EES 029 Exam 3

In a landmark epidemiological study of ambient air pollution and mortality in six U.S. cities, Dockery et al. (1993) found a ____ higher mortality rate in the city with the highest pollution compared to the city with the lowest a. 26% b. 2600% c. 260% d. 2.6%

a. 26%

Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel? a. Biomass b. Natural gas c. Coal d. Petroleum

a. Biomass

Which of the following is NOT a primary energy source? a. Electricity b. Wind c. Biomass combustion d. Hydroelectric e. Coal combustion

a. Electricity

Which of the following statements about the human health impacts of energy use, at the scale of societies or countries, is true? a. Increasing per capita energy use is associated with improved health but only up to a point; after that, increasing energy use confers no further health benefit. b. Increasing per capita energy use is associated with improved health, but only if fossil fuels provide most of the energy. c. Increasing per capita energy use is associated with improved health.

a. Increasing per capita energy use is associated with improved health but only up to a point; after that, increasing energy use confers no further health benefit

Which of the following statements about climate change mitigation and adaptation is true? a. Mitigation includes both reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and promoting the removal of greenhouse gases from the air through sequestration. b. Climate change adaptation is counterproductive because it distracts from climate change mitigation. c. Climate mitigation is the responsibility of the energy and transportation sectors, while the health sector is primarily responsible for climate adaptation. d. Climate change adaptation may justifiably be deferred for future generations, because it will be far less costly in the future. e. Mitigation occurs on a local scale, while adaptation occurs on a global scale.

a. Mitigation includes both reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and promoting the removal of greenhouse gases from the air through sequestration.

Health concerns related to nuclear power include all of the following except: a. Substantial contributions to climate change b. Potential of weaponization of nuclear fuel c. Radiation exposure from nuclear waste d. Potential of accidents at nuclear plants

a. Substantial contributions to climate change

It protects us from ultraviolet radiation All of the following except which affect an air pollutant's ability to penetrate the respiratory system a. Weather b. Exercise c. Size d. Chemical properties

a. Weather

Major health impacts of fossil fuel combustion include all of the following EXCEPT: a. Contributions to climate change b. Allergies c. Air pollution d. Mercury exposure

b. Allergies

The vast majority of the world's energy comes from which of the following? a. Nuclear power and coal. b. Coal and petroleum. c. Natural gas and petroleum. d. Nuclear and hydroelectric power. e. Biomass and diesel.

b. Coal and petroleum.

In general, which particle size category is likely to penetrate most deeply into the lung a. PM100 b. PM2.5 c. PM10 d. TSP

b. PM2.5

The "energy ladder" refers to a sequence of energy courses. In general, as a society moves up the energy ladder, each of the following increases EXCEPT: a. Distance between the energy production and end user b. Cleanliness c. Adverse health impacts d. Cost

c. Adverse health impacts

Which of the following is true regarding public belief in climate change? Select one: a. Over 85% of Americans deny that climate change is occurring. b. Health professionals are not trusted sources regarding climate change and its risks; public trust is higher for elected officials and sports and media personalities. c. Family and friends are powerful determinants of a person's beliefs about climate change. d. Beliefs about climate change are constant across political parties, religious affiliation, and age. e. Providing authoritative scientific information about climate change is associated with substantial shifts in opinion.

c. Family and friends are powerful determinants of a person's beliefs about climate change.

The extraction of unconventional gas involves which set of health related hazards: a. Flammable gas production b. Mercury emissions from combustion c. Fracking flowback and production waters d. Trucking and transportation risk

c. Fracking flowback and production waters

The process of hydrofracking seeks to: a. Move oil from the swamp to the well. b. Decrease porosity in open reservoir rocks though injection of high pressure fluids and soilds. c. Increase porosity in tight reservoir rocks through injection of high pressure fluids and soilds. d. Endanger health through introducing methane into groundwater

c. Increase porosity in tight reservoir rocks through injection of high pressure fluids and soilds.

Climate change may contribute to water contamination through all of the following mechanisms EXCEPT: a. Coliform contamination from combined sewer outflows following severe rainfall b. Harmful algal blooms c. Increased chlorine concentrations due to water treatment malfunctions d. Vibrio contamination due to warmer marine waters e. Contamination by cryptosporidium or giardia from increased non-point source runoff after storms

c. Increased chlorine concentrations due to water treatment malfunctions

The United States Clean Air Act mandates health-protective national ambient air quality standards for which group of key outdoor pollutants (i.e., the criteria pollutants) a. Lead, toxic pollutants, volatile organic compounds b. Lead, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide c. Lead, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulates, ozone d. Lead, toxic pollutants, volatile organic compounds, biological pollutants

c. Lead, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulates, ozone

Which of the following statements about heat waves is true? a. Heat waves in recent years have been most severe near the equator, and mild in norther latitudes. b. Heat waves are more severe in rural areas than in urban areas. c. Risk factors for death during heat waves are well defined. d. Heat wave preparedness planning is ineffective in reducing deaths during heat waves.

c. Risk factors for death during heat waves are well defined.

According to the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study (Lim et al., 2012), ambient particulate matter, one type of air pollution, was responsible for over _____ premature deaths and ________ of global disability-adjusted life years in 2010 a. 3,200, 3.1% b. 320,000, 3.1% c. 320,000, 31.0% d. 3,200,000, 3.1%

d. 3,200,000, 3.1%

Which of the following is NOT a significant greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming? a. Chlorofluorocarbons b. Carbon dioxide c. Water vapor d. Carbon monoxide e. Methane

d. Carbon monoxide

Which of the following air pollutants is NOT expected to increase as a result of climate change? a. Ozone b. Allergens such as pollen c. Particulate matter from wildfires d. Dioxins

d. Dioxins

All of the following are true about tropospheric ozone except a. It is formed by the reaction of precursors (VOCs, NOx) and sunlight b. Indoor concentrations are usually lower than outdoor concentrations c. It is a powerful oxidant that can trigger asthma attacks d. It protects us from ultraviolet radiation

d. It protects us from ultraviolet radiation

Each of the following sources of energy is considered renewable EXCEPT: a. Solar b. Wind c. Hydroelectric d. Natural gas

d. Natural gas

Global climate change contributes to each of the following EXCEPT: a. Species extinctions b. More severe storms c. Rising sea levels d. Peak petroleum production e. Ocean acidification

d. Peak petroleum production

Ambient concentrations of an air pollutant can be highest under conditions of stagnant winds and ________ a. Nigtime deposition b. Atmospheric turbulence c. Seasonal transitions d. Temperature inversions

d. Temperature inversions

The most widely supported economic strategy for combatting climate change is: Select one: a. Forcing OPEC to increase oil production to avoid any fuel shortages. b. The "War on Coal," prohibiting coal production after 2025. c. Placing large export tariffs on fossil fuels. d. Reforestation of parts of Brazil, Indonesia, and other areas where severe forest loss has occurred. e. "Putting a price on carbon" through a carbon tax or "cap and trade" mechanism.

e. "Putting a price on carbon" through a carbon tax or "cap and trade" mechanism.

Each of the following is a vector-borne disease that has expanded its range in recent years, in a pattern consistent with climate change contributions, EXCEPT: a. Lyme disease b. Chikungunya c. Dengue fever d. Malaria e. Polio

e. Polio

The impacts of climate change on food and agriculture include all of the following EXCEPT: a. Reduced production of wheat, maize, and other staple crops in much of the world, especially parts of Africa and Asia b. Increased production of staple crops in some parts of the world, such as parts of Canada and Russia. c. Reduced nutrient content of some foods. d. Increased crop loss due to plant diseases. e. Reduced growth of most weeds, enhancing crop production.

e. Reduced growth of most weeds, enhancing crop production.