Environmental Vocabulary for English Learners

Environmental Vocabulary for English Learners For English-language learners, vocabulary related to environmental issues can be challenging. Tables sectioned according to types of environmental issues can help. These tables provide the word or phrase in the left column and an example of how to use the term(s) in the righthand column to provide context. Important Issues From acid rain to pollution and radioactive waste, there are many environmental issues around which discussion and debate have evolved. Students will likely hear many of these terms on the news or read about them on the internet and in newspapers. The general list of issues should prove helpful. Term or Phrase Example Sentence acid rain The acid rain ruined the soil for the next three generations. aerosol Aerosol can be extremely toxic and must be used with care when sprayed in the air. animal welfare We must consider animal welfare as we strive to create a balance between man and nature. carbon monoxide Its important to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home for safety. climate The climate of an area can change over long periods of time. conservation Conservation focuses on making sure we protect the nature we havent already lost. endangered species There are many endangered species all over the planet that need our help. energy Humans are using an ever increasing amount of energy. nuclear energy Nuclear energy has passed out of fashion after a number of serious environmental disasters. solar energy Many hope that solar energy can wean us off our need for fossil fuels. exhaust fumes The exhaust fumes from cars standing in traffic can make you cough. fertilizers Fertilizers used by huge farms can pollute drinking water for miles around. forest fires Forest fires can burn out of control and create hazy weather conditions. global warming Some doubt that global warming is real. greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is said to heat up the earth. (non)renewable resources As we move forward, we need to become more dependent on renewable energy resources. nuclear The exploration of nuclear science has created great boons, as well as horrific dangers for humanity. nuclear fallout The nuclear fallout from a bomb would be devastating to the local population. nuclear reactor The nuclear reactor was taken offline because of technical problems. Oil slick The oil slick caused by the sinking vessel could be seen for tens of miles. ozone layer Industrial additives have been threatening the ozone layer for many years. pesticide While its true that pesticides help kill off unwanted insects, there are serious problems to be considered. pollution Water and air pollution situations have improved over the last few decades in many countries. protected animal Its a protected animal in this country. You cant hunt it! rainforest The rain forest is lush and green, bursting with life from all sides. unleaded petrol Unleaded petrol is certainly cleaner than leaded petrol. waste The amount of plastic waste in the ocean is shocking. nuclear waste Nuclear waste can remain active for many thousands of years. radioactive waste They stored the radioactive waste at the site in Hanford. wildlife We must take the wildlife into account before we develop the site. Natural Disasters From drought to volcanic eruptions, natural disasters are a big part of the environmental discussion, as this table shows. Term or Phrase Example Sentence drought The drought has gone on for sixteen straight months. No water to be seen! earthquake The earthquake devastated the little village in the Rhine River. flood The flood forced more than 100 families from their homes. tidal wave A tidal wave hit the island. Luckily, no one was lost. typhoon The typhoon hit and dropped more than ten inches of rain in one hour! volcanic eruption Volcanic eruptions are spectacular, but they dont occur very often. Politics and Action Discussion generally leads to the formation of environmental groups and actions, some positive and some negative, as this final listing demonstrates. Environmental groups are followed by a listing of verbs (or actions) related to the environment and environmental issues. Term or Phrase Example Sentence environmental group The environmental group presented their case to the community. green issues Green issues have become one of the most important themes of this election cycle. pressure group The pressure group forced the company to stop building on that site. cut down We need to cut down on pollution drastically. destroy Human greed destroys millions of acres each year. dispose (of) The government must dispose of the waste properly. dump You can dump recyclable garbage in this container. protect Its our responsibility to protect the natural habit of this beautiful planet before its too late. pollute If you pollute in your own backyard, youll eventually notice it. recycle Make sure to recycle all paper and plastics. save We save bottles and newspapers to take to recycle at the end of each month. throw away Never just throw away a plastic bottle. Recycle it! use up Hopefully, well not use up all our resources before we start solving this problem together.

Examples of Polar and Nonpolar Molecules

Examples of Polar and Nonpolar Molecules The two main classes of molecules are polar molecules and nonpolar molecules. Some molecules are clearly polar or nonpolar, while many have some polarity and fall somewhere in between. Heres a look at what polar and nonpolar mean, how to predict whether a molecule will be one or the other, and examples of representative compounds. Key Takeaways: Polar and Nonpolar In chemistry, polarity refers to the distribution of electric charge around atoms, chemical groups, or molecules.Polar molecules occur when there is an electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms.Nonpolar molecules occur when electrons are shared equal between atoms of a diatomic molecule or when polar bonds in a larger molecule cancel each other out. Polar Molecules Polar molecules occur when two atoms do not share electrons equally in a covalent bond. A dipole forms, with part of the molecule carrying a slight positive charge and the other part carrying a slight negative charge. This happens when there is a difference between the electronegativity of each atom. An extreme difference forms an ionic bond, while a lesser difference forms a polar covalent bond. Fortunately, you can look up electronegativity on a table to predict whether or not atoms are likely to form polar covalent bonds. If the electronegativity difference between the two atoms is between 0.5 and 2.0, the atoms form a polar covalent bond. If the electronegativity difference between the atoms is greater than 2.0, the bond is ionic. Ionic compounds are extremely polar molecules. Examples of polar molecules include: Water - H2OAmmonia - NH3Sulfur dioxide - SO2Hydrogen sulfide - H2SEthanol - C2H6O Note ionic compounds, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), are polar. However, most of the time when people talk about polar molecules they mean polar covalent molecules and not all types of compounds with polarity! Nonpolar Molecules When molecules share electrons equally in a covalent bond there is no net electrical charge across the molecule. In a nonpolar covalent bond, the electrons are evenly distributed. You can predict nonpolar molecules will form when atoms have the same or similar electronegativity. In general, if the electronegativity difference between two atoms is less than 0.5, the bond is considered nonpolar, even though the only truly nonpolar molecules are those formed with identical atoms. Nonpolar molecules also form when atoms sharing a polar bond arrange such that the electric charges cancel each other out. Examples of nonpolar molecules include: Any of the noble gasses: He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe (These are atoms, not technically molecules.)Any of the homonuclear diatomic elements: H2, N2, O2, Cl2 (These are truly nonpolar molecules.)Carbon dioxide - CO2Benzene - C6H6Carbon tetrachloride - CCl4Methane - CH4Ethylene - C2H4Hydrocarbon liquids, such as gasoline and tolueneMost organic molecules Polarity and Mixing Solutions If you know the polarity of molecules, you can predict whether or not they will mix together to form chemical solutions. The general rule is that like dissolves like, which means polar molecules will dissolve into other polar liquids and nonpolar molecules will dissolve into nonpolar liquids. This is why oil and water dont mix: oil is nonpolar while water is polar. Its helpful to know which compounds are intermediate between polar and nonpolar because you can use them as an intermediate to dissolve a chemical into one it wouldnt mix with otherwise. For example, if you want to mix an ionic compound or polar compound in an organic solvent, you may be able to dissolve it in ethanol (polar, but not by a lot). Then, you can dissolve the ethanol solution into an organic solvent, such as xylene. Sources Ingold, C. K.; Ingold, E. H. (1926). The Nature of the Alternating Effect in Carbon Chains. Part V. A Discussion of Aromatic Substitution with Special Reference to Respective Roles of Polar and Nonpolar Dissociation; and a Further Study of the Relative Directive Efficiencies of Oxygen and Nitrogen. J. Chem. Soc.: 1310–1328. doi:10.1039/jr9262901310Pauling, L. (1960). The Nature of the Chemical Bond (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 98–100. ISBN 0801403332.Ziaei-Moayyed, Maryam; Goodman, Edward; Williams, Peter (November 1,2000). Electrical Deflection of Polar Liquid Streams: A Misunderstood Demonstration. Journal of Chemical Education. 77 (11): 1520. doi:10.1021/ed077p1520

CIR#4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIR#4 - Assignment Example ccurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress or disability or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom†. (Internet Addiction Disorder Web) This disorder was  first  described  in 1995  by Ivan  Goldberg  (Pickett Web). Rapid and regular looking through sites leads to the fact that the human brain loses its ability to in-depth analytical thinking, transforming regular users of the network into people who are impulsive and incapable for intellectual work. However, disturbances in thinking and memory loss are not only the negative impact of the Internet on person. Plunging into the Internet, people gradually lose skills of real communication, which leads to asocial behavior. The statistics is not joyful. It says that â€Å"1 in 8 Americans suffer from problematic Internet use† (The Center for Internet Addiction Recovery (â€Å"IAD†) Web) and it increases in the Eastern countries, as China, Taiwan, and Korea. Furthermore Stanford University’s research in 2006 showed that â€Å"1/8 of those surveyed had at least one problem due to too much use of the web† (Internet Addiction Statistics Web).   In addition to mental and cognitive disorders internet dependence is dangerous in connection with physical conditions. Spending a lot of time near the screens, we spoil the vision; we cause the Tunnel Syndrome of the wrist. Internet addiction disorder, which is accompanied by a sedentary lifestyle, leads to various diseases of the spine and joints, cardiovascular disease and many other

Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework - Essay Example The procedure of PCR is useful because sometimes, during DNA tests and sampling procedures, more DNA than what is available is required. Biochemists find it very useful when they have large number of replicas of the DNA or nucleotides they are working at. Hence, they do not find it difficult finding the DNA, recognizing it during their experiments, and working with it. Restriction enzymes are used to separate the desired DNS from all others in case PCR is not applicable or recommended. These enzymes cut down segments of genomic DNA at particular nucleotide sites. To separate these DNA fragments, electrophoresis procedures are used. Small diameter capillary array gel electrophoresis provides quicker separation of fragments by the application of electric fields. This technique, which in this case is called pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), involves many ways, one of which is electro elusion which involves the use of multiple electrodes located orthogonally from the agarose gel containing DNA which is sealed in a dialysis tubing containing buffer. Small pulses of alternate current are passed all the way through this gel, which results in gene separation from the gel piece. The DNA is still in the dialysis tubing, so it is easily discoverable. Another way of recovering the DNA from the gel is by using agarase to digest the agarose, which leaves behind the desired DNA which we can separate easily. 16s rRNA gene sequencing is used for the identification of bacteria and studying of bacterial phylogeny and taxonomy. The reasons why DNA sequencing can be used for this purpose are many. First of all, 16s rRNA gene is present in nearly all bacteria. DNA sequences are not found in other organisms. Second, since the functionality of 16s rRNA has not altered with time, this means that we can use its sequence changes as an accurate measure of time or evolution. In other words, when we have to identify a lot of diverse types of organisms, we require two main

The Biomass Power Plants Environmental Sciences Essay

The Biomass Power Plants Environmental Sciences Essay Biomass is claimed to be the fourth largest energy resource in the world after oil, coal and gas and biomass power plants are becoming one of the most promising alternatives to the established power generation technologies based on fossil fuels. Biomass is defined as any organic material derived from plants, available on a sustainable basis. Generally identified as feedstocks, these materials include: wood, from forestry trimmings or wood processing systems; energy crops, which are crops grown exclusively for energy purposes; agricultural residues; municipal waste such as waste paper, cardboard or food waste; and also animal waste from farms and animal processing industries. The production of electricity from biomass is described as a carbon neutral technology because the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when plant material is burnt or decomposed during the electricity generation process, is then absorbed again by new growing plant material. This process maintains the atmospheric CO2 levels and is known as carbon cycle. There are currently two main processes used in power plants for the production of electricity from biomass: and they are direct combustion and gasification [2]. Direct combustion is essentially the incineration of dry biomass in the presence of air to produce heat. Gasification is the thermo-chemical transformation of biomass into a combustible gas which is called syngas (synthesis gas) and is a combination of principally carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This process occurs at high temperature (700Â °C to 1000Â °C) in the presence of a limited amount of oxygen [3]. The heat produced by direct biomass combustion can be used to generate electricity using a steam turbine in the same way as in a coal-fired power plant. The biomass material is collected, taken to the power station and then burnt in the boiler. The heat from burning the biomass is used to boil water which generates steam that rotates the turbines. The turbines are connected to generators where the mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy. Plants designed for working just with biomass are called dedicated biomass power plants. However, biomass combustion can be combined with coal combustion in existing coal-fired power plants. This process is called co-firing and is one of the most profitable ways of transforming biomass into electricity because it makes use of the infrastructure of the coal plant and therefore it reduces the total investment. Co-firing power plants can be designed under three concepts: direct, where biomass and coal are mixed and burnt in the same boiler; indirect, where biomass is first gasified before the combustion with coal in the boiler; or parallel, where biomass and coal are burnt in separate boilers and the processes are connected on the steam side [4]. In efficiency calculations, the scale of operation is a very important factor. In systems producing from 10MW to 50 MW, the efficiency is in the range of 18% to 33% [5]. The maximum efficiencies could reach about 45% in large scale plants producing more than 100 MW [6][7]. In co-firing plants, efficiency of 39% can be reached [8]. Biomass gasification process can be couple with a conventional combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant to produce electricity. Biomass feedstock is first dried and then injected into the gasifier. The resulting biogas is purified in a cleaning system and from there the procedure is the same as in a natural gas power plant [9]. To produce from 10 kW to 10 MW, biogas produced in the gasification process can also be used in combustion engines with efficiency of 30% 35% [10]. At larger scales (>20 MW), where gasification-based systems are coupled with combined cycle gas turbines the efficiency increases up to about 45% [11]. There are two others processes which can be used to produce electricity from biomass but they are not commercially developed: pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion. Pyrolysis is a thermo-chemical decomposition of organic material at high temperatures (325Â °C to 500Â °C) similar to gasification but in this case there is no presence of oxygen. This process generates combustible gas and liquid products that could be used in power generation units or upgraded to transport fuel [12]. A carbon-rich residue called biochar is also produced from pyrolysis, and one of the important aspects of biochar is that it is a natural fertiliser that can be used to improve soils quality, which can potentially increase energy crop productivity. The second one, anaerobic digestion, is a natural biochemical process in which the biomass material is broken down by microorganisms in a environment with no air, to produce biogas, which is mainly a mixture of around 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. This process can be applied to wet biomass, municipal or animal waste to produce power generation on site [13]. There are a number of technologies that support the different methods for converting biomass material into electricity, which include: drying, pelletisation, briquetting, cleaning and lately carbon capture and storage. Drying is fundamental because in order to increase the energy density of biomass feedstocks, their moisture content needs to be reduced ( Pelletisation and briquetting are technologies to compact feedstocks mechanically, very useful for their transportation and management. Pelletisation is used for example to compress low quality wood, and agricultural residues are compacted through briquetting process [14]. The gas obtained from gasification contains impurities and particulates that need to be removed before using it in power plants, because these contaminants can cause erosion and corrosion in the gas turbine components, and decrease the strength of the system. Conventional methods for removing contaminants from biogas are typically based on physical cleaning processes at low temperatures ( Combining biomass power plants with carbon capture and storage processes (BECCS) to provide negatives emissions [15] is a new approach. When the CO2 emitted during biomass electricity generation is captured and stored, new growing plant material will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere reducing the current high level concentrations. The key advantage of power generation from biomass is that it is based on a CO2 neutral process and it can be a clean and reliable power source if sufficient feedstocks are available. It is also a way to utilise waste materials that otherwise would represent environmental risks. Biomass electricity deployment has also a significant social and economic impact because it can create employment in the agricultural and forestry sector, benefiting rural communities and in general developing countries which economies are based on agriculture [16]. The expansion of biomass power generation faces several challenges such as high costs, low conversion efficiency and availability of biomass material [17]. As any new technology, biomass power generation currently requires financial support which make it less commercially competitive compared to fossil fuel based electricity. Biomass electricity production will depend also on technology improvements in order to increase efficiencies at small and large scale. Major concerns are associated to biomass production (intensive farming, biodiversity conservation) and competition for land with food production. Energy from biomass has been used since fire was discovered from the combustion of wood, and before the industrial revolution wood was used for all of our energy needs. However In 1890 coal began to displace wood used in steam power generation. During the 1980s decades, high prices of oil and the instability caused by the dependence on foreign fossil fuels created new interest in biomass energy in several countries, especially in North America. A large biomass power industry rapidly developed in California, who had 850 MW of installed biomass power capacity by 1985. Due to concerns about greenhouse gases emissions and global warming, governments took a greater interest in using biomass as a renewable and clean alternative to produce electricity. Currently most biomass electricity generation is based on direct combustion in dedicated and co-firing steam power plants. Electricity supply from biomass has augmented gradually since 2000, and in 2010 biomass provided 1.5% of world electricity production approximately. Although biomass power generation is still stronger in developed countries, China and Brazil are also becoming important electricity producers in particular from agricultural residues thanks to support programmes. The models established in these China and Brazil could become a viable way to encourage electricity generation from biomass in other developing countries with similar conditions [18]. According to the International Energy Agency [19], world electricity generation from biomass will multiply by more than 10 times from around 280 TWh in 2010 to 3100 TWh in 2050 and could provide around 7.5% of world electricity generation. China will become the major producer of bioenergy electricity with 920 TWh, above OECD Americas (520 TWh) and OEDC Europe (370 TWh) which will also increase their generation levels.

Dreams of Gilgamesh

Dreams of Gilgamesh When looking into the meanings of dreams, a variation of things can be found. Most people believe that dreams are a reflection of people’s inner thoughts and feelings. Most of these feelings are too private to be expressed in the real world and that is why they are expressed in a fantasy type way through dreams. In Gilgamesh, dreams are used as a form of communication between the Gods and humans. Major events are seen through these dreams and fantasies are foretold. In the ancient Mesopotamian culture, dreams play a major role.Dreams foretold the coming of Enkidu, the death of Enkidu, the protection of Shamhat during the battle with Humbaba, and much more. The fact that dreams play such an important role in this story, would lead you to believe that dreams have a significant place in society. The first mention of dreams in Gilgamesh come with Enkidu and the harlot in the wilderness. The purpose of this scene is to show that dreams tell the future. It is imp ortant for Gilgamesh to know that Enkidu is coming because he needs to know that Enkidu is there to bring him no harm.Enkidu was created to be on Gilgamesh’s side, not to challenge him. In the next scene Gilgamesh has a dream but he did not understand the dream so he asks his mother its meaning. â€Å"Mother, I had a dream last night: There were stars of heaven around me, Like the force of heaven, something kept falling upon me! I tried to carry it but it was too strong for me, I tried to move it but I could not budge it. The whole of Uruk was standing by it, The people formed a crowd around it, A throng was jostling towards it, Young men were mobbed around it, Infantile, they were groveling before it!I fell in love with it, like a woman I caressed it, I carried it off and laid it down before you, Then you were making it my partner. †(page 19, tablet I, lines 246-258). This dream is very significant because it foretells the first confrontation of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The introduction of Enkidu in Gilgamesh’s life is symbolic of someone finding a companion. In another scene, we are given a view into Humbaba. â€Å"Humbaba’s cry is the roar of a deluge, His maw is fire, his breath is death, He can hear rustling in the forest for sixty double leagues. Who can go into his forest?Adad is first and Humbaba is second. Who, even among the gods, could attack him? In order to safeguard the forest of cedars, Enlil has appointed him to terrify the people, Enlil has destined him seven fearsome glories, Besides, whosoever enters his forest is struck down by disease. † (page 25, tablet II, lines 171-180). This is very significant in that it lets us know the nature of who Humbaba is. It’s clear that Humbaba is quite evil according to this passage. Gilgamesh’s dreams make him supremely confident during his attempts to overcome Humbaba.Gilgamesh believes he can prevail against Humbaba. Due to his focus and heroism, Gilgamesh is capable of slaying a horrifying, evil monster like Humbaba. Dreams are a constant motivation for Gilgamesh, and although at times he feels physically incapable of continuing on his quest for everlasting life, his focus on achieving his goal, drives him past any conceivable ability. The dreams all play the same role in this story. They foreshadow what is to come, motivation for Gilgamesh, and they assist in the strengthening of the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.Most importantly, Gilgamesh makes his journey not for fortune or fame, but purely for spiritual knowledge. Often the purpose of his journey is not really what he thinks it is, and the knowledge he’s looking for is not the knowledge he ultimately gains. By killing Humbaba, Gilgamesh discovers that the fame he finds only opens him up to new responsibilities, challenges and psychic wounds. He learns why the goal of the journey of life isn't what he thought it was. He has to go on a second and much more difficul t journey, one with a more spiritual goal.But even though this journey is more spiritual in character, it's still not spiritual enough. His goals are still selfish. Gilgamesh isn't ready to be a king until he wants something not just for himself or for Enkidu but for the whole of Uruk. He also isn't ready to be king until he accepts human limits, embraces his humanity, and decides to seek a goal that makes sense for human beings. The importance of knowing what is going to happen before it actually happens is to build dramatic tension.Even though you may know what’s going to happen next, it doesn’t ruin the story. You may know who Gilgamesh will encounter next, but there will still be questions as to when and why. Also, by knowing a preview of what happens in advance, it helps prevent confusion and makes it more likely you will believe fantastic events in the story if you prepare for such events. It also helps prepare you for outlandish occurrences in the story. Works C ited Stephen, Owen. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter 2nd. New York: W. W Norton & Company,INC, 2009. 9-33. Print.

What Causes Gemstones to Get Their Color