Question 1

Projects that compensate for all or part of a company's greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the equivalent sum of those emissions from another source are known as carbon:
A) footprints.
B) sequestrations.
C) offsets.
D) management systems.

Accepted Answer

Projects that compensate for a company's greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the equivalent sum of those emissions from another source are known as carbon offsets.

Question 2

What is the major advantage of a cap-and-trade system?
A) It reduces costs for companies under the cap.
B) It puts companies under the cap at a competitive advantage when foreign competitors are outside the cap.
C) It allows developed countries to meet greenhouse gas reproduction pledges by paying for carbon offset projects in developing nations.
D) It actually reduces overall emissions as the cap is lowered.

Accepted Answer

The major advantage of a cap-and-trade system is that it actually reduces overall emissions as the cap is lowered. By setting a limit on emissions and allowing companies to trade permits, there is a financial incentive for companies to reduce their emissions and increase their efficiency. As the cap is lowered over time, emissions will continue to decrease.

Question 3

The substitution of revenues from taxes on pollution for revenues from taxes on productivity is known as:
A) pro-market tax reform.
B) capital gains tax reform.
C) environmental tax reform.
D) alternative minimum tax reform.

Accepted Answer

The substitution of revenues from taxes on pollution for revenues from taxes on productivity is known as environmental tax reform. This type of reform aims to encourage activities that are beneficial for the environment by making them relatively less expensive, while also discouraging activities that harm the environment by making them relatively more expensive. This can be done by shifting the tax burden from labor and capital towards activities that generate pollution or carbon emissions.

Question 4

_____ regulation gives polluters financial motives to control pollution while also giving them flexibility in how reductions are achieved.
A) Command-and-control
B) Market incentive
C) Cap-and-trade
D) Voluntary

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____ regulation gives polluters financial motives to...

Question 5

Which of the following is a carbon offset program set up under the Kyoto Protocol that allows developed countries to meet greenhouse gas reproduction pledges by paying for carbon offset projects in developing nations?
A) The Emissions Trading Mechanism
B) The Clean Development Mechanism
C) The environmental management system
D) ISO 14001

Accepted Answer

The Clean Development Mechanism is a carbon offset program established under the Kyoto Protocol. It allows developed countries to meet greenhouse gas reduction commitments by financing carbon reduction projects in developing countries. The other choices, the Emissions Trading Mechanism (A), the environmental management system (C), and ISO 14001 (D), do not relate specifically to carbon offset programs under the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 6

Contingent valuation is the method of:
A) assigning a price to ecological goods that are not traded in markets.
B) calculating the dollar amount that people exposed to a risk are willing to pay to reduce the risk of premature death.
C) estimating economic values for ecosystem services that directly affect market prices.
D) harnessing market forces to motivate compliance with regulatory goals.

Accepted Answer

Contingent valuation is a method used to assign a monetary value to non-market goods or services, such as ecological services. It involves asking individuals how much they would be willing to pay for a particular environmental service or resource if it were not already available for free.

Question 7

The EPA program that requires facilities handling any of 650 hazardous chemicals to disclose amounts each year that are released or transferred is the:
A) Waste Management Inventory.
B) Resource Conservation and Recovery Information Inventory.
C) Toxics Release Inventory.
D) Criteria Pollutant Emissions Database.

Accepted Answer

The program that requires facilities to disclose their releases or transfers of hazardous chemicals is the Toxics Release Inventory. The Waste Management Inventory and Resource Conservation and Recovery Information Inventory focus on hazardous waste, not releases. The Criteria Pollutant Emissions Database tracks emissions of six specific air pollutants, but not hazardous chemicals.

Question 8

_____ is a mechanism in which a ton of CO₂e is a traded commodity with a price that fluctuates based on changes in supply and demand. A) Clean Development Mechanism B) Green market C) Greenwashing D) Carbon market

Accepted Answer

The mechanism described is the carbon market, in which carbon credits (represented by tCO2e units) are bought and sold based on supply and demand. The price of these credits can fluctuate based on various factors, such as government policies, industrial activity, and climate change goals. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a specific policy under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that promotes investment in emission reduction projects in developing countries. Green markets and greenwashing are not directly related to carbon trading.

Question 9

The practice of regulating by setting uniform standards,strictly enforcing rules,and using penalties to force compliance is known as:
A) environmental tax reform.
B) cap and trade approach.
C) command-and-control regulation.
D) market incentive regulation.

Accepted Answer

The practice described in the question (setting uniform standards, strict enforcement, and penalties to force compliance) is called command-and-control regulation. Option A, environmental tax reform, involves the use of economic incentives to reduce pollution. Option B, cap and trade, involves the creation of a market for pollution permits. Option D, market incentive regulation, encourages voluntary pollution reduction by offering rewards for environmentally friendly practices.

Question 10

Command-and-control regulation:
A) gives polluters financial motives to control pollution.
B) does not grant abatements.
C) helps determine the value of statistical life.
D) can increase costs without commensurate increases in benefits.

Accepted Answer

Command-and-control regulation can often lead to increased costs without commensurate increases in benefits because it typically mandates a specific pollution control technology or level of emissions reduction, regardless of the costs and benefits associated with that technology or level. This can result in inefficiencies and a lack of flexibility in achieving environmental goals.

Question 11

A universal measure that uses the warming potential of CO₂ as a reference for the relative warming potential of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol is the: A) CO₂ equivalent. B) carbon dioxide equivalent. C) TRI. D) EMS.

Accepted Answer

CO₂ equivalent is a universal measure that uses the warming potential of CO₂ as a reference for the relative warming potential of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 12

Which of the following is a criticism of cost-benefit analysis?
A) It disciplines thinking and always dictates choices.
B) Fixing precise values of costs and benefits is difficult and controversial.
C) They compromise ecosystems deserving conditional,not absolute,protection.
D) Benefits and costs of a program often fall on the same party.

Accepted Answer

Fixing precise values of costs and benefits is often difficult and controversial as it involves subjective judgments and uncertainties. This can lead to the analysis being biased or incomplete, making it less reliable as a decision-making tool.

Question 13

_____ is a polling process in which people are asked to put a dollar amount on some aspect of nature.
A) Risk assessment
B) Contingent valuation
C) Cost-benefit analysis
D) Exposure assessment

Accepted Answer

Contingent valuation is a polling process in which people are asked how much they would be willing to pay, or put a dollar amount on some aspect of nature such as a natural resource, endangered species, or conservation program. It is a method used to estimate the economic value of environmental goods and services that do not have a market price.

Question 14

What method does the EPA use to calculate the value of a statistical life?
A) Willingness-to-accept approach
B) Willingness-to-pay approach
C) Social welfare approach
D) Social surplus approach

Accepted Answer

The EPA uses the "willingness-to-pay" approach to calculate the value of a statistical life. This approach measures how much individuals are willing to pay to reduce their risk of death, and uses this value to calculate the overall societal value of reducing the risk.

Question 15

The practice of harnessing market forces to motivate compliance with regulatory goals is known as:
A) cap-and-trade regulation.
B) command-and-control regulation.
C) market incentive regulation.
D) voluntary regulation.

Accepted Answer

The practice of harnessing market forces to motivate compliance with regulatory goals is known as market incentive regulation. This includes strategies such as emissions trading and subsidies that incentivize polluters to reduce their emissions or improve environmental performance. Cap-and-trade regulation also uses market mechanisms, but it specifically involves setting a cap on emissions and allowing companies to trade permits to emit within that cap. Command-and-control regulation involves setting specific standards and enforcing them through inspections and penalties. Voluntary regulation relies on companies to voluntarily adopt environmentally friendly practices without being required to do so by law.

Question 16

Cost-benefit analysis:
A) forces methodical consideration of each impact of a policy on social welfare.
B) disciplines thinking and always dictates choices.
C) injects untenable calculation into emotional arguments.
D) that reveals marginal abatement costs rarely helps regulators find efficient levels of regulation.

Accepted Answer

Cost-benefit analysis is a methodical approach that weighs the positive and negative impacts of a policy on social welfare. It helps decision-makers to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of different policy options to make an informed decision.

Question 17

Emissions trading programs are also known as:
A) command-and-control systems.
B) cap and trade.
C) carbon tax regimes.
D) carbon fees with rebates.

Accepted Answer

Emissions trading programs are commonly referred to as cap and trade systems. These systems put a limit, or cap, on the amount of pollution companies are allowed to emit. Companies are then allowed to buy and sell emissions allowances, incentivizing companies to reduce their emissions and allowing for more efficient reductions overall.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an element of the regulatory options spectrum?
A) Market incentives
B) Voluntary compliance
C) Flexible enforcement
D) Contingent valuation

Accepted Answer

Contingent valuation is a method of estimating the value of a resource or ecosystem service based on people's willingness to pay for it, and is not a regulatory option. The other three options (market incentives, voluntary compliance, and flexible enforcement) are all regulatory options commonly used in environmental policy.

Question 19

_____ is a market-based pollution abatement scheme in which emissions are limited and sources must hold tradable permits equal to the amount of their discharges.
A) Command-and-control
B) Carbon tax regime
C) Cap and trade
D) Carbon fees with rebates

Accepted Answer

Cap and trade is a market-based pollution abatement scheme in which emissions are limited, and sources must hold tradable permits equal to the amount of their discharges. The cap is the maximum amount of emissions allowed, and the permits can be traded among the sources. This system incentivizes sources to reduce their emissions and rewards those who do so by allowing them to sell their excess permits.

Question 20

_____ regulations do not require legal compulsions or sanctions.
A) Voluntary
B) Market incentive
C) Required disclosure
D) Command-and-control

Accepted Answer

Voluntary regulations are based on voluntary actions of individuals and organizations without legal compulsions or sanctions.

Quiz 14: Managing Environmental Quality

Projects that compensate for all or part of a company's greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the equivalent sum of those emissions from another source are known as carbon:

What is the major advantage of a cap-and-trade system?

The substitution of revenues from taxes on pollution for revenues from taxes on productivity is known as:

_____ regulation gives polluters financial motives to control pollution while also giving them flexibility in how reductions are achieved.

Which of the following is a carbon offset program set up under the Kyoto Protocol that allows developed countries to meet greenhouse gas reproduction pledges by paying for carbon offset projects in developing nations?

Contingent valuation is the method of:

The EPA program that requires facilities handling any of 650 hazardous chemicals to disclose amounts each year that are released or transferred is the:

_____ is a mechanism in which a ton of CO2e is a traded commodity with a price that fluctuates based on changes in supply and demand.

The practice of regulating by setting uniform standards,strictly enforcing rules,and using penalties to force compliance is known as:

Command-and-control regulation:

A universal measure that uses the warming potential of CO2 as a reference for the relative warming potential of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol is the:

Which of the following is a criticism of cost-benefit analysis?

_____ is a polling process in which people are asked to put a dollar amount on some aspect of nature.

What method does the EPA use to calculate the value of a statistical life?

The practice of harnessing market forces to motivate compliance with regulatory goals is known as:

Cost-benefit analysis:

Emissions trading programs are also known as:

Which of the following is NOT an element of the regulatory options spectrum?

_____ is a market-based pollution abatement scheme in which emissions are limited and sources must hold tradable permits equal to the amount of their discharges.

_____ regulations do not require legal compulsions or sanctions.

_____ is a mechanism in which a ton of CO₂e is a traded commodity with a price that fluctuates based on changes in supply and demand.

A universal measure that uses the warming potential of CO₂ as a reference for the relative warming potential of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol is the: