ENVI201 Final Exam Short Answer Questions

Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of urban sprawl

Advantages: walkability, access to services/education, etc. Disadvantages: pollution, poor air quality, biodiversity loss, etc.

Name one benefit and associated environmental cost of urbanization

Benefits: economic development, innovation, technological advancement, education, cultural diversity, jobs Costs: greater consumption of resources, increased disease rates and health risks from poor air and water quality, loss of biodiversity, high levels of pollution, etc.

List two examples of sustainable practices at Binghamton University and their impact

Bike shares, composting, shuttles/buses, biofuels for heating, zipcars, etc.

What is encompassed by the Mixed-use and diversity goal within new urbanism?

Blending of pedestrian-friendly shops, offices, apartments, and homes to attract people of any age, class, culture, or race

What are five ways that we can shrink our ecological footprint?

Buy locally grown food, Recycle and compost, Reduce car use, insulate your house, eat less meat, etc.

What underdeveloped country is being deforested at a rate of 15% due to economic growth?

Cambodia

Which demographic is important to monitor and regulate in terms of sustainability, relative to other demographics?

Corporations, industries, large scale organizations

What is the name of the "ecological capital" of Brazil, and what about their planning strategy is so unique?

Curitiba. Planners in the city decided to focus on an inexpensive and efficient mass-transit system rather than on the car.

Name a Federal law or act designed to protect the environment and explain its impact

Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund)

Define and discuss two negative aspects/environmental concerns associated with the construction and operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline

Non-renewable energy, Native American/sacred lands and racism, possible oil leaks, possible contamination of drinking water/the environment, rushed environmental impact statement

Subsidies that lead to environmental damage are called?

Perverse subsidies

What factors contribute to the expansion of dispersed cities?

Plentiful land, cheap gasoline, and networks of highways

Name the principle created to ensure that the party responsible for polluting pays for the damage they may cause the environment by their polluting

Polluter-pays principle

Which city is one of the most sustainable in the US?

Portland, Oregon

Rank the following in order of LEAST to MOST sustainable transportation priority: Public transportation, single occupancy vehicles, bicycles, commercial vehicles, pedestrian, multiple occupancy vehicles

Single occupancy, Multiple occupancy, Commercial, Public Transportation, bicycles, pedestrians

What is Smart Growth?

Smart Growth is planned community development that hopes to curb urban sprawl by encouraging a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods and community engagement

What is "urban sprawl"?

The growth of low density development on the edges of cities and towns, which eliminate surrounding agricultural and wild lands.

A concerted effort of contacting legislators to persuade them to vote in your group's favor is an example of

Lobbying

What are the motives for strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP)?

To intimidate and discourage individuals and activist groups from filing lawsuits against them

Which branch of government implements and enforces environmental regulations?

Executive

What are the ways to estimate nonuse values of natural resources and ecosystem services?

Existence value, aesthetic value, and bequest value.

What are the 3 big ideas that can help shift our economies to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Full-cost pricing (including harmful environmental and health costs in the market price of the things we buy), smart subsidies (implementing environmentally beneficial subsidies and tax breaks to companies who are working to reduce their emissions and be more sustainable), and green incentives (taxing pollution and waste instead of wages and profits)

What is the genuine progress indicator?

GDP + Benefits not included in market transactions - harmful environmental and social costs

In what country have car-sharing networks cut car ownership by 75%?

Germany

Name one method to preserve open space in cities

Green infrastructure (rain gardens, bioswales, etc) Green belt

The deceptive practice that some businesses use to spin environmentally harmful products as clean is known as?

Greenwashing

What are two of the eight core design principles as described by Dr. Wilson?

Group identity and purpose, fair costs and benefits, agreed upon behaviors, tracking and monitoring, graduated sanctions, fast and fair conflict resolution, local autonomy, appropriate relations with other groups

How many Americans die each year in car accidents?

1.2 million

What percentage of the world's population live in urban areas?

52%

What is a hypercity?

A city that has a population between 20-40 million people

What is cost-benefit analysis and how is it related to resource use?

A comparison of the estimated costs and benefits of actions used to make economic decisions about how to control pollution and manage resources

What does NEPA stand for? What does it mandate for federal construction projects?

NEPA stands for the National Environmental Policy Act. This act requires that an EIS or Environmental Impact Statement is done for every major federal project. The EIS identifies the possible benefits/ harmful effects that could occur.

What are the three types of capital used to produce goods and services in most economic systems? Explain each briefly.

Natural Capital, Human Capital/ Resources, Manufactured Capital/Resources Natural capital: resources and services provided by the Earth's natural processes. Human Capital: people's physical or mental talents that provide labor and innovation. Manufactured capital: tools and machinery used in factories made from natural capital using human capital

If a group of people believe that there should be a new environmental law in effect, what are the steps to ensure this happens?

Recognition of the problem, formulation of a proposed policy, policy implementation, and then policy adjustment.

Discuss one of the three major assumptions that ecological economist models are built on.

Resources are limited and we should not waste them, and there are no substitutes for most types of natural capital. 2) We should encourage environmentally beneficial and sustainable forms of economic development, and discourage environmentally harmful and unsustainable forms of economic growth.3) The harmful environmental and health effects of producing economic goods and services should be included in their market prices (full-cost pricing), so that consumers will have more accurate information about the harmful environmental and health effects of the goods and services they buy

What is the NRDC and how do they help protect the environment?

The National Resources Defense Council is a non-profit environmental advocacy group. They go to court to stop environmentally harmful practices and they rally people together to help advocate for and fight for preserving the environment.

Which environmental group develops policies to spur development of renewable energy?

The Renewable Energy Policy Network

The growth of low-density development on the edges of cities is called?

Urban Sprawl

Which terrestrial ecosystem has the largest estimated monetary value of ecosystem services it provides to the world's public?

Wetlands

Describe the precautionary principle as related to making environmental policy

When substantial evidence indicates that an activity threatens human health or the environment, take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce harm, even if some of the cause-and-effect relationships are not well established, scientifically

What is one way we can help eliminate the amount of solid waste we produce?

small deposit fee on all recyclable items use fee-per-bags when collecting garbage pass laws that require large companies to recycle/reuse packaging only buy products that have been recycled

What is an eco-city and what are its benefits?

an eco-city is a city that is built for humans off of the self sufficient and sustainable model of natural ecosystems. Eco-cities are beneficial to the environment because they promote walking or biking as opposed to using cars, they encourage people to recycle and grow their own food, and they promote biodiversity by preserving the surrounding land and green corridors

In 2012 _____% of Americans lived in urban areas

71%

What are the three big ideas for environmental economics?

Full-cost pricing, smart subsidies, and green incentives.

What is the estimated monetary value of ecosystem services provided by coastal waters each year?

$12.6 trillion

Name one advantage and one disadvantage of environmental taxes and fees

Advantage: helps bring about full-cost pricing Disadvantage: if set too low, wealthy polluters can absorb taxes as costs...penalizes low income groups if no safety net for the poor is provided

Explain full cost pricing

Cost accounting that traces direct costs and allocates indirect costs by collecting and presenting information about the possible environmental, social and economic costs and benefits or advantages. Also called the "triple-bottom-line"

What is one method in which the government used to reduce the amount of air pollution, such as carbon emissions, within industries?

Creating pollution permits which can be traded among industries

The city of Seaside, FL underwent changes to its infrastructure, economy, and its residents' lifestyles. Discuss one change and its sustainable effects.

Mixed use buildings. Good street geometry. Preserving traditional buildings. Incubator and progressive retail. Live/work units.

What is one way in which an urban heat island is created?

Heat generated by cars, factories, furnaces, lights, air conditioners, etc. Heat absorbed by pavement, rooftops, and buildings

What is one disadvantage of urbanization?

High concentration of pollution and health problems

What is The Humility Principle in government?

How our actions affect nature and that we do not have the full knowledge or ability to address our impacts

List three disadvantages of urbanization:

Huge ecological footprints that extend far beyond their boundaries, noise/light pollution, and lack of vegetation and the services that vegetation provide

What is full-cost pricing?

Including the harmful external effects into the price of goods A price for goods and services that includes the estimated costs of harmful environmental and health effects of production.

What is a "high throughput economy"?

It is an economy in which we increase the flow of matter and energy into the system in order to produce more goods and services.

What are the effects of urban sprawl on land and biodiversity?

Loss and cropland, and loss of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife habitat so an overall decrease in biodiversity

Name one of the harmful effects of urban sprawl.

Loss of cropland.Loss and fragmentation of forests, grasslands,wetlands, and wildlife habitat. Increased use and pollution of surface water and groundwater.Increased runoff and flooding. Increased energy use and waste. Increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. Decline of downtown business districts. More unemployment in central cities.

What is the name of the economic system based on energy flow and matter recycling that works with nature to reduce excessive throughput and the unnecessary waste of matter and energy?

Low-throughput (low waste) economy.

Name and explain a component of Smart Growth

Mixed land use, compact building design, diverse housing options, walkable neighborhoods, preserve open space, provide multiple transportation choices, etc.

Which environmental worldview does our current administration best fall under?

Planetary management

Identify and explain one of the three environmental world views and which world leader most closely fits the view

Planetary management (Donald Trump), stewardship (Barack Obama), environmental wisdom (Pope Francis)

Name one reason it is difficult to bring polluters to court?

Pollution comes from non-point sources The plaintiff must have legal standing, i.e. demonstrate harm to health or financial loss

What are the phases of the policy life cycle?

Problem recognition, Policy formulation, Policy implementation, and Policy adjustment.

What is a resource discount rate?

The estimated future economic value of a resource compared to its present value

What is the market price equilibrium point?

The point at which the supply and demand curves intersect.

Describe a source of pollution on Binghamton campus (past or present) and explain a strategy to reduce or stop the pollutant

The previous heating plant used coal and produced much air pollution Now, we have switched to wood chips which has decreased CO2 output

What is bioremediation?

The use of natural processes, such as microorganisms, to consume and break down environmental pollutants.

What is an example of a car-sharing network in the US (and on campus)?

Zipcar

What is environmental law?

a body of laws and treaties that broadly define what is acceptable environmental behavior for individuals, groups, businesses, and nations

What is the tragedy of the commons?

a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users acting independently according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling that resource through their collective action