Deck 7: Environmental Sustainability: Law and Fairness

Question 1

Under the ___________ plan,the EPA auctions a set number of sulfur dioxide emission allowances annually,with each allowance permitting one ton of emissions.

A)allocation of resources
B)tradeable permit
C)green capitalism
D)shareholder activism

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Why were the villagers from Kivalina considered the first American climate change refugees? Why were they unsuccessful in their attempts to hold large energy companies accountable for their role in climate change?

Answer 2

The Village of Kivalina is located north of the Arctic Circle.  The sea ice that protects the village from storms has eroded as temperatures have risen,making the area inhabitable.  The villagers efforts to hold the companies accountable did not succeed because the courts found they they could not prove a causal link between the companies actions and the climate change that affected their homes.  The court concluded that it cannot single out the companies from everyone else who has contributed to climate change.

Question 3

Which of the following is not one of the irreducible constitutional minimum requirements under Article III of the Constitution?

A)The plaintiff suffered an injury in fact that is concrete, particularized, and actual or imminent.
B)The injury is exclusive to the plaintiff.
C)The injury is fairly traceable to the challenged conduct.
D)The injury is likely to be redressed by a favorable court decision.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following best describes Pope Francis's thoughts on environmental protection.

A)The world is in God's hands, so humans can do nothing to protect it from changes in the climate.
B)Climate change is a threat to both the environment and to humans, and policies must be developed to address it.
C)Profit driven companies fulfill their duties to the Earth by paying for the effects they have on the environment.
D)Climate change is an issue that is beyond the reach of politics and policy.

Question 5

Under the Pollinator Risk Assessment Framework,the EPA must unconditionally register a pesticide unless it produces data demonstrating the pesticide is likely to harm bee populations.

Question 6

The town of Harleyton is planning to place utility poles on several residents' properties in order to build a free wifi network for its residents. Use the Court's analysis in Lucas v.South Carolina Coastal Council to evaluate whether this should be considered a taking.

Question 7

Explain the concepts of environmental justice and food justice and how the two can be integrated via Food Policy Councils.

Question 8

Explain how the tradeable permit plan works.

Question 9

Which of the following is a negative effect of a "cap and trade" system?

A)It will not have an effect on production of pollution.
B)Areas with higher concentrations of older plants will still experience a lot of pollution, as many of the permits will be bought by those plants.
C)It costs the government money to run the system.
D)Companies feel it is too punitive and do not want to participate in it.

Question 10

According to John Locke,the purpose of government is to develop systems of control to protect public property.

Question 11

The government has the power to take private property for public use over the objection of private property owners, as long as private property owners are compensated for their lost property.

Question 12

Discuss the obligations of human beings to Mother Earth according to the universal declaration of rights of Mother Earth.

Question 13

Which of the following was not among the steps taken by Exxon to spread doubt about climate change?

A)Funding nonprofits that called climate change into question.
B)Making campaign contributions to those who felt climate science was too uncertain to affect policy.
C)Hiring lobbyists to convince policy makers that climate change was uncertain.
D)Funding an in-house research team to produce unbiased analysis of the effects of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere.

Question 14

The power of the U.S.Government to take property from a private individual and use it for public purposes is:

A)Due Process
B)Equal Protection
C)Eminent Domain
D)Suffrage

Question 15

Which federal law set up a "Superfund" to help finance the cleanup of toxic waste sites when the polluters would not or could not pay?

A)Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
B)Clean Water Act
C)Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
D)The Kyoto Protocol

Question 16

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty to reduce greenhouse admissions,signed by over 200 countries including the United States.