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116 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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# of acres of agricultural land
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900 million
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# of acres of prime agricultural land/ % in metropolitan areas
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240 million/ 25%
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Amount of agricultural land lost per year
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2.2 million acres, suggesting that current land use patterns threaten our capacity to obtain locally produced food
Also, this trend threatens rural communities by making them more economically insecure |
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Amount of land it takes per year to provide for one person
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25 acres
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Cause of global warming
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function of increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere
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Over past 100 years, how much has surface temp/ precipitation/ sea levels risen/increased
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1 degree/ 1%/ 6-8 inches
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What factors make coastal areas vulnerable
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wave height, coastal slope and shoreline erosion
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How many acres of reservation land does the federal gov hold?
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56.2 million acres
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What is the largest reservation and how big is it?
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Navajo, 16 million acres in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico
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How many reservations are there in the US? How many are tribally-owned?
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275/ 140
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How many acres of national forest are in the US?
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191 million
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What portion of the land in the US is publicly owned
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1/3 of 2.2 billion acres
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Where do rural/urban residents obtain most of their drinking water?
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groundwater sources/ surface water sources
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How much of the irrigated land in the US is the High Plains Aquifer under?
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20%
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What is the average daily per person water consumption?
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50 gallons, but can increase to 120-180
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What is the main threat to water supplies today?
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nonpoint sources
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What portion of US waterways do not meet drinkability or swimmability standards?
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40%
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What are the 6 pollutants regulated under the Clean Water Act?
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nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide, ozone, particulates
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What does air quality depend upon?
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temperature and wind speed
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What are noise contours
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lines on a map indicating areas where noise levels are equivalent
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George Perkins Marsh
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1801-1882, Wrote Man and Nature in 1864, which explored the destructive impact of human action on the natural environment and inspired the conservation movement
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John Wesley Powell
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1834-1902, wrote report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States in 1878, which included a proposed regional plan that would both foster settlement of the arid west and conserve scarce water resources
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John Muir
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1838-1914, Founded the Sierra Club in 1892 to promote the protection and preservation of the natural environment
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Theodore Roosevelt
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1858-1919, 26th president, staunch supporter of the conservation movement, established an Inland Waterway Commission in 1907 to encourage multipurpose planning in waterway development
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Gifford Pinchot
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1865-1946, America's first professionally trained forester, first director of Forest Service in 1905
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William Whyte
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1917-1999, coined the term greenway in book The Land Landscape, wrote study on conservation easements
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Rachel Carson
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1907-1964, wrote Silent Spring in 1962 which alerted the nation to the harmful effects of pesticides
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US Geological Survey
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Established in 1879 to survey and classify all public domain lands
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First national wildlife refuge
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Pelican Island, FL, 1903, protect brown pelican
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National Park Service
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Established in 1916 to conserve and preserve natural resources, parks and historic sites
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Metropolitan Water District of Southern CA
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Established in 1927 to bring water from the CO River to southern CA
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Civilian Conservation Corps
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Created in 1933 to provide work for unemployed youth and to conserve natural resources
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Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
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Created in 1933 to provide for rehab and redevelopment of the Tennessee Valley
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Taylor Grazing Act
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1934, regulated the use of the range in the west for conservation purposes
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Natural Resources Planning Board
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Created in 1939 to assist in the preparation of a comprehensive plan for public works
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Grand Coulee Dam
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Developed in 1941 on the Columbia River in central Washington State as largest concrete structure in US- heart of Columbia Basin Project
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First Earth Day
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April 22, 1970
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Earth Resources Technology Satellite (Landsat)
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Launched in 1972 to acquire high res image of the earth's surface
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Tools/techniques of conservation
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Large lot zoning, conservation easements, purchase of development rights, transfer of development rights, development of regional impact
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conservation easements
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separates ownership of land from right to develop land, can be held by gov or land trust
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Purchase of Development Rights
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separates ownership of land from right to develop land, right to develop is purchased by gov or land trust
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Transfer of Development Rights
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separates ownership of land from right to develop land, right to develop in a sending area may be purchased and use to develop land in a receiving area more intensely
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Development of Regional Impact
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Large-scale development likely to have regional impacts, environmental review often required
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What is an aquifer?
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A subsurface area of sand, gravel, fractured rock, limestone or karst formations that hold groundwater and from which significant amount of groundwater can be extracted
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what is the difference between preservation and conservation
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A fundamental tension in environmental planning. Preservation (leaving untouched) was advocated by John Muir and conservation (using wisely) was advocated by Gifford Pinchot
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what is the polluter pays principle
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First discussed at UN conference in 1992. Means that company that causes pollution is responsible for paying to remove it or providing compensation for those affected
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what is environmental justice
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Acknowledges that race and class are powerful determinants in the location of hazardous waste facilities, defined as the improvement of the environmental and economic conditions of those who bear the greatest hardship
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How many endangered species are there?
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1200, Hawaii has the most
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What does carrying capacity mean?
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The largest number of any given species that a habitat can support indefinitely
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What is fragmentation
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When there are many acres of open space but they are not connected, so that animals cannot safely use all of the acreage for habitat
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what is biodiversity
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Diversity of plant and animal species, threatened by invasive, non-native species that have been introduced into an ecosystem by human activity
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What is the average size of a new, detached, single-family home?
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2300, up from 1100 50 years ago
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What is R-factor?
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the ability of insulation above ceilings and in walls to keep heat inside during the winter and heat outside during the summer, the higher the better
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What are best management practices?
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a combination of management, cultural, structural practices to reduce pollution from ag, residential and urban development
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Land Capability Analysis
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An analysis of all of the land in a planning area in terms of development costs
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Biochemical Oxygen Demand
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A measure of how much dissolved oxygen is being consumed as microbes break down in organic matter- when its high, it could have dangerous implications for a water body's biodiversity
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Council on Environmental Quality
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Coordinates federal environmental efforts, established as part of NEPA
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Potentially Responsible Party
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Those that are known to be potentially responsible for the clean-up of Superfund sites
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National Ambient Air Quality Standards
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Standards originally set for six main pollutants, then additional standards were added for more pollutants. Purpose of the standards is to provide an ample margin of safety to human health
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Hazardous Air Pollutant
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A pollutant for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards do not exist and which can pose a serious health threat
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Hydric soil
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A type of soil associated with wetlands
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Tidal range
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The vertical different between water levels at high tide and low tide
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Maximum Contaminant Level
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The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water
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Total Maximum Daily Load
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A calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards
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Eutrophication
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Nutrient enrichment of aquatic ecosystems which can lead to an increase in the growth of algae, which, when it dies, reduces the supply of oxygen dissolved in the body of the water
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Methane gas
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An explosive greenhouse gas that results from decomposition in landfills, septic systems, wetlands, etc
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PCBs
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Banned in 1979, group of manufactured chemicals formerly used in electric transformers
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Prevention of Significant Deterioration
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Required under Clean Air Act, refers to the permit application and review process for the construction and operation of new and modified stationary sources of pollution
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Sole Source Aquifer
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An aquifer that provides the bulk of the drinking water for an area
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Vernal pools
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Seasonal wetlands that hold water and act as breeding grounds for amphibians
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Volatile Organic Compound
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Highly mobile organic compound such as petroleum
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What is the significance of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968?
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In providing insurance against America's most costly type of natural disaster, this law necessitated the creation of flood insurance rate maps, showing 500 and 100- year floodplains
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What is the significance of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976?
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This law regulates the transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of solid and toxic wastes
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What is the significance of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act of 1980?
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This law established the Superfund, using taxes on the chemical and petroleum industries and appropriations, to be used for remedial and removal actions
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What is the significance of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972?
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Named changed to Clean Water Act is 1977. Required all point source discharges to acquire and maintain a permit. Protects wetlands with the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
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What are the three zones around a wellhead that are often addressed in wellhead protection ordinances?
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Primary recharge area, secondary recharge area, tertiary recharge area
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What does a Euclidean zoning ordinance do?
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Lists the land uses permitted in each zoning district
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What does a performance zoning ordinance do?
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Set so-called performance standards for each zoning district. Either minimum requirements of maximum limits (smoke, odor, noise). Any land use that meets a particular zoning district's performance standards is permitted in that district. Beyond the reach of most municipalities b/c it requires a significant amount of technical skills and enforcement, but many municipalities incorporate performance standards into tradition zoning ordinances
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What is an exclusive classification system?
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Used in euclidean zoning ordinances, listed the permitted land uses of each zoning district separately
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What is a pyramid classification system?
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Makes all of the permitted uses of one district automatically permitted in a second district
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What are the three types of exactions that are commonly used?
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Improvements and dedications of land, fees in lieu of dedication (for a specific improvements or dedication), impact fees (not tied directly to any requirements for improvements or dedications of land
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What does a higher R rating for a home mean?
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More insulation
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What does it mean to have a higher albedo?
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Reflects more of the sun's energy (ie. snow over asphalt)
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What is a coefficient of runoff?
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The % of precipitation that appears as runoff
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Characteristics of a neighborhood shopping center?
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50000-100000 sf, grocery or drug store anchor, 10000 served, 2.5-5 acres, 5 min travel time
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Characteristics of a community shopping center?
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100000-300000 sf, anchored by dept or discount store, 40-50000 served, 10-30 acres, 10 min drive time
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Characteristics of a regional shopping center?
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300000-1000000 sf, multiple anchors, 50000+ served, 50+ acres, 30 min travel time
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What is the Hubbert Peak Theory?
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For an given area, the rate of petroleum production follows a bell curve; the peak is when production reaches its maximum rate
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What is the Energy Return on Energy Investment?
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Amount of energy produced for the amount of energy expended to produce it. When the ratio reaches 1:1, the energy gain is zero and the production is no longer an energy source
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What are the four common renewable resources and how much of the world consumable energy do they provide?
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wind, water, sun, geothermal- 1/7
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What are the problems with wind turbines?
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Wind is not constant, aesthetic issues, wildlife incompatibility
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What are the limitations of solar?
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The number of sunny days annually
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How does hydro power work?
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Inland hydro-power usually involves a dammed stream where water from the reservoir is forced through turbines, thereby generating electricity
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What are the issues with hydro power?
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Inland, it involves dam construction which dislocates people and destroys natural habitat
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What is geothermal power?
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It utilizes the natural convective heat of the earth to heat, cool and produce power
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What did the Federal Highway Act of 1973 do?
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Created MPOs
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What was the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA)?
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Required MPOs and DOTs to create an ongoing series of three-year Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs), which established priorities among local projects using federal and other funds, and identified funding sources for each involved project. Also created funding sources for highway alternatives, such as the Surface Transportation Program and CMAQ
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What did the Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-First Century (TEA-21) do?
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Continuation of policies established in ISTEA. Earmarked several transportation projects. Continued the CMAQ program. Established TCSP (Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program) to fund projects that link transportation infrastructure to land use patterns. Created Access to Jobs Program to increase transit services to suburbs.
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What was SAFETEA-LU?
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Signed into law in 2005; the largest surface transportation allocation in US history to date;
-Created the Highway Safety Improvement Program designed to keep up with repair and reconstruction of aging infrastructure -Encouraged public-private partnerships in transpo -Opened up federally-funded highways to road pricing to combat congestion |
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What was the first turnpike?
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Lancaster Pike (1793) between Philadelphia and Lancaster
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When are where was the first subway?
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Boston, 1897
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What was the first limited access high-speed roadway?
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Pennsylvania Turnpike, 1940
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What is Level of Service?
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A letter grade assigned according to the numerical ratio of volume over capacity
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On average, how much waste water does a resident of an urbanized area create per day?
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150 gallons
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What is grey water?
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Domestic wastewater that does not contain human excrement. Includes sink drainage, washing machine discharge and bath water
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How much solid waste does a person generate per day?
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4.4 pounds
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What are some ways to move stormwater more slowly?
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Detention systems (designed to intercept stormwater runoff and temporarily hold it for gradual release to a stream or storm sewer system, retention systems (designed to retain stormwater and runoff in a defined area until the surrounding soil can accept it, grass pavers
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How large does the population of a metro area have to be to need an MPO in order to be eligible to receive federal funding?
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50,000
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What are Traffic Analysis Zones?
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Geographic units created by dividing a planning region into similar areas of land use; they are the size of a census tract and are the unit of analysis in the traditional travel demand model
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What are the four steps of a travel demand model?
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Trip generation (estimation fo the number of trip origins and destinations), trip distribution (distribution of trips among destinations across traffic analysis zones), modal-split, trip assignment (determining the path taken by each trip)
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What are the major types of roads?
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Major arterials, minor arterials, collectors, local roads
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Where was the first off street parking requirement enacted?
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Columbus, 1923
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Why was the Chicago Area Transportation Study of 1955 significant?
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It was the first study to use the four-step travel demand model
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What is the spatial mismatch hypothesis?
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The mismatch between where people live and where the available jobs are located
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What was the first national park?
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Yellowstone, 1872
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What was the 1978 Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act?
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Authorized $725 million for matching grants to renovate and improve parks in low-income communities
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