ENVSTY Final

The central characteristic of a high-throughput economy is that it ____. a. Generates large amounts of wealth for a few individuals who receive tax breaks to reinvest in the economy b. Is extremely durable, although prone to cycles of downturn followed by rapid growth c. Boosts economic growth by increasing the flow of matter and energy resources through the economic system d. Is sustainable with slow but persistent growth and occasional periods of stagnation e. Generates large amounts of wealth throughout the population, resulting in continued growth

C. Boosts economic growth by increasing the flow of matter and energy resources

Markets do well in the production and distribution of private goods, but are not so good at ____. a. Distribution of resources b. Protecting sources of information c. Developing strategies d. Accumulating resources e. Public services

E. Public Services

Full-cost pricing would discourage producers from inventing more resource-efficient methods of production, thereby cutting production costs. True/False

False

Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere because they absorb incoming solar energy before it reaches the earth's surface. True/False

False

Recycling is less economically feasible in urban areas because of the high concentrations of recyclable materials. True/False

False

Technological fixes, such as using resources more efficiently, have been able to keep up with expansion of global resource use. Ture/False

False

A discount rate is the estimate of a resource's future economic value compared to its present value. True/False

True

Applying the Environmental Justice Principle would mean no group of people would bear an unfair share of environmental pollution or degradation. True/False

True

Businesses facing environmental regulations often try to have people from their industry appointed to high positions within the corresponding regulatory agencies. True/False

True

Covering land with buildings, asphalt, and concrete causes precipitation to run off quickly and overload storm drains. True/False

True

Government subsidies to farmers and fishing fleets can promote unsustainable practices. True/False

True

Most of the world's cities have huge ecological footprints and are not self-sustaining systems True/False

True

Per molecule, methane is 25 times more effective at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. True/False

True

Research by psychologists have found that a growing number of people want more of a sense of community as opposed to more material goods. True/False

True

The ultimate success of any emissions trading approach to pollution reduction depends on how low the initial cap is set and how often it is lowered. True/False

True

The National Environmental Policy Act requires that ____. a. an environmental impact statement (EIS) must be developed for every major federal project likely to have an effect on environmental quality b. all companies with more than 50 employees must have an environmental impact minimization policy and demonstrate its effectiveness c. federal projects cannot cause more than minimal harm to the environment d. companies with stringent environmental protection policies will receive substantial tax breaks e. state and local agencies can bar federal projects if they are believed to adversely

a. An environmental impact statement (EIS) must be developed for every major federal project likely to have an effect on environmental quality

One characteristic of waste-to-energy incineration is that it ____. a. concentrates hazardous substances into ash b. produces no air pollution c. is inexpensive to build d. produces no hazardous waste e. discourages waste production

a. Concentrates hazardous substances into ash

Since 1980, Arctic sea ice has ____. a. decreased in volume and surface area b. decreased in volume but not changed in surface area c. increased in volume and surface area d. not changed in volume or surface area e. not changed in volume, but decreased in surface area

a. Decreased in volume and surface area

Which item is a nonuse value? a. Existence value b. Monetary cost c. Mitigation cost d. Willingness-to-pay value e. Utilitarian value

a. Existence value

History shows that significant changes to environmental policy usually come from ____. a. Grassroots levels b. Regulated industries c. Elected officials d. Appointed officials e. Environmental scientists

a. Grassroots levels

Although temperatures have fluctuated throughout Earth's history, scientists are greatly concerned about the current warming because ____. a. it is occurring at a more rapid rate than was typical in the past b. the sun is getting warmer which amplifies warming on the earth c. clouds are not reflecting as much radiation now as in the past d. the ozone hole is allowing more radiation to enter the atmosphere e. wildfires are more severe and occur with greater frequency

a. It is occurring at a more rapid rate than was typical in the past

Which action is characteristic of voluntary simplicity? a.Learning to live with much less b.Working more to provide for more family wants c.Using products with greater environmental impact d.Adding more possessions that last longer e.Increasing adoption in underdeveloped societies

a. Learning to live with much less

A drawback to implementing environmental taxes and fees is that it ____. a. penalizes low-income groups unless safety nets are provided b. helps bring about full-cost pricing c. encourages businesses to develop environmentally beneficial goods d. is easily administered by existing tax agencies e. introduces environmentally beneficial technologies

a. Penalizes low-income groups unless safety nets are provided

The ____ is used in the United States to regulate hazardous waste. a. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act b. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Recovery, Compensation, and Liability Act c. Superfund Act d. Solid Waste Disposal Act e. Clean Water Act

a. Resource conservation and recovery act

Which worldview understands the earth to be a complex machine that we can understand, dominate, change, and manage for everyone's good without overloading natural systems? a. spaceship-earth school b. free-market school c. deep ecology school d. biocentric philosophy e. stewardship principle

a. Spaceship-earth school

Cities generate large amounts of heat because of factories, cars, lights, air conditioning, and dark roofs. This creates a phenomenon called ____. a. urban heat island b. light pollution c. heat pump d. heat stroke e. greenhouse effect

a. Urban heat island

The most widely used land-use planning approach is ____, in which parcels of land are designated for certain uses such as residential, commercial, or mixed use. a. zoning b. urbanization c. domaining d. belting e. clustering

a. Zoning

Who stated "that land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics."? a.David Ehrenfeld b.Aldo Leopold c.Rene Dubois d.Juan Martinez e.Mahatma Gandhi

b. Aldo Leopold

Research by Thomas Homer-Dixon, director of Canada's Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, has revealed a strong correlation between growing scarcities of resources and ____. a. Economic growth b. Civil unrest and violence c. Demands for increased regulation d. High immigration rates e. Investment by foreign companies

b. Civil unrest and violence

The difference between industrial and photochemical smog is that photochemical smog ____. a.Is produced by stationary sources rather than mobile ones b.Contains secondary pollutants formed under the influence of UV radiation from the sun c.Contains carbon dioxide d.Is not related to coal burning e.Involves reactions with oxygen

b. Contains secondary pollutants formed under the influence of UV radiation from the sun

The no-regrets strategy calls for ____. a. focusing on reducing deforestation rather than the burning of fossils fuels b. implementing preventative measures immediately that will benefit society regardless of climate change c. maintaining the status quo until more data is gathered d. building consensus among world nations to address climate change e. ignoring the effects of climate change since they will not immediately impact daily life

b. Implementing preventative measures immediately that will benefit society regardless of climate change

Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are ____. a. NGOs that pressure organizations to alter environmentally destructive practices b. international environmental treaties designed to address environmental issues c. judicial conventions to which all governments must abide d. groups of lobbyists that pressure governments to pass environmental laws e. lawsuits designed to protect endangered species worldwide

b. International environmental treaties designed to address environmental issues

The point at which the supplier's price matches what buyers are willing to pay for some quantity of a good or service is called the ____. a. Demand curve b. Market price equilibrium point c. Supply curve d. Price line e. Market cost

b. Market price equilibrium point

Which statement about ozone thinning is true? a.Ozone thinning is confined to the atmosphere over Antarctica. b.Ozone levels fluctuate seasonally, with the lowest levels occurring in September and October. c.Ozone thinning is irreversible since there are no substitutes for CFCs. d.An international agreement to halt ozone thinning has yet to take place. e.Ozone thinning only affects organisms living in polar regions.

b. Ozone levels fluctuate seasonally, with the lowest levels occurring in September and October.

Green plans are now being employed in several nations, including Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and ____. a. the United States b. The Netherlands c. Germany d. Iceland e. Haiti

b. The Netherlands

Americans waste what percentage of their food? a. 1-5% b. 10-20% c. 30-40% d. 60-75% e. 80-90%

c. 30-40%

The concept of ____ recognizes that some climate change is unavoidable because we have waited too long to act and people have to react to some of its harmful effects. a. administration b. mitigation c. adaptation d. elimination e. equivocation

c. Adaptation

Studying the earth's living systems to find out what works and what lasts, and then looking at how we might copy such earth wisdom, is a pioneering science called ____. a. bio simulation b. bio imitation c. biomimicry d. bio fascimile e. bio replication

c. Biomimicry

One advantage of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) is that ____. a. they reduce the production of municipal solid waste b. electricity generation offsets emissions of toxic ash c. combustible wastes can be burned to generate electricity d. they eliminate the need for source separation e. they are inexpensive to build

c. Combustible wastes can be burned to generate electricity

What is a disadvantage of using aquaculture to produce fish? a. low yield in small volume of water b. leads to overharvesting of fisheries c. makes dense fish populations more vulnerable to disease d. usually is low efficiency e. expensive with low profits

c. Makes dense fish populations more vulnerable to disease

As part of their digestion process, cattle and dairy cows release ____, a greenhouse gas with about 25 times the warming potential of CO2. a. sulfur dioxide b. argon c. methane d. oxygen e. nitrogen

c. Methane

The largest contributor to industrial solid waste in the United States is the ____ industry. a. lumber b. fast food c. mining d. clothing e. steel

c. Mining

What is an indirect cost of car ownership? a. maintenance and repair b. gasoline c. pollution from production and use d. raw materials and labor e. dealer mark-up

c. Pollution from production and use

Which strategy would be least effective for industry and communities in their efforts to reduce resource use, waste, and pollution? a. Reduce or eliminate packaging. b. Establish cradle-to-grave laws for computers, electronic equipment, and appliances. c. Redesign landfills. d. Redesign products to be easier to repair, reuse and manufacture. e. Redesign manufacturing processes to use less material and energy.

c. Redesign landfills

The optimum level of pollution control is reached when ____. a. marginal costs of pollution control begin to exceed what the public will pay for control b. marginal costs of pollution begin to exceed the marginal costs of pollution control c. the marginal cost of pollution control intersects with the marginal cost of pollution d. demand for pollution clean-up exceeds the capacity to clean pollution e. technologies become affordable to clean up pollution

c. The marginal cost of pollution control intersects with the marginal cost of pollution

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol went into effect in 2005 with only seven of the world's 194 nations not ratifying the agreement. Which country did not ratify it? a. The Netherlands b. Canada c. the United States d. Germany e. Switzerland

c. The united states

According to the EPA, what are the three most dangerous indoor air pollutants? a. tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, and methane b. tobacco smoke, sulfur dioxide, and ultrafine particles c. tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, and radon-222 d. carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and methane e.Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and radon-222

c. Tobacco smoke, formaldehyde and radon-222

With industrialized food production, for every one unit of energy put on the table in the United States, how many units of nonrenewable fossil fuel energy are required to produce it? a. 1 b. 2 c. 5 d. 10 e. 100

d. 10

When did Congress restrict the use of lead-based paint in homes? a. 1956 b. 1961 c. 1966 d. 1971 e. 1976

d. 1971

By the year 2050, the world needs to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by ____% in order to prevent the planet from heating up by more than 3.6o F (2o C). a. 5-15 b. 15-25 c. 25-50 d. 50-85 e. 100

d. 50-85

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ____ people face health problems because of undernutrition and another ____ people face health problems because of overnutrition. a. 0.5 million; 1 million b. 1 million; 1.6 million c. 0.6 billion; 1 billion d. 795 million; 2.1 billion e. 1.6 billion; 2 billion

d. 795 million; 2.1 billion

What percentage of the food products currently on U.S. supermarket shelves contains some form of genetically modified food or ingredients? a. 10% b. 30% c. 50% d. 80% e. 100%

d. 80%

How much of the nation's land is under the control of the federal agencies? a. Less than 5% b. About 10% c. About one-quarter d. About one-third e. Nearly half

d. About one-third

Which action would be an ineffective preventive measure for acid deposition? a.Reducing coal use b.Burning low-sulfur coal c.Switching to natural gas or renewable energy resources d.Adding lime to neutralize acidified lakes e.Removing SO2 and NOx from motor vehicle exhausts

d. Adding lime to neutralize acidified lakes

The grasshopper effect is a result of ____. a.Pollutants being transferred from warmer areas to polar areas by ocean currents b.Warm air sitting on top of cool, stagnant air c.The mixing of warm and cold air d.Air pollutants being transferred from warmer areas to polar areas by evaporation and wind e.Precipitation exceeding evaporation

d. Air pollutants being transferred from warmer areas to polar areas by evaporation and wind

Which school of economics contends that conventional economic growth eventually will become unsustainable because it can deplete or degrade various irreplaceable forms of natural capital? a. Classical b. Neoclassical c. Capitalistic d. Ecological e. Socialistic

d. Ecological

Which statement about indoor air pollution in the United States is false? a.Levels of several common air pollutants are 2-5 times higher in inside U.S. homes than outside. b.Pollution levels inside cars in urban areas are up to 18 times higher than outside. c.Health risks are magnified because 70% or more of our time is spent in cars or homes. d.Exposure to outdoor air pollution presents a higher cancer risk than with indoor air pollution. e.Pesticides and lead accumulate in carpet and on furniture in homes.

d. Exposure to outdoor air pollution presents a higher cancer risk than with indoor air pollution

A second green revolution has been taking place since 1967, based on ____. a. fast-growing cattle b. extra heavy hogs c. sheep that fatten quickly d. fast-growing rice and wheat e. vitamin enriched soybeans

d. Fats-growing rice and wheat

An urban area where people have little or no easy access to nutritious food without traveling long distances is called a(n) ____. a. rural food oasis b. urban food oasis c. food island d. food desert e. food bank

d. Food desert

Outputs of hazardous waste can be reduced by relying less on ____ and more on ____. a. citizens; governments b. preventative strategies; renewable energy c. fossil fuels; nuclear energy d. fossil fuels; renewable energy e. governments; citizens

d. Fossil fuels and renewable energy

Which environmental worldview is seen by critics as focused on short-term economic benefits with little regard for long term harmful consequences? a. no-problem school b. human centered school c. environmental wisdom d. free-market school e. planetary management

d. Free-market school

What is the most common method of hazardous waste storage in most countries of the world? a. burial at sea b. above ground tanks c. inside plants and warehouses d. land burial e. gasification

d. Land burial

Part of the environmental wisdom worldview proposes that success involves ____. a.Managing the earth's systems for ourselves b.Managing the earth by dominating, changing, and managing the earth for everyone c.Economic growth, development, better management, and technology d.Learning how nature sustains itself and integrating this into our actions e.Understanding nature to dominate, change, and manage it

d. Learning how nature sustains itself and integrating this into our action

In sustainable community development, the "triple bottom line" refers to ____. a. the present, the short-term future, and the long-term future b. urban, suburban, and rural c. earth, air, and water d. people, the planet, and profits e. health, wealth, and growth

d. People, the planet and profits

The predicted rise in sea levels during the 21st century is least likely to cause ____. a. saltwater contamination of coastal freshwater aquifers b. flooding of some of the world's largest coastal cities, including New York c. flooding of low-lying barrier islands and gently sloping coastlines d. replenishment of many coastal fisheries e. destruction of many coastal estuaries, wetlands, and coral reefs

d. Replenishment of many coastal fisheries

Sanitary landfills typically have problems with ____. a. running out of space quickly b. high operating costs c. producing hazardous waste d. traffic, noise, and dust e. spread of disease

d. Traffic, noise and dust

What was the major point learned in the 1991 Biosphere 2 experiment? a.We should focus on recycling waste and wastewater. b.We should learn how to grow a rainforest in an enclosed area for life support. c.We must be aware that CO2 recycling is really difficult. d.We cannot engineer life-supporting systems as well as those provided by nature. e.We must admit that extinction is inevitable

d. We cannot engineer life-support systems as well as those provided by nature

Urban populations consume about ____% of the earth's resources. a. 20 b. 40 c. 50 d. 75 e. 90

d.75

Which statement about higher gasoline taxes is true? a. They failed to result in increased use of mass transit and car sharing in Europe. b. They have successfully reduced single occupancy vehicle use in the United States. c. They are generally supported by the transportation and fuel industries. d. They are more acceptable when fast, efficient, reliable, and affordable mass-transit options, bike lanes, and sidewalks are available. e. They are generally more accepted by dispersed populations than more concentrated populations.

d.They are more acceptable when fast, efficient, reliable and affordable mass-transit options, bike lanes and sidewalks are available

According to a 2015 EPA report, between 1980 and 2014, the combined emissions of the six major outdoor air pollutants decreased by ___%. a. 17 b. 23 c. 36 d. 49 e. 70

e. 70

What percentage of all antibiotics used in the United States are added to animal feed? a. 20% b. 40% c. 50% d. 60% e. 80%

e. 80%

What percentage of the U.S. population strongly supports environmental laws and regulations, and does not want them weakened? a. 25% b. 33% c. 50% d. 66% e. 80%

e. 80%

Much of the e-waste in the United States not buried or burned is ____. a. recycled b. stored in warehouses c. crushed and used as construction material d. dismantled and reused e. shipped to Asia or Africa

e. Shipped to asia or africa

Which worldview is exemplified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of refuges protecting habitats and breeding areas for waterfowl and big game? a. no-problem school b. free-market school c. planetary management d. environmental wisdom e. stewardship

e. Stewardship

Outdoor air pollution is increased when ____. a.Particles that are heavier than air settle out of the atmosphere b.Rain and snow wash pollutants out of the atmosphere c.Winds sweep pollutants away d.Chemical reactions produce acidic precipitation that falls out of the atmosphere e.Temperature inversions form over cities surrounded by mountains

e. Temperature inversions form over cities surrounded by mountains

Which statement about the difficulty of addressing climate change is false? a. The problem is global. b. Humans are not hard-wired to respond to long-term threats. c. The problem is a long-term political issue. d. Proposed solutions are controversial. e. The benefits and harmful impacts are spread evenly

e. The benefits and harmful impacts are spread evenly

What is true of water and water supplies associated with urban areas? a. Water supplies typically have shallow wells. b. Flooding is extremely rare. c. Runoff is well-handled by storm sewer systems. d. Excess urban water irrigates many agricultural areas. e. Urban development often destroys or degrades wetlands.

e. Urban development often destroys or degrades wetlands

The oceans absorb CO2 from the lower atmosphere, which in turn creates carbonic acid. Should humans be concerned about this ocean acidification? a. No; because carbonic acid is an ingredient in soft drinks, it is not dangerous. b. No, because the oceans have such a large volume, that increases in carbonic acid don't have a major affect. c. No, because carbonic acid is consumed by organisms in the ocean before it can do harm. d. Yes, because the increasing acidification means oceans will be unsafe for humans to swim in. e. Yes, because ocean acidification inhibits the growth of shelled organisms and decreases phytoplankton populations.

e. Yes because oceans acidification inhibits the growth of shelled organisms and decreases phytoplankton populations.

The life cycle of a product that begins when it is manufactured and ends when it is discarded as solid waste, typically in a landfill or as litter, is called ____. a. reincarnation b. cradle-to-cradle c. grave-to-grave d. cradle-to-home e. cradle-to-grave

e. cradle to grave

Approximately what proportion of the world's CO2 emissions comes from motor vehicles and industrial facilities in urban areas? a. one-tenth b. one-quarter c. one-third d. one-half e. two-thirds

e. two-thirds