All Flashcards
Explain the importance of safety regulations in nuclear power plants.
Strict safety regulations and frequent inspections are crucial to prevent nuclear disasters and protect public health and the environment.
What is the significance of double-layered walls in oil tankers?
Double-layered walls provide extra protection against oil spills, reducing the risk of environmental damage from tanker accidents.
Explain the role of scrubbers in reducing air pollution.
Scrubbers filter pollutants from industrial emissions, reducing the amount of harmful substances released into the atmosphere.
Why is proper waste disposal important?
Proper waste disposal prevents contamination of soil and water, protecting human health and the environment from toxic chemicals.
Explain the connection between fossil fuels, climate change, and ocean health.
Burning fossil fuels increases CO2 levels, leading to climate change and ocean acidification, which harms marine ecosystems.
Why is government regulation important for hazardous chemicals?
Government regulations ensure the safe storage and handling of hazardous chemicals, preventing accidental releases and protecting public health.
Explain the concept of exclusion zones after a nuclear disaster.
Exclusion zones are areas around a nuclear disaster site deemed uninhabitable due to high radiation levels, preventing human exposure.
Why are coral reefs important?
Coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots, providing habitat for many fish species and protecting coastlines from erosion.
Explain how a thermal inversion worsens air pollution.
Thermal inversions trap pollutants near the ground, preventing them from dispersing and increasing their concentration.
What role does public trust play in nuclear energy?
Public trust in government regulation of nuclear reactors is essential for the acceptance and use of nuclear energy.
What were the impacts of the Chernobyl disaster?
High rates of cancer and birth defects; high radiation levels making the area uninhabitable; radioactive cloud spread across Europe.
What were the impacts of the Three Mile Island accident?
Public distrust in government regulation of nuclear reactors in the USA; decrease in the use of nuclear energy in the US.
What were the effects of the Fukushima disaster?
Contamination of 11,580 square miles with radioactive materials; creation of exclusion zones; abandonment of cities.
What were the impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Widespread damage to the coastline; significant reduction in biodiversity; death of hundreds of thousands of animals.
What were the impacts of the Great Smog in London?
Many deaths due to respiratory illness.
What were the impacts of the Bhopal disaster?
Thousands of deaths within hours; about 15,000 more deaths from complications; 500,000 total injuries; children born with defects.
What were the impacts of the Love Canal disaster?
Families were forced to evacuate; birth defects and endocrine disruption caused by chemical contamination of drinking water.
What were the impacts of the Minamata Bay disaster?
Many people developed Minamata Disease, with symptoms including fatigue, convulsions, loss of motor functions, and slurred speech.
What are the impacts of coral reef bleaching?
Loss of biodiversity; loss of habitat for many fish species.
Define thermal inversion.
A reversal of the normal decrease of air temperature with altitude, trapping pollutants near the ground.
What is bio-magnification?
The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
Define ocean acidification.
The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
What is industrial smog?
Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases, especially sulfur oxides, and particulate matter; also known as gray smog.
Define photochemical smog.
Smog produced when ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with pollutants in the air; also known as brown smog.
What is a nuclear meltdown?
A severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating.
Define endocrine disruption.
When chemicals interfere with the endocrine system and cause adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.
What is coral bleaching?
The expulsion of algae from coral reefs due to environmental changes, causing the coral to turn white.
Define Superfund.
A fund established to finance the cleanup of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
What is methyl isocyanate (MIC)?
A highly toxic chemical compound that was released in the Bhopal disaster.