Deck 2: How Did We Get Here Power, Privilege, and a Paradigm Problem

Question 1

British philosopher John Locke argued that only landowners should have the right to vote. His perspective foreshadowed the prevailing 18th century Western perspective that

A)private land ownership protects nature from too much development.
B)utilizing and developing nature for human benefit is the right thing to do.
C)land is most valuable when left in its pristine, undeveloped state.
D)landowners are especially wise because of their close association with nature.

Answer 1

utilizing and developing nature for human benefit is the right thing to do.

Question 2

Among urban environmentalists, the______________ were similar to preservationists and the ________________ were similar to conservationists.

A)professionals; reformers
B)reformers; radicals
C)radicals; pacifists
D)reformers; professionals

Answer 2

reformers; professionals

Question 3

Which of the following is true about chemist Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911)?

A)Her work led to the first water quality standards in the U.S.
B)She was the first woman to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
C)She is credited with introducing the word ecology into the English language.
D)All of the above are true.

Answer 3

All of the above are true.

Question 4

The automobile, the first commercial airline, and the first fully synthetic plastic were all innovations of the

A)mid 1800s
B)late 1800s
C)early 1900s
D)mid 1900s

Question 5

The negative effects of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s were exacerbated by

A)conservationists pushing for limits on water use.
B)industrial agricultural practices.
C)exhaust coming from automobiles.
D)All of the above

Question 6

In 1935, Bob Marshall and Aldo Leopold co-founded

A)The Sierra Club
B)Earth First!
C)The Wilderness Society
D)Greenpeace

Question 7

Which of the following phrases best captures Aldo Leopold's ""land ethic""?

A)It is ethical to recognize that land is a commodity belonging to us.
B)It is ethical to preserve land as a retreat for human recreation.
C)It is ethical to use natural resources wisely and conservatively.
D)It is ethical to see land as a community to which we belong.

Question 8

Which two decades mark the most dramatic changes in the lifestyle of U.S. citizens, spurred by innovations in technology and manufacturing

A)1930s and 1960s
B)1920s and 1950s
C)1900s and 1970s
D)1880s and 1890s

Question 9

In which decade did televisions become mainstream in U.S. households?

A)1920s
B)1930s
C)1940s
D)1950s

Question 10

In which decade did car ownership become mainstream in U.S. households?

A)1920s
B)1930s
C)1940s
D)1950s

Question 11

At the outset of the 1950s, there were 25 million registered automobiles in the U.S.; now there are about______ million.

A)250
B)200
C)150
D)100

Question 12

Which of the following were among the concerns of the first urban environmentalists?

A)water contamination
B)air pollution
C)waste disposal
D)All of the above were concerns of the first urban environmentalists.

Question 13

Which of the following is true about the origins of the National Audubon Society?

A)The first Audubon group was established by upper-class gentleman birdwatchers who wanted to protect their hobby.
B)The first Audubon group was established by upper-class ladies who urged their peers not to wear hats featuring birds and feathers.
C)The first Audubon group was established by upper-class gentlemen bird hunters who wanted to protect their sport.
D)The first Audubon group was established by President Theodore Roosevelt, a known bird-lover.

Question 14

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes saw nature as

A)peaceful and serene
B)unpredictable and awe-inspiring
C)chaotic and dangerous
D)nurturing and bountiful

Question 15

The phrase ""manifest destiny"" referred to the idea that

A)each individual must pursue a unique path toward ultimate spiritual and intellectual development.
B)a community must determine its destiny by looking to obvious (i.e., manifest) patterns in the behaviors of its individual members
C)It was the destiny of early settlers to manifest new customs that differed from those of their homelands.
D)Westward expansion in the United States was a desirable and inevitable path to progress.

Question 16

Who coined the phrase ""manifest destiny""?

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)A newspaper editor
C)Mark Twain
D)A preacher

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the Western perspective that progress = growth?

A)This perspective was prevalent in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it has since fallen out of favor.
B)This perspective is not is ultimately not sustainable given natural resource limits.
C)This is part of the industrial mindset, but most individuals in Western cultures do not subscribe to it.
D)This is a useful mindset for pursuing environmental sustainability.

Question 18

Transcendentalist writers, such as Emerson and Thoreau, praised

A)comforts and luxuries afforded by industrial development
B)nature's usefulness to humans
C)wilderness and simple living
D)the elevation of humans above nature.

Question 19

In the history of U.S. environmentalism, John Muir is associated with the ____________ perspective and Gifford Pinchot is associated with the _______________ perspective.

A)preservationist; conservationist
B)preservationist; preservationist
C)conservationist; conservationist
D)conservationist; preservationist

Question 20

Which of the following best captures the preservationist perspective of early environmental advocates in the U.S.?

A)Natural resources should be carefully monitored and managed.
B)Technology can help humans to use natural resources wisely.
C)Pristine wilderness is valuable as a place of restoration and recreation for people.
D)A and B

Question 21

Which of the following best captures the conservationist perspective of early environmental advocates in the U.S.?

A)Technology can help humans to use natural resources wisely.
B)Natural resources should be carefully monitored and managed.
C)Pristine wilderness is valuable as a place of restoration and recreation for people.
D)A and B

Question 22

President Theodore Roosevelt is considered by environmental historians to be one of the early

A)preservationsists
B)conservationsists
C)urban environmentalists
D)All of the above

Question 23

Why is the battle over the Hetch Hetchy dam significant in the history of U.S. environmentalism?

A)It was the pivotal event in the contest between preservationists and conservationists.
B)It was the first time the government set aside public lands for conservation.
C)It was the first environmental issue to capture the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt.
D)It was the first time everyday citizens had organized to resist environmental degradation.

Question 24

Which of the following accurately describes the post-war decade of the 1950s in the U.S.?

A)Factories that had produced wartime necessities shifted to producing novel consumer products and household appliances.
B)Because so many resources had been directed toward the war, consumers were left having to make do with less for most of the decade.
C)Habits developed during the war, such as salvaging, recycling, and planting home gardens, persisted throughout this decade.
D)Both B and C are true.

Question 25

In which decade were the first mass-produced plastic household goods (e.g., dishes) marketed to consumers in the U.S.?

A)1920s
B)1930s
C)1940s
D)1950s

Question 26

Which of the following books raised the ecological awareness of the U.S. public in the 1960s?

A)A Sand County Almanac
B)Silent Spring
C)Walden, or Life in the Woods
D)Breaking New Ground

Question 27

Which of the following was not among the goals of the Wise Use Agenda published in 1988?

A)development of petroleum resources of Arctic national Wildlife Refuge
B)giving prodevelopment groups the right to sue on behalf of industries threatened by environmentalists
C)opening all wilderness and national parks to mining and energy development
D)All of these were among the goals of the Wise Use Agenda

Question 28

Which of the following is false regarding the partisan divide in environmental politics in the U.S.?

A)This divide has existed only since about the 1980s.
B)In recent years the divide has decreased.
C)Democrats are more in favor of environmental regulations and resource conservation than Republicans are.
D)Neither Republicans nor Democrats represent a serious challenge to the Dominant Social Paradigm.

Question 29

Why is it necessary to consider worldview in an analysis of anthropogenic ecological problems?

Question 30

Describe four assumptions of the Dominant Social Paradigm that have contributed to the current ecological crisis.

Question 31

Describe similarities and differences between the preservationist and conservationist perspectives in early U.S. environmentalism. Who were the key figures involved? What historical event is considered pivotal in the contest between these two perspectives?

Question 32

Describe the relationship between the World Wars and modern innovations that dramatically changed the lifestyles of everyday citizens in the U.S..

Question 33

The textbook authors state, ""Ecologically speaking, the innovation of television was no-less-than momentous, and not in a good way."" What do you think they mean by this provocative statement?

Question 34

Describe how the birth of ""car culture"" changed people's lifestyles in the U.S..

Question 35

What were the primary issues, and who were the primary players, in the first and second waves of U.S. environmentalism?

Question 36

Why do environmental historians refer to the 1970s as the ""Green Decade""?

Question 37

Which of the following is false about the EarthFirst! Movement?

A)The movement advocated more extreme tactics than had been previously employed for environemental protection.
B)The movement's slogan was ""No compromise in defense of mother earth!""
C)The movement advocated Wise Use of natural resources.
D)Among the founders were experienced environmental professionals.

Question 38

Which of the following was not an action of the Reagan adminstration?

A)cuts to research and development budgets for renewable energy
B)elimination of tax breaks for wind and solar energy
C)increased leases for oil, gas, and coal development on national lands
D)All of the above were actions of the Reagan administration.

Question 39

In her book Silent Spring author Rachel Carson focused on

A)water pollution caused by factory discharge.
B)air pollution caused by auto emissions.
C)the health hazards of chemical pesticides.
D)dwindling forests due to logging.

Question 40

In the 1960s, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, David Brower, took out full-page ads in the New York Times and other newspapers to protest the government's plan to

A)build dams on the Colorado River that would have flooded parts of the Grand Canyon.
B)begin building an Interstate Highway system.
C)open up parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
D)use DDT in all federally-owned parks.

Question 41

Which of the following accurately describes the first Earth Day?

A)It was a nationwide ""teach-in"" about environmental issues.
B)It involved about 20 million participants nationwide.
C)It was sponsored by Senator Gaylord Nelson and organized by Denis Hayes.
D)All of the above are true.

Question 42

Which U.S. president's administration oversaw the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts?

A)Kennedy
B)Nixon
C)Carter
D)Reagan

Question 43

President ____________ had a solar water heating system installed on the White House, and his successor, President ____________ had it removed.

A)Nixon; Ford
B)Carter; Reagan
C)Reagan; G. H. W. Bush
D)Clinton; Bush

Question 44

President Carter planned to have _______ of the nation's energy generated by renewable sources by the year 2000 (as compared to the actual figure of 3.5%)

A)0.015
B)0.05
C)0.1
D)0.2

Question 45

In what year was the first wind farm built in the U.S.?

A)1980
B)1990
C)2000
D)2010

Question 46

Who was the ""know-nothing housewife"" responsible for the grassroots movement that led to the Love Canal housing development being declared a Superfund Site?

A)Rachel Carson
B)Lois Gibbs
C)Ellen Swallow Richards
D)Minna B. Hall

Question 47

Since the ___________ administration, there has been a partisan divide in U.S. government pertaining to environmental regulations and conservation issues.

A)Kennedy
B)Reagan
C)Clinton
D)G)W. Bush

Question 48

In what ways has environmentalism and anti-environmentalism become more organized, polarized, and extreme since 1980?

Question 49

The view of nature as inanimate faciliated widespread acceptance of the idea that nature can, and should, be

A)manipulated and controlled
B)studied and understood
C)revered and respected
D)observed and emulated

Question 50

Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign promised a return to the economic boom times of the 1950s.

Question 51

Anthropocentrism is a central characteristic of Western thought.

Question 52

As philosopher Thomas Hobbes suggested, humans are innately inclined to compete, rather than cooperate.

Question 53

The idea that individuals have a natural right to act in self-interest became a fundamental part of the dominant Western worldview in the 18th century.

Question 54

In the mid-19th century, land and resources in the U.S. seemed unlimited to most people.

Question 55

Thinking of progress in terms of perpetual growth and change devalues sustainability.

Question 56

American transcendentalist writers such as Emerson and Thoreau embraced materialistic values and the utilitarian view of nature.

Question 57

In the late 19th century U.S., upper-class women's clubs were instrumental in grassroots campaigns to protect forests and wildlife.

Question 58

The conservationist perspective was more of a challenge to the DSP than was the preservationist perspective.

Question 59

Gifford Pinchot and Teddy Roosevelt were skeptical about the application of science and technology to natural resource management.

Question 60

Like wilderness preservationists, urban environmental reformers questioned industrial development.

Question 61

Animism was never a part of Western thought.

Question 62

Within the Dominant Social Paradigm, humans are considered separate from the rest of nature.

Question 63

The founders of the radical EarthFirst! movement advocated eco-terrorism and violence as methods for protecting the environment.

Question 64

Although Gifford Pinchot's work inspired the name of the Wise Use movement, members of this movement did not share his belief in conservation.

Question 65

Republican George H. W. Bush campaigned on the promise that he would be ""the environmental president.""

Question 66

Environmental policies and regulations have been strengthened and weakened by U.S. Democratic and Republican presidential administrations, respectively, since the 1980s.

Question 67

Since the 1970s, the Democratic party platform in the U.S. has been characterized by challenges to the Dominant Social Paradigm.

Question 68

Industrial development during the past two centuries has involved unprecedented disruption of ecological systems.

Question 69

Worldviews are obvious to the people who hold them.

Question 70

Most environmental scientists would agree with the axioms of the Dominant Social Paradigm.

Question 71

The beliefs that make up the Dominant Social Paradigm are informed by ecological knowledge acquired in the past 50 years.

Question 72

The Dominant Social Paradigm described by Pirages & Erlich (1974) has existed for most of human history.

Question 73

During the Great Depression, thousands of men in the U.S. were put to work protecting natural habitat, planting trees, and improving parks.

Question 74

The Wilderness Society was started in the 1930s by a group of nature lovers who lacked formal education.

Question 75

Like John Muir, Aldo Leopold valued unspoiled wilderness for what it could provide to humans.

Question 76

Why do some scholars propose the designation of a new geologic era called the ""Anthropocene""?

A)We are in an era of unprecendented human impact on the planet.
B)Human activity has increased the number of earthquakes the planet experiences.
C)Humans are rapidly approaching the carrying capacity of the planet.
D)Humans have caused environmental damage since they first evolved.

Question 77

People's worldviews affect

A)who they are.
B)what they believe.
C)how they behave.
D)Worldviews affect all of the above.

Question 78

Which of the following is false regarding people's worldviews?

A)Worldviews differ across cultures.
B)Worldviews influence values, priorities, and goals.
C)Most people spontaneously question their own worldviews.
D)Worldviews consiste of implicit notions that are taken for granted.

Question 79

Which of the following ideas is NOT part of the Dominant Social Paradigm described by Pirages and Erlich (1974)?

A)Humans are not exempt from natural constraints.
B)Economic growth is always good, and always possible.
C)Individuals have the right to develop land for personal profit.
D)Science and technology will solve any problems caused by human activities.

Question 80

Which of the following ideas represents a challenge to the Dominant Social Paradigm?

A)There are limits to growth.
B)Progress = Growth
C)Growth is always good.
D)Growth is always possible.