Modules 7-11
Why is it less sustainable to eat grain-fed beef compared to other meats, such as poultry and plant-fed farmed fish?
It takes more grain per pound of body weight to produce grain-fed beef than other meats.
What is the primary reason many U.S. citizens, local governments, and environmental scientists oppose waste incineration?
It undermines waste reduction strategies like reduce and reuse.
What is the benefit of including the harmful environmental and health costs associated with fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and other nonrenewable resources?
It would ensure that renewable energy is competitive with nonrenewable resources in terms of market price.
Why did Saudi Arabia start importing grain rather than growing wheat in 2016?
Its major deep aquifer had been depleted by overuse.
Where will your old cell phone likely end up if you were to throw it away today?
Landfill
The practice of raising animals for food in high densities in feed lots can lead to ____.
an increase of the risk of human infection by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics
An important type of food-producing system that is the most rapidly increasing type in use in the world is ____.
aquaculture
Of the two types of dumps utilized for solid waste, open dumps ____.
are rare in more developed countries
Pipe insulation and vinyl ceiling and floor tiles may be sources of ____.
asbestos
What do workers in countries with cheap labor use to recover valuable metals from e-waste?
Acid
What has released toxic ions of cadmium and aluminum into the soils, causing trees to weaken?
Acid deposition
Which population is least vulnerable to air pollution?
Adult males
What is by far the leading cause of water pollution?
Agricultural activities
What value do the oceans have in moderating climate change?
Oceans remove about 25% of the atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by humans.
What may have prevented the use of bioplastics in the past century?
Oil became widely available and petrochemical plastics took over the market.
What is the primary problem with drawing excessive amounts of groundwater from near ocean coastlines?
Saltwater can be pulled into freshwater aquifers.
What is the primary goal of an integrated pest management program (IPM)?
To reduce crop damage to an economically tolerable level
Why do coal-burning power plants and oil refineries have tall smokestacks?
To vent exhausts high into the atmosphere for dilution and dispersal
In the United States, approximately 67% by weight of all municipal solid waste is ____.
buried in sanitary landfills
The primary way in which the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be increased is by ____.
burning fossil fuels
Which of the following is categorized as a secondary pollutant?
ozone
In less-developed nations, one example of a crop typically grown in monocultures for export using plantation agriculture is ____..
palm oil
Photochemical smog is characteristic of urban areas with many vehicles and a climate that is ____.
warm and sunny
Why did malaria control efforts in Malaysia once lead to cats being parachuted into affected areas?
As pesticides made their way through the food chain, cats died and rats that transmitted sylvatic plague increased in numbers.
What proportion of food products sold on U.S. supermarket shelves contains some form of genetically engineered crop?
At least 80% but not 100%
What process involves the use of bacteria and enzymes to destroy hazardous substances?
Bioremediation
In 1987, 36 nations meeting in Montreal, Canada, developed the Montreal Protocol to reduce production of ____.
CFCs
Satellite data and other measurements and models indicate that 75-85% of the observed ozone losses in the stratosphere since 1976 resulted from people releasing ____ and other ozone-depleting chemicals into the troposphere beginning in the 1950s.
CFCs
In addition to natural drought cycles, what could cause as much as 45% of Earth's land surface to experience extreme droughts?
Climate change
What phenomenon can alter the hydrologic cycle on a global scale?
Climate change
What resource was used to generate about 40% of the electricity generated in the United States in 2015?
Coal
What has increased the annual reliable runoff available for our use by nearly 33%?
Dams
What is a water resource that can be considered nonrenewable?
Deep aquifers
What is the most efficient form of irrigation?
Drip irrigation
What would likely be found on an organic farm?
Feed that contains no antibiotics
Which of the following describes an example of how cogeneration systems work?
Heat left over from power generation can be captured and used to heat a building.
What is an important concern about the increasing use of aquaculture?
It may lead to reduced biodiversity in wild fish populations that are harvested to feed farmed fish.
What is likely the most effective way to reduce acid deposition?
Implement prevention approaches that reduce or eliminate emissions.
What has resulted along floodplains from channelization and loss of vegetation?
Increased flooding
What do we call an unhealthy mix of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid, and a variety of suspended particles in outside air?
Industrial smog
What is the type of agriculture most likely to be found in developed countries?
Industrialized agriculture
What is the type of agriculture most likely to be found in developing countries?
Industrialized agriculture
What causes cultural eutrophication?
Input of nutrients from human activities
Where are pollution levels up to 18 times higher inside than they are outside in traffic-clogged urban settings?
Inside automobiles
What approach do many analysts call for in approaching our waste problems?
Integrated waste management
What is bitumen?
It a thick, sticky, tar-like heavy oil with a high sulfur content.
What is an advantage of hydrogen fuel?
It can be produced from plentiful water at some sites.
Which statement about emissions trading is false?
It forces all utilities to reduce the amount of pollution they emit.
What is a major disadvantage of desalination?
It is relatively expensive.
What is the term for propane and butane gases that can be liquefied under high pressure during the extraction of natural gas?
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
According to water resource experts, what are the two main causes of water waste?
Low cost of water to users and lack of government subsidies for improving the efficiency of water use
Which of the following would make a greater contribution to rising sea levels?
Melting land-based ice
What is the primary reason that coal is a relatively cheap way to produce electricity?
Most of the harmful environmental and health costs of coal are not included in the market price.
Which category most accurately describes waste such as food wastes, cardboard, cans, bottles, yard wastes, furniture, plastics, metal, glass, and e-waste?
Municipal solid waste
What variety of hazardous waste does not have a scientifically and politically acceptable way of disposal?
Nuclear
Which of the following energy resources has the highest net energy ratio for space heating?
Passive solar
What is an effective way that individuals can avoid producing water pollution?
People should not flush medications down toilets.
What process involves the use of plants to remove contaminants from polluted soil and water?
Phytoremediation
What agricultural practice is least beneficial in trying to reduce crop-eating insect damage?
Planting monocultures
What is the only effective way to protect groundwater?
Pollution prevention
What is the root cause of food insecurity?
Poverty
What is a healthcare issue that can be caused directly by ozone?
Reduced resistance to colds/pneumonia
What important form of natural capital has allowed human civilization to grow over the past 10,000 years?
Relatively stable climate
What is the portion of surface runoff that we can generally count on as a stable source of freshwater?
Reliable surface runoff
What is a major cause of soil salinization?
Repeated irrigation in dry climates
The majority of the oil pollution of the ocean comes from ____.
Runoff from land
What are the countries with the largest proven reserves of natural gas?
Russia, Iran, and Qatar
What process can lead to desertification?
Severe and prolonged drought
What is formed when extreme sudden subsidence occurs within a depleted aquifer?
Sinkholes
What in Brazil has reduced household water bills by 40%?
Smart cards
Why is it risky for companies to invest in renewable energy?
Subsidies and tax breaks have to be renewed by the government every few years.
Which air pollutant is a colorless gas with an irritating odor, and mostly comes from human sources such as smelting?
Sulfur dioxide
Which of the following is/are primary pollutants that eventually result in acid deposition?
Sulfur dioxide
Which form of air pollution is most directly linked to increased incidence of asthma and bronchitis?
Suspended particulate matter
According to some estimates, the North Pacific Garbage Patch occupies an area at least the size of ____.
Texas
Why can the United States legally transport its electronic waste when many other countries cannot?
The United States can export its e-waste legally because it has not ratified the Basel Convention.
What is the result of using a pay-as-you-throw approach in San Francisco, California, USA?
The city recycled, composted, or reused 80% of its municipal solid waste (MSW).
In a small town, residents begin to notice that earthquakes seem to be occurring more frequently. Some begin to wonder whether new methods of obtaining energy may be responsible. Which of the following is the most likely culprit?
The extraction of natural gas through fracking that is leading to movement in the bedrock
Why do our economic systems promote unsustainable forms of industrialized agriculture?
The harmful environmental and health costs of food production are not reflected in market prices.
What has brought about what some experts are calling a new era of oil and natural gas production in the United States?
The increasing use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing
What is an advantage of using passive or active solar systems?
The net energy yield is medium.
Where is most of the ozone layer located?
The stratosphere
What is a disadvantage of solar thermal systems?
The systems have low net energy yield and high costs.
Why do cities in warm and dry climates tend to have more air pollution?
There are fewer natural pollution reduction factors such as precipitation and salty sea spray.
What is a disadvantage of large-scale hydropower?
There are high CH4 emissions from rapid biomass decay in shallow tropical reservoirs.
What is an advantage of solar cells?
There are little or no direct emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants.
What is a disadvantage of producing energy by burning solid biomass?
There can be a loss of biodiversity and increased risk of colonization by invasive species.
Which of the following is true of nuclear waste disposal?
There is no current fully satisfactory method of nuclear waste management and disposal.
What is the potential risk associated with furniture stuffing, paneling, particleboard, and foam insulation?
These materials contain formaldehyde.
What is a major problem with carbon capture and storage strategies?
They are extremely expensive.
How are spent nuclear fuel rods stored immediately after they are removed from the reactor core?
They are stored in a deep pool of water contained in a steel-lined concrete basin for cooling.
If plants with similar root depths were planted in a field, then: ____.
They would compete for nutrients and water and grow less well than if plants with varying root depths were used
Why is Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) so important?
Together, the member countries have about 81% of the world's proven crude oil reserves, giving them significant ability to control world oil supplies for the foreseeable future.
What kind of waste is hospital medical waste?
Toxic waste
Which country is the world's largest producer of solid waste?
United States
Which type of waste can a homeowner recycle in their backyard as part of a composting project?
Vegetable food scraps
Freshwater that is used indirectly is called ____, meaning freshwater that is not directly consumed but is used to produce food and other products.
Virtual water
What is the byproduct of combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy?
Water
How can irrigation lead to salinization of soils?
Water associated with irrigation contains small amounts of dissolved salts, and evaporation leaves behind increasing concentrations of these salts.
What is gray water?
Water that has been previously used for washing and bathing and that can be reused
What is a disadvantage of wind power?
Wind farms need backup storage systems when the wind dies down.
A small pellet of uranium dioxide is about the size of an eraser on a pencil and contains the energy equivalent of ____.
a ton of coal
When ultralight and ultra-strong materials are used to construct car bodies, the resulting cars are ______.
able to provide more protection in an accident compared with traditional cars
The fee-per-____ waste collection systems charge consumers for the amount of waste they throw away.
bag
Denmark has banned all ____ that cannot be reused.
beverage containers
Because _____ is colorless and odorless but can be highly toxic, it is important to have home detectors for it.
carbon monoxide
The latest scientific research indicates that the net global effect of ____ cover changes is likely to increase atmospheric warming.
cloud
Overnutrition is a result of ____.
consuming too many calories relative to energy expenditures, leading to vastly increased weight
When the global average atmospheric temperature changes over a period of at least three ____, the earth's climate can be said to have changed.
decades
Large dams and reservoirs ____.
disrupt migration and spawning of fish
The United States has a(n) ____.
electrical grid that could be made much more energy efficient
The fastest growing solid waste in the world is from ____.
electronics
CFCs break down due to ____.
exposure to uv radiation in the stratosphere
Lands that can be used for sustainable agriculture and forestry to reduce flood damage are ____.
floodplains
Most soil erosion is caused by ____.
flowing water
Large volumes of liquid hazardous waste, often injected into deep disposal wells, is produced by ____.
fracking
The Environmental Working Group estimates that you could reduce your pesticide intake by up to 90% by eating only 100% organic ____.
fruits and vegetables from the foods they call the dirty dozen
Of the choices below, which energy resource has the highest net energy ratio for transportation?
gasoline
What is a volatile organic compound?
gasses that exist in the atmosphere or evaporate from sources on the earth
If you live in the United States, you can find out what toxic chemicals are being stored and released in your neighborhood by ____.
going to the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory website
What natural factor removes suspended particulate matter from the troposphere?
gravity
Most scientists and engineers agree in principle that deep burial in an underground repository is the safest and cheapest way to store ____ for thousands of years.
high-level radioactive wastes
In the United States, freshwater scarcity stress is ____.
highest in the southwestern, far western, and north central states
The ultimate success of an emission trading approach depends on ____.
how the initial cap is set and how often it is lowered
One example of a renewable energy resource is _____.
hydroelectric power
The leading renewable energy resource that is used to produce electricity in the world today is ____.
hydropower
Monoculture is a method of growing food that is characteristic of ____.
industrialized agriculture
In the United States, almost two-thirds of all liquid hazardous wastes are ____.
injected into deep disposal wells
What action could help decrease the single largest use of domestic water in the United States?
install a water saving toilet
According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a well-designed____ can reduce synthetic pesticide use and pest control costs by 50-65%, without reducing crop yields and food quality.
integrated pest management program
The majority of reliable freshwater runoff usage in the southwestern states of the U.S. is for ____.
irrigation
One drawback to integrated pest management is that it ____.
is complex and takes more time compared to pesticides
A major concern about the Ogallala aquifer is that ________.
it is experiencing over-pumping
Ocean thermal-energy conversion was abandoned by the United States because _____.
it is very expensive
Recycling, reuse, and composting create many new ____.
jobs
The world's 40,000 known species of spiders ____.
kill far more crop-eating insects every year than humans do by using chemicals
In less developed countries, _____ is responsible for the loss of 30-60% of water supplies, making this a major concern to address in improving the sustainability of water supplies.
leakage
In the near future, the world is unlikely to exhaust its usable oil supplies because it is possible to use more unconventional heavy oil from depleted oil wells and other sources. Increasing the use of heavy oil will likely result in ________, among other consequences.
lower net energy yields
For good health and protection against disease, people need fairly large amounts of certain food components (such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) called ____.
macronutrients
When using composting piles, it is important to _____.
mix or rotate them and avoid adding hazardous materials
A warmer world is least likely to result in ____.
more moderate weather
Compared to synthetic pesticides, the use of natural biological pest controls is ____.
nontoxic
Although it is more costly to install wind farms that are located ____, it is expected that these wind farms will be used increasingly due to advantages such as their ability to harness relatively strong winds and their relative inconspicuousness.
offshore
What is the world's most abundant nonrenewable fossil fuel?
oil
Topsoil has an important effect on the earth's climate because ____.
organisms store CO2 and remove it from the atmosphere
Plasma gasification is a technology that uses arcs of electricity in the absence of ____ to produce very high temperatures for vaporizing trash.
oxygen
Photochemical smog is composed of secondary pollutants such as oxidants, aldehydes, and ____.
ozone
The U.S. EPA estimates that recycling and composting in the United States in 2010 reduced emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide by an amount roughly equal to that emitted by 36 million ____.
passenger vehicles
Using charcoal or resins to filter out harmful solids is a ____ method.
physical
It can take 400 to 1,000 years to break down ____ that end up in landfills or the ocean.
plastic bags
The U.S. oil consumption could be reduced by up to 90% and carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 27% by replacing most of the current national vehicle fleet with ____.
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
In the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, oxygen levels in lower water levels are low because ____.
pollutants in runoff, especially fertilizers, lead to phytoplankton growth and the dead phytoplankton are consumed by bacteria that use up oxygen
An agricultural method known as ____ relies on solar energy and natural fertilizers to grow multiple species in a single plot.
polyculture
The best approaches to reduce acid deposition are those that____.
prevent or reduce emissions of particulates, sulfur dioxides, and nitrogen oxides
If a scientist analyzed the components of petroleum, he or she would find ________.
primarily hydrocarbons with smaller amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen
Advanced light-water reactors are ______.
proposed as extremely safe but not commercially available
Insects are important as a sustainable source of ______ .
protein, fiber, healthy fats, and other nutrients
Avoiding the use of tanning parlors or sunlamps is one of the best ways to ____.
reduce your exposure to UV radiation
A ______ amount of commercial energy is used to perform important tasks while much is unavoidably lost or wasted.
relatively small
One concern about the use of pesticides is that ____.
residues can be associated with the development of cancer
To measure concentrations of carbon dioxide over time, scientists use ____
samples from the air bubbles from the ice corps in varying depths
The bottoms and sides of ____ have strong double liners and containment systems that collect the liquids.
sanitary landfills
Proponents of pesticides claim that they provide some advantages, primarily by ____.
saving human lives by reducing the transmission of disease
Cities that make money by recycling and that have higher recycling rates tend to use a ____ for both recyclable and non-recyclable materials.
single-pickup system
Switching from conventional oil to natural gas probably means _____.
slowing the adoption of renewable energy sources
EPA studies have found that 70% of all U.S. hazardous waste ____ have no liners and could threaten groundwater supplies.
storage PONDS
The term chronic malnutrition refers to people who ____.
suffer from lack of protein and other key nutrients
An emissions trading policy on the emissions of ____ cut U.S. emissions by 76%.
sulfur dioxide
The formation of photochemical smog forms as a reaction between VOCs, NOx, heat, and ____.
sunlight
Aquifers and _____ are the most important sources of drinking water globally.
surface water
A growing source of heavy oil is ____, which is a mixture of clay, sand, water, and a combustible organic material called bitumen.
tar sands
There is a vast supply of _____ underneath an area of boreal forests in Canada.
tar sands
The country that used more wind power than any other in 2015 was _______.
the United States
One important advantage of active solar heating systems for houses is that ______.
the house must have sufficient exposure to sunlight
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that wind farms at favorable sites in North Dakota, Kansas and Texas could meet the electricity needs of ____.
the lower 48 states
The most dangerous indoor pollutants are ____.
tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, radon, and ultrafine particles
Sanitary landfills typically have problems with ____.
traffic, noise, and dust
Coal is considered to be _____.
unusually dirty because of the amount of pollution and environmental damage that its use causes
From an environmental standpoint, refusing, reducing, and reusing are preferred over recycling because they are ____ approaches that tackle the problem of waste production at the front end.
waste prevention
The ____ for any given place on the planet often fluctuates widely from day to day and from year to year.
weather