Midterm Sustainability 114
ecological footprint
the amount of natural resources required for shelter, food, transportation, energy and waste
environmental justice
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
What is the "Antropocene" a)A harmful VOC that causes holes in the ozone layer b)A type of humanoid that will walk the earth after the next ice age c)A source of point pollution d)A geological Age described as the dominant influence of human activity as shaping the nature of the environment
A geological Age described as the dominant influence of human activity as shaping the nature of the environment
What is the name of the report that defined the 3 pillars of sustainability as we use them today? a)Kyoto Protocol b)Brundtland Report c)Montreal Protocol d)(ISO) International Standards Institute
Brundtland Report
The following are all ways to define the 3 pillars of sustainability except for... (Choose the one that is not the way to define the 3 pillars) a)People, Planet, Profit b)Social, Environmental, Economy c)Environmental, Ecological, Planetary
Environmental, Ecological, Planetary
"Climate Change" and "Weather Changes" are the same thing a)True b)False
False
What is the first phase of Life Cycle Analysis as defined by ISO? a)Goal Definition and Scoping b)Assessing the impact c)Gather the data d)Interpretation of data
Goal Definition and Scoping
What does the LEED acronym stand for? a)Leadership in Energy Efficient Design b)Leadership in Environment, Economics, and Design c)Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design d)Leadership in Efficient and Economical Designation
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Which global environmental policy outlawed the manufacturing of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) often used in refrigerants caused a hole in the ozone layer? a)Brundtland Report b)Kyoto Protocol c)Montreal Protocol d)(ISO) International Standards Institute
Montreal Protocol
Why would exponential growth of the human population cause stress on the environment? a)There isn't enough physical space to fit more people b)People emit body heat that warms the planet. More body heat means increased global warming. c)People use finite natural resources to create food and energy. As the population grows, the use of these resources (like coal) increases, thus harming the planet
People use finite natural resources to create food and energy. As the population grows, the use of these resources (like coal) increases, thus harming the planet
True or False: Rocks, Wind, and Dirt are Abiotic parts of the environment? a)True b)False
True
What does VOC stand for? a)Volatile Organic Compound b)Volatile Oceanic Climate c)Ventilation Oriented Cancer d)Volatile Origins of Climate
Volatile Organic Compound
What did the Kyoto Protocol do? a)Declared that Kyoto would would be the gathering city for future climate agreements b)Banned the production of CFCs that destroy the ozone layer c)Was a global environmental policy that mandated all countries reduce CO2 green house gases by 50% in 5 years d)Was a global environmental policy acknowledging that CO2 and green house gasses causes global warming
Was a global environmental policy acknowledging that CO2 and green house gasses causes global warming
What is 'xeriscaping'? a) A practice of installing native and drought tolerant plants and landscape features to eliminate the need for irrigation b)A type of landscaping that uses light colored surfaces to reduce heat island effect c)A strategy to reduce indoor water use by using aerators on faucets d)An alien landscape found on Titan.
a) A practice of installing native and drought tolerant plants and landscape features to eliminate the need for irrigation
What is a Renewable Energy Credit (REC)? a) A system of offsetting the amount of non -renewable electricity used by purchasing credits to support the growth of renewable energy sources feeding in to the grid b) The way you can sell energy back to the energy grid if your building is net positive and you create more energy than you need c) A rebate provided by the government to offset the cost of installing solar panels on your building d) A tax fine that is paid if you do not use any renewable energy sources to power your building
a)A system of offsetting the amount of non -renewable electricity used by purchasing credits to support the growth of renewable energy sources feeding in to the grid
Which of the following is not a LEED core credit category? a)Environmental Management b)Sustainable Sites c)Water Efficiency d)Energy and Atmosphere
a)Environmental Management
Which of the following is not considered biomass matter? a)Natural gas b)Agricultural food and feed crop residues c)Aquatic plants like alage d)Wood and wood residues
a)Natural gas Yes. Although it can be argued that natural gas comes from one alive organic matter, natural gas is not a biofuel and is a non-renewable fossil fuel. Biofuels are a renewable source, where as natural gas is from a limited supply of ancient fossil remains.
All of the following contribute to creating heat islands, except for.. (Choose one) a)Prarie Grass b)Parking Lots c)Asphalt Roads d)Dark Roofs
a)Prarie Grass
Community ecology
is the study of the biosphere and how different populations can coexist.
Which agency sets up minimum energy requirements for various building components (HVAC, electricity, wall insulation, windows, roofs etc.) based on various building locational region or zone in the United States? a)ISO 14000 b)ASHRAE c)California Title 24 d)ENERGY STAR Standards
b)ASHRAE
All of the following are passive design strategy to take advantage of solar gain in the winter AND block the sun the summer, EXCEPT FOR... (choose one) a)Planting deciduous trees near windows on the south side of a building b)Building a Trombe Wall to take advantage of solar thermal mass passively heating air. c)Long roof overhangs on the south side of a building d)Elongating a building on the east/ west axis to increase the surface area of the north/ south exposure
b)Building a Trombe Wall to take advantage of solar thermal mass passively heating air. Correct! This was a bit of a trick question since the question "also" asked about shading. While a trombe wall is a passive thermal mass strategy, it does not provide any shading in the summer.
The highest R-values are assigned to the materials that provide the ___________ a)Greatest amount of energy conservation b)Greatest amount of insulation and the greatest resistance to heat flow c)Appropriate insulation and solar retention d)Thermal Mass
b)Greatest amount of insulation and the greatest resistance to heat flow
What is Geothermal Heat Exchange? a)Using the suns energy to heat up water or air b)Using the earth's underground temperature to heat or cool water or air c)Using solar hot water panels d)Using thermal mass to absorb the suns energy to passively heat air
b)Using the earth's underground temperature to heat or cool water or air Yes! Remember the earth's surface is a consistent 50-60 degrees all over the planet when you go between 5-10 feet below the surface. Geothermal heat exchange uses coils to pre heat or cool.
Which of the following is an example of biomimicry? a)Using bamboo flooring b)Velcro technology made by studying the way lizards stick to surfaces c)Fabric patterns printed to look like leaf patterns d)Mimicking colors of tropical fish for interior painting color schemes
b)Velcro technology made by studying the way lizards stick to surfaces
What is a greenfield site? a)An environmentally safe site b)A sustainable site c)A site that has not been developed d)A site with agricultural potential
c)A site that has not been developed
Which underfloor air distribution system provides the opportunity for individual occupant control of the air flow? Displacement ventilation system Stack Effect Recessed floor ventilation system a)Access floor system b)Stack Effect c)Displacement ventilation system Recessed floor ventilation system
c)Displacement ventilation system Yes! Underfloor air distribution is a type of "Displacement Ventilation" where we pump air in at the breathing zone. When delivered at though a floor, you can have movable personalized air grilles in the floor that occupants can open or close manually to fit their needs.
All of the following are qualities of an energy efficient window assembly EXCEPT (choose one)... a)Low -E Glass b)Low U-Value c)High R-Value d)Low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
c)High R-Value That's right. All the other answers are qualities of efficient windows except for this one because R-Value has nothing to do with windows. R-Value primarily refers to the quality of wall and roof insulation.
What does the term "Net Zero" mean? a)A type of passive design that takes advantage of solar angles b)A collection of all the energy uses in a building c)A building that makes more energy than it uses d)A building that makes as much energy as it uses
d)A building that makes as much energy as it uses
What is the 2nd law of thermodynamics? a)The right to bare arms b)A description of how gravity works c)A law of physics that describes entropy as the flow of energy from a less excited state to a more excited state (and the movement of heat from cold to hot)) d)A law of physics that describes entropy as the flow of energy from a more excited state to a less excited state (and the movement of heat from hot to cold)
d)A law of physics that describes entropy as the flow of energy from a more excited state to a less excited state (and the movement of heat from hot to cold)
Why is night time light pollution a problem? a)It can adversely affect sleep and migration patterns of nocturnal animals b)It limits our view of the night sky c)It can affect our safety as it takes time for human eyes to adjust from dark to light surroundings d)All of the Above
d)All of the Above
Which answer below is a certificate program created to provide energy efficiency? a)GREENGUARD b)EPA c)Department of Energy d)ENERGY STAR
d)ENERGY STAR
All of the following are strategies for saving water and reducing indoor potable water use, EXCEPT.. (choose one) a)Dual Flush Toilets b)Aerators on Faucets c)Using captured rainwater to flush toilets d)Installing an irrigation drip system
d)Installing an irrigation drip system
Which one single sustainable strategy in building design can have a ripple effect on all of the other needs of a building? a)Installing low VOC materials b)Greenhouse gas emissions c)Landscape features d)Reduced building footprint and the square footage
d)Reduced building footprint and the square footage
Environmental stewardship
is the management and care of our natural resources
Environmental ethics
is the study of conduct that is right or wrong with respect to natural resources.