Deck 7: Environmental Policy: Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Question 1

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to the scenario, if the United States continues to lose wetlands at an indefinite rate, in approximately what year would the country run out of wetlands?

A)2100
B)2180
C)4522
D)3800
E)2800

Answer 1

D

Question 2

How does the EPA affect environmental policy?

A)The EPA determines which laws passed by the judicial branch apply to environmental policy.
B)The EPA develops rules and regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
C)The EPA funds ecological studies that inform the executive branch about what environmental laws are needed.
D)The EPA passes laws that control environmental regulations.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Decisions rendered by the courts make up a body of law known as .

A)mandatory law
B)utilitarian law
C)case law
D)environmental law
E)statutory law

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, published in the 1960s, .

A)was the beginning of the first wave of U.S. environmental policy
B)awakened the American public to negative effects of artificial hormones
C)was concerned with birth defects in humans
D)focused on chemical pollutants, including industrial chemicals
E)warned of insect pollinator losses through pesticide use

Question 5

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sustainable economic and environmental policies will shift the focus from .

A)economic growth to the well- being of humans
B)national economic growth to global economic growth
C)productivity to economic growth
D)productivity to profits
E)sustainability to productivity

Question 6

Fires on the Cuyahoga River raised concerns that contributed to _ _.

A)the passage of the federal Water Pollution Control Act
B)the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972
C)a regulatory taking of many of the industries along the river and its tributaries
D)laws requiring the separation of sewage and storm water in cities
E)the formation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Question 7

Conventional law arises from _ .

A)the distribution and use of pollution permits
B)treaties between nations
C)democratic voting procedures
D)bidding on subsidies
E)informal agreements reached by multinational corporations

Question 8

Lobbying is one strategy employed by _ to influence governmental environmental policies.

A)the legislative branch
B)the judicial branch of government
C)environmental advocacy groups and the American Petroleum Institute
D)the U.S. president and members of the Cabinet
E)the scientific community

Question 9

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the United States, wetlands are primarily considered to be .

A)useful for fisheries
B)important only for recreational purposes
C)important because they provide many valuable ecosystem services
D)belonging to the owner of the private property, to be developed or not by the owner
E)useful for growing crops if they are drained

Question 10

The Cuyahoga River in Ohio had been so polluted that it caught fire repeatedly from 1868- 1969, including a 1952 fire that resulted in nearly $1.5 million in damages. Amazingly, other rivers in the United States also caught fire during this period. Why didn't federal laws limiting pollution of rivers and streams prevent this pollution and these fires?

A)The federal laws preventing water pollution did not apply to Ohio, where this occurred.
B)There were no federal regulations of water pollution at that time.
C)The industries that polluted the water had been repeatedly fined for polluting and simply continued to ignore the laws.
D)This pollution went undetected by agents overwhelmed by the amount of work.

Question 11

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Wetlands in the United States .

A)have decreased due to human development
B)have increased due to natural causes, such as floods and hurricanes
C)have decreased due to natural causes, such as floods and hurricanes
D)have increased due to human development
E)have stayed about the same over the past 40 years

Question 12

Enforcement and elaboration of statutory law is given to .

A)administrative agencies
B)watchdog groups
C)the judicial branch
D)the legislative branch
E)oversight committees and private citizens

Question 13

The General Mining Act of 1872 .

A)allows mining companies to mine land held by private citizens without compensating them
B)ensures that mining operations would repair and restore an area when they were done
C)provides no governmental oversight to mining in the United States
D)provides free equipment to promote mining in the West
E)has been subjected to major overhauls in the last century

Question 14

Cap- and- trade is a system that _.

A)has been repealed by Congress as useless in diminishing pollution
B)specifies a certain cap on industrial pollutants that can be traded to other nations
C)permits industries that pollute at levels below the federal cap to sell credits to industries that pollute at levels above the cap
D)allows industries to set their own levels for pollution emission so trading can continue
E)rapidly brings pollution emissions to near zero for participating industries

Question 15

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is an administrative agency in the Department of .

A)State
B)the Interior
C)Health and Human Services
D)Agriculture
E)the Environment

Question 16

Environmental policy aims to .

A)promote economic growth
B)use natural resources for economically important industrial products
C)preserve all present natural areas in their pristine condition
D)protect the values of the landowner
E)promote fairness among people and groups in the use of resources

Question 17

In 2009, the G- 20 nations agreed to _ .

A)postpone developing renewable energy resources until 2050
B)gradually phase out their fossil fuel subsidies
C)increase subsidies to fossil fuel industries by 10- 12%
D)set a goal to produce 60% of their energy from clean, renewable sources by 2030
E)double the subsidies to fossil fuel companies

Question 18

Green taxes .

A)may affect consumers if the companies paying the taxes raise the price of their product
B)are paid by golfers in areas where sensitive habitat has been converted to golf courses
C)are widely supported and instituted in the United States
D)are taxes instituted on landscaping plants and trees to raise funds for projects promoting sustainable development
E)have been rejected by the European Union as being too costly to enforce

Question 19

The Supreme Court and lower courts are important for environmental policy because .

A)they regulate administrative agencies at various levels of government
B)they preside over lawsuits filed by grassroots and other nongovernmental organizations to correct environmental damage
C)they allow corporations in the United States to disregard the environmental laws of other countries
D)the courts mandate that environmental law preempt all other federal laws
E)their purpose is to assist corporations to negotiate with the legislative branch

Question 20

The first national park in the world was .

A)Grand Canyon
B)Yellowstone
C)Yosemite
D)Death Valley
E)Glacier

Question 21

Environmental public policy is intended to .

A)improve human welfare and protect the natural world
B)maximize economic profit while minimizing public discontent
C)ensure access to natural resources for industry
D)promote the harvesting of natural resources
E)measure the impact of industrial wastes on the environment

Question 22

Match the following.

A)environmental clause
B)treaties
C)National Environmental Policy Act
D)policies
E)western merit laws
F)land use laws
G)tort law
H)executive orders
I)general land ordinances
J)statutory laws
K)congressional acts
Agreements with foreign countries

Question 23

Match the following.

A)environmental clause
B)treaties
C)National Environmental Policy Act
D)policies
E)western merit laws
F)land use laws
G)tort law
H)executive orders
I)general land ordinances
J)statutory laws
K)congressional acts
Law addressing harm to another person

Question 24

Match the following.

A)environmental clause
B)treaties
C)National Environmental Policy Act
D)policies
E)western merit laws
F)land use laws
G)tort law
H)executive orders
I)general land ordinances
J)statutory laws
K)congressional acts
Early environmental laws that gave the federal government the right to manage western lands

Question 25

The revolving door .

A)pairs environmental causes with lobbyists already working on other causes
B)allows corporate heads to work together on political legislation
C)is illegal in most states
D)is the movement of powerful officials between the private sector and government agencies
E)allows lobbyists to work for many political entities at the same time

Question 26

To control pollution, industry has been given limits and been threatened with punishment if these limits are violated. This approach is called .

A)last chance
B)command- and- control
C)end of the alley
D)limit and manage
E)carrot and stick

Question 27

Match the following.

A)environmental clause
B)treaties
C)National Environmental Policy Act
D)policies
E)western merit laws
F)land use laws
G)tort law
H)executive orders
I)general land ordinances
J)statutory laws
K)congressional acts
Specific legal instructions, drafted by the president, for use by government agencies

Question 28

The first laws in U.S. environmental policy .

A)were to reduce pollution caused by early industrial efforts
B)were intended to promote settlement of the West
C)were passed as early as 1980
D)dealt primarily with management of private land
E)were to preserve endangered species

Question 29

Match the following.

A)environmental clause
B)treaties
C)National Environmental Policy Act
D)policies
E)western merit laws
F)land use laws
G)tort law
H)executive orders
I)general land ordinances
J)statutory laws
K)congressional acts
Rules or guidelines intended to address a problem or guide decision making

Question 30

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one- third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (EWR
A)of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nation's wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade, with the overall goal being no more net loss of wetlands. EWRA also established Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The creation of our National Wildlife Refuge system has been credited to what U.S. president?

A)Barack Obama
B)Theodore Roosevelt
C)Richard Nixon
D)Rutherford B. Hayes
E)Dwight Eisenhower

Question 31

A regulatory taking involves the government _.

A)depriving the owner of some or all of the economic use of his or her property
B)removing environmental regulations from the lands of individual property owners
C)taking resources from private property while allowing the property owner to retain rights to the land
D)causing environmental damage without being subject to regulations
E)taking private property without allowing for compensation for natural resources

Question 32

Regarding environmental laws and the U.S. Constitution, .

A)the Constitution can be set aside for state environmental laws
B)fundamental environmental policy is already set forth in the Constitution
C)in a case of conflict, state laws always take precedence over federal laws and the Constitution
D)by paying a waiver fee, federal laws can override the Constitution
E)state laws cannot violate the Constitution

Question 33

The World Bank was established in 1944 to .

A)fund economic development such as dams and irrigation projects in the poorest countries
B)help weak governments by loaning money to heads of state for military infrastructure
C)fund international projects for developed nations, including dams on international rivers, multinational irrigation projects, and the spraying of herbicides and insecticides
D)fund international environmental studies of issues such as pollution and global warming
E)provide ease of banking for multinational corporations

Question 34

What is an environmental impact statement (EIS)? What is the purpose of an environmental impact statement, and who is required to prepare it?

Question 35

Statutory laws are passed by _.

A)federal preemption
B)the president of the United States
C)CEOs
D)the legislative branch
E)voters

Question 36

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)_ .

A)was signed into law by Bill Clinton
B)requires compensation to be given to anyone harmed by deliberate pollution from any business or corporate entity
C)altered the amount of chemicals allowed in water as a result of industrial pollution
D)required environmental impact statements for any projects funded by the U.S. government
E)put all federal land under stringent environmental protection

Question 37

Critics of the World Trade Organization .

A)charge that it gives too much money to environmental causes
B)discriminates against developing nations
C)complain that it frequently worsens environmental problems
D)charge that the WTO's subsidy policies unfairly target poor people
E)say that the international taxes that it regulates are burdensome to smaller countries

Question 38

Which part of the government is responsible for passing public policy laws?

A)legislative branch
B)United Nations
C)executive branch
D)judicial branch
E)EPA

Question 39

The takings clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that _ .

A)private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation
B)state entities can take private property for less than market value
C)the government can cause environmental damage without compensation
D)private citizens can take value from public land by mining, timbering, or similar activities
E)natural resources cannot be taken without payment

Question 40

The role of the United Nations is to .

A)develop international business cooperatives
B)make international laws regarding commerce and the environment
C)regulate international travel, emigration, and immigration among member states
D)maintain international environmental education standards
E)cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems

Question 41

What is the main goal of environmental policy? Describe the tragedy of the commons, and explain why environmental policy would focus on avoiding the tragedy of the commons.

Question 42

List the economics- based approaches to environmental policy. How are these superior to the use of tort law for controlling pollution?

Question 43

National boundaries do not always match environmental boundaries. What does this mean for environmental protection in each country?

Question 44

What is a subsidy? Describe the role of subsidies in present- day natural resource management.

Question 45

What is the significance of the National Environmental Policy Act?

Question 46

Discuss the three major eras of environmental law in the United States. What key events sparked each era, and/or resulted from each one?

Question 47

Differentiate between a green tax and marketable emission permits. Which is superior for U.S. markets?

Question 48

Identify NAFTA, and briefly discuss its purpose and consequences.