SmartBook Chapters 9 & 10 (BGSO 4000)

Of the total number of Superfund sites identified, how many were fully cleaned up by 2020?

438

About what percentage of the Earth's ice-free surface did humans transform by the early part of the 21st century?

50 percent

By late 2011, the world population had reached about ______.

7 billion

A firm practicing industrial ecology is best exemplified by which scenarios?

An oil refinery removing sulfur and selling it to a sulfuric acid plant. A power company selling excess steam to a nearby pharmaceutical plant.

Sustainable development is correctly characterized by which statements?

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. Ensuring a better quality of life for all, now and in the future.

The Montreal Protocol is accurately described by which statements?

Member nations have until 2030 to phase out HCFCs. If everyone participates, the ozone layer should recover by 2050. An international agreement that seeks to reduce chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions.

Match the correct argument in favor of sustainability leadership (on the right) with its matching type (on the left). Normative Instrumental

Normative - It's simply the right thing to do Instrumental - It makes sense from a business perspective

Describe the trend of negative human impacts on the environment over time.

Slow but steady starting in 1750, then an exponential rise in recent decades.

Identify the basic characteristics of sustainability reporting.

Social and environmental data are combined into one report. Most use Global Reporting Initiative standards.

Identify valid attributes of corporate sustainability leaders.

Stewardship of the natural environment is a core responsibility. They do not use up natural resources faster than they can be replenished.

According to a Harvard Business School study, how do the financial and stock market results of highly sustainable firms compare with others that are less sustainable?

Sustainable firms significantly outperformed others.

Identify the attributes of the Stockholm Resilience Center's framework of planetary boundaries.

The Earth's resource base is finite. We only have one habitable planet to live on.

The percentage of people who live in a city or town as compared to rural areas within a given country, and has been rising in recent decades worldwide, is called ______.

urbanization

Which geological era is the world currently in?

anthropocene

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages which types of environmental regulation?

cross-media air quality water quality

Identify the effects of acid rain.

damage to lakes and rivers degraded forests reduced crop yields

The widespread adoption of clean cookstoves would provide which benefits, according to the case Clean Cooking?

decreased soot emissions fewer health risks

Identify the primary threats to the global supply of arable land.

desertification soil erosion

What is one method used to measure how far humanity has overshot the planet's boundaries?

ecological footprint

According to systems theory, business, society, and the natural environment must interact in what way to survive?

in relationship to each other

At what rate, and in what direction, is the global population changing?

increasing exponentially

The process of designing factories as an ecosystem is called ______.

industrial ecology

A recent Canadian survey found that the role of chief sustainability officer had evolved from basic regulatory oversight to one that includes ______.

innovating environmental solutions increased strategic thinking

The clean economy is best exemplified by which industries?

alternative energy energy-efficient construction electric vehicles

Since the Industrial Revolution, climate change caused by increasing concentrations of pollutants produced by human activity has had which effect?

A rise in the average surface temperature of the Earth by about 1 degree Celsius.

Life-cycle analysis is accurately described by which statements?

A method used to reduce a product's ecological footprint. Tracking the environmental impact of a product from cradle to grave.

Match each major environmental area (in the left column) with its related environmental laws (in the right column), according to Figure 10.1. Air Quality Water Quality Land, Species, and Habitat Cross-media Pollution

Air quality - Clean Air Act, Clean Air Act Amendments Water quality - Water Pollution Control Act, Safe Drinking Water Act Land, species, and habitat - Endangered Species Act, Hazardous Materials Transport Act Cross-media pollution - Oil Pollution Act, Pesticide Control Act

Procter & Gamble's (P&G) life-cycle analysis of Tide resulted in which company actions?

An impact was found at home when using hot water, and Tide Coldwater was introduced as a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Identify the costs to businesses for implementing environmental regulations.

Billions are spent on capital expenditures and operating costs. Funds spent on regulation compliance could be spent on research and development.

How do business, society, and the natural environment fit together, as shown on Figure 9.1?

Business is embedded in society, and both are embedded in the natural environment.

What was the earliest environmental law to protect air quality standards, according to Figure 10.1?

Clean Air Act

Match the sustainability competitive advantage (in the left column) with its matching example (in the right column). Cost savings Brand differentiation Technological innovation Reduction of regulatory and liability risk Strategic planning

Cost savings - reducing pollution and waste Brand differentiation - cleaning products with no harmful ingredients Technological innovation - electronic sensors to reduce water usage Reduction of regulatory and liability risk - voluntary reporting of emissions ahead of regulation Strategic planning - forecasting external influences and trends that lead to opportunities for the firm

What creative financing solution did the small business Toyola Energy Ltd. implement in order to sell more than 150,000 cookstoves at low consumer prices, according to the case Clean Cooking?

E+Co invested $270,000 in Toyola Energy and helped them sell carbon offsets to Goldman Sachs.

What critical steps must be taken to advance sustainable development?

Economic development must conserve natural resources. The nature of consumption must change to favor quality over quantity of goods owned. There must be a fair and equitable distribution of benefits gained by sustainable practices.

True or False: Sparsely populated regions are some of the most polluted areas on Earth.

False

True or false: In all parts of the world, humans are consuming water at a slower pace than it is being replenished by nature.

False

True or false: The instrumental argument views environmental and social benefits as valuable end in themselves.

False

What are the critical reasons for humanity to have access to arable land?

Fertile land is necessary to grow crops that feed the world's population. Land provides food and shelter for all birds and wildlife on Earth.

Match the marine ecosystems under threat (on the left) with ways they can be negatively impacted (on the right). Fish populations Coral Reefs Costal Development Ocean Acidity Microplastics

Fish populations - 90 percent are exploited or overexploited Coral reefs - Now in decline from pollution, and damage from ships Coastal development - Inappropriate building puts pressure on fragile areas Ocean acidity - Destruction to aquatic life sensitive to acidity Microplastics - Fibers harm fish, plankton, and other sea creatures

The rapid intensification of human impacts on the environment from 1750 to 2010 is known as the ______.

Great Acceleration

If fresh water is renewable, why is water scarcity a threat to humanity?

Humans are causing pollution that cannot be purified fast enough. People are using water faster than it can be replenish.

What has IKEA done to promote the circular economy business strategy?

IKEA started reselling previously owned. IKEA committed to using only sustainable wood and cotton.

Why is the ozone layer critical to life on Earth?

In the stratosphere, ozone absorbs dangerous ultraviolet light.

The Convention on Climate Change is accurately described by which statements?

It aims to control the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is an international treaty that seeks to reduce global warming.

Why have some criticized cap-and-trade systems?

It allows some firms to continue polluting over the cap.

Identify true statements about CERLCA (the Superfund law).

It introduced a tax on petroleum and chemical companies. The law covered costs of cleanup for unidentified original polluters. The law required the original polluters that could be identified to pay for the cleanup.

About half of the solid waste in the United States is recycled, composted, or incinerated. What happens to the other half?

It is buried in landfills.

Sustainability is accurately described by which statements?

It is the process of preserving natural resources for future generations. It is a major challenge for businesses.

What does the Global Alliance for Cookstoves' goal of "100 by 20" mean, according to the case Clean Cooking?

It means that 100 million households worldwide adopt clean cookstoves by 2020.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accurately described by which statements?

It was created by the National Environmental Policy Act around 1970. It is the main environmental regulatory agency in the United States.

Which recent update to the Convention on Climate Change set limits on the average global temperature?

Paris Agreement

What is one major reason why the Earth's biodiversity, the number and variety of species and the range of their genetic makeup, is declining?

People are destroying rain forests for logging, cattle ranching, and crops.

Identify the primary benefit of having public environmental regulations.

People live longer and have higher quality lives.

Which U.S. law regulates hazardous materials from cradle to grave?

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Describe the attributes of the current set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) created by the United Nations?

The SDGs are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDGs consist of three categories—the economy, society, and the biosphere.

A market-based cap-and-trade system is accurately described by which statements?

The cap represents the legally permitted emission level. A company can sell tradable permits for the amount they pollute under the cap.

The material sustainability issues of a firm are best described by which statement?

These are sustainability issues that are particularly relevant to a business.

What were the primary indicators that General Motors (GM) is trying to become a corporate sustainability leader, as noted in the case General Motors' Drive for Carbon Neutrality?

They announced a plan to become carbon neutral, meaning zero carbon emissions, by 2040. GM stated that all new light-duty trucks would have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035.

Identify harmful effects of the large-scale use of fossil fuels.

They are the leading contributor of climate change. They produce toxic chemicals and pollutants.

What actions did General Motors (GM) propose to take in order to reach their sustainability goals?

They expected to make their facilities more energy-efficient. They planned to purchase carbon offsets.

Since 1994, what has the EPA done to ensure that hazardous waste site locations do not discriminate against disadvantaged communities?

They investigated if state hazardous waste sites violated civil rights laws. They blocked permits that appeared to discriminate against minorities.

What is the primary reason that marine ecosystems are so important to humanity?

They provide the world with food from the sea.

True or False: The primary benefit of high-growth GDP is the eradication of poverty.

True

True or false: As public policy shifted, and governments moved to enforce stricter emission standards, GM sought to avoid strict regulations by embracing EV technology, as discussed in the case General Motors' Drive for Carbon Neutrality.

True

True or false: Supporters of market-based mechanisms to protect the environment believe that the market provides better control than mandated government regulations.

True

What must human society do to operate within the limits of Earth's planetary boundaries?

Use resources at a slow enough pace they can be naturally replenished. Do not create more waste than can be naturally dispersed.

Why might an organization wish to engage in an environmental partnership?

to conserve resources to draw on the unique strengths of each partner to improve environmental quality

Identify the potential impacts of GDP growth across nations.

a rise in consumption of non-renewable resources greater pollution through manufacturing and consumption

The Earth's natural capital includes the world's stock of ______.

air soil water

The common characteristics of sustainability management are ______.

alignment of rewards and incentives employee engagement top management commitment

Indoor air pollution from open cookstoves causes about how many premature deaths per year, mostly from lung and heart disease, according to the case Clean Cooking?

around 4.3 million

Command-and-control regulations include which environmental standards?

best available technology environmental quality standards emission standards

A firm that distinguishes its reputation based on exemplary sustainability practices is leveraging which competitive advantage?

brand differentiation

General Motors' attempt to create a distinguished reputation for environmental excellence by announcing a full suite of 30 new EVs is an example of what, according to the case General Motors' Drive for Carbon Neutrality?

brand differentiation

What are the two leading causes of climate change?

carbon dioxide black carbon

The practice of a firm producing net zero emissions of greenhouse gases is called ______.

carbon neutrality

The executive role that oversees a firm's sustainability activities and performance is called a ______.

chief sustainability officer

Sustainability leaders often tie manager compensation to ______.

environmental achievements

The effort to prevent inequitable exposure to environmental risk is called ______.

environmental justice

Business collaborations that seek to improve environmental conditions are called ______.

environmental partnerships

Integrated reporting refers to a single report disclosing the firm's results for which types of company performance?

financial, social, environmental

In the United States, 80 percent of energy usage comes from ______.

fossil fuels

Sustainable development using technology cooperation is accurately described by which statements?

long-term partnerships between firms in developed and developing nations the transfer of environmental technologies to developing countries

The clean economy is most accurately defined as sectors of the economy that ______.

make products with an environmental benefit

Acid rain is caused by fossil-fuel by-products combined with what?

natural water vapor

The concept of businesses not emitting more carbon dioxide than they remove or offset is called ______.

net zero

According to the Global Footprint Network, human society using resources faster and creating more waste at the unsustainable rate of ______.

one and a half times the capacity

Once an organization adopts the SDGs, what does the United Nations require them to do?

promote laws to support and measure sustainability efforts disclose its sustainability progress in shareholder and company reports

The term circular economy refers to a production system that is ______.

regenerative by design

What were the major goals of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity?

to develop national strategies for conservation to restore already degraded areas