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APES Unit 5 FRQ

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Identify and describe TWO water-related environmental problems associated with
fracking
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Identify and describe TWO water-related environmental problems associated with
fracking
- Groundwater contamination: Fracking liquids or chemicals can contaminate drinking water or
groundwater. Liquid waste stored in waste lagoons can leach into groundwater (aquifer). Drilling can allow methane (or natural gas) to seep into groundwater.
- Excessive water use or consumption: Considerable amounts of water are used in the fracking process. This can result in overdrafts of aquifers. Water demands for the fracking process
compete with water demands for drinking or irrigation (agriculture).
Natural gas is considered to be a better fossil fuel for the environment than coal is. Discuss TWO environmental benefits of using natural gas as a fuel compared to using coal.
- Benefits of natural gas (must be environmental, not economic) include the following:Fewer SOx are produced, resulting in less acid rain. Fewer NOx are produced, resulting in less acid rain and less photochemical smog. Less Hg is released. Harmful mining techniques are avoided; for example, no strip mining or mountaintop removal is required.
Describe TWO environmental drawbacks, not related to water use, of using the fracking process to extract natural gas from shale.
- Habitat fragmentation/destruction can occur from setting up the drilling site or from building
roads.
- Earthquakes can result from the drilling/fracking process.
- Methane can leak (into the atmosphere) during the process, resulting in an increase of
greenhouse gases.
- Subsidence of the land can occur once fracking fluids are removed.
Describe one economic benefit to society of using fracking to extract natural gas from shale.
- Development of a domestic energy resource (reducing foreign influences on price).
- Creation of jobs.
- Financial gains to individuals who lease their property to the natural gas companies.
Nuclear power is an alternative to using natural gas or coal as a fuel for generating electricity. However, there are also problems associated with nuclear power plants. Describe TWO negative environmental impacts associated with nuclear power.
- Spent nuclear waste (fuel): a storage facility does not exist for high-level waste; waste has to be stored for 10 half-lives in order to be considered safe.
- Thermal pollution from cooling operations (impacting surface waters).
- Nuclear accidents/plant failures: release of radioactive substances, resulting in contamination of soil, water, air, and living organisms.
- Uranium is a nonrenewable resource.