Module 8 & 9 ENVS

nuclear power may prove useful as 1. an energy source to bridge the transition from fossil fuels to new renewables 2. a replacement energy source for motor vehicles 3. an inexpensive technology for developing nations 4. a stage in the development of fusion generators 5. a pollution free sustainable energy source

1. an energy source to bridge the transition from fossil fuels to new renewables

All of the following factors have contributed to movement of people to suburbs except 1. greater availability of mass transit 2. better economic opportunities 3. more space 4. lower crime rates 5. better schools

1. greater availability of mass transit

which of the following represents the largest source of unregulated hazardous waste? 1. households 2. utilities 3. farmers 4. large industry 5. small businesses

1. households

Worldwide, where are the fastest growing cities found today? 1. in developing nations 2. in cities in the northern hemisphere 3. in small cities in Europe and North America 4. the large megacities worldwide 5. in developed nations

1. in developing nations

Lining a landfill with a thick tough plastic barrier is a good way to address problems related to ________. 1. leachate 2. mudslides and trash slides 3. settling 4. incomplete decomposition 5. methane production

1. leachate

during fracking, what is extracted from deep unconventional reserves? 1. natural gas 2. bitumen 3. tar 4. coal 5. uranium

1. natural gas

What is the most appropriate way to handle hazardous waste? 1. none of these answers is an appropriate way to handle hazardous waste 2. landfill it, as leachate contains the hazardous waste and prevents it from contaminating ground water 3. dump it in the ocean, as the volume of water dilutes the waste essentially making it nonhazardous 4. send it to developing countries in Africa, as they have developed methods of extracting the valuable components of such waste without causing harm to the workers. 5. incinerate it, as burning eliminates all toxic waste

1. none of these answers

Which of the following is not considered as hazardous waste? 1. plastic bottles 2. automotive oil 3. electronic waste 4. pesticides 5. compact fluorescent light bulbs

1. plastic bottles

burning coal to generate electricity creates all of the following types of pollution except 1. stratospheric ozone 2. mercury 3. particulates 4. thermal pollution 5. water pollution

1. stratospheric ozone

in deciding whether to extract oil from a site and how much of the total to extract, an oil company considers 1. the distance the oil must be transported, current market price of oil, potential environmental damage 2. the current price of gasoline at the pump 3. which nation will make the largest purchases 4. the amount of greenhouse gases the oil will release when burned 5. the fraction of the oil that will go to fuels, plastics, synthetic fibers and lubricants

1. the distance the oil must be transported, current market price of oil, potential environmental damage

which of the following is probably the most compelling reason to use unconventional sources of oil and gas in Canada and the United States 1. there are abundant reserves in north america 2. their extraction is more environmentally friendly than conventional extraction 3. they have a higher EROEI than conventional sources 4. they are easier and cheaper to extract than conventional sources of fossil fuels 5. they are cleaner to extract and burn than conventional sources

1. there are abundant reserves in north america

What is the purpose of an urban growth boundary (UGB)? 1. to provide guidelines for city planners to separate urban areas from rural areas 2. to maintain low housing costs for the average homeowner 3. to ensure that businesses do not locate in residential areas 4. to help a neighborhood retain its distinctive character 5. to enforce certain restrictions within neighborhoods based on type of activity

1. to provide guidelines for city planners to separate urban areas from rural areas

What is the job of industrial ecologists? 1. to redesign industrial systems to maximize physical and economic efficiency 2. to plan an economy that moves linearly rather than in a cycle 3. to analyze industrial inputs and sources of raw materials 4. to urge an emphasis on internal manufacturing costs rather than external costs 5. to advocate for taxes on green industries to cover higher costs

1. to redesign industrial systems to maximize physical and economic efficiency

Which of the following best describes hazardous waste? 1. waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive or radioactive 2. waste that is incapable of being broken down under normal conditions 3. any material that humans deem to be unwanted 4. everyday garbage or trash produced by individuals or small businesses 5. waste that is capable of being broken down by living organisms

1. waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive or radioactive

What is the major factor driving the move to the suburbs from cities? 1. Concern over demographic transitions within cities 2. Desire to live in less crowded, more peaceful conditions 3. Desire for close-knit communities 4. Availability of more jobs in suburbs 5. Desire to have a garden

2. Desire to live in less crowded, more peaceful conditions

which of the following is/are predicted to generate the most oil per acre in biodiesel production 1. poplar trees 2. algae 3. soybean 4. switchgrass 5. oil palms

2. algae

which of the following statements on oil sands is not true 1. canada has the world's largest bitumen reservoir, but much of it is trapped in oil sands 2. all of these answers are correct 3. oil sands mining is more efficient than harvesting conventional sources of oil 4. the oil sands trap a heavy, black oil called bitumen 5. oil sands can be mined and processed to produce a substitute for petroleum

2. all of these answers are correct

compared to the generation of electricity using coal, nuclear power 1. will run out of fuel in about 40 years 2. generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions 3. generates no sulfur dioxide but more carbon dioxide emissions 4. produces more waste than coal power plants 5. contributes more to global climate change

2. generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions

Which one of the following permitted the widespread move into suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s? 1. increased use of telephones 2. increased ownership of automobiles 3. decentralized workplaces outside of cities 4. cheaper sources of energy 5. improvements in the railway system

2. increased ownership of automobiles

What is deep well injection? 1. it is a pool of strong acids on the land surface used for breaking down e-waste 2. it involves injecting mostly liquid hazardous wastes into porous rock deep beneath the groundwater supplies 3. it is an approved method of disposing of low-level radioactive wastes to prevent land contamination 4. it is a short-term method for storing hazardous liquid waste until a tailings pond can be built 5. it is a method of disposing of hazardous wastes in deep groundwater aquifers

2. it involves injecting mostly liquid hazardous wastes into porous rock deep beneath the groundwater supplies

What tends to happen in a sustainable city? 1. Walkability is minimized 2. Local self-sufficiency is increased 3. Urban growth boundaries are discouraged 4. Urban sprawl is maximized 5. zoning laws prohibit mixed-use development

2. local self-sufficiency is increased

when an oil well is first drilled, what is the primary recovery method? 1. CO2 injection 2. natural pressure 3. steam injection 4. pumpjack 5. water injection

2. natural pressure

In developing nations, 1. more people are moving to the suburbs than to the city centers 2. rural people are moving to the cities in large numbers 3. very little change has occurred in the past 40 years regarding where people live 4. most of the population is moving to the suburbs from the city centers 5. small numbers of people have moved into the cities

2. rural people are moving to the cities in large numbers

____________ involves removing the dirt and rock that overlays a mineral deposit close to the surface in order to access that deposit. 1. fracking 2. surface strip mining 3. hydraulic mining 4. deep mining 5. subsurface underground mining

2. surface strip mining

How does the use of coal cause acid precipitation? 1. the equipment used for mining releases sulfur and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere 2. the burning of coal emits gases like sulfur dioxide, which can combine with water to form acids 3. the acid drainage from mining evaporates, which puts the acids into the air 4. the transporting of the coal mining releases sulfur and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere 5. acids leach into soils from mining and are transpired by plants that have taken them up

2. the burning of coal emits gases like sulfur dioxide, which can combine with water to form acids

Peat, the precursor to coal formation, is typically formed in areas 1. in areas with highly oxygenated sediments 2. with low rates of decomposition 3. with low temperatures 4. with little vegetation 5. of rapid decomposition

2. with low rates of decomposition

The world's urban populations are: 1. Shrinking in developing nations 2. Growing at about the same rate as the rural populations 3. Growing at a faster rate than the global population as a whole 4. Growing most rapidly in the developed nations 5. Shrinking, compared to rural populations

3. Growing at a faster rate than the global population as a whole

what does it mean if a country is "energy independent" 1. none of these 2. a country as access to enough reliable and affordable energy resources to meet its needs 3. a country can meet all of its energy needs without importing any fuel 4. a country uses a hybrid plan of energy production and energy imports to provide a stable supply of electricity for its citizens 5. a country can pay to have all of its energy imported from other countries without having to borrow money

3. a country can meet all of its energy needs without importing any fuel

how can a society increase its energy security 1. it can increase energy efficiency 2. it can reduce overall energy imports 3. all of these answers 4. it can exploit local energy sources 5. it can develop alternative energy sources

3. all of these answers

which of the following environmental costs is directly related to oil and natural gas mining 1. destruction due to explosions 2. oil pollution 3. all of these answers 4. habitat loss 5. climate change

3. all of these answers

A manufacturer of potato chips claims that its packaging can be broken down by living organisms. This packaging is considered _____________. 1. industrial waste 2. non-compostable 3. biodegradeable 4. unrecoverable 5. nondegradeable

3. biodegradable

which form(s) of biomass is/are commonly burned directly for energy 1. firewood 2. dried manure 3. both dried manure and firewood 4. restaurant fry grease 5. both restaurant fry grease and firewood

3. both dried manure and firewood

fracking is a method to extract ___ from deep unconventional reserves 1. coal 2. natural gas 3. both oil and natural gas 4. oil 5. oil shale

3. both oil and natural gas

What is encouraged by living in suburban communities? 1. walking, riding bicycles and other kinds of physical activity 2. investment in and improvement of downtown centres 3. increased use of automobiles 4. driving of electric cars 5. increased agricultural activities

3. increased use of automobiles

Which of the following is produced by anaerobic decomposition in landfills 1. ozone 2. nitrogen oxides 3. methane 4. carbon dioxide 5. methylmercury

3. methane

natural gas is 1. only produced by bacteria during decomposition 2. trapped over some cities for commercial use 3. often associated with coal and petroleum deposits 4. still much more expensive than other fossil fuels 5. more damaging to the environment than coal

3. often associated with coal and petroleum deposits

___ is a term used to explain a biofuel disadvantage that reduces the contributions made from forests and grasslands to ecosystem services 1. over-hauling 2. over-grazing 3. over-harvesting 4. over-producing 5. over-growing

3. over-harvesting

A soup company wants to reduce the waste associated with its soup packaging. What option among the ones listed below would help it accomplish this goal? 1. make the soup out of organically grown vegetables 2. build landfills in communities near the factory so that the surplus soup ingredients and packaging materials can be landfilled locally 3. package the soup in reusable glass containers 4. use smaller cans to package the soup and make it more consumer friendly 5. encourage customers to burn the soup cans as a source of heat

3. package the soup in reusable glass containers

The earthworms, fungi and bacteria in your compost pile will not be happy if you feed them 1. paper 2. autumn leaves 3. plastic 4. food scraps 5. grass clippings

3. plastic

what are the four Rs to help an individual limit waste production? 1. revamp, retrofit, reduce, regulation 2. reclaim, rename, retake, recycle 3. refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle 4. recycle, recycle, recycle, recycle 5. ratify, rectify, remedy, reframe

3. refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle

Cities must import more and more resources from further distances as they grow. What term best applies to growing cities? 1. resource suppliers 2. resource sources 3. resource sinks 4. resource exporters 5. resource footprint

3. resource sinks

Hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in developing countries often end up in open dumps. Which of the following is false regarding open dumps? 1. leachate from open dumps can contaminate groundwater 2. open dumps are one of the cheapest ways to get rid of human trash 3. sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing 4. open dumps attract pests such as flies and rats 5. all of the statements presented here are true

3. sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same things

acid mine drainage is formed when water flows past exposed rocks that leach out _______ that react with water and oxygen to form ______. 1. arsenic; bases 2. methane; acids 3. sulfides; acids 4. carbonates; bases 5. nitrates; acids

3. sulfides; acids

What is zoning? 1. the establishment of public parks and gardens in urban centers 2. the practice of promoting urbanization in rural areas 3. the classification of areas for different types of development and land use 4. the areas that allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat 5. the professional pursuit of designing efficient cities

3. the classification of areas for different types of development and land use

___ strongly influences the amount of energy generated from hydropower 1. the temperature of reservoir water 2. the latitude 3. the volume of water released from the reservoir 4. the phase of the moon 5. the amount of biomass contained in reservoir water

3. the volume of water released from the reservoir

secondary extraction of petroleum 1. occurs immediately after primary extraction 2. causes less environmental damage than primary extraction methods 3. uses injection of water or steam 4. is less expensive than primary extraction 5. allows the oil to be extracted to the last drop

3. uses injection of water or steam

Which of the following statements about waste and waste management is false? 1. effective waste management involves source reduction and application of natural processes to manage waste 2. the least preferred options for managing wastes are landfilling and incineration 3. waste generation is an indication of wealth, so increasing waste is the goal of municipalities 4. the goals of waste managements are to dispose of waste safely and effectively 5. waste management is necessary because waste can degrade air and water quality and thus affect human health

3. waste generation is an indication of wealth, so increasing waste is the goal of municipalities.

Which of the following is a strategy that creates walkable communities with lower ecological footprints? 1. Infill development 2. New urbanism 3. Carbon offset 4. Smart growth 5. Sustainable growth

4. Smart growth

What is a goal of new urbanism with smart growth? 1. To use various taxation schemes to maintain inner cities as vibrant, livable communities 2. To use zoning to keep small neighborhoods intact 3. To provide low-cost, long-distance, mass transit systems 4. To develop walkable neighborhoods, with homes and businesses close together 5. To keep business in a central location, near transportation centers

4. To develop walkable neighborhoods, with homes and businesses close together

Movement of large numbers of people in developing countries has led to 1. poverty 2. overcrowding 3. unemployment 4. all of the options given 5. pollution

4. all of the options given

what is the hardest form of coal 1. bituminous 2. sub-bituminous 3. peat 4. anthracite 5. lignite

4. anthracite

Which e-waste has high levels of cadmium? 1. cell phones 2. keyboards 3. printers 4. batteries 5. computer monitors

4. batteries

natural gas is seen as a bridge fuel to transition from oil to more sustainable options because it 1. releases more CO2 than coal 2. is less efficient to burn 3. releases more toxic pollutants than oil 4. has a lower carbon footprint than other fossil fuels 5. has more impurities than oil and coal

4. has a lower carbon footprint than other fossil fuels

which of the following choices has the highest energy return on energy investment (EROEI) ratio? 1. coal 2. nuclear energy 3. natural gas 4. hydroelectric 5. oil

4. hydroelectric

The entire pool of oil is not extracted from a well because 1. it is too liquid to extract in some areas 2. this statement is not correct since extracting the entire pool is frequently achieved 3. it cannot be fully extracted without using strip mining 4. it is not cost-effective 5. it is too destructive to the environment

4. it is not cost-effective

Over the past 60 years, most US and Canadian citizens who could afford to do so 1. improved the cities. 2. migrated into the cities. 3. moved into "downtown" city center areas 4. left the cities for the suburbs 5. moved into high-rise condominiums

4. left the cities for the suburbs

in the southern appalachian mountains, hundreds of miles of streams and freshwater systems are destroyed in the process of 1. moving coal from deep shaft mines to major rivers 2. stream mining, in which oil buried under the streams is harvested 3. remediating decommissioned mine sites using wetland plants 4. mountaintop removal mining to remove coal 5. diverting water to run coal machines in mines deep below earth

4. mountaintop removal mining to remove coal

all of the following are products of crude oil refining except 1. kerosene 2. diesel oils 3. gasoline 4. natural gas 5. liquefied petroleum gas

4. natural gas

The fact that there is a high sulfur content of the coal burned in South African power plants means that the 1. power plants emit high levels of radioactive pollution 2. power plants burn cleanly, with little pollution 3. coal is very inexpensive, leading to an improved economy 4. power plants contribute to acidic deposition 5. coal is very expensive, forcing most poor people to go without electricity

4. power plants contribute to acidic deposition

Which of the following are impacts of sprawl? 1. Sprawl has lower infrastructure costs and a smaller ecological footprint compared to downtown urban centers 2. Sprawl reduces pollution as pollutants get dispersed over a large area 3. the low-density development of sprawl enables more open space to be saved 4. sprawl limits transportation options, forcing people to drive cars 5. sprawl promotes physical activity, as people have to walk long distances to get to their cars parked in huge parking lots

4. sprawl limits transportation options, forcing people to drive cars

Why are heavy metals a concern? 1. they become less hazardous after incineration 2. they are not harmful unless they are directly ingested 3. they become less hazardous over time as they degrade chemically 4. they can accumulate in animal and human tissues 5. they are difficult to regulate in wastes

4. they can accumulate in animal and human tissues

how do run-of-the-river hydroelectric systems differ from large dams 1. they do not differ 2. they are built close to shorelines while dams can only be built farther inland 3. they literally "run" the river and take over the entire ecosystem 4. they do not block all of the water flow but direct some water through a turbine 5. they flood an area to create a reservoir

4. they do not block all of the water flow but direct some water through a turbine.

Which of the following is normally a consequence of urban/suburban sprawl? 1. Decreased production of greenhouse gases 2. Decreased ecological footprint 3. Decreased reliance on fossil fuels 4. Increased dependence on local family farms for food 5. Increased wildlife habitat fragmentation

5. Increased wildlife habitat fragmentation

fossil fuels represent 1. sustainable sources of energy that are underused today 2. the remains of fossil animals that lived thousands of years ago 3. low energy compounds that fuel industrialization because of their abundance 4. natural deposits of organic materials that formed long before life on Earth evolved 5. a large reserve of carbon dioxide that was removed from the atmosphere millions of years ago

5. a large reserve of carbon dioxide that was removed from the atmosphere millions of years ago.

Incineration of waste reduces its volume by 80-90%, which is good. What are problems associated with this practice? 1. production of toxic solid waste 2. generation of air pollution 3. expense of building incinerators 4. creation of water pollution 5. all of the answers are applicable

5. all of the answers are applicable

a computer company leases rather than sells its computers to customers for a monthly fee. the company maintains the computers and replaces them as needed. the old computers are either refurbished or recycled. what does this business model represent? 1. a detailed life-cycle analysis of their service 2. a cradle-to-cradle product management plan 3. a green business that minimizes waste generation 4. a closed-loop system 5. all of the options listed

5. all of the options listed

what form of coal has the highest energy content 1. lignite 2. vegetation 3. peat 4. bituminous 5. anthracite

5. anthracite

compared to high-income countries, low-income countries 1. have a similar level of consumption, because their income "stretches" further, since the goods they buy are much cheaper 2. consume less, but generate a comparable amount of waste, because the cheap products they use break down and are thrown away quicker 3. create less hazardous wastes and therefore are less exposed to toxins from all of the wastes they have to deal with 4. can better deal with the waste they do produce because they produces less waste 5. are more exposed to the negative health and environmental effects of waste

5. are more exposed to the negative health and environmental effects of waste

Which of the following is a method that governments use to improve urban transportation? 1. provide motorcycle lanes in the center or rail lines 2. provide bicycle lanes on freeways 3. make some public buildings and some communities accessible only by public transportation 4. raise transit fees for people who use only public transportation 5. designate lanes as carpool-only lanes and bicycle lanes

5. designate lanes as carpool-only lanes and bicycle lanes

when assessing energy resources, it is helpful to use a measure called EROEI which is 1. energy returned plus energy invested 2. amount of energy invested minus heat released into the environment 3. energy returned minus energy invested 4. money invested in extraction and processing minus income from sales 5. energy returned divided by energy invested

5. energy returned divided by energy invested

how is fracking different from conventional oil wells 1. fracking causes no environmental damage 2. fracking does not use any toxic chemicals 3. fracking involves extensive strip-mining developments 4. fracking uses very little water 5. fracking uses cracks created in the rock to release oil or natural gas

5. fracking uses cracks created in the rock to release oil or natural gas

nuclear power plants use ___ to boil water and produce steam, which is them used to generate electricity 1. crude oil 2. renewable energy 3. coal 4. natural gas 5. heat

5. heat

how is a pressure water reactor different from a boiling water reactor 1. in a boiling water reactor, steam is produced outside the reactor core 2. in a pressure water reactor only the turbine is exposed to radiation during electricity production 3. in a pressure water reactor steam is produced in the reactor core iteself 4. in a boiling water reactor the water heated by fuel rods is never exposed to the turbine 5. in a pressure water reactor the steam that turns the turbine is not exposed to radiation

5. in a pressure water reactor, the steam that turns the turbine is not exposed to radiation

match the waste management method to its potential harm to ecosystems 1. incineration -- production of methane, a greenhouse gas 2. ocean dumping -- toxic ash as waste breaks down under sunlight 3. recycling -- release of hazardous waste due to combustion of recyclable material 4. composting -- thermal (heat) pollution in local waterways 5. landfills -- ground water contamination from leachate

5. landfills -- ground water contamination from leachate

to prevent landfill toxins from seeping into groundwater, sanitary landfills are 1. located in areas where groundwater is not used for drinking water 2. covered with cement 3. located on slopes so water and leachates can run downhill 4. located in unpopulated areas 5. lined with plastic and clay to prevent leaching

5. lined with plastic and clay to prevent leaching

natural gas is composed mainly of 1. pyrosomes 2. liquefied petroleum gas 3. carbon monoxide 4. carbon dioxide 5. methane

5. methane

which of the following choices is not a fossil fuel 1. oil 2. shale gas 3. coal 4. natural gas 5. peat

5. peat

the greatest environmental impact of burning fossil fuels is 1. on the ozone layer 2. the resulting carbonic acid, which leads to acid rain in areas downwind from power plants 3. that we release carbon back into the carbon cycle, increasing the amount available for plant growth 4. the land damage from extraction 5. the increase in greenhouse gases

5. the increase in greenhouse gases

All of the following are environmental drawbacks to the mining of coal except 1. soil compaction causing increased storm water runoff and flooding 2. the damage to forests caused by mountain top removal 3. the burial and damage to streams caused by the dumping of overburden 4. the water and soil contamination by acid drainage 5. the release of tons of toxic ash from incinerators

5. the release of tons of toxic ash from incinerators

which of the following waste and waste management techniques are best matched up so as to cause the least harm to ecosystems? 1. aluminum cans -- incinerating 2. e-waste -- landfilling 3. paper waste -- open dumps 4. pesticides -- dump in waterways 5. yard waste -- composting

5. yard waste -- composting