Deck 1: Science and Sustainability: an Introduction to Environmental Science

Question 1

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3- month- old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males.
In order to have two groups of puppies (control and experimental), Pablo and Johanna should .

A)put 6 males and 6 females in each group, with some from each litter in each group
B)randomly choose one dog for the control group and use the other 23 in the experimental group
C)put all the puppies from two of the litters in one group and all of the puppies from the other two litters in the other group
D)put the 12 females in one group and the 12 males in the other group
E)flip a coin for each dog to see which group it will be in

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Global population is projected to be about _ in 2050.

A)7 billion
B)11 billion
C)9 billion
D)10 billion
E)8 billion

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A paradigm .

A)is a dominant view in science
B)is a means of evaluating scientific hypotheses
C)is a group of several hypotheses that can be tested together
D)is synonymous with the scientific method
E)can only come from qualitative data

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Sustainability .

A)is beyond our current technology and attitudes
B)is possible given our increased use of fertilizers and technology for agriculture
C)involves using resources without compromising future availability
D)ensures an economy that will decline over time
E)is impossible to accomplish

Question 5

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3- month- old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males.
Pablo and Johanna should probably run the experiment .

A)for several months, weighing and measuring the pups twice every day
B)for several months, weighing and measuring the pups before and after
C)for at least three years, weighing and measuring the pups every week
D)for several months, weighing and measuring the pups every week
E)for one month, weighing and measuring the pups before and after

Question 6

Solutions to environmental problems .

A)can be implemented only by scientists
B)must be short term
C)are best designed and discussed in the political arena
D)must be on a local scale
E)must be designed with sustainable goals

Question 7

Pesticide use .

A)will be eliminated as pests decrease as a consequence of years of pesticide use
B)may be a necessary part of modern technological agriculture
C)will not be a problem as we learn to genetically modify predators
D)can be eliminated by changing the season when crops are planted
E)poses no environmental threat in this country

Question 8

In a manipulative experiment _ .

A)the peer review process is bypassed
B)replication of the experiment is not necessary
C)the motive is economic gain, so scientists manipulate the data
D)researchers manipulate the independent variable
E)researchers manipulate as many variables as possible

Question 9

Which of the following terms best describes the practice of environmental science?

A)integrative and interdisciplinary
B)elitist and unnecessary
C)theoretical and controversial
D)highly specialized and focused
E)abstract and theoretical

Question 10

An experiment .

A)involves only collection of quantitative data
B)is designed to generate new scientific hypothesis
C)is an activity designed to test the validity of a hypothesis
D)often involves manipulating as many variables as possible
E)does not need to be repeated if well designed

Question 11

Qualitative data .

A)are data that are expressed as numbers and can be tested using statistics
B)cannot be replicated
C)have variables that have not been properly manipulated
D)cannot be used to support or disprove hypotheses
E)can be acquired in the detailed examination of personal interviews or observations

Question 12

Ruben has a new puppy named Paddington and wants to feed him the best possible food. He decides on an experiment where he will feed Paddington the very best canned food plus a dietary supplement of vitamins recommended by a veterinarian. Which of the following best describes Ruben's project?

A)Ruben needs to take careful measurements of Paddington's weight and height at least once a week for it to be a good experiment.
B)This is an example of an excellent, controlled experiment as it is written.
C)Ruben needs to use his mother's 6- year- old chocolate Sharpei named Scout to feed a standard diet so he can compare Paddington to a control dog.
D)This is not an experiment-there are no controls or replicates.
E)Ruben needs to control for the amount of exercise, sunshine, water, and care that Paddington gets each week, so that they are equal from week to week.

Question 13

Pablo and Johanna have too many .

A)controlled variables and not enough uncontrolled variables
B)replicates and not enough variables
C)independent variables and not enough dependent variables
D)variables that they didn't control and not enough replicates
E)dependent variables and not enough independent variables

Question 14

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3- month- old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males.
If the puppies in the experimental group gain, on average, 3 pounds more than those in the control group over a 4- month period and seem healthier and more energetic, then .

A)there is a high probability that the kibble is better for puppies
B)they have proven that the kibble diet is best for female dogs
C)they have proven the veterinary diet is best for all dogs
D)there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for all dogs
E)there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for puppies

Question 15

An environmental scientist is least likely to be involved with which of the following?

A)determining the best fuel to generate electricity for a growing city in Arizona
B)launching NASA satellites that monitor changes in carbon dioxide production on Earth
C)helping a rancher determine the best ways to rotate herds of cattle to reduce erosion
D)studying the relationship between soil fungi and aspen trees in areas that are being restored after oil sand mining
E)studying X- ray emissions for evidence of black holes

Question 16

A hypothesis is _ .

A)a proven scientific fact
B)a statement that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question
C)an instrument that is used to examine environmental conditions
D)a prediction about something that has not yet been observed
E)the design of an experiment that can be used in scientific enquiry

Question 17

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his shepherd- mix dog the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog.
One dependent variable in this study will be _ .

A)how much the dogs grow
B)the age of the dogs
C)the sex of the dogs
D)the breed of the dogs
E)the type of food the dogs receive

Question 18

In a controlled experiment, .

A)the researcher has several hypotheses, one of which will be proven correct
B)you need only a single experimental organism which is tested again and again
C)the researcher knows the outcome before beginning the experiment
D)the researcher controls for the effects of only one variable
E)the researcher controls for the effects of all variables except one

Question 19

The scientific method is a process that involves .

A)the fact that hypotheses can be proven
B)observation alone
C)quantitative data alone
D)educated guesses
E)testing hypotheses that are built on observations

Question 20

In general, natural resources _ _.

A)are evenly divided among all countries
B)should be used efficiently and conserved
C)belong only to those on whose property they exist
D)should be used by everyone equally
E)should not be used

Question 21

A pharmaceutical company wishes to study a possible new headache medicine. They are doing human trials with 1000 volunteers who experience frequent headaches. The researchers will need to .

A)have 10 volunteers in the control group
B)put all women in the control group and all men in the experimental group
C)control for the type of headache-stress, migraine, or other causes
D)divide the groups by level of health
E)give all 1000 volunteers the same amount of the new medication

Question 22

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his shepherd- mix dog the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog.
When they write up their initial proposal, the instructor will probably .

A)give them an F and tell them to start over-it would take many years to do such a study
B)tell them they have some serious problems with the proposal, but it is fixable if they are willing to take care of more dogs
C)tell them that they need at least 100 dogs to do the study
D)give them an A for thoroughness and allow them to proceed with the experiment
E)tell them that the proposal is impossible and that such a study cannot be done at all

Question 23

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
The variable that is manipulated

Question 24

You have read about the mistakes made on Easter Island. On Tikopia, another small island, the people acted in other ways. When they realized that the pigs they had imported were damaging the environment, they killed them all. They had to have permission from a chief to fish, which prevented overfishing. They also practiced contraception. These actions all indicate that .

A)they felt that everything was a nonrenewable resource
B)they believed in full resource utilization
C)they were concerned with only one year at a time
D)they truly practiced sustainability
E)they felt that everything was a renewable resource

Question 25

Differentiate between environmental science and environmentalism. Define each term and explain how they are similar and how they differ.

Question 26

The concept of sustainable development includes .

A)growth in profits from international trade
B)the needs of future generations
C)convenience and global economic improvements
D)the fastest ways to economic prosperity
E)the importance of developing the arts

Question 27

A study's results are deemed worthy of acceptance into the body of scientific knowledge if they are published in journals which .

A)meet guidelines advocated by environmentalists or consumer groups
B)use the peer review process
C)are funded by corporations funding the research
D)conform to current political and religious views
E)charge a high fee for acceptance

Question 28

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
Type of discipline describing environmental science

Question 29

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
Widely accepted, well- tested explanation of one or more cause- and- effect relationships

Question 30

Ecosystem services .

A)are actions humans must take in order to protect and serve the environment
B)are valuable to natural systems but not to human- created systems
C)contribute to keeping ecosystems productive
D)are economically valuable services provided by natural systems
E)are required to rebalance natural systems that we have disturbed

Question 31

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
Information expressed with numbers

Question 32

Sachiko and Fred are having a discussion about the scientific method. Sachiko makes the comment that every time she sees people carrying open umbrellas, she also sees car accidents. This is a(n) .

A)scientific study
B)theory about car accidents
C)observation
D)hypothesis
E)theory about umbrellas

Question 33

To determine your specific impacts on the environment, you can .

A)measure local air pollution and its impacts on your health
B)measure the volume and type of all the wastes you contribute to the municipal waste stream
C)calculate your ecological footprint
D)determine your current water pollution impact
E)calculate the biodiversity of your local community

Question 34

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
A scientific field of study

Question 35

Geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar radiation are all examples of .

A)biodegradable materials
B)nonrenewable resources
C)biodiversity
D)biotic environmental factors
E)renewable environmental resources

Question 36

The process by which several researchers review another researcher's manuscript prior to publication to ensure research quality is referred to as _.

A)peer review
B)critical analysis
C)hypothesis testing
D)quality control
E)investigative inquiry

Question 37

Which of the following best embodies the qualities of a scientific theory?

A)All gases, liquids, and solids consist of atoms.
B)Dangerous wildfires in California could be avoided by better fire prevention strategies.
C)Squirrels in central Illinois prefer to build their nests in oak trees instead of hickory trees.
D)Prairies that have larges herds of bison show greater plant diversity than prairies without bison.
E)Students who study for their environmental science exams will perform better on those exams than those who do not.

Question 38

Compare and contrast the types of knowledge gained and the research methods of natural and social sciences when considering environmental problems. Why do both types of disciplines need to be a part of environmental science?

Question 39

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his shepherd- mix dog the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog.
The independent variable in this study will be .

A)the sex of the dogs
B)the breed of the dogs
C)the age of the dogs
D)how much the dogs grow
E)the type of food the dogs receive

Question 40

Match the following.

A)dependent variable
B)theory
C)qualitative data
D)interdisciplinary science
E)ecology
F)prediction
G)paradigm
H)quantitative data
I)independent variable
J)social science
K)environmentalism
L)hypothesis
Expectation of experimental outcome

Question 41

Why is it important to understand our interactions with the environment? What will studying environmental science enable you to do?

Question 42

You are hired by a pesticide company to determine whether its new pesticide ("Zap- em")is effective at controlling soybean aphids, an invasive species that costs American farmers millions of dollars a year in crop damage and control costs. Describe an experiment you would perform to test the effectiveness of Zap- em.

Question 43

Use the assessment tool at HYPERLINK "http://www.ecologicalfootprint.com/" www.ecologicalfootprint.com to calculate your ecological footprint. Once you determine the factors that evaluate your use of water, energy, waste disposal, transportation, and food consumption, use the results of your specific ecological footprint to determine three specific actions you can take to reduce the size of your ecological footprint. Make sure that your specific actions each fit into a different category (water, energy, waste, transportation, and food). Summarize your assessment.

Question 44

What qualities are present in an endeavor that is sustainable?

Question 45

Discuss the differences between a manipulative and a natural experiment.