Practice Quiz (10.1, 10.2, 5.2)

What are some sources of indoor air pollution you might face?

Common sources of indoor air pollution for Americans include cigarette smoke, pet dander, chemicals released from fabrics, carpet, and furniture, cleaners or solvents, and radon.

Which of the following is an air pollution source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?

Paints, solvents, carpets, household cleaners, and wetlands

What are the Milankovitch cycles? Do they account for the warming we are currently seeing?

The Milankovitch Cycles Describe variations in the earths position in space relative to the sun. In times when the earth is closer to the sun due to its orbit, tilt, or wobble, we have a warmer climate. Our current position is not producing a warmer climate. If anything, we should be cooling, based solely on our current place in these cycles.

Why are cardiovascular diseases linked to air pollution?

The heart must work harder to deliver oxygen to the body when the lungs are damaged.

When is it reasonable to invoke the precautionary principle when setting policy?

The precautionary principle is invoked when there is uncertainty about an income but potential for serious negative consequences.

What relationship is seen between temperature and atmospheric CO2 levels?

They are positively correlated: as one increases, the other increases; As one decreases, the other decreases.

What effect have recent large volcanic eruptions had on climate?

They contribute to cooling but only briefly.

What is transboundary pollution and why is it difficult to regulate?

Transboundary pollution is pollution that originated in one area but traveled to another. Conflicts can arise between states or nations suffering from transboundary pollution, because they do not have the political ability to regulate air pollution generated outside of their borders.

Greenhouse gases are defined as gases that:

Trap heat and warm the atmosphere.

Air pollution can harm health, hurt the environment, and even damage buildings.

True

In most areas of developing countries, indoor pollution is more of a problem than outdoor pollution.

True

International policies are mainly enforced through voluntary compliance of the nations involved.

True

Modern U.S. environmental policy requires that environmental impacts be evaluated before federal action is taken.

True

Ozone is useful in the stratosphere but is a dangerous pollutant when located close to the ground where we can breathe it in.

True

Persistent stratospheric ozone depletion is caused by human-made chemical compounds rather than natural events.

True

The amount of future warming that Earth will experience in the next 100 years depends on the choices we make now.

True

The higher the albedo of a surface, the better it reflects away sunlight.

True

Policy making is a straightforward process that is based solely on the best available science and established need.

False

The primary purpose of environmental policies is environmental protection; human health and needs are a secondary concern.

False

Recent sea-level rise is attributed to:

Melting glaciers and thermal expansion of water.

Why are national or international laws and policies necessary to address some environmental issues?

State or national legislation cannot address environmental problems that cross state or national borders.

Which of the following has the greatest albedo?

A light-colored roof

What is the difference between a positive feedback loop and a negative feedback loop? Give a climate-related example of each.

A positive feedback loop is 1 in which an initial event causes a response, which then sets into motion future enhancement of that response . A negative feedback loop is 1 in which an initial event causes a response that reverses the response.

A consumer who buys an electric car can get a reduction in his or her income tax that year. This is an example of:

A tax break

Distinguish between adaptation and mitigation. Why do we need both strategies?

Adaptation refers to actions humans take to adjust to or deal with the changes that climate change has already brought about, or that are inevitably coming. Mitigation refers to actions that we take to try to lessen the progression, or extent, of climate change so it doesn't get worse. Both are needed, because climate change impacts that require a response already exist, but there is potential for much worse climate change if we don't stop contributing to it. If we don't try to mitigate climate change, these changes can make life on earth very hard for humans.

How does air pollution negatively affect plants?

Air pollution damages cell membranes of plant tissues and can reduce a leaf's ability to photosynthesize, preventing healthy growth, compromising its survival, and decreasing global crop yields.

Which of the following is NOT part of the NEPA process?

All answers listed are part of the NEPA process.

Effective international environmental policies:

Allow for revision based on science or changing needs.

What is an environmental impact statement, and why is it produced?

An environmental impact statement is a report that details the likely affect of a proposed federal action, such as building a road or upgrading a nuclear facility. The goal of an EAS is to identify problems before they occur, so that stakeholders can choose the most acceptable course of action. public input is sought and considered.

Give an example of a market-driven approach to solving environmental problems. How does this differ from command-and-control regulation of environmentally damaging behavior?

An example of a market driven approach would be cap and trade program. It differs from straightforward regulation in that a polluter could continue to pollute, but would pay a higher fee for doing so. However, it also provides an incentive to reduce pollution to save or even make money, sparing pollution reduction innovations that can then be shared with other industry users. With command and control regulation, a polluter would either stop polluting or face a fine or even jail time. This is more straightforward and predictable for the polluter, since costs are known, and may reduce the pollution sooner than the market approach. However it is less flexible whereas the market approach may allow a quicker response to these changes.

Why is a change of a few degrees in average global temperature more concerning than day-to-day weather changes of a few degrees?

An increase in average global temperature means we should have more weather extremes that can cause problems.

High-elevation trees are often more affected by acid deposition than trees lower on a mountain because the high-elevation trees:

Are often shrouded in acidic fog, exposing them to acids for long periods of time.

Why was the EPA's initial regulation to address specific pollutants in 1971 seen as an example of the precautionary principle?

At the time, there was not a lot of evidence regarding the impacts of specific pollutants, but the EPA still set standards To control pollutants that were suspected to be harmful.

Why are environmental policies needed to address issues that are affected by the tragedy of the commons?

Commonly held resources are easily exploited unless there is an incentive to protect them. People tend to meet their short-term needs and wants without effectively considering the needs of others or long term needs. Policies that regulate how to use commonly held resources can protect them from overuse or degradation.

Which of these actions would best address the main cause of indoor pollution in developing countries?

Distributing solar ovens

The placement of polluting industries close to minority or low-income areas is an example of a violation of:

Environmental justice

Acid deposition has decreased across much of the eastern United States, and ecosystems are showing strong signs of recovery.

False

Adaptive management focuses on finding a solution that seems best and sticking with it.

False

Computer models that only account for natural climate forcers produce a prediction of greater warming than we have actually experienced.

False

Current CO2 levels in the atmosphere can be measured, but there are no good methods for determining CO2 levels in the distant past.

False

Most air pollution deaths occur in high-income (developed) countries.

False

Which of the following is considered a penalty for producing pollution rather than an incentive for acting in a way that reduces pollution?

Green tax

What historical events provide evidence that air pollution can cause serious problems for humans?

In 1930, 60 three people died an 1000 were sickened in Belgium when a temperature inversion trapped balloons near earth surface. In 1952 was the year of the famous great smog in London, England, when pollutants trapped in the lower atmosphere killed 4000 people.

Which of the following political lobby groups spend the most money in a quest to influence policy making?

Industry

Which treaty would you identify as the foundation of international policy on climate change: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the Kyoto Protocol? Explain your reasoning.

Kyoto Protocol, because it was the first treaty to specifically assign actions and deadlines to address climate change

How does political lobbying affect national environmental policy? Do you agree with the critics that political lobbies are too powerful? Explain.

Lobbying groups affect environmental policy by advocating their position to elected officials and to the general public. Students should support their position on the power of political lobbies.

What is particulate matter? Identify some sources of this type of pollution where you live.

Particulate matter is particles or droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air for extended periods of time period since it is a component of smoke and soot, it is produced during burning. Sources close to home would include coal burning power plants, vehicle emissions, fireplaces or campfires , burning trash, and forest fires.

Emissions released form the smoke stack of a power plants are an example of _________ _________ air pollution.

Point source

Stratospheric ozone is important to life on Earth because it:

Prevent some UV radiation from reaching earth.

Which of the following types of international agreements typically lays out a very specific plan for meeting the goals agreed upon by the signatory nations?

Protocol

Explain how the accuracy of computer climate models is validated and how they are used to predict future climate based on different levels of climate forcers in the future.

Scientists plug in observational data for all variables they think are affected of phenomenon , and then run the computer model to see if it accurately replicates how that event played out in the past period once their model accurately replicates what has already been observed, they can they can conclude that they have adequately accounted for all the important variables. Then, the value of variables can be changed to see how the model predicts that change will affect future climate.

Air pollution that results when chemicals in the atmosphere react to form a new pollutant is called:

Secondary pollution

Describe the types of problems that global climate change causes for human health. Which do you feel is likely to cause the biggest problem? Why?

Some problems include weathers and weather-related morality, infectious diseases, and respiratory illnesses. The impacts on agricultural will include lower crop yields; Biomes will change in both species composition and range ; Water supply and quality will decline in many areas; coastal areas will be subject to increased erosion and flooding; And habitat loss will result in the loss of species.

How is biodiversity affected by climate change (both current and future)?

Some species will benefit and expand the range while others who can't adapt will decline or die out.

Describe the policy of cap and trade. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this policy option?

Under cap and trade policy, the government issues pollution permits to each factory to meet an overall pollution target. Any permits that factories don't use can be sold to the other facilities that do not meet their allotment. The cost to the facilities who by the permits is less than retrofitting an installing new equipment, and overall pollution is still reduced, because an overall cap was set that was Blow former pollution levels for the area. However, even if the overall pollution levels are reduced, the amount of pollution may vary by area if factories in one area choose to buy extra permits, this can concentrate pollution in those areas.

The first six air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act are known as....

criteria air pollutants

In the winter of 2010, the northeastern part of the United States had several large snowstorms that resulted in record high snowfall amounts. How does this weather fit in with the notion of global climate change?

weather doesn't equal climate. Isolated events such as snowstorms cannot be taken as evidence either for or against climate change period climate change models don't predict that every location on earth will be warmer, just that global averages will increase. Climate change is about changing climates, not just warming shifts in the atmospheric jet streams or ocean currents that resolve from warmer temperatures may shift seasonal weather patterns, resulting in colder or stormier weather in some places, or simply more variable weather.

Day-to-day changes in meteorological conditions are known as ......... whereas long-term patterns of meteorological conditions are known as ..........

weather, climate