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87 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What percentage of humans are water? What percentage of the human brain is water? How much does this have to decrease by for dehydration to occur? |
70% 95% only 2% |
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When did agriculture first begin? |
13,000 years ago |
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What did the advent of agriculture cause? |
Less of a nomadic culture, allowed for empires |
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How much rainful per year is useable? |
~ 43,000 km^3/year |
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Rank continents in order of water proportion |
Americas > Asia > Europe > Africa |
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At what level does severe water scarcity occur? |
< 500 m^3 / person per year |
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At what level is water considered scarce? |
< 1000 m^3 / person per year |
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How many countries are considered to have severe water scarcity? Name one. |
28; Egypt |
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How is water related to India's population? |
Water isn't scarce, the problem is the inequality to get the water to it's massive population |
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What are the two types of water use, and what does each mean? |
In-stream: making use of water in its source Off-stream: taking water out to do something |
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What is consumptive water use, and what are the 3 main categories? |
Taking water out and not returning it; Agricultural, Industrial, Domestic |
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Where is agricultural water use greatest? |
Overall, worldwide. Specifically, Low and Mid Income Countries |
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Where is industrial water use greatest? |
High-Income countries |
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What is the external water footprint? |
Food that gets traded away |
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What is the effect of irrigation on crop yields? What percentage of cropland is irrigated? How much of crops does this end up accounting for? |
Doubles yields. 18% of croplands irrigated Accounts for 40% of crops |
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How is water efficiency improved? Give 3 ways. |
1) Focus efforts to improve soil in areas of low yields - arid and semi-arid areas
2) Reduce Evapotranspiration 3) Use biotechnology |
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What happened in Walkerton? What was the cause. |
7 died from E. coli - fecal matter in water supply after heavy rain |
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How has the use of water in industry changed in North America and Europe in recent years? |
Decreased amount of water to make a tonne of steel, from 200 tonnes to only 2 tonnes now. |
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How much freshwater does the USA use in power generation a year? What percentage of their water is this? |
514 M m^3, 39% |
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What type of power plants use the most water? |
Nuclear |
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Why do nuclear power plants often get shut down? Give two places where this has happened. |
When water temperature gets too high. France - 2003, 2009 Brown Ferry, Memphis - 2007 |
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Why does rain occur? |
As air cools, amount of water it requires to be saturated becomes less, leading to condensation, realsing water at a certain point |
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What are the two outcomes of falling water? |
Interception and Reaching the Ground |
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What does interception depend on? Give 6. |
1) Vegetation type: broad leaves, dense veget. 2) Land Use: presence of buildings, etc. 3) Season: snow has less of a chance of reaching the ground 4) Intensity of precip. 5) Duration of precip. 6) Initial Conditions: did it rain the day before? |
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What are the 3 outcomes as water reaches the ground? |
1) Storage : snow or ice 2) Runoff: moving along ground surface towards stream 3) Evapotranspiration |
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What two things does runoff depend on? |
1) Slope angle: greater angle = greater speed of runoff 2) Substrate material: how porous the substrate is i.e. Rock vs. dirt |
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What is evapotranspiration a combination of? |
Evaporation and transpiration |
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What 3 things is the amount of Evaporation dependant on? |
1) temperature: warmer day = more evap. 2) Initial Conditions: is air already saturated? 3) Wind: Windier = faster evap. |
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What 4 things is the amount of transpiration dependent on? |
1) Type of vegetation 2) Season 3) Wind: pulls moisture out of air quicker 4) initial conditions: is air already saturated |
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What is transpiration? |
Evaporation of water from plant leaves? |
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How much does it typically rain a year? |
96 000 km^3 - 118 000 km^3 / year |
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What is albedo? |
Amount of heat that the earth's surface reflects back |
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What is the feedback loop involving albedo? |
Increasing surface temperatures decreases amount of snow, which decreases amount of albedo, which further increases surface temperatures |
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When was the European Heat Wave? How much did temperature change? How did this affect the population and agriculture? |
2003 + 3.5 degrees C 30, 000 to 50,000 deaths Grain yields down 20-36% |
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What caused the 2010 drought in Europe, air quality issues in Moscow, and floods in Pakistan? |
The change of Jet streams |
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How does El Nino/la Nina work? |
Trade winds bring warm air to the austrialian coast, which rises and precipiatates over the land. El Nino causes the trade winds to break down, and precipiation occurs int he middle of the ocean. Causes Australia to be colder than usual, and receive less precipitation than usual. Also causes South America to be warmer than usual, which is bad for fishing |
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What causes El Nino? |
The equatorial thermocline isn't as great |
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Which trends are multi-annual? Which are multi-decadal? |
El Nino (~ every 7 years) Dust bowl (~ every 20 years) |
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Why does the dust bowl occur? |
Temperature and precipitation vary in cycles . Eventually, high temperature and low precip. coincide, causing lots of dust, less crops, and a dust bowl. |
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How are humans affecting multi-decadal timescales? |
1) Desertification - chopping down rainforests, planting crops 2) Global dimming - decreasing evaporation rates 3) Aerosols: encourage droplets, but not rain |
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How are Aerosols impacting the earth? |
Less rain = less water in rivers - 50% of potable water is in rivers Also, glaciers are impacted by less precipitation |
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What is an example of aerosols affecting the precipitation? |
Decreased runoff in 1991 after eruption of Mount Pinatubo |
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What do Albedo Boats do? |
Shoot salt water into the air to make it easier to create clouds, and cause rain. |
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What is the Sahal Drought? When did it shift? |
Global changes in precip. Increase in precip. from 1996 onwards |
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What Land Management can be done to help properly maintain water? |
Make Dams, modify channels |
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What percentage of evapotranspiration is due to agriculture? |
33% |
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What is the effect of not having enough river water? |
W/out river water, groundwater is used |
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How do warmer temperatures affect the water cycle? |
Warmer climate = more water = more intense water cycle |
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What is the consequence of a more intense water cycle, and how does this affect other places? |
It causes a heavier rainful, which needs 4x the area of water that it actually rains upon. This causes drought elsewhere |
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How is water vapour good as a greenhouse gas? How is it bad? |
Good b/c it creates more clouds, which reflects light/heat and prevents from reaching the earth's surface. At the same time, it' bad b/c water vapour traps more heat than carbon dioxide. |
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Describe and urban slum in terms of technology, class, sanitation, and water availability. |
1) Modern technology 2) Under middle class 3) Little-to-no sanitation 4) Water is privatized and expensive |
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How many people on Earth live in extreme poverty? |
1.44 Billion |
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What is an effect of extreme poverty, and what are two things this later affects? |
Deforestation; climate and precipitation |
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Describe Early Cultural Development of Water Supplies: |
- generally enough water - meets basic needs (drinking, sanitation, irrigation) - typically no conflicts over water - water is affordable or free |
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Describe the second stage of developing a water supply: |
Water Projects are Constructed: - divert from lakes/rivers for city use - meets basic needs (drinking, irrigation, sanitation) - water markets may be implemented to ensure marketability of developed supplies |
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Describe the third stage of developing a water suppy: |
- economic viability of a region is dependant on the availability of water - distribution of water becomes expensive |
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What are the 3 stages of developing a water supply? |
1) Early cultural development 2) Construct water projects 3) Population and need for water grows |
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What is the water Diamond Paradox? |
Water is essential for life, but not expensive. Diamonds are not necessary for life, but expensive |
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How is the water diamond paradox resolved? |
Examining the ratio of water to diamonds: diamonds are scarce, water is not. |
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What is a major consequence of having cheap/free water? Where are 3 places giving evidence of this? |
Underpriced water leads to wasteful practices, leading to insufficient supplies. Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt are examples of this. |
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Who built the first water supply networks? What ended up happening? |
Private Corporations. Lack of interest lead to diseases, b/c no regulations |
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What is a Private Water Ownership? |
Control and Management of resources, services ,and utilities is done by a privately owned company. |
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What type of Water Ownership occurs in Hamliton? |
Public-Private Partnership. |
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What is a Public Water Ownership? |
Universal access and protection of public health, with public utilities that are created by government infrastructure |
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Compare and contrast Privatized vs. Public Water Ownership in terms of pricing and equity. |
Private: - full cost: you pay for everything - economic equity: you pay for everything that you use Public: - subsidized cost: everybody pays for infrastrucutre - social equity: everyone pays, regardless of what they're able to use |
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What is a disadvantage social equity and Public Water Ownership? |
Some places don't have access to the infrastructure created to give everyone water, but they still pay for it regardless |
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What are 2 disadvantages of Privatization of Water Ownership? |
1) Well paying jobs are cut 2) Maximize profits: companies will cut corners and compromise service quality |
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What are 3 disadvantages of Public Water Ownership? |
1) Low efficiency: poor distribution of water 2) Poor cost recovery: overpay people, don't do a good job, don't streamline the process 3) Lack of money and expertise |
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Who is for Privatization of Water? Against? |
World Bank, UN. CUPE |
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What is the effect of a main water break? |
The amount of water wasted is equal to the yearly consumption of several houses |
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What are two problems with Canada's municipal water systems? |
1) Few incentives to conserve water 2) Utilities have insufficient funds to improve |
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What was the goal established at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa? |
1.1 Billion didn't have access to safe drinking water; halve this by 2015 |
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Who is the cost of water being safe, reliable and affordable disproportionately paid by? |
Lower income houses |
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Where is most water used ina hosue? (3) |
Toilet, bath/shower, washing machine |
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Where were Pollution fees implemented? What was the result? |
Ruhr RIver in Germany (1976) Creating pollution became so expensive, people stopped and money was put into ways to stop pollution. |
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How is grey water redrinkable? |
Used water that is repurified and used for drinking, bathing etc. |
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When will grey water be beneficial for Austrialians? |
El Nino. |
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What is potable water? |
Water that is suitable for human consumption without a health risk |
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What is water reclamation? |
Treatment of wastewater to make it useable for more applications |
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What is grey water? |
Water soiled by washing machines, tubs, shower, and bathroom sinks. Not human waste. |
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What is planned potable reuse? |
- reclamation of water from wastewater - returning to natural water cycle, upstream of drinking water treatment plant |
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What is unplanned potable reuse? |
- wastewater entering the natural water system, eventualy extracted for drinking water - not much awareness that the natural system contains treated wastewater |
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What is direct reuse? |
- the injection of recycled water directly downstream or upstream of the water treatment plant |
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What is Australia's water use rate? |
1.3 M liters / person; 3rd highest in world |
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What challenges face Australia, and strain water supplies? (4) |
1) Dry Climate 2) Growing populations 3) Prolonged droughts 4) Climate Change |
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What is the "Yuk Factor"? Where has this affected water consumption? |
People wanting to not use recycled water, despite no scientific evidence showing it's bad Occurred in Toowoomba, voted against using grey water. |
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What is the effect on NAFTA on Canada's water? |
Complicates ability to give or sell water, which is seen as a good. |