Term
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Definition
| released directly from the source |
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Definition
| modified to a hazardous form after entering the air and mixing with other environmental components |
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Definition
do not go through smoekstack
dust from human activities |
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Term
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Definition
irritates respiratory system, reduces lung function, aggravates asthma
formed by reaction of NOx and hydrocarbons
one of main reasons we regulate N and hydrocarbon emissions |
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Term
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Definition
* conventional pollutant*
natural sources of sulfur in atmosphere include evaporation from sea spray, volcanic fumes, and organic compounds
predominant form of anthropogenic sulfur is sulfur-dioxide from fuossil-fuel combustion |
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Term
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Definition
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Definition
*conventional pollutant*
nitrogen oxides are reacive gases formed when nitrogen is heated above 650 degrees C in the presence of oxygen or when nitrogen compounds are oxidized |
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Term
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Definition
| combustion in car engine - why you have a catalytic converter |
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Term
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Definition
*conventional pollutants*
CO2
Carbon monoxide - colorless, ordorless, toxic gas produced by incomplete fuel combustion |
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Term
| Volatile Organic Compounds |
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Definition
*conventional pollutant*
organic chemicals
oxidized to CO and CO2
plants are largest source |
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Term
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Definition
*convenional pollutant*products of secondary atmospheric reactions drven by solar energy
ozone formed by splitting nitrogen dioxide |
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Term
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Definition
*conventionl pollutants*
many toxic metals occur as trace elements i fuel
murcery
nickel
beryllium
cadmium
arsenic
halogens - flourine, chlorie, bromine
CFCs |
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Term
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Definition
| first national air pollution control |
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Term
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Definition
rewrote original
identified critical pollutants
established ambient air quality standards:
1. primary standards: human health
2. secondary standards: materials, environment, aesthetic and comfort |
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Term
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Definition
discharge pollution from pecific locations
factories, power plants |
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Term
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Definition
scattered or diffuse, having no specific location of discharge
agricultural fields, feedlots |
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Term
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Definition
| containants carriedby air currents and precipitated into watersheds or directly onto surface waters |
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Term
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Definition
| bodies of water that have clear water and low biological productivity |
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Term
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Definition
| bodies of water tat are rich in organisms and organic material |
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Term
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Definition
| process of increasing nutrient levels and biological productivity |
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Term
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Definition
1972
established a National Pollution Discharge System which requires a permit for any entity duming wastes in surface waters
Successes: clean up of point source pollution
Problems: difficult to deal with non-point sources and MTBE
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Term
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Definition
| cheapest and most effective way to reduce water pollution is to avoid producing it or releasing it into the environment |
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Term
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Definition
water from core boils to make steam, directly driving turbine generators
highly radioactive water and steam leave containment structure |
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Term
| Canadian deuterium reactors |
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Definition
| opearate with natural, un-concentrated uranium |
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Term
| graphite moderator reactor |
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Definition
| operate wit a solid moderator instad of a liquid |
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Term
| high temperature, gas cooled reactors |
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Definition
| uranium encased in tiny ceramic-coated pellets |
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Term
| process-inherent ultimate safety reactors |
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Definition
| reactor core submerged in large pool of boron containing water within a massive pressure vessel |
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Term
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Definition
create fissionable plutonium and thorium isotopes from stable forms of uranium
uses plutonium reclaimed from spent fuel from conventional fission reactors as starting material |
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Term
| Distributional Surcharges |
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Definition
| small fee levied on all utility customers |
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Term
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Definition
| suppliers must get minimum percenage of power from renewable sources |
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Term
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Definition
| allows utilites t profit from conservation pograms and charge premium prices for renewable energy |
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Term
| Colorado Renewable Energy Portfolio |
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Definition
2004
3% of electricityfrom renewabl sources by 2007
10% by 2015
establish net mastering systems for home solar installations 4% of electricity from solar |
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Term
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Definition
large concentrations of wind generaors producing commercial electricity
neg impacts: interrupt view, destroy sense of isolation, bird kills |
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Term
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Definition
using absorptive structures with no moving parts to gether and hold heat
* greenhouse dsign
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Term
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Definition
| generally pump heat-absorbing mediu through a collector, rather than passivey collecting heat in a stationary object |
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Term
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Definition
| photovotaic cells capture enegy and convert it directly to electrical current by separating electrons from parent atoms and accelerating them across a one-way electrostatic barrier |
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Term
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Definition
use ongoing electrochemical reactions to produce electric current
run on pure oxygen and hydrogen prduce no waste products except drinkable water and radiant heat |
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Term
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Definition
great to use for energy and low/no polution
hard to use b/c takes energy to get H2 from water and hard to store, dangerous |
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Term
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Definition
prduced from vegtable oils
CO and hydrocarbon emissions are 20-40 lower than conventional diesel
CO2 emissions generally much lower as well |
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