Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
14 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Why is the oil obtained from the Alberta oil sands considered ‘energy intensive’ (i.e. how much resources are required to produce the oil?) |
Alberta’s oil sands takes more energy to extract and process than conventional oil - With a strong demand and rising prices in oils, the demand will only increase in the future projecting an amount of 5 million barrels in 2030 - The removal above the surface or strip mining from open pits is an oil extraction method - Another method is "situ recovery", done through steam-assisted gravity drainage which injects the high-pressure steam into the tar sands |
|
|
Outline at two positives of the Alberta oil sands |
- The oil sands have been a major source of revenue for the Canadian government - Canada also became the larger supplier of foreign oil to the States which promotes the idea of sustainability |
|
|
Outline two negatives of the Alberta Oil Sands |
- Pollutants obtained of toxic heavy metals are exposed to ecosystem, causing harm to wildlife - Cancer levels in the populace are much higher than expected due to water degradation caused by tar sands |
|
|
Regarding traditional and aboriginal /local ecological knowledge, outline how the different types of knowledge are presented in this case (Alberta Tar Sands Case) |
- From a traditional point of view, the tar sands are profitable and have little to no significant changes on the environment -From a local point of view, the tar sands negatively affect people and species, and contribute to multiple health issues and risks |
|
|
Describe three ways agricultural activity has impacted the carbon cycle and/or contributed to increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere over the past 8,000 years. |
- Forest clearing for agriculture from 8,000 to 2,000 years ago reduces trees taking upcarbon
- Overgrazing reduces amount of carbon that can be stored in grasslands - Increasing livestock numbers increases methane and nitrous oxide, two potent greenhouse gases |
|
|
What is the Green Revolution? |
The Green Revolution refers to the technological advances in plant genetics (hybridization) |
|
|
What is the difference between hybridization andgenetically modified organisms (GMOs)? |
-Hybridization refersto the cross-breeding of two varieties or species of plants or animals. -Genetically modifiedorganisms refer to organisms created by humans through genetic manipulation combining genesfrom different and often totally unrelated species |
|
|
What are biofuels? |
Biofuels are solids, liquids or gases that have been derived from recently dead biological materialand are processed into an oil that acts as a petroleum replacement. |
|
|
What are the benefits of biofuels? |
- have great potential to help curb globalgreenhouse gas emissions. - Generate a fraction of the pollutants of traditional petroleum-based fuels, and the plants that produce them remove carbon from the atmosphere. |
|
|
What are the drawbacks of biofuels? |
-invested in fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and processing. Nitrogen, a key fertilizer applied to biofuel crops, turns into nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhousegas - displace existing agriculture, which in turn requires conversion of naturalecosystems to maintain food production levels. |
|
|
Compare livestock farming practices from the pre- and post-livestock revolution. |
Pre-livestock revolution - Livestock grazed on local surrounding natural vegetation - Stocking densities were dictated by surrounding environmental conditions - Farms typically small, with less than 100 animals Post-livestock revolution - Increasing industrial technologies and intensification - High water consumption - Reduced number of farms, but increased size of farms |
|
|
how does agricultural activity contribute to three environmentalchallenges associated with land degradation in Canada. |
Soil Erosion - removes natural vegetation and replaces with intermittent crops, exposing bare soil to erosive processes. Soil Compaction -From frequent use of heavy machinery on wet soils or from overstocking withlivestock Organic Matter and Nutrient Losses - Continuous process of removing plant matter from the field, reduces the organic andnutrient components in the soil. |
|
|
Define bioaccumulation and biomagnification and outline the difference between thetwo. |
Bioaccumulation involves the accumulation of toxic agents in an individual organism over time. Biomagnification, however, involves the build-up of toxic agents up the food chain, with animals atthe highest trophic level becoming the most contaminated. |
|
|
Outline one approach that could be useful for developing more sustainable foodproduction systems. |
(some of many approaches) integrated pest management, integrated plant nutrient systems, no-till/conservation agriculture, organic farming, or local agriculture. |
