Earth Day Trivia
Which automobile pollution control technology became universally adopted following the Clean Air Act Extension of 1970? A. Catalytic converters B. Evaporative emissions control C. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) D. Seat warmers
A. Catalytic converters First widely introduced on series-production automobiles in the U.S. market for the 1975 model year to comply with tightening EPA regulations on auto exhaust, catalytic converters are small chambers in which a chemical reaction is produced that converts toxic combustion by-products to less-toxic substances.
What 1997 global agreement to reduce greenhouse gases was signed by virtually every country in the world except for the United States? A. Kyoto Protocol B. Rebirth Accords C. Noble Summit D. The Clean Air Accords
A. Kyoto Protoco The Kyoto Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of November 2009, 187 states have signed and ratified the protocol. The most notable non-member of the Protocol is the United States, which is a signatory of UNFCCC and was responsible for 36.1% of the 1990 emission levels.
What United States federal program was introduced in 1980 to clean up abandoned toxic and hazardous waste sites. A. Superfund Program B. Renaissance Program C. Surface Transportation Enviroment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) D. Energy Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP)
A. Superfund Program Superfund created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and it provides broad federal authority to clean up releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The law authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify parties responsible for contamination of sites and compel the parties to clean up the sites.
What American river caught fire in 1969, prompting multiple pollution control measures? A. The Cuyahoga River B. The Nile River C. The Chicago River D. The Amazon River
A. The Cuyahoga River The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire helped spur an avalanche of water pollution control activities resulting in the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). As a result, large point sources of pollution on the Cuyahoga have received significant attention from the OEPA in recent decades.
What iconic bird was removed from the endangered species list in 2007, after reaching near-extinction in the continental United States? A. The bald eagle B. The passenger pigeon C. The cardinal D. The mocking jay
A. The bald eagle The bald eagle was on the brink of extinction in the continental United States (while flourishing in much of Alaska and Canada) late in the 20th century, but now has a stable population and has been officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species. The Bald Eagle was officially reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened" on July 12, 1995 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. On July 6, 1999, a proposal was initiated "To Remove the Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife." It was de-listed on June 28, 2007.
The worst American nuclear disaster in history resulted from a partial reactor meltdown in 1979 at which power plant? A. Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station B. Soho Steam Electric Station C. Fermilab Quartz Energy Station D. Pearl Harbor Atomic Power Station
A. Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station The Three Mile Island accident was a partial core meltdown in Unit 2 (a pressurized water reactor manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox) of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg. It was the most significant accident in the history of the American commercial nuclear power generating industry, resulting in the release of up to 481 PBq (13 million curies) of radioactive gases, but less than 740 GBq (20 curies) of the particularly dangerous iodine-131.
When was the first Earth Day? A. 1792 B. 1970 C. 1999 D. 2003
B. 1970 Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970, when an estimated 20 million people nationwide attended the inaugural event. Senator Gaylord Nelson promoted Earth Day, calling upon students to fight for environmental causes and oppose environmental degradation with the same energy that they displayed in opposing the Vietnam War.
What does 350, the 'Magic Number' of climate change, refer to? A. 350 million kiloliters of ocean water B. 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere C. 350 million megawatts of energy from carbon dioxide-free sources D. 350 million hybrid/electric cars on the road globally
B. 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere The number represents 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere that some scientists say is the safe upper limit.
What international agreement set the groundwork for phasing out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other substances known to deplete the ozone layer? A. Stop-drop-and-roll protocol B. Montreal Protocol C. Geneva Protocol D. Gerrymander Protocol
B. Montreal Protocol A chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane. They are also commonly known by the DuPont trade name Freon. Many CFCs have been widely used as refrigerants, propellants (in aerosol applications), and solvents. The manufacture of such compounds is being phased out by the Montreal Protocol because they contribute to ozone depletion.
In 1996, the US EPA passed legislation requiring that home buyers and renters be informed of the presence of lead in what common household material? A. Drywall B. Paint C. Asbestos D. Fruit roll-ups
B. Paint On March 6, 1996, EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued the lead-based paint disclosure rule which ensures that families receive information to protect themselves from lead-based paint hazards.
The Stockholm Convention of 2001 aimed to reduce what chemical substances that are known to bio-accumulate and pose a risk to human health? A. Pixie dust derivatives B. Persistent organic pollutants C. Nuclear byproducts D. Trans Fats
B. Persistent organic pollutants Following a 1995 call for global action to be taken on POPs, defined as "chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment", the Stockholm Convention resulted in a ban of the 12 'dirty dozen' harmful POPs by 128 signatory countries.
What are the three "R's" of waste management? A. Refuse, Refrain, and Redeem B. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle C. Renew, Remake, and Remodel D. Remix, Reinvent, and Redistribute
B. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.
Approximately how many countries participated in Earth Day 2000? A. 10 B. 140 C. 180 D. 3 Trillion
C. 180 180 countries participated in Earth Day 2000, 40 more than had participated in 1990. The Earth Day Network estimates that approximately 1 billion people participate in Earth Day each year, making it the "largest secular event in the world."
How much of our air pollution comes from motor vehicles, like cars and trucks? A. <5% B. 30% C. 50% D. 80%
C. 50% Pollutants can be classified as either primary or secondary. Usually, primary pollutants are substances directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust or sulfur dioxide released from factories.
Which Soviet nuclear plant exploded, causing what is widely considered the worst nuclear disaster in history? A. Sochi B. Greifswald C. Chernobyl D. Azkaban
C. Chernobyl The plume from the disastrous explosion at Chernobyl drifted over large parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Northern Europe, with some nuclear rain falling as far away as Ireland. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people.
Where was the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in 2009? A. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry B. Helsinki C. Copenhagen D. Vatican City
C. Copenhagen The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 December and 18 December. The conference included the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol.
The melting of the Greenland ice sheet poses an immediate threat to the survival of which animal? A. Penguins B. Charmanders C. Polar bears D. Killer whales
C. Polar bears In 2006, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory determined that Greenland's glaciers were melting twice as fast as previously estimated.
Who is considered the founder of Earth Day? A. Vice President Al Gore B. President John F. Kennedy C. Senator Gaylord Nelson D. Dubby the House Elf
C. Senator Gaylord Nelson Nelson was always passionate about the environment. In 1963 he traveled on the Conservation Tour with President John F. Kennedy and was the principal founder of Earth Day, the first of which was held in 1970.
What year did the United States EPA declared greenhouse gasses a threat to public health? A. 1832 B. 1975 C. 1994 D. 2009
D. 2009 After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, in 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also found that GHG emissions from on- road vehicles contribute to that threat.
In which state did the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill occur? A. New York B. Mexico C. Nevada D. Alaska
D. Alaska The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in the Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 23, 1989. It is considered one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur at sea. As significant as the Valdez spill was, it ranks well down on the list of the world's largest oil spills in terms of volume released. However, Prince William Sound's remote location (accessible only by helicopter and boat) made government and industry response efforts difficult and severely taxed existing plans for response.
Which of the following help reduce air pollution? A. Using fluorescent lights B. Using water-based products C. Using cruise control D. All of the above
D. All of the above Efforts to reduce pollution from mobile sources includes primary regulation (many developing countries have permissive regulations), expanding regulation to new sources (such as cruise and transport ships, farm equipment, and small gas- powered equipment such as lawn trimmers, chainsaws, and snowmobiles), increased fuel efficiency (such as through the use of hybrid vehicles), conversion to cleaner fuels (such as bioethanol, biodiesel, or conversion to electric vehicles).
Which of the following legislative actions occurred directly following the first Earth Day? A. The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) B. The Clean Water Act C. The Clean Air Act Extension D. All of the above
D. All of the above Just 8 months after the first Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency began dealing with all of the country's eco-initiatives, from banning DDT and setting emission standards to regulating the application of lead-based paint and preventing water pollution.
What city hosted the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999, which suffered mass protests by activists concerned about labor, consumer protection, and environmental issues? A. Narnia B. St. Louis C. Portland D. Seattle
D. Seattle The scale of the demonstrations, even the lowest estimates put the crowd at over 40,000, dwarfed any previous demonstration in the United States against a world meeting of any of the organizations generally associated with economic globalization (such as the WTO, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), or the World Bank). The events are sometimes referred to as the Battle of Seattle or the Battle in Seattle.
What book helped launch the modern environmental movement, and led to the widespread ban of DDT? A. The Great Gatsby B. A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf C. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone D. Silent Spring
D. Silent Spring The New Yorker started serializing Silent Spring in June 1962, and it was published in book form later that year. When the book Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson was already a well-known writer on natural history, but had not previously been a social critic. The book was widely read (especially after its selection by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the New York Times best- seller list), and inspired widespread public concerns with pesticides and pollution of the environment. Silent Spring facilitated the ban of the pesticide DDT in 1972 in the United States
With over 1.2 million people displaced, 13 cities flooded, submersion of polluted factories, and location on top of geologic fault lines, what is widely thought to be the most environmentally destructive dam project of all time? A. The Three Kings Dam B. The Hoover Dam C. The Big Dam D. The Three Gorges Dam
D. The Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric river dam that spans the Yangtze River in the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, at the Hubei province, China. It is the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind.