Chapter 10: Review Questions

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Question 1

1. What sources of renewable energy does the Danish island of Samsø use to power its communities?

  1. Wind energy

  2. Biomass fuels

  3. Solar energy

  4. All of the above

Question 2

2. Which of the following is a major technical problem associated with solar energy?

  1. Very little solar energy strikes Earth.

  2. The potential for using solar energy is limited to the deserts and tropics.

  3. Because of Earth’s day–night cycle, solar energy is intermittent.

  4. Solar power can be generated only by rooftop photovoltaic systems.

Question 3

3. Which of the following is not a form of “water power”?

  1. Wave energy

  2. Geothermal energy

  3. Tidal energy

  4. Hydroelectric power

Question 4

4. What is the major challenge to producing cellulosic ethanol?

  1. Low supplies of biomass to fuel the process

  2. Low energy content of wood, straw, and other forms of biomass

  3. Lack of interest by researchers for developing an energy-efficient process

  4. The need to break up complex cellulose molecules into simple sugars

Question 5

5. Which of the following has the highest energy return on energy invested (EROEI)?

  1. Hydroelectric power

  2. Coal-generated electricity

  3. Natural gas–generated electricity

  4. Wind-generated electricity

Question 6

6. Which of these statements about wind turbines and bird mortality is true?

  1. Collisions with wind turbines now result in more bird deaths than collisions with buildings.

  2. Collisions with wind turbines now result in the deaths of a few hundred birds each year.

  3. Domestic cats kill fewer birds than do wind turbines.

  4. Bird deaths from collisions with wind turbines are projected to reach 1 million annually in the year 2030.

Question 7

7. What can be done to reduce the environmental impacts of solar power?

  1. Shift from water to air-cooling systems for solar concentrating power plants.

  2. Site solar concentrating power plants on disturbed landscapes.

  3. Mount industrial-scale photovoltaic systems on the roofs of commercial buildings.

  4. All of the above.

Question 8

8. How do new wind turbine designs mainly help in reducing bird collision deaths?

  1. The new turbines spin too fast for birds to hit them.

  2. The brighter colors of newer-style wind turbines warn birds to stay away.

  3. The single-pole support for the new wind turbines offers no perch sites.

  4. The new wind turbines are mounted closer to the ground where few birds fly.

Question 9

9. Which of the following is not an issue associated with biofuel development?

  1. Deforestation

  2. Massive ozone depletion

  3. Reducing potential human food supplies

  4. Threats to endangered species

Question 10

10. Which of the following statements about renewable energy development is correct?

  1. Renewable energy resources do not have environmental impacts.

  2. Renewable energy resources have greater impacts on the environment than nonrenewable energy resources.

  3. There is no difference in the environmental impacts of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources.

  4. Development of renewable energy resources will require addressing a number of associated environmental impacts.

Critical Analysis

Question 1

1. How might the development to full reliance on renewable energy on Samsø Island in Denmark serve as a model for development of renewable energy resources at larger national or global scales?

Question 2

2. Discuss the environmental and social issues associated with hydroelectric development and how those issues can be addressed.

Question 3

3. What contributions can be made by industry, government, and research scientists to facilitate a transition to greater reliance on renewable sources of energy?

Question 4

4. Even though producing ethanol from corn is simpler, why are major energy companies investing heavily in the development of cellulosic ethanol?

Question 5

5. Considering the major environmental and human costs associated with corn-based ethanol production and its low EROEI, why do U.S. farmers continue growing large amounts of corn specifically for ethanol production.