Deck 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Question 1

Which resource is NOT renewable?

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is a person who is primarily interested in the establishment of new wilderness areas called?

A)a restorationist
B)a conservationist
C)a preservationist
D)an ecologist

Answer 2

C

Question 3

If the world's population grew by 2% in 1998 and continued at that rate, how long would it take Earth's population to double?

A)20 years
B)25 years
C)30 years
D)35years

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is the best description of the growth rate of most of the environmental problems we face?

A)the problems are increasing exponentially
B)the problems are increasing linearly
C)the problems are decreasing linearly
D)the problems are decreasing exponentially

Question 5

Which statement characterizes developing countries ?

A)they include the US, Canada, Japan, and the former Soviet Union
B)they have high average GNPs per person
C)they make up about one-tenth of the world's population
D)they use about 12% of the world's resources

Question 6

What is globalization?

A)a new term for mass immigration into a country
B)a satellite-based communications system
C)worldwide integration of social, economic, and environmental change
D)the ability of all of society to travel worldwide

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT considered part of natural capital?

A)soil
B)sunlight
C)water
D)air

Question 8

What best describes renewable resources?

A)they can be replenished fairly rapidly on a human time scale through natural processes
B)they are things like winds, tides, and flowing water
C)they are renewed continuously on a human time scale
D)they are things that are continually available like direct solar energy

Question 9

What is the pace of exponential growth?

A)it starts rapidly and remains rapid
B)it starts out slowly then becomes very rapid
C)it starts out slowly and remains slow
D)it remains constant

Question 10

What is a common-property resource?

A)an environmentally depleted resource not available for users
B)a resource owned by a group of private owners that is available for all owners
C)a resource that has a number of different uses and is available for all owners
D)no individuals own the resource, and it is available for all users

Question 11

Which statement characterizes developed countries?

A)they make up about 20% of the world's population
B)they are primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
C)they have low to moderate GNPs per person
D)they experience annual population growth of about 16%

Question 12

What percentage of the world's human population lives in developed countries?

A)50%
B)40%
C)20%
D)10%

Question 13

Which resource is a non-metallic mineral resource?

A)water
B)soil
C)oil
D)sand

Question 14

How can sustainable development be distinguished from economic development in terms of its emphasis?

A)intergenerational equity
B)setting limits on human population growth
C)meeting the needs of people
D)use of economic systems and the earth's resources

Question 15

What does the discipline of ecology study?

A)relationships between organisms and their environment
B)how endangered plants are conserved
C)how animals behave and breed
D)the impacts of global climate change

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an example of exponential growth?

A)the king who promised to double the number of grains of wheat he put on each successive square of a checkerboard
B)human population growth
C)a bank account that increases at 15% one year, then 275% the next, then 42% the next
D)money in a savings account

Question 17

Which term defines the market value of goods and services produced in a country for use within a year (expressed in dollars)?

A)gross domestic product
B)gross national product
C)per capita GNP
D)per capita GDP

Question 18

Which is the best description of how an environmentally sustainable society manages its resources?

A)it satisfies the needs of its people by harvesting without depleting Earth's capital
B)it focuses on all levels of society having sustainable incomes
C)it satisfies all society's needs by not harvesting any new materials
D)it focuses on today's society's needs and the needs of endangered species

Question 19

On what does the United Nations base their classification of the world's countries as 'developed' or 'developing'?

A)their degree of political stability and their social equality
B)their degree of industrialization and their per capita GDP
C)their degree of environmental sustainability and their social equality
D)their ecological footprint alone

Question 20

Which statement characterizes economic growth ?

A)it is encouraged by increased consumption per capita
B)it provides goods and services for people's final use
C)it is encouraged by population growth
D)it is accomplished by minimizing the flow of matter and energy through an economy

Question 21

Why are pollution cleanup efforts ineffective?

A)they often transfer pollutants from one part of the environment to another
B)we lack technology to clean up most pollution
C)too much effort and funding is focused on pollution prevention
D)because efforts are only effective with nonpoint sources, not point sources

Question 22

Which statement best illustrates the tragedy of the commons?

A)Irrigated cropland can be ruined by salinization.
B)Some levels of pollution are life threatening.
C)Some activities harm the environment, but others do not.
D)A factory pollutes a river as much as the law allows.

Question 23

Which statement characterizes renewable resources?

A)renewable resources includes fertile soil and clean water
B)renewable resources are the only resources that are alive
C)renewable resources are also called perpetual resources
D)renewable resources include natural gas and forests

Question 24

Which evidence is likely to form the basis of an economist's opinion?

A)The human population is growing exponentially.
B)Consensus science suggests that potential global climate change, deforestation, and species loss should be taken as serious problems.
C)The rate of crop yield increases is declining.
D)People are our most important resource.

Question 25

Which situation is an example of new efforts to prevent the tragedy of the commons?

A)converting land from private to more public ownership
B)using common-property resources at or above their sustainable yields
C)moving from a taxpayers pay approach to a users pay approach
D)moving from a users pay approach to a taxpayers pay approach

Question 26

Which evidence is likely to form the basis of an environmentalist's opinion?

A)Food is more abundant and cheaper than at any other time in human history.
B)Total forest area of the temperate zone region's industrialized countries increased during the 1980s.
C)Consensus science suggests that potential global climate change, deforestation, and species loss should be taken as serious problems.
D)The rate of human population growth is declining.

Question 27

What is the root cause of environmental problems?

A)climate change
B)water pollution
C)rapid population growth
D)food supply problems

Question 28

What is NOT one of the big five major causes of environmental problems?

A)ecological ignorance
B)the climate in which people live
C)poverty
D)population

Question 29

What is NOT important in determining the damage produced by a pollutant?

A)persistence
B)origin
C)concentration
D)chemical nature

Question 30

What is the primary reason poor people often have more children?

A)they have many children for economic security
B)they have many children for social status
C)they have many children because they do not believe in birth control
D)they have many children because they cannot afford birth control

Question 31

Which statement about ecological footprint, on a per capita basis (hectares per person), is accurate?

A)it is 86 in Canada, slightly below that of the US
B)it should be no higher than 65
C)it is the highest in the US at 38
D)it is the highest in India at 86

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a nonpoint source of pollution?

A)pesticides dispersed by airplane and wind onto a crop
B)runoff from a stockyard
C)a smokestack from a power plant
D)fertilizer runoff from lawns

Question 33

Which type of resource is identified by the use of a natural resource based on sustainable yield?

A)perpetual resources
B)non-renewable resources
C)amenity resources
D)renewable resources

Question 34

What can we do when a resource is economically depleted?

A)find new reserves of the resource
B)develop substitutes for that resource
C)increase the price of the resource
D)use a common-property approach

Question 35

What best describes the concept of environmental degradation?

A)letting agricultural runoff cause oxygen depletion and fish kills downstream
B)using oil to make gasoline
C)using solar power at a rapid rate
D)cutting trees for wood products

Question 36

What is NOT one of the four preventable health problems many of the world's desperately poor die prematurely from?

A)AIDS
B)malnutrition
C)infectious conditions like diarrhea
D)respiratory disease from the indoor burning of wood and coal

Question 37

You generally buy and eat microwave dinners.After dinner, cardboard tops and plastic trays remain.What is the least effective way to deal with this type of solid-waste problem?

A)prepare large quantities of food and divide it into your own reusable microwave containers
B)donate the plastic containers to the local nursery schools to use with preschoolers
C)collect the components and incinerate them so they don't take up landfill space
D)recycle the components

Question 38

What can theoretically happen to all non-renewable resources?

A)they can be converted to non-metallic minerals
B)they can be converted to renewable resources
C)they can be exhausted or depleted
D)they can be naturally replaced in a relatively short time

Question 39

Which situation is an example of recycling?

A)saving leftovers in a peanut butter jar
B)collecting and remelting aluminum beer cans
C)cleaning and refilling soft-drink bottles
D)selling used clothing at a garage sale

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a point source of pollution?

A)pesticides sprayed into the air
B)an automobile tailpipe
C)a factory smokestack
D)a drainpipe from a power plant

Question 41

Overall, the air quality is poorer and drinking water more polluted today than in the 1970s.

Question 42

Developing countries have a significant negative effect on the environment because of the consumption per person and technological impact per unit of consumption.

Question 43

Pollution cleanup is considered a short-term solution if population and consumption levels grow without corresponding improvement in pollution control technology.

Question 44

When a non-renewable resource is completely exhausted, it is referred to as economically depleted.

Question 45

The 'tragedy of the commons' refers to a lack of agricultural sustenance available for the common (poor) people in a country.

Question 46

As in a human body, the Earth's capacity to repair itself is critical to its survival.

Question 47

Education on the interrelation of all environmental factors is necessary to permanently impact pollution.

Question 48

Which statement is representative of an environmental wisdom worldview?

A)More money should be directed to research on controlling the environment.
B)Continuous rapid economic growth will improve environmental conditions.
C)Human beings are the most important life forms on Earth.
D)Energy and materials efficiency must continually be improved.

Question 49

An environmentally sustainable society must be based on policies that provide for economic growth and development.

Question 50

Natural capital degradation is a by-product of economic development.

Question 51

An environmentally sustainable society will require most white-collar American workers to decrease their consumption of products.

Question 52

Air and water pollution in most developed countries has decreased in the past due to money and public awareness.

Question 53

In an environmental context, as in a medical one, all individuals must subscribe to the physicians' motto: "First, do no harm."

Question 54

Poverty, pollution, water shortages, and degradation of biodiversity are the most serious current environmental conditions.

Question 55

Developing countries have an increase in premature deaths primarily because of malnutrition.

Question 56

Affluenza increases man's ecological footprint and compromises environmental quality for people all over the world.

Question 57

The death of thousands of young adults from AIDS has strengthened their countries' economies because there are fewer people to feed.

Question 58

Rapid population growth and poverty are reflective of developing countries and have little impact on pollution.

Question 59

The per capita ecological footprint is the availability of productive land and usable water to support the population with no consideration for environmental impact.

Question 60

Decreasing population growth in developed countries will decrease resource consumption.

Question 61

Food, water, shelter, and manufactured goods are____________________ used to meet human needs and wants.

Question 62

A resource such as solar energy that is renewed continuously is a called a(n) ______________________________.

Question 63

When a country's GDP decreases, the per capita GDP must also decrease.

Question 64

Non-renewable resources include ______________________________ such as oil and natural gas that cannot be recycled.

Question 65

If you have more than five credit cards and shop when you are depressed, you may have ____________________.

Question 66

The old drink bottles that were collected, washed, and refilled are an example of ____________________.

Question 67

Developing countries have a(n) ____________________ which proposes a threat to their ability to become environmentally sustainable.

Question 68

A chemical dumpsite would be an example of a _________________________ pollutant.

Question 69

Canada and Spain almost went to war over ____________________.

Question 70

Societies consisting of populations with exponential growth may exceed the area's ______________________________ and thus be unsustainable.

Question 71

______________________________ is a possible solution to the problem of people exploiting a free-access resource but may not be practical for global common resources.

Question 72

The action of processing plastic or aluminum cans into another usable product is called ____________________.

Question 73

___________________________________ is the ability of the environment to function indefinitely.

Question 74

A social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life support system for all living things is called _________________________.

Question 75

Fish, freshwater, wild animals, and fertile soil are examples of ______________________________.

Question 76

Politics influence societies comprised of ____________________ that may then undergo either exponential growth, stabilization, or decline.

Question 77

Reserves can be increased during economic development.

Question 78

The consequence of volcanic eruptions and burning coal is ____________________.

Question 79

Installing runoff curtains in a construction site is an example of ______________________________.

Question 80

David Suzuki has been called the face of environmental science for Canada.