Question 1

While starch from corn is soft, cellulose in grasses is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  complex 
B)  durable 
C)  not easily degraded 
D)  A, B, and C 
E)  none of these answers 
A)  complex 
B)  durable 
C)  not easily degraded 
D)  A, B, and C 
E)  none of these answers D

Question 2

Compared with gasoline, biofuels produce less greenhouse emissions. Which of the following biofuels produces the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions when compared with gasoline?

Accepted Answer

A)  corn grain ethanol 
B)  high-input biofuels 
C)  soybean biodiesel 
D)  LIHD grasses grown on farmland 
E)  LIHD grasses grown on marginal land 
A)  corn grain ethanol 
B)  high-input biofuels 
C)  soybean biodiesel 
D)  LIHD grasses grown on farmland 
E)  LIHD grasses grown on marginal land E

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a concern when it comes to the conversion of natural lands into farmland for biofuel production?

Accepted Answer

A)  displacement of food crops that would normally be grown there 
B)  endangerment of native species around the area 
C)  increase in price for food crops 
D)  job losses for native workers 
E)  none of these answers 
A)  displacement of food crops that would normally be grown there 
B)  endangerment of native species around the area 
C)  increase in price for food crops 
D)  job losses for native workers 
E)  none of these answers D

Question 4

Which of the following is an advantage of using biofuel?

Accepted Answer

A)  All types have a higher energy content than fossil fuels, so less needs to be burned to produce the same amount of energy. 
B)  Burning biomass directly produces minimal particulate matter pollution. 
C)  If grown with minimal or no fossil fuel inputs, it is carbon neutral or negative. 
D)  The most commonly grown biofuel crops consume far less water per kilowatt-hour than what is used for traditional fossil fuels. 
E)  None of these answers are an advantage. 
A)  All types have a higher energy content than fossil fuels, so less needs to be burned to produce the same amount of energy. 
B)  Burning biomass directly produces minimal particulate matter pollution. 
C)  If grown with minimal or no fossil fuel inputs, it is carbon neutral or negative. 
D)  The most commonly grown biofuel crops consume far less water per kilowatt-hour than what is used for traditional fossil fuels. 
E)  None of these answers are an advantage.

Question 5

What is biowaste? Describe the benefits of converting waste into energy.

Accepted Answer

Biowastes are another source of biofuels

Question 6

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the increasing production of biofuels in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ethanol and biodiesel are becoming competitors for gasoline and diesel fuel. 
B)  If grown with minimal or no fossil fuel inputs, biofuels decrease greenhouse gas emissions. 
C)  Increased use of biofuels improves national security by lessening dependence on foreign oil. 
D)  A, B, and C are true. 
E)  None of these answers are true. 
A)  Ethanol and biodiesel are becoming competitors for gasoline and diesel fuel. 
B)  If grown with minimal or no fossil fuel inputs, biofuels decrease greenhouse gas emissions. 
C)  Increased use of biofuels improves national security by lessening dependence on foreign oil. 
D)  A, B, and C are true. 
E)  None of these answers are true.

Question 7

What are some advantages and disadvantages of using algae for biofuel?

Accepted Answer

Algae can be grown as a feedstock for bi

Question 8

Ethanol can be produced from the biological fermentation of all of the following sources EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  corn. 
B)  algae. 
C)  sugarcane. 
D)  switchgrass. 
E)  None of these answers-ethanol can be produced from the biological fermentation of any plant material. 
A)  corn. 
B)  algae. 
C)  sugarcane. 
D)  switchgrass. 
E)  None of these answers-ethanol can be produced from the biological fermentation of any plant material.

Question 9

In 2007 Congress passed the ___________, which requires the United States to produce 36 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels per year by 2022.

Accepted Answer

A)  Energy Conservation Act 
B)  Energy Independence Act 
C)  Energy Independence and Security Act 
D)  Security Act 
E)  Renewable Energy Act 
A)  Energy Conservation Act 
B)  Energy Independence Act 
C)  Energy Independence and Security Act 
D)  Security Act 
E)  Renewable Energy Act

Question 10

Biofuels currently provide about _______ of the energy used in the United States, more than any other type of renewable resource.

Accepted Answer

A)  0.4% 
B)  7% 
C)  14% 
D)  40% 
E)  80% 
A)  0.4% 
B)  7% 
C)  14% 
D)  40% 
E)  80%

Question 11

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels in terms of air pollution, relative to fossil fuels.

Accepted Answer

An advantage is that biofuels burn more

Question 12

Which of the following choices would NOT be considered a biofuel feedstock?

Accepted Answer

A)  beef from cows 
B)  animal waste 
C)  crops 
D)  wood products 
E)  none of these answers 
A)  beef from cows 
B)  animal waste 
C)  crops 
D)  wood products 
E)  none of these answers

Question 13

Concerned about rising gas prices, the need for energy security, and greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, you set out to find a plant species that could serve as a biofuel. What characteristics are you looking for in such a plant?

Accepted Answer

The plant should be a perennial that can

Question 14

Explain the concept of carbon debt and whether or not there is a way to minimize this problem.

Accepted Answer

Carbon debt is the amount of carbon rele

Question 15

What has recently become an attractive alternative to using grains (corn) or sugarcane to make bioethanol? Briefly describe what sources are used and why its production efficiency is currently an issue.

Accepted Answer

Recently, cellulosic ethanol that can be

Question 16

Bioethanol that is produced by breaking down cellulose in plants is called _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  cellulosic ethanol 
B)  starch ethanol 
C)  plant ethanol 
D)  cellulose sequestering 
E)  cellulosic sequestering 
A)  cellulosic ethanol 
B)  starch ethanol 
C)  plant ethanol 
D)  cellulose sequestering 
E)  cellulosic sequestering

Question 17

Describe how many U.S. states are rewarding energy efficiency as it pertains to our mobile fuel needs.

Accepted Answer

Many U.S. states offer rebates or tax ex

Question 18

Globally, food crops are being displaced by biofuel crops. Crops that normally were grown for either human or animal consumption are instead being grown for fuel. This switch has resulted in price increases and food riots. Which of the following crops has caused the most issues when switched from a food crop to a biofuel crop?

Accepted Answer

A)  corn 
B)  wheat 
C)  potato 
D)  rice 
E)  soybean 
A)  corn 
B)  wheat 
C)  potato 
D)  rice 
E)  soybean

Question 19

Infographic 32.5.
 
-Refer to Infographic 32.5. Which step in the conversion of cellulose to ethanol is the raw material chopped or ground into small, uniform-size pieces?

Accepted Answer

A)  preparation 
B)  pretreatment 
C)  enzymatic cellulose breakdown 
D)  lignin separation 
E)  distillation 
A)  preparation 
B)  pretreatment 
C)  enzymatic cellulose breakdown 
D)  lignin separation 
E)  distillation

Question 20

_____________ refers to the process where a plant absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then stores carbon in its roots.

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbon absorption 
B)  Carbon storing 
C)  Carbon loading 
D)  Carbon sequestration 
E)  None of these answers 
A)  Carbon absorption 
B)  Carbon storing 
C)  Carbon loading 
D)  Carbon sequestration 
E)  None of these answers

Exam 32: Restoring the Range: the Key to Recovering the Worlds Grasslands May Be a Surprising One

While starch from corn is soft, cellulose in grasses is which of the following?

Compared with gasoline, biofuels produce less greenhouse emissions. Which of the following biofuels produces the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions when compared with gasoline?

Which of the following is NOT a concern when it comes to the conversion of natural lands into farmland for biofuel production?

Which of the following is an advantage of using biofuel?

What is biowaste? Describe the benefits of converting waste into energy.

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the increasing production of biofuels in the United States?

What are some advantages and disadvantages of using algae for biofuel?

Ethanol can be produced from the biological fermentation of all of the following sources EXCEPT:

In 2007 Congress passed the ___________, which requires the United States to produce 36 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels per year by 2022.

Biofuels currently provide about _______ of the energy used in the United States, more than any other type of renewable resource.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels in terms of air pollution, relative to fossil fuels.

Which of the following choices would NOT be considered a biofuel feedstock?

Concerned about rising gas prices, the need for energy security, and greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, you set out to find a plant species that could serve as a biofuel. What characteristics are you looking for in such a plant?

Explain the concept of carbon debt and whether or not there is a way to minimize this problem.

What has recently become an attractive alternative to using grains (corn) or sugarcane to make bioethanol? Briefly describe what sources are used and why its production efficiency is currently an issue.

Bioethanol that is produced by breaking down cellulose in plants is called _________.

Describe how many U.S. states are rewarding energy efficiency as it pertains to our mobile fuel needs.

Infographic 32.5. -Refer to Infographic 32.5. Which step in the conversion of cellulose to ethanol is the raw material chopped or ground into small, uniform-size pieces?

_____________ refers to the process where a plant absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then stores carbon in its roots.

Environmental Literacy and the Goal of Sustainability - on the Road to Collapse: What Lessons Can We Learn From a Vanished Viking Society

Science Literacy and the Process of Science- Science and the Sky: Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ozone

Information Literacy:toxic Bottles on the Trail of Chemicals in Our Everyday Lives- Human Populations and Environmental Health

Human Populations- One Child China Grows Up: a Country Faces the Outcomes of Radical Population Control

Environmental Health- Eradicating a Parasitic Nightmare: Human Health Is Intricately Linked to the Environment- Consumption and the Environmental Footprint

Ecological Economics and Consumption- Wall to Wall, Cradle to Cradle: a Leading Carpet Company Takes a Chance on Going Green

Managing Solid Waste- a Plastic Surf: Are the Oceans Teeming With Trash- Ecology

Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling- Engineering Earth: an Ambitious Attempt to Replicate Earths Life Support Systems Goes Awry

Population Ecology- the Wolf Watchers: Endangered Gray Wolves Return to the American West

Community Ecology- What the Stork Says: a Bird Species in the Everglades Reveals the Intricacies of a Threatened Ecosystem- Biodiversity and Evolution

Evolution- a Tropical Murder Mystery: Finding the Missing Birds of Guam

Biodiversity- Palm Planet: Production of a Common Household Ingredient Is Wreaking Havoc on Wildlife Across the Globe

Reserving Biodiversity- a Forest Without Elephants: Can We Save One of Earths Iconic Species- Water Resources

Freshwater Resources- Toilet to Tap: a California County Is Employing a Controversial Method to - Supply Drinking Water

Water Pollution- Into the Gulf: the Makings of a Dead Zone, Far Upstream- Food Resources

Feeding the World - a Gene Revolution: Can Genetically Engineered Food Help End Hunger

Agriculture- Farming Like an Ecosystem: Creative Solutions to Feeding the World- Conventional Energy: Fossil Fuels

Coal- Bringing Down the Mountain: in the Rubble, the True Costs of Coal

Oil and Natural Gas- the Bakken Oil Boom: Is Our Next Big Fuel Source Our Dirtiest- Air Pollution: Consequences of Using Fossil Fuels

Air Pollution- the Youngest Scientists: Kids on the Frontlines of Asthma Research

Climate Change- When the Trees Leave: Scientists Grapple With a Shifting Climate- Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

Nuclear Power - the Future of Fukushima: Can Nuclear Energy Overcome Its Bad Rep

Sustainable Energy for Stationary Sources- Fueled by the Sun: a Small Island Makes Big Strides in Renewable Energy- Sustainable Living in Community

Urbanization- the Ghetto Goes Green: in the Bronx, Building a Better Backyard

Environmental Policy

Counterfeit Cooling: in the Global Effort to Thwart Climate Change, Some Lessons Are

Learned After the Fact

Optional Chapters Available in Launchpad

Mineral Resources and Mining

Rare Earth Elements: a Bevy of Unfamiliar Minerals Are Crucial for Our Everyday

Technologies-But They Come With a Slew of Problems- Soil and Grassland Resources

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