Deck 15: The Environment

Question 1

_____ refers to the diminishing supply of natural resources, illustrated well by the challenge of meeting the ever-increasing demand for energy.

Answer 1

Environmental depletion

Question 2

A(n) _____ is defined as anything that causes environmental pollution.

Answer 2

pollutant

Question 3

When vegetation in an area is destroyed by a small increase in the population, it is an example of _____.

Answer 3

the "threshold effect"

Question 4

The text points out that any given area of the earth has a limited _____, that is, a limit to the number of people who can live there without causing a collapse of the biological system.

Question 5

The natural process essential to life, resulting in the production of oxygen and organic materials, is known as _____.

Question 6

Suppose someone argues that in the world, only those species disappear for which there is no use or importance, and the proof that they are unimportant is the fact that they disappeared. This illustrates the _____.

Question 7

In April 1986, two devastating explosions occurred at a nuclear power plant in _____.

Question 8

Archaeologists have discovered that biodegradable trash is _____ in landfills.

Question 9

Energy consumption per capita is higher in _____ than it is in any other country in the world.

Question 10

_____ of office occupants will experience one or more sick building symptoms each week.

Question 11

A chemical used to kill plant life, particularly weeds, is called a(n) _____.

Question 12

There are _____ different kinds of water pollution.

Question 13

The two most important outcomes of water eutrophication are algae growth and _____.

Question 14

The overfertilization of water from excess nutrients is known as _____.

Question 15

Most air pollution is caused by the burning of _____.

Question 16

Environmental problems can be divided into two types: environmental pollution and environmental _____.

Question 17

Over 2,500 people died when a deadly chemical used to manufacture pesticides escaped through a faulty valve into the air in _____.

Question 18

Commoner (1971) compared the ecosystem of the earth to a(n) _____.

Question 19

A(n) _____ is defined as a set of living things, their environment, and the interrelationships among and between them.

A) ecological niche
B) ecosystem
C) habitat
D) estuary

Question 20

An important environmental problem caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide is _____.

A) ozone depletion
B) soil exhaustion
C) acid rain
D) ocean pollution

Question 21

Commoner (1971) compared the ecosystem of the earth to a(n) _____.

A) automobile
B) machine
C) living being
D) system of checks and balances

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true about acid rain?

A) It is caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.
B) It has killed fish in lakes.
C) It has damaged buildings.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 23

Over 2,500 people died when a deadly chemical used to manufacture pesticides escaped through a faulty valve into the air in _____.

A) Three Mile Island
B) Chernobyl
C) Bhopal
D) Beijing

Question 24

The text divides environmental problems into two types: environmental pollution and environmental _____.

A) destruction
B) disaster
C) depletion
D) overpopulation

Question 25

A chemical used to kill insects defined as pests is called _____.

A) a pesticide
B) mercury vapor
C) formaldehyde
D) nitrous oxide
E) eutrophication

Question 26

The degradation of air, land, water, climate (global warming), aesthetic environment (eye pollution), and sound environment (noise pollution) is referred to as environmental _____.

A) pollution
B) depletion
C) degradation
D) perforation

Question 27

The primary source of air pollution is _____.

A) the burning of fossil fuels
B) the damage to the ozone layer
C) an excessively high population
D) the third world condition
E) environmental depletion

Question 28

There are _____ different kinds of water pollution.

A) four
B) six
C) eight
D) 10
E) 12

Question 29

The overfertilization of water due to excess nutrients, leading to algae growth and oxygen depletion is known as _____.

A) photosynthesis
B) eutrophication
C) oxygenation
D) aquatic depletion

Question 30

In the context of water pollution, _____ requires dissolved oxygen in order to be transformed into carbon dioxide, water, phosphates, nitrates, and certain plant nutrients.

A) eutrophication
B) organic sewage
C) an infectious agent
D) a radioactive substance

Question 31

The two most important outcomes of water eutrophication are algae _____.

A) growth and oxygen depletion
B) depletion and hydrogen depletion
C) growth and nitrogen depletion
D) depletion and helium depletion

Question 32

Which of the following is/are listed in the text as being among the land pollutants that can infect the soil?

A) pesticides
B) herbicides
C) acid rain
D) garbage
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 33

For most people, the noise environment is:

A) about the same.
B) sometimes good and sometimes bad.
C) improving.
D) worsening.

Question 34

Which of the following can be included among the damages caused by air pollution?

A) the deterioration of buildings
B) the production of noxious odors
C) the deterioration of the beauty of the environment
D) All of these answers are correct.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 35

The energy used per capita in _____ is higher than it is in any other country in the world.

A) Great Britain
B) Germany
C) Japan
D) France
E) the United States

Question 36

A chemical used to kill plant life, particularly weeds, is called _____.

A) an herbicide
B) a pesticide
C) formaldehyde
D) nitrous oxide
E) eutrophication

Question 37

Scientists warn that as global warming continues, there will be _____.

A) increased flooding and intensity of storms on coastal areas
B) reduced fresh water supplies and food production
C) damage to ecosystems
D) all of these answers are correct

Question 38

Causes of indoor air pollution include _____.

A) inadequately maintained air conditioning
B) excessive ozone
C) the greenhouse effect
D) dogs and gold fish

Question 39

Which of the following is an outdoor source of indoor air pollutants?

A) leakage from underground storage tanks
B) dust or debris in ductwork
C) emissions from trash
D) vocational art supplies

Question 40

Which of the following is a building equipment source of indoor air pollutants?

A) science laboratory supplies
B) mold growth in drip pans and ductwork
C) occupants with communicable diseases
D) loading docks

Question 41

Which of the following is a component/furnishing source of indoor air pollutants?

A) improper venting of combustion products
B) dry-erase markers and similar pens
C) dry drain traps that allow the passage of sewer gas
D) odors from dumpsters

Question 42

_____ of office occupants will experience one or more sick building symptoms each week.

A) 30-45 percent
B) 40-55 percent
C) 50-65 percent
D) 60-75 percent

Question 43

Which of the following countries has the highest energy consumption per capita in the world?

A) England
B) the United States
C) Iceland
D) Russia
E) Switzerland

Question 44

Which of the following statements is true about radon gas?

A) It is odorless.
B) It is colorless.
C) It can only be detected by appropriate testing.
D) All of these answers are correct.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 45

Archaeologists have discovered that biodegradable trash _____.

A) is destroyed in landfills
B) is preserved in landfills
C) is safely eliminated as a problem when placed in landfills
D) all of these answers are correct
E) none of these answers is correct

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true about energy use per capita?

A) It is increasing in most of the nations of the world.
B) It is diminishing slightly in the United States.
C) It is increasing for transportation but decreasing for residential purposes.
D) It is diminishing slightly in the United States, and it is increasing for transportation but decreasing for residential purposes.

Question 47

In April 1986, two devastating explosions occurred at a nuclear power plant in _____.

A) Three Mile Island
B) Chernobyl
C) Little Rock
D) Barcelona

Question 48

Severe air pollution can cause or contribute to _____.

A) fetal deaths
B) infant mortality
C) premature deaths
D) all of these answers are correct
E) none of these answers is correct

Question 49

The loss of animal and plant species because of human activity _____.

A) alters the ecological system
B) is an inevitable evolutionary process
C) is a normal loss that would have occurred even without that human activity
D) is an inevitable evolutionary process and a normal loss that would have occurred even without that human activity

Question 50

The argument that only those species in the world disappear for which there is no use or importance, and the proof of their unimportance is the fact that they disappeared, illustrates the _____.

A) fallacy of misplaced concreteness
B) fallacy of authority
C) fallacy of circular reasoning
D) fallacy of non sequitur

Question 51

_____ is defined as a natural process essential to life that results in the production of oxygen and organic materials.

A) Photosynthesis
B) Transduction
C) Eutrophication
D) Chemical gradation

Question 52

Which of the following statements is true about photosynthesis?

A) It is rarely affected by the spread of human population.
B) It helps maintain the carbon monoxide balance in the atmosphere.
C) It is essential in the production of oxygen.
D) It is of fundamental importance in producing the inorganic materials needed for supporting life.

Question 53

Which of the following terms is defined as the increasing concentration of people living in cities?

A) colonization
B) civilianization
C) schematization
D) urbanization

Question 54

The text points out that any given area on the earth has a limited _____, that is, a limit to the number of people who can live there without causing a collapse of the biological system.

A) carrying capacity
B) growth potential
C) accommodation ratio
D) threshold effect

Question 55

When vegetation in an area is destroyed by a small increase in the population, it is an example of _____.

A) the threshold effect
B) diminishing returns
C) the tragedy of the commons
D) the Malthusian dilemma

Question 56

In 1976, the Congress passed the _____, which gave the U.S. government the authority to regulate chemicals that might harm people and/or the environment.

A) Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act
B) National Environmental Policy Act
C) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
D) Toxic Substances Control Act

Question 57

Many people believe that stricter environmental regulations will force business closings and bring about a loss of jobs, a belief unsupported by evidence. There may be an occasional closing or the loss of certain jobs, but to generalize from a few cases is to commit the _____.

A) fallacy of dramatic instance
B) fallacy of appeal to prejudice
C) fallacy of circular reasoning
D) fallacy of misplaced concreteness

Question 58

In 1982, about 8 percent of the trees in West Germany were damaged from pollution. One year later, the figure jumped to 34 percent and to 50 percent by 1984. This is an example of the _____ effect.

A) greenhouse
B) geometric equation
C) threshold
D) photosynthesis

Question 59

People depend on _____ for the quality of their lives.

A) noise
B) transportation
C) air pollution
D) biological diversity

Question 60

Ecological footprint refers to the amount of productive land needed to produce the resources and absorb the waste for a particular economy.

Question 61

Sediments from land erosion rarely cause pollution.

Question 62

Over 2,500 people died when a deadly chemical used to manufacture pesticides escaped through a faulty valve into the air in Chernobyl.

Question 63

The burning of fossil fuels is the primary source of air pollution.

Question 64

Overfertilization of water due to excess nutrients, leading to algae growth and oxygen depletion is called environmental depletion.

Question 65

The United States is the only nation in the world that is self-sufficient.

Question 66

Indoor air pollution can cause a building to be "sick."

Question 67

Planned obsolescence refers to the fact that many products are specifically designed to last only a limited time.

Question 68

Environmental problems have generally been high-priority items with politicians.

Question 69

Urbanization is defined as the increasing concentration of people living in small towns.

Question 70

In the context of social structural factors that contribute to environmental problems, the rate of population growth has accelerated.

Question 71

In the Middle Ages, the "commons" was the parkland used by kings to go hunting.

Question 72

In recent decades, tougher air pollution regulations have significantly reduced sulfur dioxide emissions.

Question 73

Most scientists still deny that global warming poses a serious threat.

Question 74

Environmental racism means that African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities are more likely to be exposed to toxic waste sites and to higher levels of air pollution.