Question 1

According to the philosopher Joel Feinberg,
A) future generations of people have a right to be born.
B) future generations have no moral rights.
C) we have no duties to future generations.
D) the rights of future generations are contingent upon those people coming into existence.

Accepted Answer

Feinberg argues that the rights of future generations depend on those individuals actually coming into existence, meaning their rights are contingent upon their birth.

Question 2

Some environmental regulations (like forbidding the burning of coal in cities) benefit each and every one of us because the air we all breather is cleaner. If an individual ignores the regulation and burns coal, while others obey the regulation, then he or she
A) violates our right to a livable environment.
B) is being a free rider.
C) displays an ignorance of ecology.
D) creates an externality.

Accepted Answer

The individual who ignores the environmental regulation is benefiting from the cleaner air without contributing to the effort to achieve it, thereby being a free rider.

Question 3

According to Holmes Rolston III,
A) naturalistic ethics ought to be abandoned.
B) some natural objects are morally considerable in their own right, apart from human interests.
C) all moral rights are derived from the interests of human beings.
D) nature has no value apart from human beings.

Accepted Answer

Holmes Rolston III argues in favor of the idea that certain natural objects have inherent moral value, independent of their usefulness or value to human beings. This aligns with the concept of biocentrism in environmental ethics, which asserts that all living things have inherent value and should be considered in moral decision-making. Therefore, option B is the correct choice.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of factory farms?
A) They are smaller these days than they used to be.
B) The people who run them are brutal.
C) Contrary to the critics, the animals in them rarely suffer.
D) They permit the mass production of meat at low prices.

Accepted Answer

Factory farms allow for the mass production of meat at low prices by using highly efficient and industrialized methods of animal production. While there are criticisms about animal welfare, it is generally accepted that the purpose of factory farms is to produce meat for human consumption as efficiently and economically as possible.

Question 5

The philosopher Tom Regan
A) claims that no impartial morally sensitive person could approve of the treatment of animals in factory farms if he or she knew what was going on.
B) argues against the use of governmental regulations to control the actions of businesses.
C) believes that the FTC should be abolished.
D) denies that non-human animals have any moral rights.

Accepted Answer

Tom Regan is a well-known animal rights philosopher who believes that animals have inherent value and moral rights. He argues against the idea that animals are mere property or resources for human use. Regan claims that the treatment of animals in factory farms is morally wrong and that no impartial morally sensitive person could approve of it if they knew the details of how these animals are raised and slaughtered.

Question 6

In consideration for the obligation to others,
A) we have no genuine moral obligations to future generations.
B) future people have a right to be born.
C) the U.S. uses more than its proportional share of the world's resources.
D) environmental protection is always a static trade-off, with a fixed economic price to be paid for the gains we want.

Accepted Answer

The statement that the U.S. uses more than its proportional share of the world's resources is a factual observation about resource consumption patterns, reflecting concerns about sustainability and equity in resource distribution.

Question 7

Cost-benefit analysis
A) is influenced by value judgments.
B) considers only short-term effects.
C) values costs over benefits.
D) is a value-free social-scientific approach.

Accepted Answer

Cost-benefit analysis involves making value judgments about the relative importance of costs and benefits. These value judgments can vary between individuals and societies, making cost-benefit analysis subjective and influenced by value judgments.

Question 8

An ecosystem
A) should never be tampered with.
B) can survive any human intervention.
C) can be upset by human behavior.
D) is independent of all other ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

Human behavior can have a significant impact on an ecosystem, affecting the balance and health of the system. Therefore, an ecosystem can be upset by human behavior. Choices A and D are incorrect as ecosystems are often subject to natural disturbances and are interconnected with other ecosystems. Choice B is also incorrect as human intervention can cause irreparable damage to an ecosystem.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of a regulatory approach to environmental problems?
A) It proceeds on a case-by-case basis, dealing with each company's specific circumstances.
B) It gives companies an incentive to do more than the minimum required by law.
C) It requires the EPA or other body to determine the most effective, feasible pollution-control technology for each different industry.
D) It involves the use of pricing mechanisms.

Accepted Answer

A regulatory approach involves the EPA or other body determining the most effective, feasible pollution-control technology for each different industry. This approach sets specific standards and requirements for companies to follow in order to reduce pollution, rather than allowing them to make their own decisions on how to reduce pollution.

Question 10

William F. Baxter addresses environmental ethics by noting
A) the best ethical position to adopt on environmental issues is a naturalistic position.
B) non-human animals have intrinsic value.
C) judgments about environmental problems ought to be people-oriented.
D) damage to geological "marvels" is inherently wrong and should be prevented.

Accepted Answer

Baxter advocates for a people-oriented approach to environmental ethics, emphasizing that judgments about environmental issues should prioritize human interests and benefits.

Question 11

Which of the following is true concerning our environment today?
A) the Clean Air Act of 1970 has had no beneficial effects
B) animal waste from factory farms is good for the environment
C) the "greenhouse effect" is basically media hype
D) polluted air is a health risk

Accepted Answer

Polluted air is a health risk. This is a well-established fact supported by numerous studies and scientific evidence. The Clean Air Act of 1970 has actually had significant beneficial effects in reducing air pollution. Animal waste from factory farms, on the other hand, is a major contributor to water and air pollution and has harmful effects on the environment. The "greenhouse effect" refers to the scientific phenomenon of increased retention of heat in the atmosphere due to the presence of certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, and it is not a media hype.

Question 12

According to Shaw and Barry, utilitarians
A) focus on human well-being and ignore animal welfare.
B) oppose animal experimentation in principle.
C) should include nonhuman animal pleasures and pains in the overall utilitarian calculus.
D) are likely to favor factory farming.

Accepted Answer

Shaw and Barry argue that utilitarians should include the pleasures and pains of nonhuman animals in their ethical calculus, and consider their well-being as well as that of humans. This means that utilitarians may have to take into account animal welfare concerns when making ethical decisions, such as whether to support animal experimentation or factory farming. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 13

One truth about factory farms is
A) they rarely inflict any genuine suffering on animals.
B) most animals we eat are from them.
C) they are necessary to feed the world.
D) they are run by brutal people.

Accepted Answer

Factory farms are responsible for producing the vast majority of meat, dairy, and eggs consumed globally, making this statement true. While there is debate over the ethical treatment of animals in factory farms, it is generally agreed upon that they are a major source of animal products.

Question 14

The moral theorist William T. Blackstone claims that the right to a livable environment
A) would solve the problem of how to conserve resources.
B) prevents the use of government regulation to control the actions of business.
C) is a fundamental human right.
D) implies that non-human animals have no genuine moral rights.

Accepted Answer

William T. Blackstone claims that the right to a livable environment is a fundamental human right.

Question 15

Which environmental statement is true?
A) Tropical forests are the earth's richest, oldest, and most complex ecosystems.
B) Because of technological breakthroughs, people living in developed countries put less strain on the environment than do people in poorer countries.
C) There are only about 1000 species of animals left in the world.
D) The United States consumes only its proportional share of the world's irreplaceable natural resources.

Accepted Answer

Tropical forests are incredibly rich in biodiversity and are estimated to contain over half of the world's species. They are also very complex ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years. Option B is not entirely true as developed countries tend to have a higher carbon footprint per capita due to their consumption patterns. Option C is false as there are millions of known animal species on earth. Option D is not true as the United States has a higher resource consumption rate than most other countries.

Question 16

Concerning future generations,
A) all philosophers today reject the idea that future people have rights
B) utilitarianism dictates a radical reduction in population growth
C) future people have a right to be born
D) the social and environmental policies we adopt can affect who is born in the future

Accepted Answer

While there may be different perspectives regarding the rights of future generations, option D is the best choice as it is widely accepted that the decisions we make today, both socially and environmentally, can affect the conditions under which future generations are born and live. Utilitarianism may have implications for population growth, but it is not a definitive approach in determining the rights of future people. The claim that future people have a right to be born is also controversial and has not been universally accepted by philosophers.

Question 17

According to the anthropocentric (or human-oriented) ethic of Baxter and others,
A) environmental preservation is inherently valuable.
B) the Grand Canyon is valuable only because people care about it.
C) we have a strong, almost absolute obligation to preserve species from extinction.
D) future people have no interests that we need to respect now.
E) nature has value in and of itself, apart from human beings.

Accepted Answer

Baxter and other anthropocentric ethicists believe that the value of the environment or natural resources comes from their usefulness to human beings. Therefore, the value of the Grand Canyon, for example, comes from people's appreciation and desire to preserve it, rather than an inherent value in the Canyon itself. This is consistent with a human-centered ethics.

Question 18

The "tragedy of the commons" is
A) the lack of a commons-a common place where people can come together.
B) the failure to appreciate what we have in common with other species.
C) that cost-benefit analysis involves value judgments that we do not share in common.
D) that individual pursuit of self-interest can sometimes make everyone worse off.

Accepted Answer

The tragedy of the commons refers to when individuals acting in their own self-interest consume a shared resource, resulting in depletion or degradation of that resource, ultimately making everyone worse off. This concept highlights the potential negative consequences of individual pursuit of self-interest without consideration of the broader impact on society and the environment.

Question 19

Animal manure
A) is not available in sufficient quantities to replenish agricultural land.
B) is a large source of pollution.
C) helps counteract the "greenhouse effect".
D) is potentially more dangerous than nuclear power.

Accepted Answer

Animal manure is a large source of pollution, as it releases large amounts of methane and ammonia into the air and can contaminate nearby water sources. While it can be used as a natural fertilizer, it needs to be properly managed to prevent harm to the environment.

Question 20

"Pollution permits" are an example of which of the following methods of achieving our environmental goals?
A) pricing mechanisms
B) government subsidies
C) a laissez-faire approach
D) regulations

Accepted Answer

Pollution permits are a type of pricing mechanism where companies are allotted a certain amount of permits that allow them to emit a certain amount of pollutants. If they exceed their allotted permits, they must purchase more from other companies. This incentivizes companies to reduce their emissions in order to save money on permits, thus achieving environmental goals through economic means.

Quiz 7: The Environment

According to the philosopher Joel Feinberg,

Some environmental regulations (like forbidding the burning of coal in cities) benefit each and every one of us because the air we all breather is cleaner. If an individual ignores the regulation and burns coal, while others obey the regulation, then he or she

According to Holmes Rolston III,

Which of the following is true of factory farms?

The philosopher Tom Regan

In consideration for the obligation to others,

Cost-benefit analysis

An ecosystem

Which of the following is true of a regulatory approach to environmental problems?

William F. Baxter addresses environmental ethics by noting

Which of the following is true concerning our environment today?

According to Shaw and Barry, utilitarians

One truth about factory farms is

The moral theorist William T. Blackstone claims that the right to a livable environment

Which environmental statement is true?

Concerning future generations,

According to the anthropocentric (or human-oriented) ethic of Baxter and others,

The "tragedy of the commons" is

Animal manure

"Pollution permits" are an example of which of the following methods of achieving our environmental goals?