Deck 18: The Global Environment

Question 1

Principles of the Paris Agreement include

A) specific goals for energy efficiency.
B) commitment to GHG emissions.
C) commitment to offer INDCs.
D) quantitative targets of GHG reductions.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

As a specific approach to reducing the impact of green house gasses, mitigation refers to

A) taking steps to reduce emissions today to delay or reduce global temperature increases.
B) new legislation that allows for lawsuits for those who do not comply with emission limits.
C) adjustments to reduce the negative impacts of temperature increases.
D) protecting specific key resources from temperature increases.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

There are two fundamental paths to address the problems of global climate change: _________ and/or __________.

A) regulation; elimination
B) mitigation; adaptation
C) market; legal
D) global; local

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Higher levels of atmospheric CO₂ are expected to have a substantial impact on ecosystems, including individual plant and animal species, not just because of the magnitude of change but also because of ??????________________.

A) reason for the change
B) location of the change
C) predictability of the change
D) the rate of change

Question 5

Two incentive based programs that might be considered to control GHG are

A) emissions standards; technology based standards.
B) cap and trade programs; emission taxes/charges.
C) bag and tag programs; cap and trade programs.
D) shifting away from meat consumption; CAFÉ standards.

Question 6

When discussing economic adaptation, examples of adaptation include

A) increasing the markets.
B) investing in flood control.
C) focusing on wind power vs. mass transit networks.
D) addressing immigration policies.

Question 7

When there are substantial differences among sources and technologies in terms of the costs of reducing greenhouse gasses, the use of __________ is more cost effective than the use of _____________.

A) incentives; fines
B) fines; incentives
C) incentive based policies; command and control policies
D) command and control policies; incentive based policies

Question 8

There is some evidence that CO2 emissions have been contained within the United States and Europe. One of the main reasons for the decline is thought to be

A) the 2008 recession.
B) new legislation.
C) smaller automobiles.
D) increased recycling.

Question 9

The rate of heating due to global warming is expected to be about ______ per decade.

A) .05° C per decade
B) .5° C per decade
C) 5° C per decade
D) none of the above

Question 10

The Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005 and was the first ___________ effort to address GHG reduction and control.

A) national
B) international
C) private
D) European

Question 11

The United States and other countries have a long history of using __________. This approach will increase the cost of controlling Greenhouse Gasses.

A) command and control policies
B) decentralized policies
C) incentive based strategies
D) market trading systems

Question 12

Afforestation is an example of _________________.

A) an emission reduction method
B) augmenting the CO₂ absorption capacity of the ecosystem
C) a technology standard
D) a CO₂ capture and storage method

Question 13

In recent years, the most important factors in reducing CO₂ emissions have beenA. population and GDP per capita.
B) energy use per person and CO₂ emissions per goods sold.
C) energy efficiency and CO₂ produced per energy used.
D) all of the above.

Question 14

Global plans for emissions reductions require that we follow a strategy for assigning responsibility for emission reduction. If global policy assigns carbon emissions reductions according to total emissions, the largest reductions, as of 2020, would have to come from __________.

A) India
B) China
C) France
D) the United States

Question 15

Using _______to control greenhouse gasses are likely to be more expensive than _____.

A) policy; informal agreements
B) technology or emissions based standards; incentive based strategies
C) fines; subsidies
D) decentralized; centralized

Question 16

Cap and trade is a _____ based plan. A limit is placed on emissions and prices are established in emissions permit markets. Emission taxes are a _______ based policy. A fee on emissions is set and the quantity of emissions is adjusted as polluters react to the fee.

A) price; quantity
B) quantity; price
C) technology; behavior
D) behavior; technology

Question 17

As a specific approach to reducing the impact of green house gasses, adaptation refers to

A) taking steps to reduce emissions today to delay or reduce global temperature increases.
B) new legislation that allows for lawsuits for those who do not comply with emission limits.
C) adjustments to reduce the negative impacts of temperature increases.
D) protecting specific key resources from temperature increases.

Question 18

With no green house gases at all, the earth would be _______ for human life.

A) more comfortable
B) uninhabitable
C) 10 degrees cooler
D) more sustainable

Question 19

Which of the following events or activities have contributed to the increase in global green house gasses?

A) deforestation
B) the industrial revolution
C) increased use of fossil fuels
D) all of the above

Question 20

One of the biggest impacts of global climate change will be in forestry and agriculture. The agricultural impacts will hit ____________ harder.

A) developed nations
B) the western hemisphere
C) developing nations
D) the southern hemisphere

Question 21

The social cost of carbon is

A) the external costs of one additional ton of greenhouse gases released
B) the marginal costs of reducing a ton of greenhouse gas
C) different in different geographical locations
D) impossible to estimate

Question 22

According to recent statistics from the World Resources Institute, emissions are increasing in the

A) United States.
B) European Union.
C) India.
D) all of the above.

Question 23

The best way to preserve biological diversity is to

A) ban hunting
B) protect habitat
C) ban trade in animals
D) work to discover new species

Question 24

The reason it is so difficult to seek solutions to protect the global environment is that

A) nations are impacted by global pollution differently and therefore have different incentives to protect global resources.
B) nations contribute to global pollution at different levels and therefore require different incentives to alter their practices.
C) there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the impact of emissions on shared global resources.
D) all of the above.

Question 25

"Decarbonization" means

A) using less energy per household
B) reducing CO₂ emissions per unit of energy used
C) reducing energy used per average household
D) producing cars that get better fuel mileage

Question 26

One policy solution to maintaining species and biodiversity is to

A) establish a more complete system of property rights over genetic resources.
B) establish a trap and trade program similar to cap and trade programs.
C) increase and expand the Endangered Species Act.
D) increase the lands in the US that are held in the public domain.

Question 27

The Paris Agreement

A) requires countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equally
B) applies only to developed countries
C) allows countries to set their own greenhouse gas reduction targets
D) was negotiated in New York

Question 28

The Kyoto Protocol has been criticized for

A) setting quantitative limits on GHG without specific regard to future increases in global temperatures.
B) focusing on short term goals without consideration of long-term needs.
C) insufficient attention to implementation and enforcement.
D) all of the above.

Question 29

Calculations of the social cost of carbon can be used to

A) set carbon taxes to achieve a socially efficient level of pollution.
B) assist with regulatory impact analysis.
C) guide regulatory decisions by the EPA.
D) all of the above.

Question 30

In order to preserve biodiversity, the United States has passed the Endangered Species Act. Although this act has had some success in preserving individual endangered species, it is relatively ineffective at preserving _________, because this requires preservation of a relationship among a large number of species.

A) plant species
B) diversity
C) threatened animals
D) genetics

Question 31

Building more flood resistant housing is a case of

A) spending money unwisely
B) required by the Paris Agreement
C) mitigation
D) adaptation

Question 32

Current incentive-based programs for reducing greenhouse gases includes

A) mileage requirements on new cars
B) the European Trading Program
C) shifting to nuclear power
D) a combination of solar and wind power

Question 33

Effective maintenance of biodiversity requires the maintenance of

A) habitats.
B) sanctuaries.
C) reserve parks.
D) all of the above.