Deck 24: Urbanization- the Ghetto Goes Green: in the Bronx, Building a Better Backyard

Question 1

Which of the following is CORRECT regarding U.S. environmental policy prior to the 1960s?

A) Environmental issues were focused on addressing pollution.
B) A key objective was mitigating environmental damage.
C) Environmental issues were primarily handled at the federal level.
D) Environmental policies mostly dealt with how best to use resources.
E) Choices B and C are both correct.

Answer 1

Environmental policies mostly dealt with how best to use resources.

Question 2

In a famous essay, Garrett Hardin described "the tragedy of the common," where individual self-interests lead to depletion of shared, limited resources. For example, in a public pasture, where no rules are in place to restrict the number of grazing animals, individuals will maximize their usage of the resource and the end result may be loss or destruction of the resource. What examples on Earth would qualify as "common" areas that no one person, state, or government owns or controls? How could these areas be managed to avoid environmental degradation?

Answer 2

Areas could include the atmosphere, oceans, freshwater resources, forests, or wildlife. National or international policies can be enacted to avoid environmental degradation. For example, on the global scale, the Montréal protocol aimed to reverse ozone destruction by eliminating CFCs in the atmosphere. Carbon credit trading is designed to control carbon emissions in order to slow human-driven climate change. Fisheries can be monitored and closed down when necessary to avoid population crashes that affect multiple nations.

Question 3

In 2009, the Supreme Court gave the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide under the:

A) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
B) Clean Air Act (CAA).
C) Toxic Substances Act (TOSCA).
D) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
E) None of these answers-the EPA lacks the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

Answer 3

Clean Air Act (CAA).

Question 4

An environmental impact statement (EIS) accomplishes which of the following?

A) sets monetary damages awarded to the plaintiff in an environmental lawsuit
B) outlines the positive and negative impacts of a proposed action
C) allows a private citizen to sue, in federal court, a violator of environmental law
D) details damage done to an environment, including air, water, and soil
E) regulates production and distribution of designated toxic chemicals

Question 5

Which of the following environmental issues occurs across state and national boundaries?

A) ozone depletion
B) species endangerment
C) global warming
D) A, B, and C
E) only A and B

Question 6

Many coastal areas and low-lying island nations are currently at risk from rising sea levels attributed to global climate change. How does this illustrate the need for policy at the international level?

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a transboundary problem?

A) pollution in Mexico's Tijuana River closing beaches in San Diego where the river empties into the sea
B) acid rain falling in Canada because of industrial emissions from the United States
C) currents concentrating garbage in areas of the Atlantic Ocean
D) A, B, and C
E) only B and C

Question 8

What type of policy is needed when an environmental problem extends across national boundaries?

A) national
B) local
C) international
D) state
E) intranational

Question 9

Which was the first environmental law that required the U.S. government to consider environmental issues before approving policies?

A) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
B) Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA)
C) Clean Water Act (CWA)
D) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
E) Clean Air Act (CAA)

Question 10

A(n) _____________ problem is one that extends across state and national boundaries.

A) transboundary
B) environmental
C) adaptive
D) national
E) political

Question 11

The era of modern environmental policy had begun by:

A) 1849.
B) 1880.
C) 1923.
D) 1969.
E) 1996.

Question 12

Reentering the policy cycle for revision as new or changing information comes to light is known as:

A) adaptive management.
B) lobbying.
C) circulation.
D) evolving management.
E) revolving management.

Question 13

Environmental policy:

A) provides guidelines meant to restore or protect the natural environment.
B) is limited to the nation that creates it.
C) can help mitigate human impact on the environment.
D) A, B, and C are correct.
E) Only A and C are correct.

Question 14

Industries must act to meet ___________ standards, targets set that specify acceptable levels of pollution that can be released or exist in outdoor air.

A) performance
B) normative
C) attainment
D) completion
E) discharge

Question 15

Which environmental law requires that responsible parties clean up sites contaminated by hazardous materials and holds them liable for the costs and damages?

A) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
B) Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA)
C) Clean Water Act (CWA)
D) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
E) Clean Air Act (CAA)

Question 16

Which of the following is FALSE regarding the landmark environmental laws passed in the 1960s and 1970s?

A) Tremendous bipartisan support existed for environmental protection.
B) Many environmental problems crossed state lines.
C) These landmark laws have remained as is, without amendments.
D) Included in these laws was the Endangered Species Act in 1973.
E) None of these answers-all are true regarding these laws.

Question 17

In the United States, which group(s) approve(s) a bill in order to make it law?

A) House of Representatives
B) president
C) Senate
D) A, B, and C
E) only A and C

Question 18

Excess nitrogen fertilizer runs off Midwestern farmland into waterways that lead to the Gulf of Mexico, where the result is a "dead zone" of low oxygen levels. This impacts the ecosystem there and presents a significant economic hardship to the shrimping industry. What level of policy might be needed to address this problem? What existing federal law could be applied?

Question 19

In the 1960s and 1970s:

A) it became more difficult to demonstrate that a toxin from a particular source was responsible for harming life.
B) federal legislators saw regulation as an impediment to economic growth.
C) most environmental problems were addressed after the fact through litigation.
D) oil release into coastal waters was first banned.
E) environmental problems in one state started affecting other states more often.

Question 20

What is an environmental policy? Why are many environmental problems considered "wicked problems"?

Question 21

A disadvantage of command-and-control policy used to protect the environment is:

A) the potential for cap-and-trade programs to create pollution hotspots in areas where most users choose to buy credits rather than reduce emissions.
B) the potential for perverse subsidies that support undesirable activities.
C) passing the cost of green taxes on to the consumer.
D) the lack of incentive for companies to reduce pollution below mandated limits.
E) the complexity of the concept and the long time required to achieve desired goals.

Question 22

Describe how the emissions trading policy, known as cap-and-trade, is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of command and control regulation?

A) It directly changes the behavior of the regulated industry.
B) A one-size-fits-all approach may limit some industries' ability to use the most cost-effective methods to address their impact.
C) It is a market-based approach.
D) Regulatory agencies must have sufficient funding to enforce compliance.
E) It provides no incentive for companies to reduce pollution below mandated limits.

Question 24

A federal highway project is proposed to connect two existing stretches of interstate. What signature feature of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) must be met prior to construction of the highway?

Question 25

Which of the following was established by Congress to implement and enforce federal environmental laws?

A) FDA
B) USDA
C) EPA
D) CWA
E) ESA

Question 26

Explain the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a form of command and control regulation?

A) subsidies
B) permits to authorize operation
C) performance and technology standards
D) penalties
E) none of these answers

Question 28

Compare command and control regulation with market-based approaches that create economic incentives. What are some advantages and disadvantages of these policy tools?

Question 29

The 1987 Montréal Protocol involved the regulation of:

A) ozone-depleting substances.
B) global warming.
C) whaling.
D) endangered species.
E) overfishing.

Question 30

What is political lobbying? In the United States, how does lobbying affect policy decisions?

Question 31

Which of the following groups provide input toward how best to curb emissions and slow global warming?

A) scientists
B) environmental activists
C) policy makers
D) political leaders
E) all of these answers

Question 32

__________ taxes refer to taxes levied on an environmentally harmful action.

A) Polluter
B) Green
C) Industrial
D) Emission-based
E) Eco-based

Question 33

What is a disadvantage of the current political lobbying system?

A) Well-financed professional lobbyists may disproportionally interfere with policy makers' judgments.
B) An individual citizen can share their opinions with policy makers.
C) It is part of a democratic government.
D) A, B, and C are all disadvantages.
E) None of these answers are disadvantages.

Question 34

An advantage of an economic policy tool approach to protecting the environment is the:

A) simplicity of the concept and ability to achieve desired goals quickly.
B) ability to change the behavior of the regulated industry directly.
C) potential to ban extremely toxic substances through authorization permits.
D) widespread citizen support for spending tax dollars to impose emission limits.
E) encouragement of innovation for reducing environmental impacts.

Question 35

Which of the following influences U.S. environmental policy decision making?

A) industry lobbyists
B) science
C) congressional committees
D) A, B, and C
E) only B and C

Question 36

Which of the following is a market-based approach to protecting the environment?

A) assessing green taxes on pollution produced by a factory-more pollution leads to higher taxes
B) tax breaks awarded to industries for carrying out environmentally favorable actions
C) permit trading for an environmental pollutant, such as emitted sulfur dioxide
D) A, B, and C
E) only A and C

Question 37

Describe how command and control regulation could be used to decrease gasoline usage in automobiles. How could incentive-based regulation be used to accomplish the same task?

Question 38

An effective international policy often requires:

A) time and lots of work.
B) the identification of specific targets.
C) compromise.
D) addressing the causes as well as the consequences.
E) All of these answers are often required.

Question 39

In the United States, government officials selected to regulate an industry are often chosen from a pool of industry executives because they possess detailed knowledge of that industry that other candidates lack and therefore can best regulate it. What unintended consequences might this arrangement result in?

Question 40

The ________________ allows U.S. citizens to sue, in federal court, perceived violators of certain environmental laws, in order to force compliance.

A) citizen suit provision
B) protection standard
C) litigation loophole
D) National Act
E) Environmental Policy Act

Question 41

Infographic 24.7

Which of the following is conveyed by Infographic 24.7?

A) Increased emissions were only observed in countries that did not sign the Kyoto Protocol.
B) The 14.7% decrease in emissions from all Annex 1 nations was mostly due to purchasing carbon-offset credits from developing countries.
C) Overall, global emissions in 2009 were 38.3% higher than 1990 levels.
D) A, B, and C are correct.
E) Only choices A and C are correct.

Question 42

Prior to the 1987 Montréal Protocol, there existed some uncertainty in the scientific community as to the magnitude of ozone depletion caused by CFCs in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, the Protocol did recommend phasing out CFCs from refrigerants and other uses because the potential consequences of not doing so were so severe. This is an example of applying the _______________ principle.

A) uncertainty
B) guilty-until-proven-innocent
C) precautionary
D) utopian
E) better-safe-than-sorry

Question 43

What is the precautionary principle? How can it be used to shape policy regarding the recent changes in global climate attributed to human activity?

Question 44

The findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which influence various international policies regarding climate change, are based on scientific data and observation.

Question 45

Describe several characteristics of an effective policy at the international level.

Question 46

Which country listed below rejected the Kyoto Protocol and did not ratify it?

A) France
B) United Kingdom
C) Germany
D) United States
E) none of these answers

Question 47

As president of a country that relies significantly on income from whaling, you are concerned about declining whale populations. Several other countries are considered whaling countries. What can be done to help ensure sustainable whaling into the future?

Question 48

The _______________ was the first international effort to set reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries.

A) 1997 Kyoto Protocol
B) 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
C) 2007 Bali Road Map (UNFCCC)
D) 2010 Cancun Agreements (UNFCCC)
E) 2009 Copenhagen Accord (UNFCCC)

Question 49

The _______________ is an international group of scientists and government representatives that reviews and evaluates all published research on climate and summarizes it into comprehensive periodic reports.

A) International Organization of Climate Scientists (IOCS)
B) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
C) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
D) World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
E) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Question 50

Which of the following is an unintended consequence of the Clean Development Mechanism?

A) the potential for developing countries to earn carbon-offset credits
B) the use of credit sales to fund renewable energy projects in developing countries
C) the oppressive command and control regulations
D) the purchase of carbon-offset credits by developed nations
E) the overproduction of greenhouse gases in order to maximize profits by destroying them

Question 51

What did Stanford University law student Michael Wara discover about the effectiveness of the cap-and-trade program on reducing greenhouse gas emissions? What explanation did he propose for this surprising result?

Question 52

All of the following are gases regulated by Kyoto EXCEPT:

A) carbon dioxide.
B) nitrous oxide.
C) methane.
D) ozone.
E) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Question 53

The _____________________ is a UN program that allows a country with a commitment to greenhouse gas reduction to implement emission-reduction projects in developing countries.

A) Kyoto Protocol
B) Carbon Crediting System
C) Clean Development Mechanism
D) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
E) Precautionary Principle

Question 54

What was the Kyoto Protocol, and how was compliance enforced?

Question 55

In 1992, the ___________________ formally recognized climate change as an emerging problem and recommended that precautions be taken to prevent human actions from further damaging Earth's climate system.

A) Kyoto Protocol
B) Montréal Protocol
C) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
D) Stockholm Convention
E) Copenhagen Climate Conference

Question 56

The flawed Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program could have been improved by:

A) increasing credits awarded to HFC projects.
B) incorporating more flexibility or fail-safe options.
C) removing adaptive management.
D) decreasing funding for low-carbon energy-production facilities.
E) mandating that the European Union accept HFC-23 credits.

Question 57

In which international agreement is climate change formally recognized as a problem?

A) Kyoto Protocol
B) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
C) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
D) Montréal Protocol
E) Climate change has not been officially recognized as a problem.

Question 58

Which international effort saw agreement that global temperatures should not exceed 2°C above preindustrial temperatures and agreed to include developing countries in future target pledges?

A) 1997 Kyoto Protocol
B) 2011 Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (UNFCCC)
C) 2007 Bali Road Map (UNFCCC)
D) 2010 Cancun Agreements (UNFCCC)
E) 2009 Copenhagen Accord (UNFCCC)

Question 59

Why did the United States decline to ratify the Kyoto Protocol?

A) The United States would be held accountable for global greenhouse gas emission.
B) Since the United States has one of the lowest greenhouse gas emission levels, the senate did not think it was fair to pay the same fines as other countries with higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
C) There were not sufficient incentives to join the protocol.
D) The United States did not think it was fair for developing countries to have no reduction targets.
E) This would have abolished the cap-and-trade system.

Question 60

Infographic 24.6

Which of the following aspects of international policy is(are) illustrated by Infographic 24.6?

A) The process is slow and incremental.
B) Many meetings, negotiations, and votes are required.
C) Specific targets are identified.
D) Science helps to inform policy.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 61

What solutions have been proposed for fixing the flawed Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) that resulted in refrigerant companies in China and India profiting more from HFC offset credits than from selling the coolant itself?

Question 62

Explain why the United States felt the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 was unfair and therefore did not ratify it.