Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
an economy. This can be done by wasting less matter
and energy, living more simply to decrease per capita
resource use, and slowing population growth to re-
duce the number of resource users. In other words, we
learn to live more sustainably by heeding the lessons
from nature revealed by the law of conservation of mass
and the two laws of thermodynamics.
Since all forms of life depend on energy flow and
matter recycling, their processes are governed by the
three basic scientific laws of matter and thermody-
namics. The next four chapters apply these laws to liv-
ing systems and look at some biological principles that
can teach us how to live more sustainably by learning
from and working with nature.
5. Atree grows and increases its mass. Explain why this
phenomenon is not a violation of the law of conservation
of matter.
6. If there is no “away,” why is the world not filled with
waste matter?
7. Someone wants you to invest money in an automobile
engine that will produce more energy than the energy in
the fuel (such as gasoline or electricity) used to run the
motor. What is your response? Explain.
8. Use the second law of thermodynamics to explain
why a barrel of oil can be used only once as a fuel.
9. a. Imagine you have the power to revoke the law of
conservation of matter for one day. What are the
three most important things you would do with
this power?
b. Imagine you have the power to violate the first law
of thermodynamics for one day. What are the three
most important things you would do with this
power?
c. Imagine you have the power to violate the second
law of thermodynamics for one day. What are the
three most important things you would do with
this power?
Compare how energy is used in high- and low-throughput
economies at Environmental ScienceNow.
The second law of thermodynamics holds, I think, the
supreme position among laws of nature. . . . If your theory is
found to be against the second law of thermodynamics, I can
give you no hope.
A RTHUR S. E DDINGTON
LEARNING ONLINE
The website for this topic includes review questions for
the entire chapter, flash cards for key terms and concepts,
a multiple-choice practice quiz, interesting Internet sites,
references, and a guide for accessing thousands of
InfoTrac ® College Edition articles.
Visit
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Respond to the following statements:
a. Scientists have not absolutely proven that anyone
has ever died from smoking cigarettes.
b. The greenhouse theory—that certain gases (such as
water vapor and carbon dioxide) warm the atmos-
phere—is not a reliable idea because it is just a sci-
entific theory.
2. Find an advertisement or an article describing some
aspect of science in which (a) the concept of scientific
proof is misused, (b) the term “theory” is used when it
should have been “hypothesis,” (c) a consensus or sound
scientific finding is dismissed or downplayed because it
is “only a theory,” and (d) an example of sound science
labeled as junk science for political purposes.
http://biology.brookscole.com/miller11
Then choose Chapter 2, and select a learning resource. For
access to animations, additional quizzes, chapter outlines
and summaries, register and log in to
at esnow.brookscole.com/miller11 using the access code
card in the front of your topic.
3. Use the library or Internet to find an example of junk
science. Why is it junk science?
4. How does a scientific law (such as the law of conser-
vation of matter) differ from a societal law (such maxi-
mum speed limits for vehicles)? Can each be broken?
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