You should also be able to solve problems using methods taught in Chemistry.
Know the following basic chemistry concepts:
 nomenclature
 stoichiometry
 chemical reactions
 half-life
 types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma)
 isotopes
 nuclear fission
 nuclear fusion
 electromagnetic spectrum (frequency, wavelength, energy)
 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics
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

oxidation-reduction
heat capacity (Q = mcΔt)
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Appendix I
Topic Outline
The following outline of major topics serves to describe the scope of the AP Environmental Science
course and exam. The order of topics in the outline holds no special significance, since there are many
different sequences in which the topics can be appropriately addressed in the course. The percentage
after each major topic heading shows the approximate proportion of multiple-choice questions on the
exam that pertain to that heading; thus, the percentage also indicates the relative emphasis that should
be placed on the topics in the course.
I. Earth Systems and Resources (10–15%)
A. Earth Science Concepts
(Geologic time scale; plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism; seasons;
Solar intensity and latitude)
B. The Atmosphere
(Composition; structure; weather and climate; atmospheric circulation and
the Coriolis Effect; atmosphere–ocean interactions; ENSO)
C. Global Water Resources and Use
(Freshwater/saltwater; ocean circulation; agricultural, industrial, and domestic
use; surface and groundwater issues; global problems; conservation)
D. Soil and Soil Dynamics
(Rock cycle; formation; composition; physical and chemical properties; main
soil types; erosion and other soil problems; soil conservation)
II. The Living World (10–15%)
A. Ecosystem Structure
(Biological populations and communities; ecological niches; interactions
among species; keystone species; species diversity and edge effects; major
terrestrial and aquatic biomes)
B. Energy Flow
(Photosynthesis and cellular respiration; food webs and trophic levels;
ecological pyramids)
C. Ecosystem Diversity
(Biodiversity; natural selection; evolution; ecosystem services)
D. Natural Ecosystem Change
(Climate shifts; species movement; ecological succession)
E. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles
(Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, water, conservation of matter)
III. Population (10–15%)
A. Population Biology Concepts
(Population ecology; carrying capacity; reproductive strategies; survivorship)
B. Human Population
1. Human population dynamics
(Historical population sizes; distribution; fertility rates; growth rates and
doubling times; demographic transition; age-structure diagrams)
2. Population size
(Strategies for sustainability; case studies; national policies)
3. Impacts of population growth
(Hunger; disease; economic effects; resource use; habitat destruction)
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IV. Land and Water Use (10–15%)
A. Agriculture
1. Feeding a growing population
(Human nutritional requirements; types of agriculture; Green Revolution;
genetic engineering and crop production; deforestation; irrigation;
sustainable agriculture)
2. Controlling pests
(Types of pesticides; costs and benefits of pesticide use; integrated pest
management; relevant laws)
B. Forestry
(Tree plantations; old growth forests; forest fires; forest management;
national forests)
C. Rangelands
(Overgrazing; deforestation; desertification; rangeland management; federal
rangelands)
D. Other Land Use
1. Urban land development
(Planned development; suburban sprawl; urbanization)
2. Transportation infrastructure
(Federal highway system; canals and channels; roadless areas; ecosystem
impacts)
3. Public and federal lands
(Management; wilderness areas; national parks; wildlife refuges; forests;
wetlands)
4. Land conservation options
(Preservation; remediation; mitigation; restoration)
5. Sustainable land-use strategies
E. Mining
(Mineral formation; extraction; global reserves; relevant laws and
F. Fishing
(Fishing techniques; overfishing; aquaculture; relevant laws and treaties)
G. Global Economics
(Globalization; World Bank; Tragedy of the Commons; relevant laws and
treaties)
V. Energy Resources and Consumption (10–15%)
A. Energy Concepts
(Energy forms; power; units; conversions; Laws of Thermodynamics)
B. Energy Consumption
1. History
(Industrial Revolution; exponential growth; energy crisis)
2. Present global energy use
3. Future energy needs
C. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use
(Formation of coal, oil, and natural gas; extraction/purification methods;
world reserves and global demand; synfuels; environmental advantages/
disadvantages of sources)
D. Nuclear Energy
(Nuclear fission process; nuclear fuel; electricity production; nuclear reactor
types; environmental advantages/disadvantages; safety issues; radiation and
human health; radioactive wastes; nuclear fusion)
F. Hydroelectric Power
(Dams; flood control; salmon; silting; other impacts)
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G. Energy Conservation
(Energy efficiency; CAFE standards; hybrid electric vehicles; mass transit)
H. Renewable Energy
(Solar energy; solar electricity; hydrogen fuel cells; biomass; wind energy;
small-scale hydroelectric; ocean waves and tidal energy; geothermal;
environmental advantages/disadvantages)
VI. Pollution (25–30%)
A. Pollution Types
1. Air pollution
(Sources—primary and secondary; major air pollutants; measurement
units; smog; acid deposition—causes and effects; heat islands and
temperature inversions; indoor air pollution; remediation and reduction
strategies; Clean Air Act and other relevant laws)
2. Noise pollution
(Sources; effects; control measures)
3. Water pollution
(Types; sources, causes, and effects; cultural eutrophication; groundwater
pollution; maintaining water quality; water purification; sewage
treatment/septic systems; Clean Water Act and other relevant laws
4. Solid waste
(Types; disposal; reduction)
B. Impacts on the Environment and Human Health
1. Hazards to human health
(Environmental risk analysis; acute and chronic effects; dose-response
relationships; air pollutants; smoking and other risks)
2. Hazardous chemicals in the environment
(Types of hazardous waste; treatment/disposal of hazardous waste;
cleanup of contaminated sites; biomagnification; relevant laws)
B. Economic Impacts
(Cost-benefit analysis; externalities; marginal costs; sustainability)
VII. Global Change (10–15%)
A. Stratospheric Ozone
(Formation of stratospheric ozone; ultraviolet radiation; causes of ozone
depletion; effects of ozone depletion; strategies for reducing ozone
depletion; relevant laws and treaties)
B. Global Warming
(Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect; impacts and consequences of
global warming; reducing climate change; relevant laws and treaties)
C. Loss of Biodiversity
1. Habitat loss; overuse; pollution; introduced species; endangered and
extinct species
2. Maintenance through conservation
3. Relevant laws and treaties
© 2010 The College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web:
www.collegeboard.com.
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Appendix II
“Mental and Pencil/Paper Math” Review for the Calculator Dependent
Fact: Being able to do some mental math is helpful even when you have a calculator – it
can save you from some silly “calculator errors”.
Fact:
Multiplication is both commutative and associative. (AB)C = (BC)A
Example:
(4)(21) =
(21)(4) =
(3)(2) = 6
(7)(2)
(7)(2)
Fact: Multiplication is distributive. A(B + C) = AB + BC
Example: (97)(40) = (100 – 3)(40) = 4000 – 120 = 3880
Fact:
(xa)(xb) = xa+b
Example: (1 x 105)(1 x 104) = 1 x 109
Fact:
xa = xax-b = xa-b
xb
Example:
65 = 65-7 = 6-2 = 1/62 = 1/36 ≈ .03
67
a b
ab
(x ) = x
Example: (1 x 105)3 = 1 x 1015
Example: 26 = (23)2 = 82 = 64
Fact:
Fact:
log 10a = a
Example: log (1 x 105) = 5
Fact: ln ea = a
where e = 2.718…
Example: ln e-4 = -4
Fact: ln a = 2.303 log a
Example: ln 10-3 = 2.303 (log 10-3) = -3 (2.303) = -6.909
Fact: p(anything) = -log(anything)
Example: if Ka = 10-7, pKa = 7
Fact: log ab = log a + log b
Example: log (103)(105) = log (103) + log(105) = 3 + 5 = 8
Fact: log (a/b) = log a – log b
Example: log (105/103) = log 105 – log 103 = 5 – 3 = 2
Fact: log ab = b log a
Example: log (105)3 = 3 log 105 = (3)(5) = 15
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Fact: Please (Parentheses) Excuse (Exponents) My (Multiplication) Dear (Division) Aunt
(Addition) Sally (Subtraction). Don’t mix up your order of operations!
Some Computational Strategies:
I.
Round
Example: (6.02 x 1023)(4.1) ≈ (6 x 1023)(4) ≈ 24 x 1023
II.
Put in scientific notation so you can deal with whole numbers and decimal
places separately
Example:
(.06)
= 6 x 10-2
(.002)(15)
(2 x 10-3)(1.5 x 101)
= (6)
( 10-2)
(2)(1.5)( 10-3)(101)
= 2(100) = 2
III.
Multiply and divide in simplifying steps
Example:
(81)(42) = (81)(42) = (9)(7) = 63
(6)(9)
(9)(6)
IV.
Figure out the boundaries
Example:
log (0.01) < log (0.02) < log (0.1) so
log (0.02) is between –2 and –1, but closer to –2.
log (0.02) ≈ -1.7
V.
Turn division into multiplication, decimals into fractions, and division into
multiplication by the inverse, as convenient.
Example: 542/0.33 = 542 = (542)(3) ≈ 1600
1/3
Example: 250(0.8) = 250(4/5) = 50(4) = 200
VI.
Break multiplication into simpler multiplication/addition problems.
Example: 15% of $36.00 = 10% plus half again = $3.60 + $1.80 = $5.40
Example: (77)(31) = (80 – 3)(30 + 1) = 2400 + 80 –90 – 3 = 2387
VII.
Know that there are fanatics who have a jillion tricks to help them – you
don’t need to know all the tricks but occasionally it’s useful to remember a
few.
Example: 77/5 = (77) x (2/10) = 154/10 = 15.4
Example: The digits of numbers divisible by three add up to multiples of three.
3 + 5 + 4 = 12, so 354, 534, 345 etc. are divisible by 3
Example: The digits of numbers divisible by nine add up to multiples of nine. 5
+ 4 = 9, so 54 is divisible by 9. Six is one more than 5 so (6)(9)=54. 837 is
divisible by 9, 839 is not.
Example: (11)(any two digit number) = (first digit in hundreds place + sum of
digits in tens and hundreds place, followed by last digit in ones place). (77)(11)
= 70 +14 then 7 = 847. (12)(11) = 132. (14)(11) = 154
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AP Environmental Science Summer Assignment 2012-2013
Signature Page
I understand that it is my responsibility to complete the APES Summer
assignment before the start of the school year. I am aware that I will be
tested on the packet during the first week of school. I also understand that
the assignment can be found on the class website. I also understand that I
can contact Ms. Lippi via West Essex e-mail with questions.
_____________________________________
Please print and sign your name
__________
Date
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