Environmental Case Study Summaries Event Description Artic National The largest wildlife refuge in the Unites States, Wildlife Refuge located on the Northeastern most coast of Alaska is (ANWR) a center of hot debate. The essence of the conflict lies in two facts: One, the possibility that the Chapter 15 Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge contains one of p. 377 the best remaining prospects for significant oil discovery in the United States; the other, that the Refuge contains some of the last true remaining 'wilderness' in the country. Aral Sea Once the fourth largest inland body of water in the world, the Aral Sea has become progressively more Chapter 13 saline and depleted. Its ecosystem can no longer p. 330 support the same amount of life and biodiversity it once could. The lakes volume has decreased by 75%, also hampering the surrounding environment. Recent human efforts have caused fish to return and better conditions in the Sea. Bhopal Chemical In 1984, the Union Carbide Chemical Co. in India Disaster had a methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leak at its pesticide factory exposing over 500 thousand Chapter 17 people to toxic fumes and chemicals causing as many as 20,000 deaths. California Water Dry Southern California needed more water (for Project agriculture and consumers) so aqueducts and canals were built and expanded to transport water Chapter 13 from Northern California. However, the places this p.329 water comes from have been devastated from the lack of water. Some of the sources have been restored, others still works in progress. Chernobyl Nuclear In 1986, a nuclear facility in the Soviet Union Disaster suffered a power outage in reactor four. Attempts to solve problem only worsened it, caused a fire Chapter 15 that sent a plume of radioactive fallout into the p. 390 atmosphere. Four thousand deaths will be attributed to the disaster, massive evacuations too. It remains the single worst nuclear disaster. Environmental Significance Event Colrado River Basin Description The Colorado River flows 1400 miles from the mountains of central Colorado to the Mexican Chapter 13 border and eventually to the Gulf of California. p. 327 During the past 50 years this once free flowing river has been tamed by a gigantic plumbing system consisting of 4 major dams and reservoirs, hundreds of smaller dams, a network of aqueducts and canals that supply water to farmers, ranchers and cities. Cuyahoga River Extremely polluted Ohio river has caught fire 13 Fire times, caused millions of dollars worth of damages. Chapter 20 As a result of heavy regulations, it is now one of the p. 536 cleanest urban rivers in the country. DDT A pesticide that was found to be very toxic to life, banned in 1973. Still used in nations with high risk Chapter 12 of malaria and the US may import goods from these p. 294 countries with the DDT on them. Brought birds in Figure 9-19 the US almost to extinction. Still persists in the US p. 202 environment and in groundwater. Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill that flowed for three months Oil Spill in 2010. Largest accidental marine oil spill ever. Negatively affected sea life all over the area, threatens the environment due to the toxicity of the petroleum, depletion of dissolved oxygen, etc… Exxon Valdez Oil Oil tanker hit a reef, spilled hundreds of thousands Spill of barrels of oil. Largest US spill at the time. Difficult area to reach and clean, thousands of Chapter 20 animals dead. Response: US passed Oil Pollution Act p. 549 in 1990 to protect against tanker spills. Hetch Hetchy Situated inside Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy Valley was considered one of the most unique and diverse ecosystems in the world. In 1913, the city of San Francisco won congressional approval to build the O’Shaughnessy Dam which buried this extraordinary wilderness valley under 300 feet of water. There has been a campaign over the last couple of decades to remove the dam and restore the valley ecosystem. Environmental Significance Event Description Keystone XL The Keystone XL Pipeline (or Keystone Expansion) is Pipepline a proposed extension of the Keystone Pipeline, a (proposed project) system to transport tar sands oil from northeastern Alberta, Canada to various locations in the United States, reaching south down to the Gulf of Mexico. Love Canal Waste Canal dug part of way between two parts of the Dumping Niagara river, later used for dumping and covered. School board ignored warning and bought land, Supplemental 5 building a community. Massive birth defects and p.535 miscarriages occurred, leading to mass evacuations. President Carter deemed it a federal disaster area. Three Gorges Dam The world's largest dam, used to provide hydroelectric power throughout China. Over a Chapter 13 million people displaced from its construction as a p.328 result of the reservoir which stretches for 370 miles. Built in a seismically active region. Has the ability to generate clean energy for 10% of China. Pros and cons still debated. Three-Mile Island Loss of reactor coolants caused a partial core Nuclear Disaster meltdown in a pressurized water reactor in 1979. Worst nuclear accident in US history, released 13 Chapter 15 million curies of radioactive gases, but not too p. 390 much of the dangerous isotope. Total meltdown was avoided and the net release of radioactive material was concluded to be small. Public response was massive and negative, led to lessening of nuclear energy in the US. Others you may need to know: Dust Bowl of 1930’s Easter Island: tragedy of the commons Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant – earthquake/tsunami Kissimmee River - dredging Lake Erie – waste dumping London Fog – air pollution Minamata, Japan Yucca Mountain – nuclear waste storage Environmental Significance