Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

It is a hard truth to swallow, but nature does not care if welive or die. We cannot survive without the oceans, for example,but they can do just fine without us.ROGER ROSENBLATTCRITICAL THINKING1. Explain why dilution is not always the solution to waterpollution.2. For each of the eight categories of pollutants listed inTable 22-1, is it most likely to originate from (a) pointsources or (b) nonpoint sources?3. A large number of fish are found floating dead on alake during the summer. You are asked to determine thecause of the fish kill. What reason would you suggest forthe kill? What measurements would you make to verifyyour hypothesis?4. Are you for or against banning injection of liquid hazardouswastes into deep wells below drinking wateraquifers (Figure 22-9, p. 502)? Explain. What are the alternatives?5. When you flush a toilet, where does the wastewatergo? Trace the actual flow of this wastewater in yourcommunity from your toilet through sewers to a wastewatertreatment plant and from there to the environment.Try to visit a local sewage treatment plant to seewhat it does with your wastewater. Compare theprocesses it uses with those shown in Figure 22-16(p. 511). What happens to the sludge produced by thisplant? What improvements, if any, would you suggestfor this plant?6. Congratulations! You are in charge of sharply reducingwater pollution from nonpoint sources throughoutthe world. What are the three most important things youwould do?7. Congratulations! You are in charge of sharply reducinggroundwater pollution throughout the world. Whatare the three most important things you would do?8. Congratulations! You are in charge of providing safedrinking water for the poor and other people in developingcountries. What are the three most important thingsyou would do?PROJECTS1. In your community,a. What are the principal nonpoint sources of contaminationof surface water and groundwater?b. What is the source of drinking water?c. How is drinking water treated?d. How many times during each of the past 5 yearshave levels of tested contaminants violated federalstandards? Were violations reported to the public?e. Has pollution led to fishing bans or warnings notto eat fish from any lakes or rivers in your region?f. Is groundwater contamination a problem? If so,where, and what has been done about the problem?g. Is there a vulnerable aquifer or critical rechargezone that needs protection to ensure the quality ofgroundwater? Is your local government aware ofthis? What action (if any) has it taken?2. Are storm drains and sanitary sewers combined orseparate in your area? Are there plans to reduce pollutionfrom runoff of storm water? If not, make an economicevaluation of the costs and benefits of developing separatestorm drains and sanitary sewers, and present yourfindings to local officials.3. Use library research, the Internet, and user interviewsto evaluate the relative effectiveness and costs of homewater purification devices. Determine the type or typesof water pollutants each device removes and the effectivenessof this process.4. Find out the price of tap water where you live. Thengo to a grocery or other store and get prices per liter (orother volume unit) on all the available types of bottledwater. Use these data to compare the price per liter ofvarious brands of bottled water with the price of tapwater.5. Use the library or the Internet to find bibliographic informationabout William Ruckelshaus and Roger Rosenblatt,whose quotes appear at the beginning and end of thischapter.6. Make a concept map of this chapter’s major ideas, usingthe section heads, subheads, and key terms (in boldface).See material on the website for this book abouthow to prepare concept maps.LEARNING ONLINEThe website for this book contains study aids and manyideas for further reading and research. They include achapter summary, review questions for the entire chapter,flash cards for key terms and concepts, a multiple-choicepractice quiz, interesting Internet sites, references, and aguide for accessing thousands of InfoTrac ® College Editionarticles. Log on tohttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14Then click on the Chapter-by-Chapter area, choose Chapter22, and select a learning resource.http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14517