Issues in Environmental Science - Quiz I
a
10. An age structure diagram that shows a significant loss in the male population for a specific age group is likely representative of __________. a. war b. emigration c. pandemic d. epidemic e. natural selection
a
10. Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas? a. sulfur oxides b. halocarbons c. methane d. nitrous oxide e. carbon dioxide
c
11. As a country progresses from the preindustrial stage to the postindustrial stage, what will happen to the birth rate and death rate? a. Both will increase. b. Birth rate will increase, and death rate will decrease. c. Both will decrease. d. Both remain unchanged. e. Birth rate will decrease, and death rate will increase.
c
11. Currently, ___________ releases more carbon dioxide per person than any other country in the world. a. France b. China c. the United States d. Mexico e. Russia
b
12. Currently, __________ is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. a. the United States b. China c. France d. Mexico e. Russia
e
12. The industrializing stage of the demographic transition is characterized by _______ population growth. a. moderate b. declining c. very slow d. slow e. rapid
a
13. A variety of factors can warm or cool the planet. Which of the following is a positive forcer (warming effect)? a. black soot on snow b. deforestation c. aerosols d. cloud albedo effect e. stratospheric ozone
d
14. Which of the following factors has low albedo and contributes to warming? a. glaciers b. fresh snow c. meadows d. asphalt e. aerosols
a
15. In the United States, the replacement fertility rate is ______. a. 2.1 b. 0 c. 2 d. 1 e. 3
d
15. Which is FALSE regarding positive feedback loops? a. An example is melting sea ice in the Arctic. b. They are changes caused by an initial event that then accentuates that original event. c. They can cause rapid changes. d. They always indicate a "positive" or beneficial event. e. None of these answers is false.
c
16. Addressing which of the following will help countries lower their total fertility rates? a. lack of education for women b. lack of job opportunities for women c. All of the answers are correct. d. high infant mortality e. poverty
d
16. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the greenhouse effect? a. The greenhouse effect did not exist before humans. b. Greenhouse gases work by magnifying incoming solar radiation onto Earth's surface, just like in a greenhouse. c. All of these answers are true. d. Increased levels of human-produced carbon dioxide have enhanced the greenhouse effect. e. Volcanoes are the largest source of greenhouse gases.
c
17. In terms of reaching Earth's carrying capacity, developing countries exacerbate the problem due to their ________, while developed countries also aggravate the situation due to their ___________. a. use of nonrenewable energy; high death rates b. high immigration rates; low emigration rates c. high fertility rates; overconsumption d. unsustainable resource use; high fertility rates e. gendercide; overconsumption
c
17. Which of the following greenhouse gases, per molecule, has the LEAST heat-trapping capacity? a. methane b. CFCs c. carbon dioxide d. nitrous oxide e. halocarbons
b
18. To feed an increasing world population, humanity has needed to increase the carrying capacity of the planet. This has involved ___________. a. dependence on the use of fossil fuels to grow food b. It has involved all of these issues. c. destruction of animal habitat for human use d. dependence on the use of herbicides to grow food e. removing more fish from the oceans than they can repopulate
b
18. Which of the following greenhouse gases, taking into account both the relative heat trapping ability per molecule and the amount present in the atmosphere, has the GREATEST impact on enhancing the greenhouse effect? a. methane b. carbon dioxide c. nitrous oxide d. CFCs e. halocarbons
c
19. Which of the following would NOT be a useful approach to helping a country reach zero population growth? a. providing better maternal and infant health care b. increasing access to family planning programs and access to contraceptives c. educating men and providing them with job opportunities d. increasing educational opportunities for women e. identifying reasons why birth rates are high
b
19. _______ is the ability of a surface to reflect away solar radiation. a. Greenhouse effect b. Albedo c. Positive feedback d. Radiative force e. None of the answers is correct
d
2. The growth rate of a population is affected by which of the following? a. immigration b. crude death rate c. crude birth rate d. All of these affect the growth rate. e. emigration
d
2. The meteorological conditions in a given place on a given day refer to its _________. a. None of the answers is correct. b. habitat c. climate d. weather e. ecosystem
b
20. Today, the United States and France each exhibit an aging population. Why is this such a concern for demographers? a. People are dying earlier. b. More people are retiring with fewer younger people to support them. c. Too many babies are being born. d. The aging population is producing more waste than younger people. e. There isn't enough housing for the people
b
20. Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding climate models? a. None of these answers is false. b. Climate models that exclude anthropogenic factors are most accurate. c. Climate models take into account many variables, including global air circulation patterns and carbon dioxide levels. d. Climate models are not testable. e. Climate models project future climate conditions.
c
21. What is the "4-2-1" conundrum, and why do demographers fear it? a. In China in 1982, 1% of the population was over 65. In 1996 it was 2%, and now 4% of the population is over 65. The result is that there are more older people to support. b. Worldwide, one in four females gets an education and one in two males gets an education. Demographers fear that women will have no other option then to have children. c. In China there are four grandparents and two parents but only one child to support them all when they retire. d. Compared with the top, there are four times as many people on the bottom of the age pyramid and two times as many in the middle. Demographers fear that that the population will explode. e. In China, 4% of the population works, 2% are underage, and 1% are retired. Demographers fear this will reverse.
b
21. What is the name of the international group of scientists who evaluate scientific studies related to any aspect of climate change to give thorough and objective assessment of the data? a. Climate Change Forecasters United b. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change c. Montreal Procession d. World Health Organization e. Environmental Protection Agency
b
22. Many climate scientists set the upper limit of carbon dioxide that we should not cross at 560 ppm. In 2011, the atmospheric concentration was 390 ppm. Unless dramatic changes are put into place, we will probably surpass the 560 ppm threshold before the end of this century. What predicted effects could this bring? a. melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet b. All of the above c. ocean acidification d. glacier and permafrost melt e. rapidly accelerated warming
a
22. Why should the United States be concerned with the fact that the Chinese workforce aged 20 to 24 will shrink by 50%? a. Chinese workers will get higher wages, which will increase the cost of the goods. b. Overall, goods and services will cost less than they do now. c. More jobs from the United States will move to China, leaving fewer jobs for Americans. d. Fewer Chinese will immigrate to the United States. e. Overall fertility in China will increase with repercussions in the United States.
a
23. Efforts intended to minimize the extent or impact of climate change are referred to as ___________. a. mitigation b. stabilization c. None of the answers is correct. d. facilitation e. adaptation
d
23. What is the ultimate population question? a. Is the carrying capacity 7 billion people? b. Is population growth linked to climate change? c. Should China continue their one-child policy? d. What is the acceptable quality of life? e. Is the carrying capacity 9 billion people?
d
24. Accepting climate change as inevitable and adjusting as best as possible is referred to as __________. a. prescription b. stabilization c. mitigation d. adaptation e. None of the answers is correct
d
24. Which of the following is an example of an empirical study? a. developing pest control methods that do not include pesticides b. developing more efficient photovoltaic cells for electricity production c. developing ultrafast passenger trains d. producing models of the impact of various greenhouse gas concentrations on global temperature e. improving the efficiency of electricity transmission
d
25. Governmental fees imposed on activities that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, usually on fossil fuel use, are called _________. a. tax breaks b. green cards c. cap-and-trade d. carbon taxes e. None of the above
c
25. Which of the following describes an environment? a. a cat living in a house b. bacteria living in a human's intestinal tract c. All of the above describe an environment d. mold growing on a wood stump in a forest e. fish living in a stream
c
26. Due to their complexity, any given response to an environmental problem involves significant __________, and no one response is likely to present the ultimate solution. a. sliding reinforcers b. tragedies c. trade-offs d. anthropogenics e. wicked problems
e
27. Which of the following is NOT an example of self-inflicted environmental damage done by the Greenland Vikings? a. They chopped down forests for fuel and home construction. b. They used grassland to insulate their houses. c. They overgrazed. d. They grew to a few thousand individuals. e. The climate cooled.
b
28. How is anthropogenic climate change different from the climate change experienced by the Greenland Vikings? a. It is caused by increased tectonic activity. b. It is caused by human actions. c. It is a natural cycle Earth goes through. d. It involves new chemical compounds. e. It causes the average atmospheric temperature to decrease
d
29. Which of the following is characteristic of a sustainable ecosystem? a. It depends on local biodiversity. b. It uses matter conservatively. (It recycles or reuses so nothing is wasted.) c. It makes the most of renewable energy. d. All of the above e. It keeps populations in check.
e
3. A country with a growing population will have a ________ age structure diagram, while a country with a shrinking population will have a ________ age structure diagram. a. pyramid-shaped; bottom-heavy b. top-heavy; bottom-heavy c. evenly distributed; top-heavy d. evenly distributed; pyramid-shaped e. bottom-heavy; top-heavy
c
3. Which of the following does NOT directly contribute to sea level rise? a. melting of land-based ice b. thermal expansion of water c. melting of sea ice d. All of the answers are correct. e. melting of glaciers
d
4. Which of the following is an issue that a country with a top-heavy age structure diagram would face? a. a shrinking workforce b. younger members of the population being forced to care for a large number of older relatives c. None of the answers is correct. d. All of the answers are correct. e. higher wages, better working conditions, and more jobs to choose from for younger members of the population
e
4. Which of the following sources are NOT used to reconstruct past climate? a. tree rings b. coral reef growth layers c. sediment cores d. ice cores e. All of these sources are used.
b
5. The global population in 2012 is approximately _________. a. 700,000 b. 7 billion c. 700 million d. 7 million e. 70 billion
b
5. Which of the following choices is NOT evidence for the recent changes in global climate? a. earlier springs and later winters. b. a single weather event like a hurricane. c. more and longer heat waves. d. prairies giving way to deserts in Africa and the American West. e. coral reefs dying off
c
6. The global population has roughly doubled since _____ to reach the current size. a. 2000 b. 1935 c. 1967 d. 1800 e. 1750
d
6. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of climate? a. winter lows and summer highs hover close to expected norms b. long-term patterns or trends c. useful for predicting weather d. a few warmer days here and there e. timing of seasonal shifts
d
7. Cultural and economic forces than encourage women to have more children are called __________. a. None of the answers is correct. b. total fertility rates c. population momentum d. pronatalist pressures e. demographic transitions
d
7. Species have responded to global climate change in various ways. Which of the following is an example of how species have responded? a. migrating to higher altitudes b. earlier blooming c. hatching earlier d. All of the answers are correct. e. shifting ranges
e
8. What aspect of the forest fire in Minnesota's great North Woods was unusual for the climate there? a. how quickly the fire was extinguished b. that it had not burned since 1801 c. the magnitude of the fire d. the timing of the fire being in late summer e. the timing of the fire being so early in the year
e
8. Which of the following is TRUE regarding values for demographic factors between more and less developed countries? a. Life expectancy is higher in developing countries. b. Infant mortality rates are lower in developing countries. c. Life expectancy in developing countries is higher. d. Developed countries have higher total fertility rates. e. Crude birth rates are higher in developing countries.
b
9. Since climatologists started keeping records in 1850, the warmest decade globally was: a. 1850 to 1860. b. 2000 to 2010. c. 1990 to 2000. d. 1980 to 1990. e. 1950 to 1960.
e
9. The average number of children that a woman has over her lifetime is called the _______. a. crude birth rate b. population momentum c. replacement fertility rate d. desired fertility e. total fertility rate
d
A stream (running water) purifies itself a every 10 feet b every 100 feet c every mile d depends on the LOADING of the pollutant
d
During the industrial revolution and in some developing countries today pollution is regarded as a a necessary evil b a sign of progress c what the poor deserve d All of the above
a
Japan's population is fairly stable and is represented by an age structure diagram that looks like ________. a. a column b. a square c. a circle d. an inverted pyramid e. a pyramid
d
What is the worlds MOST pressing environmental problem? a. nutrient pollution b. trends in biodiversity c. global climate change d. overpopulation
a
As a country's economy changes from preindustrial to postindustrial, low birth and death rates replace high birth and death rates. This phenomenon is known as _____________. a. demographic transition b. total fertility rate c. population densities d. replacement fertility rate e. zero population growth
a
1. Long-term patterns or trends of meteorological conditions in a given area refer to its _________. a. climate b. albedo c. weather d. variability e. forecast
d
1. Which of the following is NOT a reason why the global growth rate surged as a result of the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s? a. access to cleaner water b. All of these contributed to the surging growth rate. c. improved nutrition d. improvements to the educational system e. greater use of vaccines
b & d
The term oligotrophic means a High nutrient lading -- polluted b Low nutrient loading pristine c the same thing as eutrophic d the opposite of eutrophic
d
This one time queen of both England and France issued the first recorded environmental complaint regarding wood burning a Isabella of Province b Queen Elizabeth I c Catherine the Great d Eleanor of Aquitane
