EVR 1001 Chapter 5
Which of these statements is supported by the graph? Select all that apply. - The nations of the Middle East show the largest range in both happy life years and ecological footprint. - Citizens of Sub-Saharan Africa tend to have few happy life years as well as a low ecological footprint. - Citizens of the Western world tend to have many happy life years as well as a large ecological footprint. - Resource consumption in developed nations has increased over time. - The larger a nation's ecological footprint, the more happy life years its citizens will have.
- The nations of the Middle East show the largest range in both happy life years and ecological footprint. - Citizens of Sub-Saharan Africa tend to have few happy life years as well as a low ecological footprint. - Citizens of the Western world tend to have many happy life years as well as a large ecological footprint.
Most scientists believe the key to keeping climate change manageable is to keep global temperature change below which of the following? - 1.7° F - 2.4° F - 3.6° F - 4.9° F
3.6° F
If current manufacturing, consumption, and energy use trends continue, an increase in global population with time will likely result in: A lower GDP and lower environmental costs. The same GDP and environmental costs. A higher GDP and higher environmental costs. A higher GDP and lower environmental costs.
A higher GDP and higher environmental costs.
Which of the following would lead to a GPI value closer to the GDP value for any given year? Adopting manufacturing processes with lower energy and resource use. Increasing natural resource use to make more material goods. Maintaining current fossil-fuel-based energy sources. Developing new economic policies that allow increased pollution discharge.
Adopting manufacturing processes with lower energy and resource use.
Which of the following is a type of ecosystem service in the United States? - production of clean water for human consumption - pollination of apple, orange, and peach trees - production of oxygen by trees - All of the listed choices are examples of ecosystem services in the United States.
All of the listed choices are examples of ecosystem services in the United States.
Which of the following is true in the United States? - Republicans are more likely to support this climate change pact than Democrats. - Democrats are more likely to support this climate change pact than Republicans. - Neither Democrats nor Republicans are likely to support this climate change pact. - Both Democrats and Republicans are likely to support this climate change pact.
Democrats are more likely to support this climate change pact than Republicans.
What type of economic discipline maintains that society, like natural populations, cannot surpass environmental limitations? - Neoclassical economics - Classical economics - Environmental economics - Ecological economics
Ecological economics
Which term is used to describe the conversion of natural resources into goods and services in addition to the ongoing trade of such goods and services? - Calculator - nongovernment organization - Ecosystem - Economy
Economy
A company that produces household cleaners decides to produce a "green" version of its products, even though the formulas are virtually unchanged compared to the original formulas. This is an example of __________. - Ecolabeling - Whitewashing - Ecofeminism - Greenwashing
Greenwashing
How do economists assess (calculate) the economic health of a nation? - net domestic product - net primary productivity - Gross Domestic Product - gross primary productivity
Gross Domestic Product
Between 1972 and 1992, GDP increased by approximately 2 trillion dollars. In comparison, GPI: - Decreased by 1 trillion dollars. - Increased only slightly. - Stayed exactly the same. - Also increased by 2 trillion dollars.
Increased only slightly.
Assume that the GDP and benefits for 2012 are the same as GDP and benefits for 2002. If the 2012 environmental costs increase by 100% but the social and economic costs decrease by 50%, the new GPI for 2012 would be: Higher than the GPI in 2002. Lower than the GPI in 2002. There is not enough information to compare the 2002 GPI and the 2012 GPI. The same as the GPI in 2002.
Lower than the GPI in 2002
The Happy Planet Index assesses nations in various regions of the world for "sustainable well-being" by measuring the happy life years of citizens and the ecological footprint made by their resource consumption. Find the nation on the graph whose citizens experience about 43 happy life years and have an ecological footprint of over 6 hectares per capita. Which region is this nation found in? - Middle East - Western world - Latin America - East Asia
Middle East
Which of the following is the main concern of neoclassical economics? - ecosystem services - ecosystem goods - Production - Waste
Production
In 1962 environmental costs amounted to approximately 1 trillion dollars. By 2002 environmental costs had: - Tripled. - Quadrupled. - Doubled. - Stayed the same.
Quadrupled.
Which kind of development would be promoted if a government worked on finding a balance between economic security, environmental protection, and social equity? - Sustainable - neoclassical - Cornucopian - Biocentric
Sustainable
How does the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) differ from the GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator)? - GDP does not include items bought and sold over the Internet. Critics say that this makes the GDP out-of-date and came up with the GPI to add these purchases into the calculations. - GPI reflects the total value of goods and services, while the GDP focuses only on the goods produced. - The GDP reflects only a single calendar year, while the GPI looks at historical trends and projects into the future. - The GPI takes into account externalities (both good and bad) and other nonmarket values, while the GDP does not.
The GPI takes into account externalities (both good and bad) and other nonmarket values, while the GDP does not.
What are ecosystem services? - the "invisible hand" - GPI - neoclassical economics - These are essential processes such as soil formation, nutrient cycles, the pollination of plants, etc.
These are essential processes such as soil formation, nutrient cycles, the pollination of plants, etc.
Which of the following best explain the "free rider" predicament? - This allows one party to "get away" with an environmental impact while other parties continue to use best environmental practices. - the ability to share transportation even at a great cost - This is when a group takes more than its fair share. - stealing power from another entity
This allows one party to "get away" with an environmental impact while other parties continue to use best environmental practices.
What is meant by "market failure"? - The GDP dips below the GPI. - This occurs when markets do not take into account the environment's positive effects on economies (such as ecosystem services) or when they do not reflect the negative impacts of economic activity on people or the environment (external costs). - Economists are forced to use contingent valuation rather than rely on direct costs and benefits. - The national GDP drops below the level forecast by Wall Street investors.
This occurs when markets do not take into account the environment's positive effects on economies (such as ecosystem services) or when they do not reflect the negative impacts of economic activity on people or the environment (external costs).
The first national park in the world was ________. - Yellowstone - Glacier National Park - Grand Canyon - Death Valley - Yosemite
Yellowstone
What is the term that refers to the substances and forces that sustain our society and everyday lives? - natural resources - free riders - mixed economy - nonmarket values
natural resources
According to this new pact, which of the following will have to have a plan to combat climate change? - no countries - all but the 10 poorest countries - all countries - only developed countries
all countries
In which of the following ways did neoclassical economics contribute to environmental problems? - by encouraging industry continually to improve technology - by encouraging governments to give subsidies to environmentally damaging businesses - by forcing buyers to pay for ecosystem services - by encouraging society to view the supply of resources as infinite
by encouraging society to view the supply of resources as infinite
Which of the following will be most impacted by President Obama's first climate change policy? - coal-fired power plants - auto industry - ethanol industry - liquid propane companies
coal-fired power plants
Use the figure above to answer the following question. (solutions to environmental problems web) According to the figure, the basis for government policy regarding environmental issues ________. - comes primarily from the private sector - comes from the sciences, with additional input from the public and private sectors - comes from both the public and the private sectors - comes only from the natural and social sciences and is acted upon without bias - is primarily driven by lobbying
comes from the sciences, with additional input from the public and private sectors
To control pollution, industry has been given limits and been threatened with punishment if these limits are violated. This approach is called ________. - command and control - last chance - end of the alley - carrot and stick - limit and manage
command and control
Most of the environmental progress made over the past few decades has come about through __________ methods. - free-rider - command-and-control - public ownership - green tax
command-and-control
Which of the following groups advocates economies that neither grow nor shrink but remain stable? - ecological economists - subsistence gatherers - classical economists - neoclassical economists
ecological economists
Today, the reasons conservationists have given for protecting natural environments are shifting from arguments based upon __________ to arguments based upon __________. - ethics; economics - politics; aesthetics - religion; ethics - aesthetics; ethics
ethics; economics
Environmental damage from industry or land development has traditionally been labeled as ________ by economists. - steady state economics - ecosystem services - greenwashing - external costs - free riders
external costs
What costs are associated with transactions that can result in damage to the environment, human health, and property? - internal costs - tangential costs - traditional market costs - external costs
external costs
Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, published in the 1960s, ________. - warned of insect pollinator losses through pesticide use - was the beginning of the first wave of U.S. environmental policy - was concerned with birth defects in humans - awakened the American public to negative effects of artificial hormones - focused on chemical pollutants, including industrial chemicals
focused on chemical pollutants, including industrial chemicals
An environmental impact statement is required ________. - to be put to voters on every local ballot if federal action may affect local environments - before Congress can pass any law - for implementation of any program funded by the World Bank - only by executive order - for any federal action that may affect U.S. environmental quality
for any federal action that may affect U.S. environmental quality
In Costa Rica, cutting down forests will almost immediately increase the cost of producing __________. - fresh water - wood pulp for the many paper factories in the region - timber for building homes and factories - all of the listed choices
fresh water
Part of the reason for the lack of good flood control in the United States is that ________. - sufficient funding is actually present, but the groups to carry out the work are too small - there has been no long-term planning that showed a need for flood control - there is no use spending money for something we cannot control anyway - government spending priorities have shifted, and flood control funds have been cut - money has been tight, and government spending overall has been reduced
government spending priorities have shifted, and flood control funds have been cut
Wetlands in the United States ________. - have decreased due to human development - have increased due to human development - have decreased due to natural causes, such as floods and hurricanes - have increased due to natural causes, such as floods and hurricanes - have stayed about the same over the past 40 years
have decreased due to human development
In the United States, wetlands are primarily considered to be ________. - important because they provide many valuable ecosystem services - useful for fisheries - belonging to the owner of the private property, to be developed or not by the owner - important only for recreational purposes - useful to develop for economic purposes
important because they provide many valuable ecosystem services
Which of the following correctly illustrate the two ways that economic growth can occur? - decreased inputs and improvements in technology - decreased inputs and pollution - increased inputs to the economy and improvements in efficiency through technology - pollution and increased inputs to the economy
increased inputs to the economy and improvements in efficiency through technology
Use the figure above to answer the following question. (solutions to environmental problems web) The distinction of scientific study's input into governmental solution of environmental problems is that it ________. - is the product of both consumer advocacy and industrial goals - bypasses the private sector in making improvements to technology - bypasses the public sector in determining consumer choices and lifestyles - is modified by consumer incentives, such as rebates and tax breaks - is independent of any other influences in its effect on forming government policy
is independent of any other influences in its effect on forming government policy
Which of the following is NOT an external cost that affects people who are not involved in some environmentally damaging transaction? - aesthetic damage - water pollution - human health problems - job security
job security
Rising per capita consumption of goods and rising population growth lead to ________. - increased biodiversity and ecosystem services - steady-state economics - more resource extraction, waste and pollution - less fossil fuel use and global climate change - greater availability of goods to poorer nations and people
more resource extraction, waste and pollution
During the second wave of U.S. environmental policy, in 1872, Congress designated Yellowstone as the world's first __________. - national forest - national park - wilderness area - wildlife refuge
national park
Which of the following is likely to benefit the most from this climate change pact? - oil industry - nuclear industry - coal industry - natural gas industry
nuclear industry
The environmental justice movement started because __________. - Aldo Leopold published The Land Ethic. - corporate polluters were not serving jail time for breaking environmental laws - the Environmental Protection Agency was not doing its job - people realized that environmental damage is not equally distributed among all classes and racial groups; minority and low-income communities tend to contain a much larger share of the environmental damage (such as landfills, incinerators, toxic waste sites, etc.)
people realized that environmental damage is not equally distributed among all classes and racial groups; minority and low-income communities tend to contain a much larger share of the environmental damage (such as landfills, incinerators, toxic waste sites, etc.)
Environmental policy aims to ________. - promote fairness among people and groups in the use of resources - promote economic growth - use natural resources for economically important industrial products - protect the values of the landowner - preserve all present natural areas in their pristine condition
promote fairness among people and groups in the use of resources
What is sustainable development? - promoting a viable economy and meeting social needs at the expense of the environment - promoting a viable economy while maintaining a viable environment and meeting social needs - a purely economic pursuit, not including ethical considerations - what the United States is practicing right now
promoting a viable economy while maintaining a viable environment and meeting social needs
The social changes in the United States in the 20th century gave rise to environmental laws concerned primarily with ________. - management of private land - the settlement of the West - reducing pollution caused by industry - preserving endangered species - mining and homesteading
reducing pollution caused by industry
A distinguishing feature of ecological economics is the concept of ________. - environmental damage and also environmental benefits are external - greenwashing to increase public acceptance of products - cost-benefit analysis - steady-state economies that, like natural systems, neither grow nor shrink - the only healthy economy is one that is growing
steady-state economies that, like natural systems, neither grow nor shrink
What event is credited with leading to the passage of the Clean Water Act? - sewage collecting on beaches in San Diego - the Cuyahoga River catching fire - the Chicago River being reversed (to flow into the Illinois River rather than into Lake Michigan) to move pollution away from Chicago - Lake Erie being declared "dead"
the Cuyahoga River catching fire
There has been legislation designed to encourage protection of wetlands, but funding has been greatly reduced, because ________. - there has been no funding available for any federal projects - the ecosystem services of wetlands has been ignored - wetlands have little or no economic value - green taxes have been opposed by state governments - a system of green taxes is already in place to fund the needed work
the ecosystem services of wetlands has been ignored
In Central and South America, people are more likely to protect the natural environment because they are learning that __________. - they will pay high fines or be sent to prison if they travel into these regions - the natural environment provides most of their basic needs - natural environments prevent the formation of damaging weather systems such as hurricanes - most of these systems are a major source of carbon dioxide
the natural environment provides most of their basic needs
Use the figure above to answer the following question. (solutions to environmental problems web) Regarding the issue of global warming, until the hurricane season of 2005, the federal government's official stance was that the information available from the scientific community was neither conclusive nor persuasive. This governmental position was probably due to ________. - the consumer opinion polls - the private sector's reluctance to change manufacturing and land use strategies - the lack of good, measurable data from the scientific community - laws passed by voters - lobbying efforts on the part of environmental organizations
the private sector's reluctance to change manufacturing and land use strategies
Lobbying, legal action, and campaign funding are all means used by ________ to influence governmental environmental policies. - the public sector - the judicial branch of government - the legislative branch - social science studies - the scientific community
the public sector
