SB16 - Environmental Policy & Sustainability

The creation of ______ in a democratic system includes many influences: negotiation, compromise, citizen action, power, money, and open debate.

policy

The biggest success of the Millennium Development Goals was in reducing levels of _____.

poverty

In the United States, the executive branch is headed by the _____.

president

Enforcement of international agreements frequently depends on how much a country cares about its ______ with other countries.

reputation

While students may press their universities to following green building principles, administration may ultimately follow through because the buildings will ______.

save money

A drive to possess stuff has been dubbed "______."

affluenza

A campus _____ involves students, faculty, and administrators in examining water and energy use on campus, waste production and disposal, paper consumption, and recycling.

audit

Corporations are eager to ______ but ______.

avoid taxes; depend on the government for roads and communication infrastructure

Colleges and universities are following _____ building principles because of student pressure, money savings, and support of innovative initiatives.

green

A person who has environmental literacy ______.

has fluency in the principles of ecology that gives them working knowledge of the basic grammar and underlying syntax of environmental wisdom

Put the steps of policy formation in the correct order, beginning with the first step on the top and the last step on the bottom.

1) Identify the problem and set agenda 2) Develop proposals 3) Build support 4) Enact law or rule 5) Implement policy 6) Evaluate results and suggest changes

The College of the __1__ in Bar Harbor, Maine, is the number one "Cool School" according to the Sierra Club (2018). The reasons for the ranking include divestment from fossil fuel companies, high-efficiency student __2__, and the use of organic food.

1. Atlantic 2. housing

Federal laws are created by first being proposed and enacted by ______ and then being signed by ______.

1. Congress 2. the president

The U.S. __1__ and __2__ Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are the two agencies primarily responsible for the studying and restoration of threatened and endangered species populations.

1. Fish 2. Wildlife

Native Americans came together at __1__ __2__ in 2016 to protest the planned route of an oil pipeline across sacred lands.

1. Standing 2. Rock

*image* These are __1__ __2__ __3__ the promoted by the United Nations in 2016.

1. Sustainable 2. Development 3. Goals

The World __1__ Fund and the Natural __2__ Defense Council are two groups involved with environmental challenges.

1. Wildlife 2. Resources

Many environmental policies were established in the ______ in response to unregulated environmental degradation, strong bipartisan action in politics, and the relatively weak influence (legally) of corporate monies.

1970s

How does the judicial branch of government establish environmental law?

By ruling on the constitutionality of statutes and interpreting their meaning

The U.S. ______ oversees public lands and national parks.

Department of the Interior

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

Directs governments to share data on climate change and to develop plans for controlling greenhouse gases

The ______ allows a species to be listed for varying levels of protection, and provides rules for protection.

Endangered Species Act

People who are likely to develop technologies and products to clean up pollution and prevent its production in the first place are from which field of study? Multiple choice question.

Engineering

Which cabinet-level department has the primary responsibility for protecting environmental quality in the United States?

Environmental Protection Agency

What is the first step in the policy cycle?

Identifying a problem

In 1990, Congress recognized the importance of environmental understanding by passing the ______.

National Environmental Education Act

Montreal Protocol

Protect stratospheric ozone

Basel Convention

Restricts shipment of hazardous waste across boundaries Restricts shipment of hazardous waste across boundaries

Kyoto Protocol

Set targets for greenhouse gas emissions

______ is a term used to describe ways of living more lightly on earth by using less and sharing more.

Sustainable development

This international agreement established rules to restrict unauthorized or illegal trade across national boundaries.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

What is NEPA?

The National Environmental Policy Act

Why were insurance companies the first corporations to call for action on climate change?

They could lose billions from worsening storms and droughts.

What is the goal of the Superfund Act?

To generate a large pool of money to help remediate abandoned toxic sites.

Audubon Society

To protect birds which were being killed for their feathers

Sierra Club

To protect the giant redwoods in California

Wilderness Society

To protect wild land from development

Which of the following examples doesn't help reduce your impact by saving water?

Water gardens during the afternoon.

The Standing Rock protest occurred in 2016 in response to ______.

a planned oil pipeline in sacred tribal areas

The importance of ______ such as STARS gives universities a visible structure to follow when trying to reach sustainability goals.

a ranking system

Middlebury College is one of the Sierra Club's "Cool Schools" because it became _____ neutral in 2016.

carbon

Universities are enacting environmental policies for both moral and long-term _____ reasons.

economic

To establish environmental _____, the judicial branch examines the body of legal opinions built up by many court cases and reviews legislative records from hearings to determine congressional intent.

laws

______ are needed to develop government and industry policy, laws, and regulations to protect the environment.

lawyers

The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 aimed to ______.

make U.S. waters "fishable and swimmable"

Countries have begun to recognize the interconnections of protecting our global environment, leading them to sign on to international _____.

policies

Many new environmental groups are also concerned with _____ and environmental causes.

social

The Montreal Protocol protects ______.

stratospheric ozone

The STARS rating system ranks schools on ______; the rankings are bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.

sustainability

The executive branch in the United States includes administrative agencies such as _____.

the Environmental Protection Agency

As of 2018, large progress has been made with the Millennium Development Goals including reducing by half ______.

the proportion of undernourished people

Conspicuous consumption is ______.

the purchasing of things we don't want or need to impress others

The poorest people in the world will suffer the most from climate change, so groups such as 350.org ______.

work toward environmental and social causes

Which of the following goals are included in the Superfund Act?

◇ Address the remediation of orphaned sites ◇ Allow the Environmental Protection Agency to try to establish liability ◇ Address emergency spills

What are some common air quality concerns that the Clean Air Act protects against?

◇ Airborne metal such as mercury ◇ Airborne sulfuric acid ◇ Coal smoke

Which of the following tenets aligns with the precautionary principle?

◇ Before using a technology, process, or chemical, proponents have an obligation to examine alternatives, including the alternatives of not using it. ◇ Decisions should be open and democratic and must include the affected parties. ◇ People have a duty to take steps to prevent harm.

How can sustainable development be accomplished?

◇ By growing through resource management, education, and the arts ◇ By having a growing reliance on renewable energy resources

Which of the following correctly describe ways in which lawbreakers can be prosecuted for harming the environment?

◇ Civil law can regulate relations between individuals and corporations where there is accusation of environmental and personal impact. ◇ Criminal law allows for someone to seek compensation for damages when they have been impacted by environmental pollution.

Which of the following agencies are responsible for studying and attempting to restore threatened and endangered species?

◇ Fish and Wildlife Service ◇ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

What does NEPA do?

◇ It authorizes the Council on Environmental Quality. ◇ It directs federal agencies to take environmental consequences into account in decision making. ◇ It requires an environmental impact statement to be published for every major federal project likely to have an impact on environmental quality.

What factors are involved in the establishment of a policy?

◇ Negotiations and compromise ◇ Power and money ◇ Public interest

What are some of the primary aims of the Millennium Development Goals?

◇ Preserving biodiversity ◇ Providing safe water ◇ Ending extreme hunger and poverty

Which of the following are examples of a civil case leading to a conviction?

◇ The Koch oil company paid $35 million in fines and penalties to state and federal authorities for negligence in more than 300 oil spills. ◇ The Exxon oil company was charged with paying $5 billion in damages to Alaskan fishermen.

Which three entities are involved in the process of passing statutory laws?

◇ The Senate ◇ The House of Representatives ◇ The president

Which of the following statements is correct about the U.S. court system?

◇ The U.S. Supreme Court decides whether a law is consistent with the Constitution of the United States. ◇ Each state has its own supreme court to determine if a law is consistent with the state's constitution.

What does the Endangered Species Act do?

◇ The act provides rules for protecting endangered species and their habitat. ◇ The act provides a structure for identifying and listing species that are vulnerable, threatened, or endangered.

Why were many environmental policies established in the 1970s?

◇ The lobbying industry was still small. ◇ Environmental degradation was very apparent. ◇ There was strong bipartisan action in politics.

What frequently motivates a country to participate in an international agreement?

◇ To avoid public embarrassment ◇ Maintaining a strong international reputation

What are the two goals of the National Environmental Education Act?

◇ To encourage postsecondary students to pursue careers related to the environment ◇ To improve public understanding of the natural environment

What is the purpose of the Clean Air Act?

◇ To provide the first nationally standardized rules in the United States for air pollutants ◇ To identify and regulate seven major air contaminants ◇ To identify, monitor, and reduce air contaminants

Which of the following suggestions help to reduce your environmental impact?

◇ Walk, bicycle, or use public transportation. ◇ Use cloth napkins instead of paper towels. ◇ Wash dishes and clothes only when loads are full.

In a campus audit, students, faculty, and administrators may examine ______.

◇ energy use ◇ waste production ◇ recycling amounts ◇ water use

The first goals of the Clean Water Act were to ______.

◇ identify and control end-of-the-pipe discharges from factories ◇ identify and control point-source pollutants ◇ identify and control discharges from sewage treatment plants

The U.S. Supreme Court ______.

◇ is the court of last resort for appeals for both federal and state court systems ◇ is composed of nine justices whose job is to judge whether a law is consistent with the U.S. Constitution

The general public benefits from governmental assistance via ______.

◇ police and fire protection ◇ social security payments ◇ public schooling

The precautionary principle states that we ______.

◇ should take action on potential threats to human health or the environment, even if we don't fully understand the problems and risks ◇ shouldn't mass-market new chemicals, cars, or toys until they are assured to be safe

Nations have become increasingly interested in signing on to international agreements because ______.

◇ they recognize the interconnections of our global environment ◇ they recognize that they cannot protect their resources on their own ◇ many issues cross international boundaries

A person who is environmentally literate is more likely to ______.

◇ understand how human society is influencing the environment ◇ understand the scientific concepts and facts that underlie environmental issues ◇ be involved in activities to improve and restore environmental quality