Deck 1: What Is Sustainability

Question 1

In sustainability, it is important to think about systems and not just parts and pieces.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

One property of a system is that its identity is always more than the sum of its parts.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Economics is a factor in creating systems that are sustainable.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

So far, there are no examples of positive solutions anywhere in the world, and the situation is hopeless.

Question 5

The way to know what is sustainable is to listen to opinions and select the ones talked about most often.

Question 6

One field of study is known as sustainability science.

Question 7

Peer review is one of the characteristics of any recognized discipline.

Question 8

Sustainability is an example of an interdisciplinary field.

Question 9

Critical thinking skills do not play an important role in the field of sustainability.

Question 10

Our planetary situation is hopeless.

Question 11

Being "green," or environmentally responsible, is not the same thing as being sustainable.

Question 12

Living systems are finite, and being sustainable means not using them up beyond their capacity to regenerate.

Question 13

Our planet has seen five previous mass extinctions and we have now entered the sixth great extinction.

Question 14

Which of the following are characteristics of living systems?

A) closed-loop cycles
B) networks
C) diversity
D) all of the above

Question 15

The triple bottom line refers to

A) product, place, and price
B) local, regional, and global
C) environment, economics, and equity
D) pollution, climate change, and resource depletion

Question 16

One characteristic of systems is that there isn't any ____. Energy and materials go round and round in closed loops for millions of years, with the byproducts from one creature or systems becoming inputs or food for another.

A) carbon dioxide
B) waste
C) water
D) biomass

Question 17

One characteristic of systems is that materials and processes do not stay put. Energy is constantly exchanged, chemicals are constantly exchanged, and the grand whole is in a state of _____.

A) flux
B) chaos
C) conservation
D) dynamic equilibrium

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT part of the triple bottom line?

A) profit
B) planet
C) progress
D) people

Question 19

Processes that purify air and water, pollinate crops, provide food, recycle waste, and circulate atmospheric gases, chemical elements, and energy are sometimes referred to as:

A) carrying capacity
B) ecosystem services
C) triple bottom line
D) externalized systems

Question 20

Built-in limits to any system are known as its

A) carrying capacity
B) boundaries
C) ecosystem load
D) monoculture

Question 21

What is the definition of sustainable development first introduced in the 1987 United Nations report "Our Common Future"?

A) economic development that does not compromise the environment of society
B) development that considers social, economic, and environmental outcomes
C) operating a business in the interest of all current and future stakeholders in a manner that ensures the long-term health and survival of the business and its associated economic, social, and environmental systems
D) development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT part of the triple bottom line?

A) profit
B) planet
C) progress
D) people