Environmental policy (AM)

20. What have recent IPCC reports claimed about climate change? A. The rate of climate change has slowed, and it is likely we have many more decades until significant changes are observed. B. Climate change is already occurring and having serious, widespread effects globally. C. New data suggest that climate change is nowhere near as serious as originally thought, and concerns should be limited. D. Climate change has actually reversed its course, and the climate is stabilizing back to the long-term average.

Climate change is already occurring and having serious, widespread effects globally

22. During what period in U.S. history did the conservation movement lay the ground work for modern environmental policy? A. the 1960s B. the Second World War C. the colonial period of the 18th century D. the late 19th and early 20th centuries

the late 19th and early 20th centuries

16. What is one of the biggest concerns with renewable energy? A. no one will use it B. pollution C. whether there is a sufficient supply D. whether it can be produced efficiently

whether it can be produced efficiently

12. When was the "environmental decade" of federal legislation? A. 1960s B. 1970s C. 1980s D. 1990s

1970s

15. What is one of the most hotly contested natural resource policies? A. Endangered Species Act B. Wilderness Act C. National Forest Management Act D. Pollution Prevention Act

Endangered species act

1. Which of the following agencies has primary responsibility for implementing environmental laws in the United States?A. Department of the Interior B. Department of Natural Resources C. Council on Environmental Quality D. Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

25. How did the EPA demonstrate the danger of coal plants and justify its new rules? A. It calculated the amount of preventable deaths and ailments as a result of coal plants and placed an economic value on the avoidance of these. B. It calculated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions these plants were producing and convinced policy makers and the public that new rules and regulations would drastically curb these emissions. C. It did not need to justify the new rules, as there was little to no resistance against them. D. It exposed dangerous and rampant safety violations at coal plants, which was enough to shift public opinion in favor of the new rules

It calculated the amount of preventable deaths and ailments as a result of coal plants and placed an economic value on the avoidance of these.

23. The three primary areas of focus for environmental policy are described by which of the following statements? A. Air quality, land quality, and water quality B. Environmental protection, stewardship, and development C. Environmental impact assessment, government management, and pollution control D. Pollution control, resource conservation/management, and energy policy

Pollution control, resource conservation/management, and energy policy

26. With regard to U.S. energy policy, most experts would agree with which statement? A. The United States has developed a strong energy policy since President Obama took office. B. The Bush administration supported significant development of alternative sources with support from Congress; this has stalled due to the current recession. C. The United States has no real cohesive energy policy; individual and corporate decisions in the marketplace dictate energy patterns and use. D. The United States has had a strong energy policy implemented by the EPA since the early 2000s

The United States has no real cohesive energy policy; individual and corporate decisions in the marketplace dictate energy patterns and use

31. Which statement best summarizes the effectiveness of U.S. environmental policies enacted over the past 30- to 40 years? A. They have led to significant improvements in the environment and have improved the quality of our natural resources. B. Surface water quality has improved across the board, while air quality remains poor. C. They have had mixed results: While point source pollution has declined and urban air quality improved, other conditions have not improved. D. The Superfund cleanup efforts have been much more cost effective than expected.

They have had mixed results: While point source pollution has declined and urban air quality improved, other conditions have not improved.

2. What is ecosystem-based management? A. utilizing local ecosystems to better serve human needs B. prioritizing the natural environment over human needs, assuming most human needs can be accomplished through a stable and healthy ecosystem C. a shift in emphasis toward principles of protecting habitat and maintaining biological diversity D. the process of restoring ecosystems that had been previously damaged by earlier policy decisions

a shift in emphasis toward principals of protecting habitat and maintaining biological diversity

30. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 ______. A. focused on regulating the process of making local decisions to protect the environment B. required developers to conduct an environmental impact statement C. was enacted because states were not protecting the environment sufficiently D. all of these

all of these

32. Which statement best describes a cap and trade program? A. an emissions control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower emitting industries. B. a program that gradually reduces the allowed emissions of an industry each year, incentivizing the industry's transition to zero emissions with tax breaks. C. a policy that requires industries to cap their emissions by a specific deadline or give majority ownership to the state if they fail to accomplish this reduction. D. an international attempt to reduce emissions by setting emissions quotas for each country and allowing each country to buy emission credits from others if they reach their limit.

an emissions control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower emitting industries

3. A ______ program is an emissions-control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower emitting industries. A. proactive policy approach B. cap-and-trade C. CAFÉ standard D. carbon tax

cap-and-trade

13. The environmental problems of Love Canal, New York, are often referred to as a catalyst in the passing of what law?A. Toxic Substances Control Act B. Clean Water Act C. Clean Air Act D. Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act

comprehensive environmental response compensation and liability act

34. With regard to environmental policy formulation, in the 1970s, ______ was the norm in the United States, while ______ was the norm in the 1980s and 1990s. A. consensus; disagreement B. disagreement; consensus C. partisanship; cooperation D. state leadership; federal leadership

consensus; disagreement

19. What is the primary (and controversial) biofuel that the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandated an increased use of? A. switchgrass B. soy-derived biodiesel C. vegetable oils D. corn-derived ethanol

corn-derived ethanol

10. Which statement describes the nature of the seven major environmental statutes enacted in the 1970s? A. Each of the statutes was ambitious yet limited to a distinct issue or focus. B. The statutes as a group were focused on issues of pollution related to use of energy. C. The statutes were developed by environmental agencies. D. Each of the statutes could be described as broad and far-reaching in scope and lacking focus.

each of statues was ambitious yet limited to a distinct issue or focus

33. Developing alternative energy is likely to be an effective policy option to reduce carbon emissions for states and the federal government. However, alternative energy is costly to develop yet produces less energy (than fossil fuels) for the investment. Which evaluative criteria would reflect this high cost- to benefit ratio? A. equity B. efficiency C. market incentives D. policy analysis

efficency

4. A(n) ______ is a detailed and systematic study of all environmental effects of a proposed action. A. environmental impact statement B. cap and trade plan C. regulatory analysis D. environmental protection analysis

environmental impact statement

5. Which level of government typically makes environmental policy? A. state B. local C. Policy making is shared across all levels. D. federal

federal

28. After the IPCC issued dire warnings on climate change and the EPA took action in the form of new rules and regulations, what moderated the effects of the rule change and helped shift energy policy in the United States? A. a moderation of climate change itself and a slower rate of warming B. increases in gas and oil drilling with the aid of hydraulic fracturing C. a wide agreement on the new rules and regulations that boosted the use of renewable energy D. a stubborn resistance to the new rules and an unintended rise in the use of traditional fossil fuels

increases in gas and oil drilling with the aid of hydraulic fracturing

14. The EPA is a(n) ______. A. government corporation B. cabinet department C. independent executive agency D. regulatory commission

independent executive agency

24. Which best describes the recent history of environmental policymaking in the United States? A. not much activity until the mid-1980s followed by a period of significant policymaking activity that continues today B. much policymaking activity in the late 1960s through 1970s followed by a long period of gridlock and incremental changes C. period of incremental policy change followed by numerous significant policies enacted in the 1990s D. period of incremental policy change followed by high level of regulation

much policymaking activity in the late 1960s through 1970s followed by a long period of gridlock and incremental changes

9. The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 1970s focused on ______. A. pollution control and protection of human health B. protection of ecosystems and biodiversity C. protection of natural resources by strengthening protections of endangered species D. development of stronger energy policies that were designed to clean up the air

pollution control and protection of human health

6. Which level of government is typically involved in implementing environmental policy? A. state B. federal C. local D. all levels implement policy evenly

state

21. Where Congress has failed in recent years regarding climate change policy, who has succeeded in implementing effective policy? A. the EPA and local, state, and city governments B. various bureaucratic institutions at the federal level C. the Supreme Court, through landmark decisions on environmental policy D. small businesses and large corporations that have funded and furthered environmental initiatives in the wake of government failure

the EPA, local, state, and city governments

29. What was found in a study of the costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act and its later amendments? A. The costs massively outweighed the benefits. B. The costs of the policy were about even with the benefits. C. The benefits massively outweighed the costs. D. It was unclear whether the costs outweighed the benefits or vice versa, and the policy was said to have inconclusive results

the benefits massively outweighed the costs

11. Which administration attempted to achieve environmental policy goals primarily through collaborative decision making? A. the George W. Bush administration B. the Reagan administration C. the Clinton administration D. the Carter administration

the clinton administration

18. What did new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards passed in a 2007 energy bill improve? A. controls on greenhouse gas emissions B. the fuel economy of light trucks and cars C. the price of gasoline, by lowering gas taxes across the country D. automobile emissions and traffic congestions, by raising gas taxes across the country

the fuel economy of light trucks and cars

27. Which answer best describes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?A. a large cabinet-level department with numerous local offices reporting to the president B. a department of each state government that reports to the federal executive branch C. the largest independent agency with strong regional offices reporting to the president D. the largest entitlement program of the U.S. government regulated by the Congress

the largest independent agency with strong regional offices reporting to the president

17. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, for the first time, developed ______. A. a set of strict regulations focused solely on coal emissions across the United States. B. uniform air quality standards for the entire United States. C. market incentives for industry to reduce harmful emissions. D. an agreement industry and the government about how to address declining air quality

uniform air quality standards for the entire united states