Deck 2: Responding to Global Environmental Change

Question 1

The collective average global footprint per person is ________.

A) 7.25 hectares
B) 1.8 hectares
C) 9.5 hectares
D) 2.8 hectares

Answer 1

D

Question 2

On a global scale, only ________ are available for each person.

A) 4.3 hectares
B) 2 hectares
C) 0.8 hectares
D) 1.7 hectares

Answer 2

D

Question 3

As the human population increases, the number of hectares available per person by 2030 will be________.

A) 2.4 hectares
B) 0.5 hectares
C) 0.9 hectares
D) 5 hectares

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The amount of biologically productive area available to meet humanity's need is called its ________.

A) biocapacity
B) capacity
C) biofuel
D) biocapability

Question 5

________ are the demands that humans place on nature in terms of supplying materials and disposing of wastes.

A) Planet indexes
B) Ecological footprints
C) Biocapacities
D) Crude growth rates

Question 6

DPSIR stands for ________.

A) Drivers-Pressures-Stability-Impact-Response
B) Development-Pressures-State-Impact-Response
C) Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response
D) Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Reaction

Question 7

World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Index shows a 35 per cent overall reduction in ________ since 1970.

A) the number of birds
B) biodiversity
C) Earth's ecological health
D) the number of reptiles

Question 8

Environmental indicators are used to ________.

A) support policy development
B) identify key environmental pressures
C) raise public awareness
D) All of the above

Question 9

Researchers suggest that the main reason why overall human welfare is improving on a global scale and yet ecosystems continue to be degraded is that ________.

A) due to a time lag, the worst is yet to come regarding the full impacts of global degradation
B) human welfare is mainly tied to food production
C) humans are worse off than we believe
D) humans have averted the worst consequences of environmental degradation through technology

Question 10

It is NOT true that in meeting the Millennium Development Goals, ________.

A) open defecation was eliminated since the majority of the global population gained access to improved sanitation facilities
B) over three million deaths from malaria were averted due to health interventions
C) extreme poverty was reduced by half
D) over two billion people have improved access to a drinking water source

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a reason are we seemingly less concerned about the ozone layer today?

A) The Montreal Protocol set targets to phase out ozone-depleting substances
B) The ozone layer has recovered
C) The ozone layer has started to recover
D) Corporations have successfully lobbied that it is not important

Question 12

The 2017 review of CEPA made all the following recommendations EXCEPT: ________.

A) recognize the right of every person in Canada to a healthy environment
B) the introduction of national drinking water and air quality standards
C) examination of the cumulative impact of noxious substances
D) acknowledgement of rights of the environment

Question 13

The Human Development Index differs from the gross national product (GNP) as a measure of well-being because it also measures ________.

A) living standards
B) longevity
C) education
D) All of the above

Question 14

In order for some semblance of sustainability and equity to emerge, wealthier nations will have to reduce consumption by ________ per cent.

A) 40
B) 20
C) 90
D) 70

Question 15

The Happy Planet Index focuses on ________.

A) ecosystem health relative to ecological impacts
B) GDP relative to ecological impacts
C) human well-being relative to happiness
D) human well-being relative to ecological impacts

Question 16

________ ranks highest on the Happy Planet Index.

A) Sweden
B) Canada
C) Costa Rica
D) Zimbabwe

Question 17

_____ is a cornerstone of the Heiltsuk people's diet, cultural practice, and livelihoods.

A) Salmon
B) Oolichan
C) Herring
D) Abalone

Question 18

Canada ranks ________ on the Happy Planet Index.

A) 112th
B) 64th
C) 5th
D) 19th

Question 19

Canada's ecological capacity is one of the world's largest, at ________ per capita.

A) 2.92
B) 14.24
C) 16.25
D) 10.14

Question 20

Canada's lack of performance in most areas of environmental management has largely been overlooked by most Canadians because ________.

A) we are isolated from global environmental pressures
B) we do not rise to meet environmental challenges
C) the media rarely cover environmental issues
D) Canadians do not receive sufficient environmental education

Question 21

Canada has consistently failed to fulfill ________.

A) national environmental commitments
B) international environmental commitments
C) its own environmental policies and legislation
D) All of the above

Question 22

In terms of marine conservation, it is likely that the world will establish less than ________ of the planet as marine protected areas (mpas) under the Convention on Biological Diversity by 2020.

A) three quarters
B) less than five percent
C) 100 per cent
D) less than one-quarter

Question 23

Canada has supported ________.

A) a US proposal to ban trade in polar bears under CITES
B) declaring bluefin tuna endangered under CITES
C) a global moratorium on bottom trawling promoted by George W. Bush
D) None of the above

Question 24

Canada has been given ________ at multiple international environment talks.

A) the award for Commitment to Marine Resources
B) the UNEP Climate Change Innovator award
C) the Lifetime Unachievement Fossil award
D) the International Environment Leader Award

Question 25

Canada is a federated state, which means _________.

A) its power and authority is held mostly by the federal government
B) its power and authority is shared between federal and provincial governments
C) its power and authority is dictated by municipalities
D) its power and authority is mostly held by the provinces and municipalities

Question 26

Ecological footprints measure ________.

A) the impact of species on their environments
B) the demands that humans place on nature
C) the services environments provide for their species
D) None of the above

Question 27

Humanity's footprint increased by ________ per cent between 1961 and 2014.

A) 200
B) 27
C) 190
D) 43

Question 28

Since ________ the ecological footprint has exceeded the Earth's biocapacity.

A) 1990
B) 1970
C) 2000
D) 1955

Question 29

Composite indices include ________.

A) the ecological footprint
B) the Human Development Index
C) the Canadian Index of WellBeing
D) All of the above

Question 30

________ has initiated a carbon tax to discourage fossil fuel dependence and encourage behaviours that reduce global warming.

A) British Columbia
B) Yukon
C) Alberta
D) Nova Scotia

Question 31

________ is planning a major tidal energy project to reduce fossil fuel dependence.

A) British Columbia
B) Yukon
C) Alberta
D) Nova Scotia

Question 32

In terms of environmental issues, when governments or companies "control the message" rather than addressing the problem, this is called ________.

A) quality control
B) greenwashing
C) public relations
D) whitewashing

Question 33

The "War in the Woods" was _________.

A) two decades of protests over old-growth logging in BC
B) in large part responsible for the protection of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region
C) saw one protest in which over 800 people were arrested
D) All of the above

Question 34

The real world includes not just the economic realities of today's society, but also ________.

A) the air we breathe
B) the organisms that keep life-support systems going
C) the water we drink
D) All of the above

Question 35

The increasing gap in understanding of the real, natural world on the part of the younger generation has been termed ________.

A) knowledge deficit disorder
B) attention deficit disorder
C) economic deficit disorder
D) nature deficit disorder

Question 36

The most effective protection of old-growth forests in BC happened through ________.

A) 30 years of protests of old-growth logging
B) sourcing and eating only wild salmon
C) consumer boycotting of Home Depot
D) petitioning the government to stop old-growth logging

Question 37

The Happy Planet Index ________.

A) has a focus on achieving sustainability
B) assumes that people want to live long and fulfilling lives
C) scores for life satisfaction, life expectancy and inequality measures
D) All of the above

Question 38

The assessment of MDG targets suggests that ________.

A) we are improving the environment but not the lot of humanity
B) we are improving the lot of humanity but not the environment
C) we are not meeting most goals
D) we are reaching all goals set

Question 39

McDonald's has addressed its environmental impacts through all of the above EXCEPT: ________.

A) building restaurants with concrete blocks made from recycled photographic film
B) upholding a policy not to buy beef of cattle raised on land converted from rain forests
C) getting rid of all single-use packaging
D) buying at least $100 million worth of recycled products

Question 40

The term "light living" means ________.

A) living in an enlightened state of being
B) being more active and eating out less
C) treading lightly to minimize our ecological footprints
D) None of the above

Question 41

Long-life light bulbs last up to ________ years longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 30

Question 42

It takes ________ litres of water to produce 1 litre of gasoline.

A) 7
B) 18
C) 20
D) 25

Question 43

To have a "green" Christmas, you could ________.

A) give items that display the EcoLogo of three doves
B) give second-hand items
C) increase "green" education by giving an environmental book or magazine
D) All of the above

Question 44

The 100-mile diet refers to ________.

A) walking 100 miles
B) walking and biking to reduce environmental impacts
C) buying and eating food produced within a 100-mile radius of your home
D) running 100 miles per month to lose weight

Question 45

It takes ________ energy to make new paper from old paper than to start fresh from a new tree.

A) 30 to 55 per cent less
B) approximately the same amount of
C) a negligibly smaller amount of
D) significantly more

Question 46

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for ________.

A) ten minutes
B) one month
C) two days
D) three hours

Question 47

The Law of Everybody suggests that ________.

A) when many individuals act for the environment, the resulting change is cumulative
B) everyone should work together
C) individuals don't make a difference
D) Both a and b

Question 48

________ was subject to a large-scale wood products boycott that resulted in its committing to selling only certified wood products.

A) Home Hardware
B) Home Depot
C) Walmart
D) Costco

Question 49

The Law of Everybody suggests ________.

A) buying few things
B) driving 10 per cent less per year
C) showering with a friend
D) All of the above

Question 50

Identifying the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its lifetime is referred to as ________.

A) life-cycle assessment (LCA)
B) green seal
C) product assessment (PA)
D) product sustainability index (PSI)

Question 51

Canada has impressive legislation, policies, strategies, and action plans regarding the environment, and it provides excellent resources to ensure that their goals are all fully met.

Question 52

Many current trends of increasing environmental degradation are fuelled by consumption of material goods.

Question 53

We are currently in the space of "accumulated ecological debt," and the full repercussions of that debt have yet to be realized.

Question 54

Extreme poverty was reduced by half as part of the Millennium Development Goals.

Question 55

The Sustainable Development Goals build upon the Millennium Development Goals and have a broader environmental scope.

Question 56

The Convention on Biological Diversity required signatory nations to establish networks of marine protected areas covering 10 per cent of the oceans by 2012, and this goal was achieved in 2011.

Question 57

The Happy Planet Index assesses human well-being as "happy life years."

Question 58

Canada ranked tenth on the Happy Planet Index.

Question 59

Most Canadians have a very good sense of the scope of many environmental challenges.

Question 60

McDonald's is extremely environmentally irresponsible.

Question 61

Evaluations of the carbon tax in BC indicate that the tax is effective and that no noticeable loss of quality of life has occurred.

Question 62

Canada is an environmental leader, not a laggard.

Question 63

Many university-level science programs focus on scientific rigour, but also provide students with a comprehensive understanding of and passion for their environment.

Question 64

North Americans frequently shop to indulge frivolous whims.

Question 65

Transportation is responsible for a quarter of all energy used in Canada.

Question 66

It takes less energy to make new paper from old paper than it does to make new paper from a tree.

Question 67

The Law of Everybody states that individual actions make a significant difference.

Question 68

Sometimes people do not take action related to the environment because they are tired of hearing the message.

Question 69

Many corporations do much better than we do personally, or than our governments do, in systematically addressing their environmental impacts.

Question 70

McDonald's has a strict policy to not buy the beef of cattle raised on land converted from rain forests.

Question 71

What can you do on campus to become involved in environmental initiatives?

Question 72

What positive developments have been made towards the Millennium Development Goals?

Question 73

How can you create positive environmental change on your campus?

Question 74

What are the four Rs? Briefly describe what each one means.

Question 75

What can you do to minimize your transportation impact?

Question 76

List six ways in which consumers can reduce their consumption.

Question 77

What is extended producer responsibility? Provide an example.

Question 78

What is a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)? Give an example of a company that provides LCAs.

Question 79

How is McDonald's contributing to positive environmental change?

Question 80

What are people doing to combat nature deficit disorder?