ScienceEconomicsChapter 15 – Environmental Science
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Chapter 15 - Environmental Science

Gilbert Watson avatar Gilbert Watson
17 October 2022
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question
The ultimate source of energy that drives wind power is __________.
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the sun
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A typical wind farm in the United States consists of __________.
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many very large wind turbines clustered in a region with a low human population
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The year 2030 goal set by the US Department of Energy is to generate __________.
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20% of electricity using wind-powered systems
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Electricity in a wind turbine is generated __________.
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when spinning magnets move past a coil of copper wire
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Producing electricity using wind instead of fossil fuels __________.
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generates no carbon dioxide in the process
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Which of the following is a type of nonrenewable energy?
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nuclear energy
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Which of the following is a primary challenge of using many renewable energy resources?
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they are diffuse and intermittent
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An impoundment hydroelectric plant uses water flowing ________
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from a reservoir to spin a turbine and generate electricity
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Which of the following are two of the most important factors in determining where wind farms should be located?
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wind consistency and wind speed
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One disadvantage of wind farms is ________.
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the death of bats and birds from collisions with turbine towers and blades
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Which one of the following sources of renewable energy does not use a turbine to generate electricity?
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solar photo-voltaic cells
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Globally, the most widely used biofuel is ________.
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ethanol, produced primarily by fermenting sugars and starches from corn and sugar cane
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Bioenergy is considered to be a ________.
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renewable resource because once plants are harvested they can be grown again
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One of the major disadvantages of using tidal energy systems is ________.
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that these systems cause habitat disruption in regions with highly productive marine estuaries
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Which one of the following sources of renewable energy is derived from the moon and the sun?
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tidal
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The best way to reduce our reliance upon fossil fuels and address our energy needs in the future is to ________.
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use all of the above strategies and additional energy saving innovations
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In the United States, a state government might adopt renewable portfolio standards to promote which of the following sources of energy?
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a new field of wind turbines off the coast of North Carolina
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Renewable primary energy sources include all of the following except ________
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natural gas
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Which of the following energy sources accounts for more than half of the renewable energy consumed?
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hydroelectric power
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In order to make use of most renewable energy resources, we must ________.
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capture and convert these diffuse energy sources into more concentrated forms
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Photovoltaic (PV) technology is best described as ________.
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using sunlight to generate electricity
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The greatest rate of increase in the price of corn ($/bushel) was experienced during ________
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2007-2008
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What region of the United States is best suited for producing wind used for energy?
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Western Mountains
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One limitation of wind power is that it ________.
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is intermittent
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Undammed rivers in Colorado tend to experience higher flows in ________.
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June
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Energy efficiency is ________.
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the process of using less energy to obtain goods and services
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How much energy would be saved by adding insulation to ceilings?
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about 2,000 kilowatt-hours/year
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What is the cost of conserved energy for compact fluorescent lighting?
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about $.08 per kilowatt-hour
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Which of these energy investments is the least expensive to install?
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adding insulation to ceilings
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Which of the following energy investments would be cost-effective to install?
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triple paned windows
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How much energy would the family save by investing in all of the features that are cost-effective at the current price of energy?
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about 9,000 kilowatt-hours per year
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If the cost of energy rose to $.18 per kilowatt-hour, which of the following would be true?
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Investing in a solar hot water heating and a ground source heat pump would become cost-effective.
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How much energy would the family save by investing in all of the features that are cost-effective at the current price of energy?
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about 9,000 kilowatt-hours per year