BIO 012 FINAL - Renne Moore
inductive reasoning
"Bottom-up" reasoning in which we study specific examples and try to discover patterns and derive general explanations from collected observations.
deductive reasoning
"Top down" reasoning in which we start with a general principle and derive a testable prediction about a specific case.
Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
This organization runs one of the leading campus environmental audit programs.
replication
Repeating studies or tests.
Agenda 21 document
Report produced from the first UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro that laid out principles of sustainability and equity that have guided much policy making since 1992.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards
The most widely used green building rating system in the world that provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.
conspicuous consumption
A term coined by economist and social critic Thorstein Veblen to describe buying things we don't want or need to impress others.
D
1. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is required for any significant federal action as a part of ______________________. A. the Clean Water Act B. the Clean Air Act C. the Endangered Species Act D. the National Environmental Policy Act E. none of these are correct
B
10. After an original idea is turned into a bill, it A. is introduced in the House and Senate. B. needs to be sponsored by a legislator. C. is referred to a committee. D. undergoes subcommittee hearings. E. needs to be marked up.
C
11. As of 2007, what percentage of individuals polled were willing to make personal sacrifices to protect the environment? A. 20% B. 50% C. 30% D. 70% E. 90%
A
12. The Christmas Bird Count is an example of _____________________. A. citizen science B. ecosystem management C. environmental literacy D. international treaty E. none of these are correct
E
13. The case of the president of a Colorado company who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for knowingly contaminating the water table is an example of a A. common law case. B. tort law case. C. statute law case. D. administrative law case. E. criminal law case.
D
14. Civil law is to _______________ as criminal law is to crimes against the state or society. A. legislation rulings B. administrative actions C. standings D. interactions between individuals E. precedents
A
15. In a criminal case, being found guilty can result in _________________ and in a civil case being found guilty can result in _______________. A. fines and jail sentences; only financial penalties B. only financial penalties; fines and jail sentences C. fines and jail sentences; fines and jail sentences D. only financial penalties; only financial penalties E. only jail sentences; only financial penalties
B
16. Rather than directly suing a company for damages, it can be more effective to sue A. the individuals who are employed by the company. B. the government for not enforcing laws that would have prevented the damage. C. the government for making the laws so stringent. D. the owners of the company. E. None of these. It is most effective to directly sue the company.
C
17. Which of the environmental laws and treaties listed below is responsible for protection of endangered species? A. Clean Water Act. B. Marine Mammal Act. C. CITES. D. Pitman Robertson Act. E. Kyoto Protocol.
A
18. Historically, international treaties and conventions were ________________ while more recently they are characterized by ___________________. A. negotiated by a panel of experts and no nations participating; broad participation and increased speed in the agreements taking force B. characterized by broad participation; a panel of experts with no participating nations C. characterized by broad participation and increased speed in enforcement; a panel of experts with no participating nations and slow enforcement D. characterized by increased speed in enforcement; a panel of experts with no participating nations and slow enforcemen E. negotiated by a panel of experts from nations that are participating; narrow participation and relatively slow action in the agreement taking force
D
19. Which of the following is not a problem associated with international agreements? A. There is no body that can legislate international environmental protection. B. There is no body that can enforce international environmental protection. C. The agreements must be made by unanimous consent. D. The international court affects the sovereignty of noncompliant nations. E. All of these are problems associated with international agreements.
C
2. Statutory law is established by __________________. A. the President B. the courts C. Congress D. State legislatures E. none of these are correct
A
20. The current legal system is to ______________ as community-based planning is to collaboration. A. polarization B. cooperation C. wicked problems D. dispute resolution E. harmony
C
21. The "group of 10" environmental organizations are most useful in A. spearheading truly radical environmental change. B. inspiring individual direct actions by all members. C. having strong, respected, and organized influence on national environmental policy setting. D. initiating student environmental activism on local environmental issues. E. inspiring individual direct actions by at least half of all members.
B
22. Reduction of poverty and promoting gender equality are tenants of A. adaptive management. B. millennium development. C. sustainable development. D. environmental literacy. E. non-governmental organizations.
E
23. Which group below is most identified with direct action for environmental causes? A. the Audubon Society B. The Nature Conservancy C. the Wise Use Movement D. the Natural Resources Defense Council E. Earth First!
C
24. Why would the "group of 10" environmental organizations be criticized? A. They are militant and extremist groups that lead to environmental revolutions. B. They oppose most environmental protection. C. They tend to compromise and cooperate with the establishment. D. Their membership is small and they have focused and limited influence. E. They support radical approaches in addressing environmental problems.
C
25. The first college to get all of its energy from renewable resources was________________. A. Boston College B. University of California at Berkeley C. Concordia University D. Emory University E. College of William and Mary
C
26. The term conspicuous consumption describes A. the habit of eating food even when you're not hungry. B. the tendency of industry to not incorporate energy saving methods. C. the inclination to buy things we don't need to impress others. D. inefficient fuel use by power plants that produce less energy than they consume. E. none of these are correct
False
27. NEPA requires the government to take the least environmentally harmful option in any decision. (T or F)
True
28. The Student Environmental Acting Coalition is the largest student environmental group in North America. (T or F)
False
29. CITES is an international agreement to restrict trade in hazardous chemicals. (T or F)
D
3. Which of the following is not an emphasis of the 1990 National Environmental Education Act? A. The encouragement of college students to seek careers related to the environment. B. Understanding among the general public about the relationships between humans and their environment. C. Education to ensure that citizens are familiar with the environmental issues that they may read about in the newspaper. D. Education to make sure that there are specialists who are able to make appropriate decisions regarding environmental issues and guide us into the twenty-first century. E. All of these are emphasized in the 1990 National Environmental Education Act.
False
30. A primary goal of sustainable development is the reduction of the world's population by at least 30%. (T or F)
A
31. When an activity threatens to harm the environment or society, policy makers should consider implementing A. the precautionary principle. B. sustainable development. C. smart growth policies. D. appropriate environmental policy to address the regulation of the activity.
A
32. CERCLA is also known as A. the Superfund Act. B. the Clean Water Act. C. the Toxic Substances Control Act. D. the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
False
33. The Koyoto Protocol is an example of an international treaty that was easily passed and has been ratified by all nations. (T or F)
B
4. Environmental literacy partly consists of being able to A. read environmental science journals. B. understand the basic principles of ecology. C. write and publish in environmental journals. D. carry out ecological models and experiments. E. interpret environmental data from a citizen science project.
scientific method
A systematic, precise, objective study of a problem. Generally, this requires observation, hypothesis development and testing, data gathering, and interpretation.
E
5. The local high school in your hometown has a project where students are collecting water samples in collaboration with the local university. This project is an example of a(n) A. attempt to get high school students involved in environmental careers. B. attempt to recruit students to the university. C. early careers project. D. environmental literacy project. E. citizen science project.
C
6. As more environment-oriented jobs become available, the number of students prepared for them is A. staying the same. B. increasing. C. decreasing. D. increasing dramatically. E. slightly increasing.
C
7. After a problem is identified, the next step in the policy cycle is to A. build support for the problem. B. develop proposals. C. set an agenda. D. suggest changes. E. implement policy.
D
8. Who normally identifies the problem in the policy cycle? A. The government normally identifies issues for groups who do not recognize problems themselves. B. The government normally identifies issues for groups who do not have a voice (such as children) in the issue. C. The public identifies a problem and insists on help in correcting the problem D. Either the public or the government identifies issues, depending on the problem. E. None of these are correct.
D
9. In carrying out the policy cycle, which of the following groups would probably use intensive media campaigns or even stage a protest? A. Industry associations. B. Labor unions. C. Wealthy or powerful individuals D. Public interest groups. E. All of these would want as much publicity as possible.
environmental literacy
A basic understanding of ecological principles and the ways society affects, or responds to, environmental conditions.
criminal law
A body of court decisions based on federal and state statutes concerning wrongs against society.
civil law
A body of laws regulating relations between individuals or between individuals and corporations concerning property rights, personal dignity and freedom, and personal injury.
hypothesis
A conditional explanation that can be verified or falsified by observation or experimentation.
blind experiments
A design in which researchers don't know which subjects were given experimental treatment until after data have been gathered and analyzed.
modern environmentalism
A fusion of conservation of natural resources and preservation of nature with concerns about pollution, environmental health, and social justice.
scientific consensus
A general agreement among informed scholars.
preservation
A philosophy that emphasizes the fundamental right of living organisms to exist and to pursue their own ends.
logical thinking
A rational way of thought that asks, "How can orderly, deductive reasoning help me think clearly?"
sustainable development
A real increase in well-begin and standard of life for the average person that can be maintained over the long term without degrading the environment or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
sustainable development
A real increase in well-being and standard of life for the average person that can be maintained over the long term without degrading the environment or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Millennium Development Goals
A set of goals established in 2000 by the United Nations that include ending poverty and hunger, universal education, gender quality, child health, maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and global cooperation in development efforts.
reflective thinking
A thoughtful, contemplative analysis that asks, "What does this all mean?"
analytical thinking
A way of systematic analysis that asks, "How can I break this problem down into its constituent parts?"
dependent variable
Also known as the response variable; is the one affected by other variables.
manipulative experiments
Altering a particular factor for a test or experiment while holding all others (as much as possible) constant.
sound science
Although definitions differ, this generally means valid science according to basic scientific principles.
critical thinking
An ability to evaluate information and opinions in an systematic, purposeful, efficient manner.
affluenza
An addiction to spending and consuming beyond one's needs.
environmental impact statement (EIS)
An analysis of the effects of a major program or project planned by a federal agency; required by provisions in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970.
scientific theory
An explanation or idea accepted by a substantial number of scientists.
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES, 1973)
An international convention to protect endangered species.
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
An international treaty adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, in which 160 nations agreed to roll back CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions to reduce the threat of global climate change.
Montreal Protocol (1987)
An international treaty to eliminate chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) that destroy stratospheric ozone.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Created in 1970 this is the primary agency responsible for protecting environmental quality in the United States.
megacities
Cities with population of over 10 million people.
controlled studies
Comparisons made between two populations that are identical (as far as possible) in every factor except the one being studied.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1994)
Directs governments to share data on climate change, to develop nation plans for controlling greenhouse gases, and to cooperate in planning for adaptation to climate change.
sustainability
Ecological, social, and economic systems that can last over the long term.
U.S. Supreme Court
The highest federal court in the United States; has final appellate jurisdiction and has jurisdiction over all other courts in the nation.
reproducibility
Making an observation or obtaining a particular result consistently.
probability
The likelihood that a situation, a condition, or an event will occur.
shantytowns
Groups of shacks built or inexpensive materials on empty land.
explanatory variable
Independent variables that help explain differences in the dependent variable.
slums
Legal but inadequate multifamily tenements or rooming houses.
environmental law
Legal rules, decisions, and actions concerning environmental quality, natural resources, and ecological sustainability.
creative thinking
Original, independent thinking that asks, "How might I approach this problem in new and inventive ways?"
indigenous peoples
Natives or original inhabitants of an area, those who have lived in a particular place for a very long time.
double-blind experiments
Neither the subject nor the experimenter knows which participants are receiving the experimental or the control treatment until after data have been gathered and analyzed.
natural experiment
Observation of natural events to deduce causal relationships.
independent variable
One that does not respond to other variables in a particular test.
case law
Precedents from both civil and criminal court cases.
citizen science
Projects in which trained volunteers work with scientific researchers to answer real-world questions.
ecosystem services
Resources or services provided by environmental systems.
Basel Convention (1992)
Restricts shipment of hazardous waste across international boundaries.
statutes (statutory law)
Rules passed by a state or national legislature.
observation
The action or process of observing something carefully or in order to gain information.
Nation Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1970)
This law that established the Council on Environmental Quality and that requires environmental impact statements for all federal projects with significant environmental impacts.
global environmentalism
The extension of modern environmental concerns to global issues.
throughput
The flow of energy and/or matter into and out of a system.
environmental policy
The official rules or regulations concerning the environment adopted, implemented, and enforced by some government agency.
science
The orderly pursuit of knowledge, relying on observations that test hypotheses in order to answer questions.
utilitarian conservation
The philosophy that resources should be used for the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time.
precautionary principle
The rule that we should leave a margin of safety for unexpected developments. This principle implies that we should strive to prevent harm to human health and the environment even if risks are not fully understood.
environmental science
The systematic, scientific study of our environment as well as our role in it.
urban sprawl
The unplanned and uncontrolled expansion of urban areas away from the city center.
quantitative reasoning
Understanding how to compare numbers and interpret graphs, to perceive what they show about problems that matter.
urban agglomeration
Urban areas where several cities or towns have coalesced.
paradigm shifts
When new ideas emerge that cause major shifts in scientific consensus.
