AP Environmental Chapter 21

At the checkout counter, an environmentalist is most likely to a. say "Plastic please." b. say "Paper please." c. say "I brought my own bag." d. walk out of the store. e. say "Either plastic or paper."

c. say "I brought my own bag"

Using PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles accomplishes all of the following except a. saves energy b. reduces carbon dioxide emissions c. totally eliminates need for recycling d. reduces water pollution e. reduces solid waste

c. totally eliminates need for recycling

Waste that includes paper, food wastes, cans, bottles, yard waste, glass, wood, and similar items is called a. industrial solid waste b. hazardous waste c. municipal solid waste d. toxic solid waste e. ewaste

c.municipal solid waste

The amount of solid waste produced in the United States each year would fill a convoy of garbage trucks stretching around the world almost a. 2 times b. 4 times c. 6 times d. 8 times e. 10 times

d. 8 times

In an integrated waste management approach to solid waste, which of the following would be given last priority? a. compost b. reuse c. reduce packaging d. bury e. recycle

d. bury

Which of the following is true about waste-to-energy incineration? a. inexpensive to build b. produces no hazardous waste c. produces no air pollution d. concentrates hazardous substances into ash e. discourages waste production

d. concentrates hazardous substances into ash

Which of the following is the most common method of storage of hazardous wastes used in most countries of the world? a. burial at sea b. above ground tanks c. inside plants and warehouses d. land burial e. glassification

d. land burial

Some scientists suggest biodegradable conventional plastics promotes which of the following problems? a. carbon dioxide releases b. methane releases c. toxic chemicals in the groundwater d. throwing away rather than recycling e. large energy expenditures

d. large energy expenditures

Consumers of recycled products are most effective when they maximize the amount of ____ waste in the products they buy. a. pre-producer b. post-producer c. pre-consumer d. post-consumer e. producer

d. post-consumer

Which of the following is not an advantage of reusing items over and over? a. cuts waste b. creates local jobs c. cuts greenhouse gases d. reduces bacterial infections e. saves money

d. reduces bacterial infections

Sanitary landfills typically have problems with a. rodents and insects b. odor c. open, uncovered garbage d. traffic, noise, and dust e. spread of disease

d. traffic, noise, and dust

Less than ____ percent of the 100 billion plastic bags used in the United States each year are recycled. a. 30 b. 25 c. 18 d. 5 e. 1

e. 1

In 1989 an international treaty called the Basel Convention banned developed countries from shipping hazardous waste to developing countries. Which of the following countries has not ratified the treaty? a. Lithuania b. Burkina Faso c. Cuba d. Democratic Republic of Congo e. United States

e. United States

Which of the following is something each person can do to save resources? a. buy things that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable b. use e-mail or text messaging in place of paper mail c. buy products in bulk or concentrated form when possible d. avoid disposable items such as plastic ups, plates, eating utensils e. all of these are things each person can do

e. all of these are things each person can do

Which of the following is not a strategy for encouraging reuse and recycling? a. decrease subsidies and tax breaks for using virgin resources b. increase the use of fee-per-bag waste collection systems c. require government purchasing of recycled products d. pass laws requiring companies take back and recycle packaging e. encourage the shipping of hazardous waste to poor countries

e. encourage the shipping of hazardous waste to poor countries

Which of the following is the least desirable from an environmental standpoint? a. refuse b. reduce c. reuse d. repurpose e. recycle

e. recycle

Of the following methods of dealing with hazardous wastes, the most desirable is a. incineration b. conversion to less hazardous materials c. perpetual storage d. deposit in ocean trenches e. recycling and reusing hazardous wastes

e. recycling and reusing hazardous wastes

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of deep-well disposal of liquid hazardous wastes? a. limited number of sites b. leakage into groundwater c. encourages waste production d. emits carbon dioxide and other air pollutants e. wastes can often be retrieved

e. wastes can often be retrieved

Using a combination of strategies, as much as ____ of solid and hazardous waste could be eliminated through reduction, reuse, and recycling. a. 5-10% b. 15-25% c. 25-50% d. 65-80% e. 75-90%

e.75%-90%

One way to deal with the creation of solid wastes is to reduce the environmental impact without trying to reduce the amount of waste produced. This is called a. waste reduction b. waste recycling c. secondary pollution prevention d. primary pollution prevention e. integrated waste management

e.integrated waste management

Which of the following industrialized nations has not signed the International Basel Convention to reduce and/or control movement of hazardous e-waste across international boundaries? a. Canada b. United States c. Japan d. South Korea e. European Union

B. U.S.

Hazardous waste includes radioactive wastes which will have to be stored safely for as long as a. 15,000 years b. 50,000 years c. 100,000 years d. 240,000 years e. 1,000,000 years

D.240,000

What percentage of solid and hazardous waste represent a violation of the chemical cycling sustainability principle? a. 33% b. 50% c. 67% d. 75% e. 90%

D.75%

What percentage of e-waste components contain materials that could be recycled or reused? a. 20 b. 40 c. 60 d. 80 e. 15

D.80

Much of the e-waste in the United States not buried or burned is a. dismantled and reused b. recycled c. stored in warehouses d. crushed and used as construction material e. shipped to Asia or Africa

E. Shipped to Asia or Africa

Which of the following principles does not contribute to a transition to a low-waste society? a. Economic growth and free markets reduce waste. b. Everything is connected. c. There is no "away." d. Polluters and producers should pay for the wastes they produce e. We can mimic nature by reusing, recycling, composting

a. economic growth and free markets reduce waste

In order for an incinerator to be a safe alternative for waste disposal all of the following must be done, except a. Find a use for the heat generated. b. Control release of CO2. c. Monitor for toxic metals. d. Monitor and remove toxic fly ash. e. Dispose of hazardous materials in an approved landfill.

a. find a use for the heat genreated

Solid waste produced directly by households and businesses amounts to ____% of the solid waste produced in the United States. a. less than 2 b. 5 c. 10 d. 15 e. 20

a. less than 2

Which of the following methods uses natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter, and remove contaminants from soil and water? a. phytoremediation b. physical methods c. bioremediation d. nanomagnets e. chemical methods

a. phytoremediation

The most energy-efficient beverage container on the market is a. refillable glass b. recyclable aluminum c. stainless steel d. recyclable plastic e. carton

a. refillable glass

All of the following are means of detoxifying hazardous and toxic wastes, except a. phytoremediation b. crushing and grinding c. bioremediation d. nanomagnets e. chemical methods

b. crushing and grinding

____ percent of the solid waste produced in the United States is buried in landfills. a. Ninety-eight b. Fifty-four c. Forty-eight d. Thirty-eight e. Forty

b. fifty-four

Industrial biomimicry provides all of the following economic benefits for businesses, except a. reduce the costs of managing solid wastes b. increases sales of all products regardless of hazardous nature c. reduces chances of being sued d. improves health and safety of workers e. encourages better consumer image of the company

b. increases sales of all products regardless of hazardous nature

Which of the following is not one of the strategies that industry and communities could use to reduce resource use, waste, and pollution? a. redesign manufacturing processes to use less material and energy b. redesign landfills c. redesign products to be easier to repair, reuse and manufacture d. reduce or eliminate packaging e. establish cradle-to grave laws for computers, electronic equipment, appliances

b. redesign landfills

How many U.S. states have bottle laws? a. 1 b. 6 c. 10 d. 22 e. 50

c. 10

Currently, the United States recycles about ____ of all its wastepaper. a. 15% b. 23% c. 49% d. 56% e. 67%

c. 49%

How much solid and liquid wastes is created for each one pound of electronics contained in a desktop computer? a. 4 tons b. 1,000 pounds c. 500 pounds d. 250 pounds e. 10 pounds

A. 4 tons

With 4.6% of the world's population, the United States produces about ____ of the world's solid waste. a. one-tenth b. one-fifth c. one-third d. one-fourth e. one-half

C.1/3

What percentage of the hazardous waste produced in the U.S. is regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act? a. 5% b. 10% c. 15% d. 20% e. 25%

a. 5%

A disproportionate share of polluting factories, hazardous waste dumps, incinerators, and landfills in the U.S. are located in communities populated by all of the following, except a. African Americans b. Asian Americans c. Caucasians d. Latinos e. working poor

c. Caucasians

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using a plasma torch to detoxify hazardous waste? a. mobility b. toxic ash production c. cost d. production of SO2 gas e. low energy use

c. cost

Taking a refillable coffee cup to the office and using it instead of throwaway cups is an example of ____. a. refuse b. reduce c. reuse d. repurpose e. recycle

c.reuse

Municipal composting facilities in the United States recycle approximately ____% percent of the country's yard wastes, which is approximately ____% percent of the total Municipal Solid Waste. a. 10, 2 b. 22, 4 c. 31, 6 d. 37, 8 e. 43, 10

d. 37, 8

The recycling and composting rate of U.S. municipal solid waste is about a. 7% b. 14% c. 25% d. 32% e. 54%

d.32%

Hazardous waste can be concentrated by using surface impoundments, lined ponds or lagoons. However, EPA has found that what percentage of these impoundments in the U.S. have no liners? a. 3 b. 15 c. 25 d. 70 e. 90

d.70

The second law of thermodynamics makes it important that which of the following rules is followed for landfills? a. don't bury organic material b. don't produce dust or noise c. don't mix different types of waste you may want to separate later d. don't use available land for landfills e. don't use filled land for other purposes

c. don't mix different types of waste you may want to seperate later