Deck 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Question 1

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures

A)death rates.
B)economic growth.
C)population growth.
D)the wealth of developing countries.
E)the wealth of developed countries.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A sustainability revolution is best characterized by

A)learning to live more sustainably with smaller ecological footprints.
B)learning how to grow and breed plants and animals for food.
C)inventing machines for large-scale production of goods in factories.
D)medical advances to allow a growing number of people to live longer and healthier lives.
E)controlling the human population.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Resources that are called nonrenewable are

A)also called perpetual resources.
B)the only resources that are alive.
C)a fixed quantity in the earth's crust.
D)derived from solar capital.
E)found almost everywhere on the earth.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Life has been sustained on the earth

A)for approximately six billion years.
B)since the time of the last impact of the meteorite.
C)through millions of years of ice ages and long warming periods.
D)since the human species has been around.
E)because of renewable resources.

Question 5

An ecological deficit is created when

A)a country's ecological footprint is smaller than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and absorb the resulting wastes.
B)a country overestimates its spending in the current fiscal year.
C)a country depletes its annual budget faster than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources.
D)a country depletes its natural capital slower than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and absorb the resulting wastes.
E)a country depletes its natural capital faster than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and absorb the resulting wastes.

Question 6

What is the best way to deal with pollution?

A)Pollution cleanup only
B)Pollution prevention only
C)A combination of pollution cleanup and prevention
D)The most popular way at the current time
E)The cheapest way

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of recycling?

A)collecting and remelting aluminum beer cans
B)cleaning and refilling soft-drink bottles
C)using fewer paper products
D)saving leftovers in a peanut butter jar
E)donating furniture to a charity

Question 8

The three principles of sustainability are

A)reliance on solar energy, biological diversity and nutrient cycling.
B)environmentalism, ecosystems, and solar energy.
C)natural resources, natural services and water resources.
D)nutrient cycling, water resources, and environmentalism.
E)solar energy, ecosystems, and natural capital.

Question 9

An example of point source pollution is

A)runoff from cropland.
B)fertilizer runoff from lawns.
C)litter from fishing boats.
D)runoff from cropland.
E)a drainpipe from a factory.

Question 10

The most effective new effort to prevent the "tragedy of the commons" might include

A)using common-property resources at or above their sustainable yields.
B)using shared resources at rates below their estimated sustainable yields.
C)moving from a users pay approach to a taxpayers pay approach.
D)deregulating industries that use common-property resources.
E)increasing public availability to resources.

Question 11

As part of the path to sustainability, tradeoffs most specifically refer to

A)trading environmental quality for economic growth.
B)trading quality of life issues for ecological enhancements.
C)resolving conflicts through compromise.
D)solving environmental conflicts.
E)recognizing that human activities degrade natural capital.

Question 12

Reducing packaging on manufactured goods in an example of

A)pollution cleanup
B)pollution prevention.
C)the tragedy of the commons.
D)a tradeoff
E)an end-of-the-pipe solution.

Question 13

A renewable resource can be

A)used indefinitely.
B)replenished by natural processes within hours to centuries.
C)replenished by natural processes in millions of years.
D)consumed completely if it is managed within its sustainable yield.
E)found and used easily.

Question 14

Currently, the country with the world's largest population is

A)USA.
B)India.
C)Mexico.
D)China.
E)United Arab Emirates.

Question 15

What are the three social science principles of sustainability?

A)win-win solutions, a responsibility to future generations, and equality
B)full-cost pricing, subsidies, and win-win solutions
C)environmentalism, a responsibility to future generations, and subsidies
D)win-win solutions, full-cost pricing, and environmentalism
E)full-cost pricing, win-win solutions, and a responsibility to future generations

Question 16

A sustainable yield is

A)the average rate at which a renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply.
B)the lowest rate at which a nonrenewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply.
C)the highest rate at which a nonrenewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply.
D)the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply.
E)the lowest rate at which a renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply.

Question 17

An example of nonpoint source pollution is

A)pesticides blown from the land into the air.
B)an automobile tailpipe.
C)a smokestack from a power plant.
D)an oil leak from a home furnace.
E)a pipe discharging into a river.

Question 18

The more-developed countries

A)include the United States, India, and Canada.
B)include many African and Latin American countries.
C)have most of the world's population.
D)use disproportionately more of the world's resources compared to their populations.
E)use the appropriate amount of resources for their populations.

Question 19

Water is an example of

A)a renewable resource.
B)a nonrenewable resource.
C)an ecosystem service.
D)an ecological footprint.
E)nutrient recycling.

Question 20

Examples of potentially renewable resources include

A)groundwater, trees in a forest, and fertile soil.
B)trees in a forest, animals, and oil.
C)fertile soil, air, and fossil fuels.
D)coal, groundwater, and plants.
E)trees in a forest, fossil fuels, and air.

Question 21

Of the following behaviors, the one that runs counter to the three principles of sustainability is

A)recycling of materials.
B)reusing materials.
C)producing and consuming anything people are willing to buy.
D)initiating a tree planting drive in your community.
E)relying more on renewable sources of energy.

Question 22

Meeting current and future basic resource needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs is considered a(n)

A)natural income.
B)trade-offs.
C)scientific solutions.
D)environmentally sustainable society.
E)natural capital degradation.

Question 23

Which statement best illustrates the "tragedy of the commons?"

A)A factory pollutes a river as much as the law allows.
B)Some levels of pollution are life threatening.
C)Some activities harm the environment, but others do not.
D)Irrigated cropland can be ruined by salinization.
E)Cropland can decrease biodiversity.

Question 24

Which worldview is most consistent with the current situation in the United States?

A)planetary Management
B)biocentric
C)stewardship
D)humility
E)environmental wisdom

Question 25

Decreasing population growth in more-developed countries will

A)decrease resource consumption.
B)increase resource consumption.
C)decrease poverty.
D)increase the ecological footprint.
E)decrease education.

Question 26

According to a number of environmental and social scientists, four basic causes of environmental degradation are

A)poverty, population growth, unmanageable growth of resources, and government corruption.
B)poverty, population decline, unsustainable resource use, and failure to include environmental costs in market prices.
C)poverty, population growth, unsustainable resource use, and failure to include environmental costs in market prices.
D)poverty, population growth, unsustainable resource use, and government corruption.
E)poverty, population decline, unsustainable resource use, and including environmental costs in market prices.

Question 27

According to World Bank estimates, how many people live on less than US $1.25 per day?

A)200 million
B)400 million
C)900 million
D)2.4 billion
E)3.9 billion

Question 28

Government subsidies to companies are most likely to cause problems because

A)not all companies can qualify for them.
B)they stimulate the "wrong" kind of job growth.
C)they may encourage depletion of natural capital.
D)they cannot control consumption habits.
E)they take the place of tradeoffs.

Question 29

Companies using resources to provide goods for consumers

A)are not generally required to pay for the harmful environmental costs of supplying the goods.
B)are usually required to pay for the harmful environmental costs of supplying the goods.
C)almost always clean up any pollution from their business operations.
D)pass on the cost of environmental degradation to consumers.
E)must report their environmental degradation.

Question 30

What environmental worldview proposes that we can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers of the earth?

A)planetary management
B)stewardship
C)environmental wisdom
D)national origin
E)technological

Question 31

Affluent countries

A)have low levels of resource use.
B)include China and India.
C)are usually poor.
D)are most responsible for environmental degradation, wastes, and pollution.
E)use local resources.

Question 32

The earth's natural income includes

A)the human population.
B)the renewable resources provided by Earth's natural capital.
C)plants.
D)fossil fuels.
E)the nonrenewable resources.

Question 33

Your environmental worldview describes

A)your environmental ethic.
B)whether you are a creationist or evolutionist.
C)your perception of the role of Homo sapiens in the universe.
D)your assumptions and values that reflect how you think the world works and what you think your role in the world should be.
E)your political ideology that defines one's perception of the health of the planet.

Question 34

Poverty is defined as

A)the inability to live a healthy and productive life.
B)a life focused on gathering enough food and water for survival.
C)the gap between the affluent and poor in underdeveloped countries
D)the inability to live a sustainable life.
E)a condition in which people are unable to fulfill their basic needs for food, water, shelter, health, and education.

Question 35

A reasonable goal is to reduce global population growth by year ____ to level off around ____ billion.

A)2040; 8 billion
B)2020; 8 billion
C)2040; 13 billion
D)2020; 6 billion
E)2060; 5 billion

Question 36

What environmental worldview proposes that we are part of and dependent on nature and that the earth's life-support systems exists for all species, and not merely for us?

A)planetary management
B)stewardship
C)environmental wisdom
D)national origin
E)technological

Question 37

The human population currently totals

A)87 million.
B)2 billion.
C)4 billion.
D)7.1 billion.
E)10 billion.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about less-developed countries is true?

A)They are highly industrialized.
B)They usually have enough food, water, and shelter.
C)The United States, Canada, and Japan are developing countries.
D)Their populations continue to grow at high rates.
E)Their populations are projected to decrease.

Question 39

We can best face the challenge of slowing population growth through

A)promoting family planning and elevating the status of women.
B)slowing economic development.
C)legislation that applies only in less developed countries.
D)overexploiting shared resources.
E)decreasing the educational status of women.

Question 40

An environmentally sustainable society

A)depletes the natural capital while also using renewable resources.
B)is based on policies that favor economic growth and development.
C)lives on the income the natural capital provides.
D)uses nonrenewable resources.
E)compromises the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs.

Question 41

Economic growth provides more goods and services whereas economic development uses economic growth to improve living standards.

Question 42

Non-renewable resources include ____________________ sources such as oil and natural gas that cannot be recycled.

Question 43

Individuals can contribute to sustainability.

Question 44

Old soda bottles that are collected, washed, and refilled are an example of ____________________.

Question 45

Developing countries have a significant negative effect on the environment because of the consumption per person.

Question 46

Rapid population growth and poverty are reflective of developing countries and have little impact on pollution.

Question 47

When a country's GDP decreases, the per capita GDP must also decrease.

Question 48

The United States, Canada, and Japan are examples of ____________________ with a high average per capita GDP.

Question 49

Reusing involves collecting waste materials and processing them into new materials.

Question 50

In the United States the air quality is poorer and drinking water more polluted today than in the 1970s.

Question 51

Dealing with conflicts between scientific solutions and political solutions usually involves making ____________________.

Question 52

Scientists recommend pollution prevention over pollution cleanup because it is cheaper than cleanup.

Question 53

The exponential rate of global population growth has declined since the 1960s.

Question 54

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study that integrates the humanities and natural sciences.

Question 55

Developed countries have a significant negative effect on the environment because of the consumption per person.

Question 56

The per capita ecological footprint is the availability of productive land and usable water to support the population with no consideration for environmental impact.

Question 57

Environmental science is the same as environmentalism.

Question 58

Forests, aluminum deposits and natural gas are all examples of renewable resources.

Question 59

A social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life support system for all forms of life is called ____________________.

Question 60

When a nonrenewable resource is completely exhausted, humans can rarely find a substitute.

Question 61

The presence within the environment of a chemical or other agent at a level that is harmful to humans or other organisms is ____________________.

Question 62

Do you think that the numbers overlap in the accompanying graph, which illustrates the percentage of the world's population who lack access to basic amenities? Why or why not?

Question 63

Critical Thinking

What will happen if humanity's ecological footprint continues to be greater than the earth's ecological capacity?

Question 64

Why does the search for scientific solutions to sustainability problems often involve conflicts?

Question 65

List the three scientific principles of sustainability and give an example of each.

Question 66

A chemical dumpsite would be an example of a(n) ____________________ pollutant.

Question 67

How does environmentalism differ from environmental science or ecology?

Question 68

Your ____________________ refers to the set of assumptions and values you hold with regard to your role in the world.

Question 69

Describe the environmental wisdom worldview and provide an example.

Question 70

Although the poor have limited access to resources, they still have an overall high environmental impact. Explain why this statement is true.

Question 71

Critical Thinking

How many Earths are we currently using compared to the earth's ecological capacity?

Question 72

____________________ is a possible solution to the problem of people exploiting a free-access resource, but it may not be practical for global common resources.

Question 73

Poverty can increase environmental degradation; however, environmental degradation can increase poverty. Why is this so?

Question 74

Make an argument supporting the statement that individuals matter in making the shift toward environmental sustainability?

Question 75

A(n) ____________________ is a set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with nonliving matter in their environment.