Question 1

All of the following are goals of the Environmental Protection Agency,except:

Accepted Answer

The EPA's goals include ensuring environmental protection is considered in policies, managing environmental risks based on empirical information, protecting Americans from health and environmental risks, and ensuring fairness and effectiveness of laws. However, ensuring all Fortune 500 firms have a chief sustainability officer is not specifically listed as a goal of the EPA.

Question 2

The _______________ focuses on reducing pollution through cost-effective changes in production,operation,and raw materials use.

Accepted Answer

The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) focuses on reducing pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. It emphasizes on source reduction as the preferred method of pollution prevention, aiming for pollution prevention before it becomes a problem. The other choices listed relate to specific types of pollution, regulation of toxic substances, and energy policies, which are not directly related to the focus of the PPA.

Question 3

What is the largest form of renewable energy?

Accepted Answer

Hydropower is currently the largest form of renewable energy in terms of global capacity and generation. According to the International Energy Agency, hydropower contributed to 16.4% of the world's electricity generation in 2018. This is due to the fact that hydropower plants can produce large amounts of reliable electricity with low operational costs and minimal carbon emissions. While solar power has been growing quickly in recent years, it still only accounted for 2.8% of global electricity generation in 2018.

Question 4

A ___________ business attempts to avoid dealing with environmental issues and hopes nothing bad happens or no one ever finds out about an environmental accident or abuse.

Accepted Answer

A low-commitment business does not actively engage with environmental issues and may not have any policies or procedures in place to prevent environmental accidents or abuse. They may only address environmental concerns if it is required by law or if there is public pressure to do so.

Question 5

One of the biggest factors in land pollution is the dumping of waste into landfills._______ consumers are by far the world's biggest wasters.

Accepted Answer

According to reports by the World Bank, the United States is one of the biggest producers of waste per capita in the world, making American consumers the world's biggest wasters.

Question 6

The world's forests are being destroyed at a rate of 58,square miles annually.The reasons for this wide-scale destruction are varied and include all except:

Accepted Answer

While the other choices are significant factors in forest destruction, the statement "The soil is great for farming" is not true. Forests are typically removed for agriculture because the land has already been degraded by farming or because it is believed it will be profitable, not because the soil is inherently better for farming than other areas.

Question 7

Geothermal energy provides _______________ and is a more dependable energy source than some other forms of alternative energy.

Accepted Answer

Geothermal energy provides a constant source of heat and is not dependent on external factors like weather conditions, making it more dependable than some other forms of alternative energy.

Question 8

Although limiting urban sprawl creates disadvantages for ____________,many businesses can benefit from urban renewal movements that reduce sprawl.

Accepted Answer

Car and oil companies are likely to be disadvantaged by efforts to limit urban sprawl because such efforts often involve reducing reliance on personal vehicles and promoting more sustainable forms of transportation, which can decrease demand for cars and fuel.

Question 9

The first Earth Day,which increased stakeholder awareness of environmental concerns and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency,brought ________ to the forefront.

Accepted Answer

The first Earth Day brought sustainability to the forefront by increasing awareness of environmental concerns and the need for protection of our planet. This led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, which further highlights the importance of sustainability.

Question 10

Wind power holds great promise for the United States because of the _____________,and experts believe wind energy could meet as much as 2 percent of the nation's energy needs.

Accepted Answer

The Great Plains region of the United States is known for its consistent and strong winds, making it an ideal location for wind power generation. Studies have shown that wind energy could provide as much as 2% of the nation's energy needs.

Question 11

All of these are ways of reducing pollution,except:

Accepted Answer

Greenwashing is not a way of reducing pollution, it is a practice by companies to make their products seem more environmentally friendly than they actually are, without making any real changes to reduce their pollution. The other options are all legitimate ways to reduce pollution, such as designing buildings that use less energy and produce less waste, recycling materials to avoid sending them to landfills, reducing the amount of waste created in the first place through source reduction, and using sustainable agriculture practices that avoid harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

Question 12

Which of the following describes sustainable development?

Accepted Answer

Sustainable development refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means ensuring that economic, social, and environmental considerations are balanced and considered in decision-making processes. It involves promoting development that is sustainable over the long-term and does not deplete natural resources or harm the environment.

Question 13

Many businesses responded to sustainability by adopting a triple-bottom line approach,taking into consideration social and environmental performance variables in addition to _______________.

Accepted Answer

The triple-bottom line approach includes economic, social, and environmental performance variables. Therefore, the best choice is B) economic performance. The other options do not accurately reflect the three dimensions of the triple-bottom line approach.

Question 14

The Clean Air Act:

Accepted Answer

The Clean Air Act established national air quality standards to reduce air pollution and protect public health. The other answer choices are not accurate descriptions of the Clean Air Act.

Question 15

This agreement called for industrialized countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and create a $1 billion a year green fund by 22 to help poorer countries.

Accepted Answer

The agreement that called for industrialized countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and create a $1 billion a year green fund by 2022 to help poorer countries is known as the Cancun Package. The other options, such as the Kyoto Protocol, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Energy Policy Act, and WasteWise, do not relate to this specific agreement.

Question 16

Because genetically modified seeds are _______,farmers cannot keep any of the seed themselves but must purchase seeds each year from companies such as Monsanto.

Accepted Answer

Genetically modified seeds are patented, which means that the companies that own the patents have exclusive rights to sell the seeds. Farmers cannot save seeds from the crops they grow with these seeds and must purchase new seeds each year from the companies that hold the patents.

Question 17

Congress passed the ____________ to empower the EPA with the ability to track the 75,industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the United States.

Accepted Answer

The Toxic Substances Control Act, enacted in 1976, provides the EPA with the authority to gather data on and regulate industrial chemicals produced or imported into the United States. This includes tracking the 75,000 chemicals currently in use. The other acts listed do not specifically relate to tracking industrial chemicals.

Question 18

The Clean Water Act makes it illegal for anyone to discharge any pollutant from a point source directly into navigable waters without a ___________.

Accepted Answer

The Clean Water Act requires that individuals or companies obtain a permit before discharging any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters. The permit sets limits on the amount and type of pollutant that can be discharged to ensure that water quality standards are not violated.

Question 19

______ is a certification program that recognizes sustainable building practices and strategies.

Accepted Answer

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a widely recognized certification program for sustainable building practices and strategies. It was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and includes criteria for energy efficiency, water conservation, use of sustainable materials, and indoor environmental quality. The other options listed are not directly related to sustainable building practices and strategies.

Question 20

Perhaps the most controversial form of alternative energy after nuclear power is ___________.

Accepted Answer

Ethanol is controversial because of the potential impact on food prices, as crops like corn are used to produce ethanol as a fuel source instead of being used for food. There is also debate over the environmental benefits of ethanol production and its overall carbon footprint.

Quiz 12: Sustainability: Ethical and Social Responsibility Dimensions