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57 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Approximately _____ of the energy used to heat Earth and all our buildings comes directly from the sun.
a. 69% b. 79% c. 89% d. 99% |
d. 99%
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To make decisions about energy alternatives, we need to ask:
a. What is the estimated net useful energy yield? b. How much will it cost to develop, phase in, and use? c. What are potential environmental and social impacts? d. all of these answers |
take a wild guess......
D. all of these answers |
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The net energy of a resource is the total useful energy available from the resource over its lifetime minus the amount of energy used and wasted in ____ the resource.
a. transporting b. finding c. processing d. all of these answers |
D. all of these answers....
....oh you soooo smart kellyyyy.. |
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Gasoline has a net energy ratio of 4 when it is used in transportation. If 20 units of energy are obtained from a tanker of gasoline, how much energy was used and wasted in finding, processing, concentrating, and transporting that energy?
a. 5 b. .2 c. 16 d. 24 |
a. 5
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A new energy resource has a net energy ratio of .2. Energy evaluators are most likely to recommend
a. using this energy resource immediately for transportation b. using this energy resource immediately for production of electricity c. minimizing use of tthis resource until net energy ratios for other energy alternatives become lower d. rejecting its use now and in the immediate future |
d. rejecting its use now and in the immediate future
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Which of the following has the highest net energy available for space heating?
a. passive solar b. natural gas c. oil d. electric resistance (coal- fired plant) |
a. passive solar
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You can thank petrochemicals if you use:
a. glass bottles b. aluminum cans c. plastics and synthetic fibers d. organic fertilizers |
c. plastics and synthetic fibers
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Oil is widely used because it:
a. is relatively cheap b. is easily transported c. has a high net useful energy yield d. as an artificially low cost e. all of these answers |
E. all of these answers!
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Estimated oil reserves in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would meet current U.S. demand, at most, for:
a. 20 years b. 10 years c. 5 years d. 2 years |
D. 2 years
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With 2.9% of the world's oil reserves, the United States uses ___ of the oil extracted worldwide each year
a. 5% b. 15% c. 25% d. 35% |
c. 25%
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A fatal flaw of oil is that it:
a. produces more carbon dioxide than any other fuel b. can destroy nature through oil spills c. can contaminate groundwater supplies d. will be commercially depleted within 42 to 93 years |
d. will be commercially depleted within 42 to 93 years
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Shale oil and tar sands ____ than conventional oil deposits
a. are easier to extract b. have lower net useful energy yield c. have less environmental impact d. are the source of more useful products |
b. have lower net useful energy yield
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The world's supplies of natural gas are projected to last:
a. at least 300 years at 1984 usage rates b. about 200 years if annual usage increases at 2% per year c. less than 125 years at present consumption rates d. until unconventional natural gas technologies are fully developed |
c. less than 125 years at present consumption rates
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Natural gas has a ___ net energy yield and is a(n) ___ fuel compared to coal and oil.
a. high....dirty b. high...clean-burning c. low....dirty d. low...clean-burning |
b. high...clean-burning
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Which of the following fossil fuels has the greatest supply but also has the highest environmental impact?
a. oil b. oil shale. c. natural gas d. coal |
d. coal
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Since 1978, ____ new nuclear power plants have been ordered and then built in the United States
a. no b. 4 c. 11 d. 23 |
a. no
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In 2005, the 103 licensed nuclear power plants in United States generated about ____ of the country's electricity.
a. 10% b. 20% c. 30% d. 40% |
b. 20%
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The nuclear power industry in the United States has declined because of
a. high construction and operating costs b. concerns about safety c. concerns about radioactive waste disposal d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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All of the following are advantages of nuclear power EXCEPT that
a. there are no emissions of air pollutant when working properly b. there is low to moderate water pollution and land disruption when the fuel cycle works properly c. there are safety concerns throughout the fuel cycle d. there are multiple back-up and safety features in nuclear power plants |
c. there are safety concerns throughout the fuel cycle
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Currently, spent fuel rods used to power nuclear reactors
a. are stored on site outside of the reactor in steel-lined casks or water-filled pools b. are sent to a national repository c. are placed in metal drums and dumped deep in the ocean d. are loaded intro rockets and shot into space |
a. are stored on site outside of the reactor in steel-lined casks or water-filled pools
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Chernobyl:
a. flung radioactive debris and dust into the atmosphere, where they circled the globe. b. resulted in the exposure of 500,000 people to dangerous radioactivity c. resulted in 45 human deaths from radiation shortly after the accident d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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Suggestions to handle high-level radioactive waste include
a. sending it into outer space b. buying it in antarctic ice sheets c. dumping it into downward-descending, deep-ocean sediments d. shooting it to the sun e. all of these answers |
e. all of these answers
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The useful operating life of today's nuclear power plants is supposed to be ____ years
a. 20 b. 30 c. 40 d. 50 |
c. 40
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Yucca Mountain nuclear depository in Nevada has been deemed unsafe by some scientists because
a. rock fratures and cracks may allow water to leak into the site and corrode storage casks b. heat from fuel rods could corrode containment casks c. water percolating into the mountain could carry radioactive waste into drinking-water wells and irrigation systems d. all of the above |
d. all of the above
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____ of all the commercial energy used in the US is wasted
a. 54% b. 64% c. 74% d. 84% |
d. 84%
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To reduce energy waste, we must
a. increase energy consumption b. improve energy efficiency c. switch from fossil fuels d. use only solar technologies |
b. improve energy efficiency
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Industry can reduce its energy consumption by:
a. switching to high-efficience lighting b. recovering and reusing waste heat c. increasing recycling and resuse of materials d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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Which of the following reasons is the WORST explanation for the lack of US interest in energy efficiency?
a. Currently, fossil fuels are cheap b. Other industrialized countries are not pursuing strong energy-efficiency policies c. Environmental pollution costs are not reflected in the price of fossil fuels d. Harmful health costs are not reflected in the price of fossil fuels |
b. other industrialized countries are not pursuing strong energy-efficiency policies
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Electric cars:
a. are noisy b. have been totally ignored by American car companies c. have batteries guaranteed to last the life of the car d. require little maintenance |
d. require little maintenance
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The most effective water heater:
a. is a gas water heater b. is an electric water tank c. is a tankless instant water heater fired by nautral gas or LP gas d. is an oil water heater |
c. is a tankless instant water heater fired by natural gas or LP gas
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Windows designed to capture solar energy face:
a. north b. east c. south d. west |
c. south
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All of the following are features of passive solar design except
a. adobe walls and flagstone floor used for heat storage b. coniferous trees blocking the sun all year c. windows on the south side of the house d. summer cooling vents in the roof |
b. coniferous trees blocking the sun all year
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Which of hte following is true of passive but NOT OF ACTIVE SOLAR SYSTEMS, COMPARED TO OTHER HEATING SYSTEMS?
a. the technology is well developed and can be installed quickly b. the system adds 5% to the initial cost but reduces lifetime costs by 30-40% c. they require more materials and more maintenance d. the systems deteriorate more readily and need to be replace more often |
b. the system adds 5% to the initial cost but reduces lifetime costs by 30-40%
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Cells that convert solar energy directly into electricity are class:
a. electrosolar chips b. photovoltaic cells c. helioelectric cells d. photoelectric cells |
b. photovoltaic
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Large dams may do all of the following except
a. reduce downstream flooding b. produce cheap electricity c. provide water for year-round irrigation d. make it easier for fish to migrate upstream |
d. make it easier for fish to migrate upstream
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Wind power:
a. is an unlimited source of energy at favorable sites b. offers quick construction time c. has a moderate to high net useful energy yield d. has no CO2 emissions e. all of these answers |
e. all of these answers
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Biomass, mostly from the burning of wood and manure, supplies about ___ of the energy used in developing countries.
a. three-fourths b. two-thirds c. one-half d. one-third |
d. one-third
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Burning of biomass
a. has no net release of carbon dioxide as long as the rate of burning equals the rate of replenishment b. releases more sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide per unit of energy produced than does uncontrolled burning of coal c. requires little land d. always causes soil erosion, water pollution, and loss of wildlife habitat |
a. has no net release of carbon dioxide as long as the rate of burning equals the rate of replenishment
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About ____ of the people living in developing countries ahve their dwellings and cook their food by burning wood or cahrcoal from wood.
a. 10% b. 30% c. 50% d. 70% |
d. 70%
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Which of the following statements about geothermal power is false
a. it has moderate net energy yields for large, accessible sites b. easily accessible geothermal sites are rare c. it releases much carbon dioxide d. it can further degrade forests and other adjacent ecosystems |
c. it releases much carbon dioxide
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An advantage associated with the development and use of geothermal energy systems is that
a. little or no carbon dioxide is produced b. geothermal power plants do not require cooling water c. all geothermal energy sources are renewable d. there is no risk of harmful environmental impact |
a. little or no carbon dioxide is produced
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keeping energy prices artificially low
a. encourages waste and rapid depletion of energy resources getting favorable treatment. b. protects consumers from sharp price increases c. can help reduce inflation d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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Which of the following receives most of the US government's energy subsidies
a. fossil fuels and nuclear power b. solar energy c. wind power d. hydropower |
a. fossil fuels and nuclear power
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if energy prices were kept artificially high
a. energy efficiency would be encouraged b. dependence on imported energy sources would be reduced c. the use of energy resources that would be limited in the future would decline d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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A sustainable energy future would have all of the following components except
a. greatly increased use of perpetual and renewable resources b. phasing out of government subsidies for nonrenewable resources c. taxing of fossil fuels with energy assistance to the poor d. no government influence on personal choices of energy- consuming goods. |
d. no government influence on personal choices of energy-consuming goods
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the least expensive renewable resource is
a. improving energy efficiency b. hydroelectricity c. tidal energy d. photovoltaics |
a. improving energy efficiency
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The renewable and perpetual resource with the best availability in the short term and the long term is (are)
a. large and small scale dams b. low temperature solar heating and improved energy efficiency c. photovoltaics and high-temperature solar heating d. wind energy |
b. low temperature solar heating and improved energy efficiency
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Major goals for a sustainable energy future for the US would include
a. an emphasis on energy efficiency b. more reliance on renewable energy resources c. reductions in pollution and health effects of energy consuption d. all of these answers |
d. all of these answers
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the best way to encourage renewable energy resources is
a. advertising b. full-cost pricing c. least-cost manajement d. reduced energy consumption |
b. full-cost pricing
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_______ is matter usually thought of as garbage and includes dead trees, yard clippings, bark and sawdust
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biomass
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because it is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel, producing about one half as much carbon dioxide as burning an equivalent amount of coal, there is increasing interest in _____ as an energy source
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natural gas
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Our earth's interior, like the sun, provides heat energy from nature called ____ that can be used without polluting the environment
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geothermal energy
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the removal of ______ causes land degradation and is not an efficient alternative to conventional oil
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oil sand
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______ produces less pollutant than burning coal but is significantly more expensive
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nuclear power
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______ provides greater conversion efficiencies than traditional generation methods because it harnesses heat that would otherwise be wasted
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Cogeneration
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A(n) ______ integrates building components to provide solar collection, heat storage, and heat distribution
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passive solar heating system
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Surface mined coal has a(n) ________ because it is easily accessed in relationship with its energy value
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high net energy ratio
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