Deck 1: Environmental Problems, their Causes, and Sustainability

Question 1

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
All nonrenewable resources can theoretically be ____.

A) converted to nonmetallic minerals
B) converted to renewable ones
C) exhausted or depleted
D) recycled or reused
E) alive

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Having tall smokestacks is a form of _____.

A) pollution prevention
B) pollution cleanup
C) natural capital degradation
D) ecological restoration
E) tragedy of the commons

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The primary difference between renewable resources and nonrenewable resources is ____.

A) how easily each can be discovered
B) the available amount of each resource
C) the length of time it takes for each to be replenished
D) how fast each is being consumed
E) how quickly each can produce electricity

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Use of a natural resource based on sustainable yields is most applicable to the idea of ____.

A) nonrenewable resources
B) renewable resources
C) shared resources
D) amenable resources
E) recycling

Question 5

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What are the priorities for more sustainable use of renewable resources,in order?

A) refuse,renew,reduce,and recycle
B) recycle,renew,reuse,and reduce
C) resource,recycle,renew,and reduce
D) refuse,reduce,reuse,and recycle
E) refuse,reduce,recycle,and renew

Question 6

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which action is is an example of reuse?

A) re-melting aluminum cans
B) making compost out of kitchen scraps
C) using plastic butter tubs to store leftovers
D) using waste heat to warm a room
E) making paper goods from previously used paper

Question 7

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which of the following illustrates natural capital degradation?

A) use of wind power
B) saving endangered species
C) cleaning up pollution
D) aquifer depletion
E) water runoff

Question 8

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Topsoil is an important component of _____.

A) biodiversity
B) ecosystems
C) natural resources
D) win-win solutions
E) nutrient cycling

Question 9

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which substance would be considered a nonrenewable resource?

A) groundwater
B) trees in a forest
C) fertile soil
D) oil
E) crops

Question 10

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which discipline is most associated with environmental science?

A) botany
B) political science
C) sociology
D) ecology
E) psychology

Question 11

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Each of the three major cultural revolutions has allowed _____.

A) ecological restoration
B) expansion of the human population
C) greater worldwide sustainability
D) pollution prevention
E) decreased consumption

Question 12

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which substance would be considered a renewable resource?

A) copper
B) oil
C) fresh air
D) salt
E) sand

Question 13

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
A forest with plants,animals,and various other organisms is an example of a(n)_____.

A) ecosystem
B) species
C) ecology
D) life-support system
E) nutrient

Question 14

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What term describes the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply?

A) conservation
B) sustainable yield
C) preservation
D) perpetual resource
E) degradation

Question 15

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
More-developed countries _____.

A) have a lower average income
B) use mostly renewable resources
C) rely entirely on nonrenewable resources
D) comprise 17% of the world's population
E) provide fewer recycling services

Question 16

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Using normally renewable resources faster than nature can renew them is called _____.

A) nutrient cycling
B) nutrient deficit
C) sustainability
D) trade-offs
E) degrading natural capital

Question 17

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Solar energy is known as a(n)_____.

A) renewable resource
B) recyclable resource
C) inexhaustible resource
D) reusable resource
E) nonrenewable resource

Question 18

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
According to a number of environmental scientists,we already know how to reuse or recycle at least _____ of the nonrenewable resources we use.

A) 80%
B) 65%
C) 50%
D) 40%
E) 25%

Question 19

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Sustainability refers to _____.

A) the way in which the natural world works
B) how we interact with the environment
C) human methods of coping with environmental problems
D) refusing,reducing,reusing,and recycling
E) the capacity of the earth's natural systems to survive,flourish,and adapt

Question 20

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is one of the three social science principles of sustainability?

A) A dependence on solar energy
B) A focus on chemical cycling
C) The degradation of natural capital
D) A responsibility to future generations
E) The ability to retain biodiversity

Question 21

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is the primary cause of nature deficit disorder?

A) too much poverty
B) too much affluence
C) increased isolation from nature
D) poor sanitation
E) increased pollution

Question 22

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The U.N.Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reports that human activities have degraded ____ percent of the earth's natural services,and mostly since 1950.

A) 20
B) 40
C) 60
D) 80
E) 95

Question 23

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The first major cultural change that occurred in the human population was the _____.

A) information-globalization revolution
B) agricultural revolution
C) industrial-medical revolution
D) technological revolution
E) sustainability revolution

Question 24

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The real prices of goods and services do not include the ____.

A) cost of raw materials
B) cost of manufacturing
C) environmental costs of resource use
D) cost of distribution
E) cost of advertising

Question 25

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which of the following is a point source of pollution?

A) wind carrying dirt and pesticides from croplands
B) runoff from a stockyard
C) a smokestack from a power plant
D) fertilizer runoff from lawns
E) runoff from cropland

Question 26

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is a nonpoint source of pollution?

A) drainpipe
B) car exhaust pipe
C) power plant
D) volcano
E) pesticides in the air

Question 27

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
An average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area is known as ____.

A) per capita gross GNP
B) ecological footprint
C) per capita GDP
D) sustainable yield
E) per capita ecological footprint

Question 28

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Volcanic gases in the atmosphere are considered a type of _____.

A) cultural change
B) natural capital degradation
C) nonrenewable resource
D) renewable resource
E) pollution

Question 29

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is the set of assumptions and values reflecting how you think the world works and what you think your role in the world should be?

A) environmental worldview
B) environmental justice
C) environmental ethics
D) environmental economics
E) environmental capital

Question 30

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
An estimated _____ middle-class consumers live in China.

A) 10 million
B) 150 million
C) 300 million
D) 500 million
E) 1 billion

Question 31

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which revolution began about 50 years ago and involved the development of technologies for gaining rapid access to all kinds of information and resources on a global scale?

A) The technology revolution
B) The information-globalization revolution
C) The agricultural revolution
D) The industrial-medical revolution
E) The sustainability revolution

Question 32

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Subsidies and tax breaks to companies are

A) helpful to the environment
B) not helpful to the economy
C) not actually helpful to these companies
D) not helpful to the environment
E) helpful to individuals

Question 33

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is the most likely effect of a pollutant?

A) degradation of life-support systems for humans
B) more cooperative behavior among wildlife
C) greater allocation of resources to human health
D) natural recycling of atmospheric air
E) renewable natural capital

Question 34

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
In the IPAT equation,the 'P' stands for _____.

A) poverty
B) pollution
C) per capita ecological footprint
D) percent
E) population size

Question 35

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The term _____ refers to the contamination of the environment by a chemical or other agent that is harmful to organisms.

A) natural capital
B) pollution
C) pesticide
D) human activity
E) point source

Question 36

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Which statement represents an environmental wisdom worldview?

A) Continuous rapid economic growth improves environmental conditions.
B) Our success depends on learning how life sustains itself.
C) Maximizing research funding is the key to controlling the environment.
D) Human beings are the most important life forms on the earth.
E) There is always more.

Question 37

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
At our current average rate of use per person,how many planet Earths would we need to provide an endless supply of renewable resources?

A) 0.5
B) 0.9
C) 1
D) 1.5
E) 2

Question 38

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is the best description of an ecological deficit?

A) The total ecological footprint is larger than the biological capacity to replenish renewable resources.
B) The total ecological footprint is smaller than the biological capacity to replenish renewable resources.
C) All nonrenewable resources have been exhausted and there are no renewable resources available.
D) The total ecological footprint is equal to the sustainable yield of renewable resources.
E) The total ecological footprint only involves the use of nonrenewable resources.

Question 39

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The degradation of commonly held resources is known as _____.

A) the tragedy of the commons
B) open-access degradation
C) sustainable yield
D) pollution
E) government regulation

Question 40

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What viewpoint embodies the idea that we should be responsible,caring managers of the earth?

A) The planetary management worldview
B) The stewardship worldview
C) The environmental wisdom worldview
D) The environmental justice movement
E) The renewable worldview

Question 41

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Take away solar energy and all natural capital would collapse.

Question 42

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What situation is most likely to occur as a result of poverty?

A) increased media attention on children's health
B) access to clean drinking water
C) increased consumption in average
D) spread of disease from poor sanitation
E) heart disease and diabetes from obesity

Question 43

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is the best description of natural income?

A) renewable resources provided by the earth's natural capital
B) nonrenewable resources created by humans
C) income based on government subsidies
D) excess resources remaining after our ecological footprint
E) new and alternative resources created by humans

Question 44

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The amount of biologically productive land and water required to supply the people in a country with renewable resources and recycling wastes and pollution is the ecological footprint.

Question 45

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Pollution cleanup is usually the best way of dealing with the release of a pollutant.

Question 46

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The Tragedy of the Commons refers to a lack of agricultural resources available for the common (poor)people in a country.

Question 47

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Environmental science is a branch of environmentalism and has the aim of protecting the earth's life-support systems.

Question 48

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
What is one of the root causes of environmental problems?

A) rapid population growth
B) even global distribution of wealth
C) increasingly sustainable use of resources
D) absorption of environmental costs in goods and services
E) decreased use of nonrenewable resources in more-developed countries

Question 49

Research by social scientists suggests that it takes ____ percent of the population of a community,country,or the world to bring about major social change.

A) 1-2
B) 5-10
C) 15-20
D) 25-35
E) 50-60

Question 50

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
According to the World Bank,about how many people worldwide live in extreme poverty?

A) 1 million
B) 9 million
C) 40 million
D) 90 million
E) 900 million

Question 51

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
A drainpipe of a factory that is releasing a pollutant is an example of nonpoint source of pollution.

Question 52

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
While we are heavily dependent on the environment,we are not dependent on it for everything we need to stay alive and healthy.

Question 53

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
How many people can the earth support indefinitely?

A) No one knows.
B) 5 billion
C) 10 billion
D) 15 billion
E) 20 billion

Question 54

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
_____ growth starts off slowly,but after only a few doublings,grows at an enormous rate.

A) Exponential
B) Logarithmic
C) Parallel
D) Linear
E) Resource

Question 55

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Affluence typically results in _____.

A) population growth
B) less education
C) increased poverty
D) environmental restoration
E) environmental degradation

Question 56

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Exponential growth occurs when a population increases at a(n)_____ per unit time.

A) fixed number
B) variable percentage
C) fixed percentage
D) slow rate
E) unpredictable rate

Question 57

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Nature deficit disorder is most likely to cause _____.

A) obesity
B) poverty
C) stress
D) poor sanitation
E) dependence

Question 58

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The three overarching themes relating to the long-term sustainability of life on this planet are solar energy,biodiversity,and chemical cycling.

Question 59

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Pollutants are all human-made;in other words,they cannot enter the environment naturally.

Question 60

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
In environmental science,individuals tend to matter less because the issues are global in nature.

Question 61

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Natural capital equals __________ __________ plus __________ __________.

Question 62

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Your ____________ ____________ is a set of assumptions and values reflecting how you think the world works and what you think your role in the world should be.

Question 63

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
IPAT is a simple way of looking at how three factors influence the impact humans have on the environment.The formula is Impact = Population (P)x __________ x Technology (T).

Question 64

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Our lives and economies depend on energy from the ____________________ and natural resources and natural services provided by the earth.

Question 65

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The _______________ _______________ worldview holds that we are separate from and in charge of nature,that nature exists mainly to meet our needs and increasing wants,and that we can use our ingenuity and technology to manage the earth's life-support systems,mostly for our benefit,into the distant future.

Question 66

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Reducing poverty,promoting family planning,and elevating the status of women would help the world's population continue to grow.

Question 67

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Living sustainably means living on natural income.

Question 68

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The exhaust pipe of an automobile or the smokestack of a coal-burning powerplant are examples of ______________ sources.

Question 69

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The earth's population is growing _______________.

Question 70

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Environmental degradation,also known as __________ __________ __________ is the process of wasting,depleting,and degrading the earth's natural capital at an accelerating rate.

Question 71

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
A basic cause of environmental problems results from the fact that companies using resources have to pay for the cost of the harmful environmental costs of supplying their products.

Question 72

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Extreme poverty is living on less than the equivalent of $_______________ per day.

Question 73

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Species are currently becoming extinct at the same rate as during prehuman times.

Question 74

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Fish,fresh air,forests,and fertile soil are examples of __________ __________.

Question 75

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
China has the world's largest population and second-largest economy.

Question 76

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The circulation of chemicals necessary for life,from the environment through organisms and back to the environment,is called ____________________.

Question 77

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
The _______________ revolution involved the invention of machines for the large-scale production of goods in factories.

Question 78

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Old drink bottles that are collected,washed,and refilled are an example of ____________________.

Question 79

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
Some of the world's countries are called low-income,__________-__________ countries,and include Congo,Haiti,Nigeria,and Nicaragua.

Question 80

Use Figure 10-A (above)for questions 1 - 3.
A resource such as solar energy,that is constantly available,is called a(n)__________ __________.