APES Study Guide Chapters 13-15
CHAPTER 13 - ENERGY
1. How much of the total energy used to heat the Earth and Earth’s buildings comes from commercial energy? List five
key questions to ask about each energy alternative to evaluate energy resources. Define net energy and state its
significance in evaluating energy resources.
2. List the advantages and disadvantages of using conventional oil, oil from oil shale, and oil from tar sands to heat
space and water, produce electricity, and propel vehicles.
3. Distinguish among natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, and synthetic natural gas. List the
advantages and disadvantages of using natural gas as an energy source.
4. List and describe three types of coal. Indicate which is preferred for burning and which is most available. List and
briefly describe three methods for extracting coal. List advantages and disadvantages of using coal as a fuel source.
5. Briefly describe the components of a conventional nuclear reactor. List advantages and disadvantages of using
conventional nuclear fission to create electricity. Be sure to consider the whole nuclear fuel cycle, including disposal
of radioactive wastes, safety and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, and the potential for proliferation of
nuclear weapons.
6. Summarize current thinking about disposal of low-level and high-level radioactive wastes.
7. List and briefly describe three ways to decommission a nuclear power plant. List findings of a 1987 commission,
which bring into question the credibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to safeguard the nuclear power
industry.
8. Describe the potential use of breeder nuclear fission and nuclear fusion as energy sources.
9. List the advantages and disadvantages of improving energy efficiency so that we do more with less. Define life cycle
cost and cogeneration and describe their potential for saving energy. Describe changes that can be made in industry,
transportation, buildings, lights, and appliances and that would improve energy efficiency.
10. List the advantages and disadvantages of using direct solar energy to heat air and water for buildings. Distinguish
between active and passive solar heating. Compare the following solar technologies and evaluate the advantages
and disadvantages of each: solar power tower, solar thermal plant, and optical solar concentrator.
11. List the advantages and disadvantages of using water in the forms of hydropower, tidal power, wave power, ocean
thermal currents, and solar ponds to produce electricity.
12. List the advantages and disadvantages of using wind to produce electricity.
13. List the advantages and disadvantages of using biomass to heat space and water, produce electricity, and propel
vehicles. Consider burning wood, agricultural wastes, and urban wastes as well as conversion of biomass to biofuels.
14. List the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen gas as an energy source. Why is hydrogen considered a
fuel and not an energy source? Describe constraints to a solar-hydrogen revolution.
15. List the advantages and disadvantages of using geothermal energy for space heating, high-temperature industrial
heating, and electricity production.
16. Analyze the interactions of economic policy and energy resources. In particular consider the results of using freemarket competition, keeping energy prices low, and keeping energy prices high.
17. List four ways that the United States could build a more sustainable energy future.
CHAPTER 14 -RISK, HUMAN HEALTH, AND TOXICOLOGY
18. List four classes of common hazards and give two examples of each. List seven cultural hazards in order of most to
least hazardous.
19. Define toxicology. List three types of studies that contribute to our knowledge of toxicology. Distinguish between
acute and chronic effects; bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
20. Draw a dose-response curve and explain how it can be used. Draw graphs of two hypothetical dose-response curves:
no threshold and threshold.
21. Define epidemiology. Summarize limits of toxicological research.
22. List five principal types of chemical hazards and give two examples of each.
23. Distinguish between transmissible and nontransmissible diseases. Explain which occurs most in developing countries
and which occurs most in developed countries. Relate an epidemiologic transition to a demographic transition.
24. Describe how the hazards of smoking and sexually transmitted diseases could be reduced in the United States. List
diet changes that can help prevent cancer.
25. Define risk analysis. Summarize its limitations. Compare technology reliability to human reliability. Distinguish
between risk-benefit analysis and risk assessment. List seven questions risk assessors might ask.
CHAPTER 15 - AIR POLLUTION
26. List and briefly describe the layers of the atmosphere. Compare the function of ozone in the troposphere with the
function of ozone in the stratosphere. List three ways humans interact with the Earth’s gaseous nutrient cycles.
27. List six classes of outdoor air pollutants. Distinguish between a primary pollutant and a secondary pollutant.
Distinguish between stationary and mobile sources of pollution.
28. Distinguish between photochemical smog and industrial smog.
29. Describe a thermal inversion and conditions under which it is most likely to occur.
30. Define acid deposition. List four effects of acid deposition. Summarize how serious acid deposition is in the United
States.
31. Assess the significance of the problem of indoor air pollution. List the four most dangerous indoor air pollutants.
32. Using figure 15-12 on p. 358, list three potential sources of indoor air pollution where you live. Describe the best
ways to deal with asbestos and radon.
33. Summarize air pollution effects on human health, plants, aquatic life, and materials.
34. Summarize the Clean Air Act. List six ways to strengthen the Clean Air Act.
35. Summarize the concept of “emissions trading.” Evaluate the pros and cons of this strategy. Evaluate the
effectiveness of pollution prevention vs. pollution cleanup strategies.