Environmental Studies Chapters 13-19

Floor-to-area ratio (FAR) is the ratio between the total floor space of a building and the area of land on which it is built. Thus, a building with a floor area that perfectly equals the lot on which it is built would have an FAR of 1. FAR is one measure that can be an indicator of suburban sprawl. Which of the following statements involving FAR is accurate?

An average FAR of 1.5 or higher is the minimum threshold associated with walkability and reduced dependence on cars to get around

Which of the following strategies makes use of a guide?

An eco-app helps consumers identify which clothing brand has the smallest ecological footprint

Which of the following phrases best describes the Basel Convention?

An international agreement to restrict transboundary movements of household waste and hazardous waste from more developed countries to less developed countries

Which of the following statements incorrectly characterize urban areas and populations?

As density increases in urban areas, public transportation becomes less viable

You always drive home along the same route, even though other ways may be quicker based on traffic times. What is this an example of?

Automatic thinking

Which of the following is an example of a pathogen?

Bacteria

Once people have formed beliefs on an issue, they often cling to them tightly even when they are presented with evidence to the contrary. What is this known as?

Belief perseverance

Which of the following statements about social networks is accurate?

Beliefs, values, behaviors, and emotions can spread from person to person within social networks

Which of the following phrases correctly characterizes benefit corporations?

Benefit corporations do not require shareholders' interests to be treated as the primary purpose of the business

You and your friend Sarah both live in a rural area. One day, you find yourselves discussing your plans for the future. Sarah says she wants to move to a big city. When you ask why, she begins to talk about the opportunity for a better job, more education, and more things to do for entertainment. Which of the following is Sarah describing?

Bright lights syndrome

Which of the following statements is false regarding energy conservation?

Buildings in the United States account for 92% of our energy consumption

As a CEO of a major company, you are concerned about your company's carbon footprint. In your state, your company has permits to emit only so much CO2. Based on current use estimates, you do not have enough permits to last through the end of the year, so you start trying to buy permits from companies who have a surplus. What is the name of this strategy of pollution reduction?

Cap and Trade

Which of the following statements is a negative impact of conversion

Conversion of waste relies on the presence of landfills

Just because a substance is toxic does not necessarily mean that there is a high risk that the harms associated with it will be realized. The __________ of a substance affects its toxicity.

Dose

Situations in which per capita cost for services decreases as a result of the increasing scale of operations is known as

Economies of Scale

Which of the following statements correctly describes Jevon's Paradox?

Efficiency gains in new technology do not lead to energy conservation because they lead to greater demands for energy

Which of the following is an example of a regulatory government policy for shaping energy transitions?

Energy portfolio standards

You notice that the south side of your town, which is home to lower-income neighborhoods, has fewer parks and green spaces than the more affluent north side. This is a direct example of an issue of __________.

Environmental Justice

In the United States, conducting safety assessments on new chemicals is the responsibility of which agency?

Environmental Protection Agency

Which of the following statements about environmental justice is true.

Environmental justice pertains not only to race, but also to income and national origin

Which of the following is an example of a biofuel?

Ethanol

Which of the following environmental impacts is linked to ocean dumping?

Eutrophication from sewage sludge

Wood, other parts of plants, and coal - which is formed from incompletely decomposed parts of plants - are all examples of biofuels rather than fossil fuels.

False

Which of the following statements is false regarding the formation of fossil fuels?

Fossil Fuel formation typically occurs on the surface of the soil

Which of the following statements is false in regard to hydraulic fracturing?

Fracking has increased the use of coal and decrease the use of natural gas

Which of the following is not chemical hazard?

Malaria

A chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas is known as a/an______.

Megalopolis

In an open dump, methane is created as wastes break down. Which of the following statements about methane is incorrect?

Methane can bind to hemoglobin in place of oxygen, causing death

Which of the following phrases best defines pathogens?

Microorganisms that cause illness or infection

Which of the following statements correctly describes the way that concentrated solar thermal plants function?

They use huge mirrors to focus sunlight on liquid-filled pipes or "power towers" to make steam

Limitations of alternative energy sources include safety concerns about radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, impacts on habitats in rivers with hydroelectric power plants, and the limited availability of sites suitable for large hydroelectric and geothermal energy plants.

True

Your actions and beliefs can influence the likelihood that others treat the environment in a positive way.

True

Which of the following is the correct order of highest urban density to lowest urban density

Urban City, Suburban Neighborhood, Rural Village

Which of the following characteristics is shared by both wind and solar power?

Variable generation

Which of the following phrases best describes the material categorized as municipal solid waste?

Waste directly generated by consumers from households and commercial businesses

Which of the following characteristics distinguishes bioreactor landfills from conventional sanitary landfills?

Water and air are injected through horizontal wells or trenches beneath the surface

Which of the following phrases correctly describes the concept of separation

We can be subject to influence from people who are two or three degrees of separation apart from us

Which of the following energy sources was the most dominant globally before being replaced by coal in the 1900s?

Wood

Which of the following scenarios best fits with the phenomenon of automatic thinking?

A grocery shopper grabs the same brand of bread that they buy every time he goes down the bread aisle in the store

Which of the following strategies to influence behavior best fits with the definition of a prompt?

A large sign and artistic display of shopping bags in the parking garage of a grocery store that reminds shoppers to bring their reusable shopping bags

Which of the following correctly describes a carbon tax?

A tax levied on the use of fossil fuels

By definition, nonprofit corporations may not accumulate surplus revenue.

False

Carbon capture and storage is a process that condenses carbon dioxide and injects it underground to force oil deposits to the surface.

False

Concentrated solar thermal (CST) plants create energy by splitting the nuclei of atoms of unstable isotopes, releasing energy to make steam.

False

In economic terms, an inferior good is by definition one of poorer quality than the alternative.

False

Organizational structure refers to the widely shared assumptions and patterns of behavior that group members learn and share.

False

Researchers have found that the effectiveness of using commitments to influence behavior increases when they apply the mental phenomenon of cognitive dissonance. Which of the following uses cognitive dissonance?

Homeowners in a neighborhood sign a pledge to conserve energy at a certain level and then are made aware when their efforts fall short of their goal on their utility bills

Geothermal energy supplies only a fraction of the energy consumption of most countries; however, in Iceland, geothermal power is used for 29% of its electricity production. Which feature enables Iceland to tap into this useful resource?

Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian Plates are moving apart

Which of the following statements about incentives is correct?

Incentives either lure us toward or repel us from certain behaviors by bringing to mind consequences and outcomes associated with certain courses of action

Which of the following correctly describes the idea behind design for recovery?

Introducing guidelines focused strictly on the recycling process itself

Which of the following correctly defines the phrase "stranded assets"?

Investments that become obsolete and cannot yield a profit

Which of the following phrases correctly describes the primary factor limiting the adoption of geothermal power for electricity?

It required locations that are found above sufficient and accessible underground geothermal activity

How can corporations drive environmental change and improve sustainability beyond individual companies

Large corporations have leverage because of their purchasing power and make choices about the environment

Which of the following is associated with suburban living?

Less efficient resource use

A planning effort promotes several blocks of development that combine housing, shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and offices.

Mixed-use area

How is a nonprofit organization different from a for-profit organization?

Nonprofit organizations do not have owners or shareholders

Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes publicly traded businesses from privately (or closely) held businesses?

Ownership shares of publicly traded businesses can be bought and sold on a stock exchange

Which of the following statements accurately describes the ways individuals prioritize needs and desires?

People have multiple needs and desires, some of which will win out over others and influence that actions they ultimately take

Aluminum cans are recycled back into cans for new products. This is an example of _______.

Primary recycling

The passing of a law by the state of Washington requiring manufacturers of consumer electronic products to pay an administrative fee for the support of e-waste collection and recycling is an example of a __________ law.

Producer responsibility

Shantytowns, favelas, and barriadas are all names for __________, which are characterized by substandard housing, lack of formal property ownership, and inadequate urban services.

Slums

Which of the following statements best explains how pathogens develop resistance to drugs used to treat them?

Some individual pathogens with resistant treats to the drug treatment survive and multiply, greatly increasing these traits in the pathogen population

Which of the following statements correctly describes how spent fuel from nuclear power plants is managed in the United States?

Spent fuel is stored in temporary cooling pools or steel-and-concrete casks at reactor sites

At work, you are interested in making a common procedure more efficient. As you begin to question why the procedure is done the way it is, your colleagues tell you, "That's just how it's always been done." What is this an example of?

Status quo

Why is suburban sprawl said to be built for cars?

Suburban development is spread out and connected only by street networks

Which of the following statements incorrectly characterize suburban sprawl in the Unites States.

Suburban sprawl has brought about a reduction in the average home size since the 1950s

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between mass transit and density?

The advantages of mass transit depend on having high densities of people living and or working near transit stops

What does it mean when toxins are synergistic?

The effect is greater than the sum of the effects of the interacting chemicals

Which of the following is not a factor that contribute to suburban sprawl?

The informal economy

Which of the following statements correctly describes the dynamics of social networks and influence?

The more connections an individual has with other people and the more extensive connections these other people have, the more central that individual is within the network

Which of the following phrases best describes the concept of life-cycle assessment?

The process of accounting for the environmental impacts of all steps involved in making and ultimately disposing of a product

Which of the following phrases best defines the field of toxicology?

The study of negative health effects of various substances

Denial, emotional distancing, resignation, delegation are examples of what?

emotional defense mechanism