ESR 171 Exam 1 Study Guide

Which of the following examples include all of the different types of components that make up an ecosystem? A. Plants, insects, soil, rainfall, and birds in the tropical rainforest B. Ice, moss, lichen, and reindeer in the tundra C. Lions, zebras, and giraffes in a savanna D. pH and sunlight in a lake

A and B

What is the Jevons Paradox?

A finding that efficiency gains in the use of a resource can lower the cost of that resource, which can cause consumption of the resources to rise or in simpler terms increase in efficiency produce increases in consumption

What is the National Environmental Policy Act?

A key piece of environmental policy requiring an Environmental Impact Statement detailing environmental impact of federal actions

What is the Wilderness Act?

A policy establishing the highest level of protection for federal lands designated as areas where "the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man"

What is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act?

A policy governing solid and hazardous waste disposal

What is the Clean Water Act?

A policy governing water pollution

What is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act?

A pollution control policy by which the EPA identifies and prioritizes hazardous waste sites for cleanup

Which environmental issues could be effectively addressed by state and local policies? A. Air pollution from coal-fired power plants in the United States causing acid rain in Canada B. Industrial pollution flowing into Lake Superior from factories in Michigan C. Reducing vehicle emissions in Los Angeles D. Management of invasive python species in Florida E. Illegal trade of ivory products from endangered species from Africa to the United States

B,C,D

What can a peer review do? A. Give a definite answer to a specific question B. Make a recommendation not to publish an article C. Pass all articles for publication D. Provide a measure of confidence in the conclusions drawn E. Suggest changes to experimental procedures

B,D,E

What is ecosystem resilience? A. How earth's systems provide resources and materials we need to survive and carry out our various pursuits B. All of the living and nonliving things on Earth that sustain life, including our own C. A measure of how well an environment recovers after it is disrupted D. A new, current epoch of Earth history that is marked by human effects on the planet

C. A measure of how well an environment recovers after it is disrupted

Which of these statements would be an example of bias? A. Dogs are colorblind B. The movements of the planets and stars can influence people's lives C. All tall people are good at playing basketball

C. All tall people are good at playing basketball

The term "sustainable development" comes from a United Nations report titled Our Common Future published in 1987. What is the correct definition of sustainable development? A. Development that fosters and sustains economic growth in the present as well as the future B. Development that ensures future health and prosperity by sustaining natural resources C. Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs D. Development that meets the needs of the present by providing a safe and healthy environment

C. Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Match each area of environmental policy to the level or type of government that most directly engages the policy areas of U.S. state or local government, Global intergovernmental organizations, and U.S. federal government Governing hazardous waste disposal Governing water rights Land use planning in residential areas Managing national parks, national forests, and national wildlife refuges Restricting International trade in endangered species

U.S. state or local government: Land use planning in residential areas, governing water rights Global intergovernmental organizations: Restricting International trade in endangered species U.S. federal government: Managing national parks, national forests, and national wildlife refuges, governing hazardous waste disposal

Which of the following phrases describe complete systems and which fail to correctly capture all the key aspects that define systems? A. The whole is only the sum of its parts B. Components collected together C. The living and nonliving components that interact to sustain life in a particular place D. Components that interact to produce patterns of behavior over time E. An event or outcome F. An interacting group of items that produce an outcome greater than the simple collection of these items

Things that describe systems: C. The living and nonliving components that interact to sustain life in a particular place D. Components that interact to produce patterns of behavior over time F. An interacting group of items that produce an outcome greater than the simple collection of these items - The phrase that is often associated with systems is "the whole is greater that the sum of its parts" because interactions among the components of a system produce results that each component could not achieve on its own

Put the following experiment in order using the steps of the scientific method A. Two groups of mosquitoes are raised under different temperature conditions: one in the current average temperature and one with higher than average temperatures B. Mosquitoes raised in warmer temperatures are shown to develop faster than those raised in average temperatures C. A warmer climate allows mosquitoes that carry disease to develop into adults faster D. As the climate warms, there are more reports of disease carried by mosquitoes E. Development times of both groups of mosquitoes are compared.

D,C,A,E,B

You are the president of the Green society on campus. You and the other members want more recycling bins installed across campus in convenient locations to encourage more recycling. You collaborate with the members and create flyers describing the costs and benefits of the recycling bins. You and the Green Society members pass them out around campus to inform other students and faculty about the program. What best describes your efforts? A. Footprint analysis B. trade-offs C. Incentives D. Communication strategy

D. Communication strategy Footprint analysis: a method to understand the magnitude of the impact of choices and actions individuals make both over time and collectively Trade-offs: pros and cons, benefits and costs of alternative courses of action Incentives: positive or negative signal that pulls us towards or pushes us away from a certain choice or behavior Communication strategies: verbal or nonverbal ways of connecting with others to influence or inform

Which of the following terms is used by economists to describe a situation when markets fail to account for all the costs and/or benefits associated with the exchange of goods or services? A. Unmet demands B. Oversupply C. Cost internalization D. Externality

D. Externality Externalities are considered a market failure by economists. There can be positive externalities (when someone gets benefits they don't have to pay for) or negative externalities (when someone outside of the exchange bears the cost associated with it)

What is the purpose of peer review? A. Allowing the public to comment on an article B. Determining if the findings are correct C. Publishing conclusive findings D. Having work reviewed by experts in the field

D. Having work reviewed by experts in the field

What method is used when working on a complex problem such as predicting how climate change will affect several factors like rainfall, wind patterns, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentrations in the future on a global scale. A. Pseudoscience B. Observational study C. Controlled experiment D. Model

D. Model

Which of the following phrases correctly defines the word "environment"? A. The plants, animals, and other living things on Earth B. Wilderness, parks, and other natural areas that are protected from human impacts C. Sunlight, minerals, water, soil, and other nonliving things on Earth on which living things depend D. The living and nonliving things on Earth that sustain life

D. The living and nonliving things on Earth that sustain life The environment is a collection of systems that include nonliving and living things interacting to provide conditions on Earth that sustain life

Which of the following ethical claims fit better with the deontological approach, and which fit better with the utilitarian approach? A. Failing to take steps to address climate change is wrong because the consequences of this failure will cause more total harm in the future than the benefits gained in the present by failing to act B. The government has a duty to assure for al Americans safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings C. The purpose of conservation: The greatest good to the greatest number for the longest time D. Every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings E. The government shall attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences F. Dolphins have intrinsic value and are worthy of protection outside os their usefulness to humans

Deontological: B,D,F - an approach to ethics that establishes duties that ought to be upheld and rights that ought to be protected Utilitarian: A,C,E - an approach to ethics that defines what is right by determining what actions would bring as much good or as little harm as possible

In the United States, a policy is an authoritative decision such as a law, regulation, and court ruling to help guide the behavior of people and organizations subject to a government. Creating police takes serval steps until it will becomes a law. Put the steps of creating policy in order, starting with identifying a problem

1. Identifying which problems to address 2. Crafting policy 3. Approving policy 4. Implementing policy 5. Assessing/evaluating policy

Identify which of the following would be indicators of the Anthropocene? A. Dams creating reservoirs of water B. Large areas of undisturbed forests C. Plastics in the ocean D. Agricultural fields of crops

A,C,D

Which of the following examples are considered ecosystem services? A. Wetlands filtering water B. Trout fished from a river C. Timer from sustainably lodging a forest D. Trees on a riverbank shading the river and keeping the water cool E. Corn harvested from a farm

A,D Ecosystem goods are tangible objects we can take out of the ecosystem and use or consume. Ecosystem services are benefits we get from nature from functioning ecosystems

When oil prices increases dramatically in the beginning of the 21st century, prices rose well to over $140 a barrel as oil became scarcer. What was the most immediate result of that increase? A. New exploration technologies were developed and used to increase oil supply, resulting in a decline in price B. More consumers switched to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower C. Prices continued to rise, and consumers boycotted the companies until the prices came back down

A. New exploration technologies were developed and used to increase oil supply, resulting in a decline in price

Classify the following statements about challenges to good science as true or false. A. Bias can be the result of generalization or can come from perspectives and ideas from other people we interact with B. Peer review helps refine a scientific study by asking experts in the field to review the study C. The scientific process cannot guard against bias or misinformation D. Pseudoscience is the result of people communicating false findings to deceive people

A. True B. True C. False, Using the scientific process does guard against these challenges. D. False, This is the description of fraud. Pseudoscience is when the claims are not the result of scientific inquiry or are derived from a process that is not open to scientific scrutiny

When you buy a cup of coffee at the coffee ship, you exchange your money earned at your job for the coffee. The money you exchange for the coffee then is used to pay workers, buy more coffee beans, and maintain the store. Which of the following statements is true of this exchange? A. You are not just buying coffee; you are also engaging in an economic system B. If there is not enough coffee to be sold to all the customers, there is an increase in supply C. The system that brings you and the coffee shop together to exchange money for coffee is known as the supply/demand system

A. You are not just buying coffee; you are also engaging in an economic system An economic system is a chain of exchange that helps shape the production, distribution, and consumption of things we use. We all engage in this system, and the choices we make about what we purchase affects the environment

Which of the following scenarios fit with the definition of a tragedy of the commons? A. A game officer enforces limits on beaver trapping B. Individual fisherman in an area each catch as many fish as they can until the overall fishery is depleted C. Some individual fisherman exceed their quota of catch for a particular fish and buy additional quota permits from fisherman who caught less than their quota D. Homeowners in a valley all use wood-burning stoves for heat, so eventually their air quality is degraded E. Individual ranchers each use a common rangeland for their hers, and cultural norms ensure that livestock are rotated from place to place to reduce their impacts F. Individual ranchers keep adding to the number of sheep they allow to graze on public land until the range becomes too degraded to support livestock

B,D,E

Which of the following phrases correctly defines the word "ethics"? A. Authoritative decisions that guide the behavior of people B. A set of moral principles that provides guidelines for behavior C. Processes where decisions are made for and applied to a group of people D. The way in which scarce resources are allocated in a society

B. A set of moral principles that provides guidelines for behavior

Which of the following scenarios would be associated with rising prices for a good or service? A. Supply and demand remaining constant B. Decreasing supply relative to demand C. Increasing supply relative to demand D. Decreasing demand relative to supply

B. Decreasing supply relative to demand

Which of the following economic terms below is correctly defined? A. A market is a place where governments routinely set prices for essential goods and services B. Demand measures the quantity people are willing and able to pay for a good or service C. Demand refers to the quantity of a good or service that is available D. Supply refers to the quantity of consumers that want a particular good or service

B. Demand measures the quantity people willing and able to pay for a good or service

Which of the following statements is true of global environmental politics? A. Most countries are not interested in coordinating actions to address environmental problems B. Environmental politics is challenging because each country has sovereignty and can only make policies that apply to its own territory C. Only two international agreements dealing with the environment have been reached since the 1970s D. Most environmental issues do not extend beyond country borders, so they can be dealt with at a local level, and there is not a large need for international cooperation

B. Environmental politics is challenging because each country has sovereignty and can only make policies that apply to its own territory

Several years after Yellowstone National Park experienced a very large, hot wildfire, the area had new growth of grasses, shrubs, and small trees. Animals soon began returning to the area. This area would be considered to have A. No resilience B. High resilience C. Low resilience

B. High Resilience

Scarcity in a product can lead to____________ A. Lower prices and higher supply B. Innovation and substitution

B. Innovation and substitution When a product is scarce, it can spur creative efforts to fill unmet demands

Which of the following questions most directly engages the field of ethics? A. Which level of government should have jurisdiction over species protection laws -- local, state, or federal? B. What duty do we have to protect other species and what rights do they have? C. What are the public financial costs associated with pollution from coal-fired power plants? D. What are the ecosystem services related to flood control that are delivered by a costal wetland, and how much would it cost in dollars to replace them with levees and other human-built flood control structures

B. What duty do we have to protect other species, and what rights do they have?

Which ethological concerns represent biocentrism and which ethological concerns represent anthropocentrism? A. Each species carries a special evolutionary history that ought to be preserved for its intrinsic value B. This costal wetland should be protected because it protects the city from storm surges C. Even individual mosquitoes that humans consider pests have the right to exist D. What we need is a land ethic that extends our boundaries of care not only to plants and animals, but to rivers, mountains, and functioning ecosystems as well E. National parks exist to provide enjoyment of scenic and natural resources for present and future generations

Biocentric: A,C,D Anthropocentric: B,E

The terms below are United Nation's sustainable development goals. Match the UN goals to the correct the grouping within the 3E's of sustainability (environment, economy, and equity). Some goals can belong to more than one of the 3Es. Clean water and sanitation Decent work and economic growth Gender equality Life on land Quality education Life below water

Economy: Decent work and economic growth, Equity: Clean water and sanitation, gender equality, quality education, decent work and economic growth Environment: Life on land, life below water, clean water and sanitation

What is known as the Jevons paradox?

Efficiency gains that lower the prices of a good often inspire new uses of that good that increase consumption

Scientists have suggested we live in a new epoch, the Anthropocene, which is marked by the number of people on Earth True or False

False The Anthropocene is marked by the impact of human activity on Earth including development for homes and shops, agricultural fields for crops, and other global impacts

Public goods can easily be profitably produced since so many people receive the benefits. True or False?

False. Public goods include everyday things we use such as roads and parks. It is difficult to keep nonpaying people from receiving the benefits from them, so they are not profitably produced

There are many methods by which scientists make observations. Three of these methods are controlled experiments, natural experiments, and models. Match each description of a procedure to the correct category of observation A. Scientists grow coral in labs and subject some changes in water chemistry. B. The world's most powerful supercomputers are updated moment to moment with new observations of weather conditions to generate a forecast. C. Scientists develop a computer program that stimulates the effects of changing temperature, pH, and other variables on coral. D. Public health researchers study the hospitalization rates for asthma before and after a city limits vehicle traffic.

Model: B and C Controlled experiment: A Natural experiment: D

Environmental policy in the United States falls into two broad issue areas. What are the two broad areas that environmental policy focuses on?

Natural resources and pollution

Which of the following externailites are positive and which are negative? A. Second-hand smoke from cigarettes in public places causes health problems for those that breath it B. Emissions from coal-fired power plant cause an increased incidence of breathing ailments C. Coal mining causes water pollution downstream from the mine D. A new road increases the noise and air pollution nearby E. An apple orchard relies on wild birds and insects that live in the habitat of the surrounding area to pollinate fruit trees F. Hikers on a summit enjoy the view of the many acres of private forests below

Positive: E,F Negative: A,B,C,D