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103 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
9. Climate is influenced by
a. the amount of incoming solar radiation.
b. Earth’s rotation.
c. the tilt of Earth’s axis and Earth’s revolutions.
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
11. Which of the following statements of cause and effect is false?
a. The differential in solar energy striking the equator versus the poles sets up general global air circulation patterns.
b. Earth is rotating faster under air at the poles, which causes the prevailing winds.
c. Earth’s rotational tilt and revolution around the sun cause seasonal variations in temperature.
d. Earth’s rotation, the inclination of Earth’s axis, prevailing winds, and differences in water density cause ocean currents.
b.Earth is rotating faster under air at the poles, which causes the prevailing winds.
The term greenhouse effect
a. describes occupational diseases of florists.
b. describes the trapping of heat energy in the troposphere by certain gaseous molecules.
c. describes the trapping of heat energy in the stratosphere by nitrogen.
d. describes efforts being made by the White House to support environmental legislation.
b. describes the trapping of heat energy in the troposphere by certain gaseous molecules.
Which of the following kinds of companies would be harmed if carbon dioxide was regulated as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act?
a. oil
b. automobile
c. electric utility
d. coal
e. all of the above
e. all of the above
To help reduce emissions of _____, the Clean Air Act of 1990 allows utilities to buy and sell pollution rights.
a. nitrous oxide
b. carbon monoxide
c. sulfur dioxide
d. ozone
c. sulfur dioxide
Environmentalists criticize the Clean Air Act of 1990 for all of the following except
a. failing to establish primary ambient air quality standards.
b. failing to increase the fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks.
c. doing too little to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
d. relying primarily on pollution cleanup rather than pollution prevention.
a. failing to establish primary ambient air quality standards.
Which of the following strategies would help protect the atmosphere?
a. Use a city-by-city rather than regional approach to air quality control.
b. Shift from renewable to more efficient nonrenewable energy resources.
c. Integrate air pollution, water pollution, energy, land-use, and population regulation policies.
d. Exclude social costs of air pollution from pricing strategies.
c. Integrate air pollution, water pollution, energy, land-use, and population regulation policies.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is made up of more than _____ climate experts from 70 nations.
a. 1000
b. 1500
c. 2000
d. 2500
c. 2000
The major greenhouse gases include all of the following except
a. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
b. carbon dioxide.
c. sulfur dioxide.
d. water vapor.
c. sulfur dioxide.
The most important greenhouse gas contribution by humans is
a. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
b. water vapor.
c. nitrous oxide.
d. carbon dioxide.
d. carbon dioxide.
All of the following greenhouse gases have increased in recent decades except
a. carbon dioxide.
b. methane.
c. water vapor.
d. nitrous oxide.
* c. water vapor
Increased greenhouse gases originate from
a. burning fossil fuels.
b. deforestation.
c. use of CFCs.
d. none of these answers
e. all of these answers
* e. all of these answers
Since the 1990’s, ____ years were among the hottest in the 114-year history of land surface temperature measurements.
a. 3
b. 5
c. 8
d. 10
e. 12
d. 10
In 2001, the International Governmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that
a. global climate change is a hoax.
b. Earth is likely to experience an Ice Age in the next century.
c. the slight rise in temperature observed over the last century was caused by changes in solar cycles.
d. the slight rise in temperature observed over the last century was probably influenced by human causes.
e. none of these answers
d. the slight rise in temperature observed over the last century was probably influenced by human causes.
Correspondence between climate models and the real world depends upon
a. the design and assumptions of the model.
b. the accuracy of the data.
c. factors that amplify or dampen changes in average global temperatures.
e. all of these answers
e. all of these answers
Current global climate models suggest that climate change
a. will never happen.
b. will be toward the warmer side over the next century.
c. will be toward the colder side over the next century.
d. will reach stabilization after 200 years.
e. will be toward the colder side over the next 50 years
b. will be toward the warmer side over the next century.
Major climate models project all of the following except
a. a greater rise in temperature near the equator than in middle and high latitudes.
b. an Earth warmer than at any time in the last 10,000 years.
c. more warming of the air over land than over oceans.
d. more warming in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
e. a 1.0- to 3.5-degree centigrade rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature by 2100.
a. a greater rise in temperature near the equator than in middle and high latitudes.
Warming or cooling by more than _____ degrees centigrade over a few decades could be disastrous for Earth’s ecosystems.
a. 0.5
b. 1.0
c. 2.0
d. 3.0
e. 4.0
b. 1.0
we have the most certainty about
a. variations in solar output.
b. the role the oceans will play in global warming.
c. temperature fluctuations over the last 100 years.
d. the role of polar ice in global warming.
e. how changes in the Earth’s reflectivity will affect atmospheric temperature.
c. temperature fluctuations over the last 100 years.
We are uncertain about how
a. carbon dioxide will affect the rate of photosynthesis.
b. changes in polar ice will occur.
c. ocean absorption of carbon dioxide will affect climate change.
d. air pollution might affect climate.
e. all of these answers
e. all of these answers
The part of the world that has been warming fastest in the last 50 years is __.
a. the mid-latitudes
b. the Arctic region
c. North America
d. the Tibetan Plateau
b. the arctic region
Melting the Arctic permafrost is not likely to ___.
a. release methane trapped in the permafrost
b. result in habitat loss for many species
c. spread tropical disease to Arctic areas
d. alter lifestyles for Native Alaskans
e. allow for saltwater inundation of coastal areas
c. spread tropical disease to Arctic areas
Which answer best states the author’s position about global warming?
a. There is no problem—it’s a hoax.
b. There is no need to worry. The projected change in temperature is no more than we experience on any given day.
c. The problem is the potential rise in average global temperature.
d. The problem is the quick rate of change in average global temperature.
e. The problem is the slow rate of change in average global temperature.
d. The problem is the quick rate of change in average global temperature.
If climate belts move faster than trees migrate, there could be
a. large forest diebacks.
b. mass extinctions of species that couldn’t migrate.
c. massive fires.
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
In a warmer world, we would expect more
a. droughts.
b. hurricanes.
c. prolonged heat waves.
d. all of these answers
* d. all of these answers
Which of the following statements about the potential effects of global warming on human health is false?
a. Food and freshwater supplies are likely to be disrupted.
b. People are likely to be displaced.
c. Insect-borne diseases are likely to decrease in today’s temperate zones.
d. Sanitation systems in coastal cities may be flooded.
e. Respiratory disease are likely to increase.
c. Insect-borne diseases are likely to decrease in today’s temperate zones.
The Kyoto Protocol was not implemented by __.
a. Canada
b. United States
c. Japan
d. Australia
e. b and d
* e. b and d
What do those scientists urge who claim that the global climate system is so complex we will never have the level of certainty wanted by decision makers?
a. Take no action now because global warming is all hype.
b. Take action now based on the precautionary principle.
c. Take no action until we get more data.
d. Take action to reverse the climate changes we have caused thus far.
e. Take no action until we see a greater effect.
b. Take action now based on the precautionary principle.
The quickest and cheapest way to reduce the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to
a. switch from fossil fuels to nuclear fuels.
b. increase the efficiency of energy use.
c. plant trees to trap more carbon dioxide.
d. stop deforestation.
e. slow population growth.
b. increase the efficiency of energy use.
The most recent global climate change models indicate that the world needs to reduce its emissions from 1990 levels by ___ to stabilize greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere by 2050.
a. 5-7%
b. 10-12%
c. 20-25%
d. 30-60%
e. 75%
d. 30-60%
Climate change affects the entire planet and will be long-term.
TRUE
Over the past 30 years, the quality of outdoor air in most developed countries has greatly improve.
TRUE
Emissions trading since 1990 has contributed little to the success of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from electrical power plants.
FALSE
The world’s economies are not affected by the effects of climate change.
FALSE
In the United States, individuals states and groups of states are taking it upon themselves to reduce emissions, even though the federal government has not set greenhouse gas reduction targets.
TRUE
Ozone levels in the stratosphere have offset or disguised much of the global warming from greenhouse gas use.
TRUE
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, human activity released few gases into the atmosphere, but now due to population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are severely disturbing the combination of gases in the atmosphere.
TRUE
Scientists believe that rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are contributing to global warming but cannot discern to what extent and with what ramifications.
TRUE
What correlation is there between temperature change and concentration of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere for the last 10,000 years?
As the temperature has risen, so have the carbon dioxide levels.
As the temperature decreased 120,000 years ago, what happened to the carbon dioxide concentration?
Carbon dioxide concentration decreased also.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with 50 years, 15-20% of low lying Bangladesh will likely be under water and perhaps one-third of this densely populated country will be submerged by 2100. Bangladesh contributes insignificant amount of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Given these facts, do you think the countries like the United State and China—the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases—have a moral responsibility to accept environmental refuges from this and other low lying countries and small island states that are just above sea level? Explain.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT... HE DIDN'T WRITE AN ANSWER
With about 4.6% of the world's population, the United States produces _____ of the world's solid waste.
a. 13%
b. 23%
c. 33%
d. 43%
e. 53%
* c. 33%
Garbage produced directly by households and businesses accounts for _____ of the solid waste produced in the United States.
a. less than 2%
b. 5%
c. 10%
d. 15%
e. 20%
a. less than 2%
The smallest producer of solid waste in the United States is
a. industry.
b. municipalities.
c. mining.
d. agriculture.
e. oil and gas production.
b. municipalities.
According to a 2005 report by the Basel Action Network, about 50-80% of U.S. e-waste is shipped to
a. China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Kenya
b. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria
c. India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Kenya
d. China, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria
e. China, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nigeria
d. China, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria
About 25 billion throwaway Styrofoam cups, the main purpose of which is for drinking coffee, are used in
a. America
b. France
c. Brazil
d. Columbia
a. America
The top four components of municipal solid waste that is buried in U.S. landfills, listed from highest to lowest, is
a. paper, food waste, yard waste, and plastics
b. plastics, paper, yard waste, and food waste
c. paper, yard waste, food waste, and plastics
d. yard waste, paper, food waste, and plastics
e. plastics, food waste, yard waste, and paper
c. paper, yard waste, food waste, and plastics
Some European countries have established cradle-to-grave responsibility laws that require companies to
a. keep track on all of its hazardous waste
b. bury its waste in hazardous waste landfills
c. take back the consumer products they sell
d. use only new materials in manufacturing
e. exchange their wastes with other companies
c. take back the consumer products they sell
The top priority in a pollution prevention approach to solid waste would be
a. recycling.
b. reusing.
c. reducing.
d. burning.
e. burying.
c. reducing.
According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which is the most advanced approach?
a. recycling materials
b. using biodegradable material
c. creating more durable products
d. reducing the amount of materials used
e. substituting less bulky products
d. reducing the amount of materials used
All of the following would characterize a waste-prevention system except
a. using returnable bottles.
b. putting yard wastes in landfills.
c. taxing gas-guzzling cars and throwaway products.
d. recapping tires.
b. putting yard wastes in landfills.
Scientists estimate that a low-waste society could use reduction, reuse, and recycling to cut its waste by
a. 10–20%.
b. 35–50%.
c. 40–60%.
d. 60–75%.
e. 75–90%.
e. 75–90%.
In today’s affluent societies, many goods that once would be reused have been substituted with one-time use alternatives. All of the following are good examples of such reusable-disposable pairings except
a. cotton handkerchief-paper tissue
b. cloth napkin-paper towel
c. china plate-paper plate
d. silverware-plastic utensils
e. Styrofoam cup-ceramic mug
e. Styrofoam cup-ceramic mug
Environmentalists say that the best way to handle soft-drink and beer containers is to
a. use landfills.
b. recycle aluminum cans.
c. use stainless steel cans.
d. use reusable glass bottles.
e. bury them.
d. use reusable glass bottles.
When checkout persons ask, “Paper or plastic?” environmentalists are most likely to
a. say, “Plastic.”
b. say, “Paper.”
c. walk out of the store and try another.
d. give the baggers reusable bags brought from home.
e. say, “Either plastic or paper.”
d. give the baggers reusable bags brought from home.
Compost
a. is a method to decompose many organic wastes.
b. can be produced from biodegradable solid waste in large plants, bagged, and sold.
c. is rich in organic matter and soil nutrients.
d. all of these answers
e. none of these answers
d. all of these answers
Compost is most completely described as
a. manure.
b. landfill by-products.
c. pure garbage.
d. soil conditioner and organic fertilizer.
e. toxic.
d. soil conditioner and organic fertilizer.
Compost can be applied to
a. golf courses.
b. forests.
c. roadway medians.
d. gardens.
e. all of these answers
e. all of these answers
Which of the following statements is false?
a. It is more economical to have consumers separate trash before pickup than to use materials recovery facilities.
b. Glass, iron, and aluminum can be recovered from solid wastes.
c. The source-separation approach usually involves consumers separating trash into four collections: glass, paper, plastic, and metal.
d. Materials-recovery facilities provide many more jobs than low-technology recycling.
d. Materials-recovery facilities provide many more jobs than low-technology recycling.
Which of the following substances can be recovered from solid waste?
a. metals
b. plastic
c. paper
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
Recycling paper
a. saves energy.
b. lowers water and air pollution.
c. creates jobs and saves money.
d. decreases production costs.
e. all of these answers
e. all of these answers
Plastic materials are a problem because
a. they do not decompose readily in landfills.
b. toxic lead and cadmium can leach out of plastics.
c. they can harm animals that swallow them or become entangled in them.
d. they are unnecessarily and excessively used as single-use and throw-away packaging.
e. all of these answers
e. all of these answers
Environmentalists would most object to plastics used in
a. lunch boxes.
b. shampoo bottles.
c. single-use packaging.
d. refrigerator storage containers.
e. cars.
c. single-use packaging.
Obstacles to recycling in the United States include
a. lack of inclusion of environmental costs in market prices.
b. lack of inclusion of health costs in market prices.
c. tax breaks for mining virgin materials.
d. all of these answers
e. none of these answers
e. providing subsidies for reuse and postconsumer waste recycling.
* d. all of these answers
Critics of recycling are most likely to claim that
a. it isn’t worth the effort.
b. there is no solid-waste problem.
c. incineration is the safest and most efficient way to dispose of solid wastes.
d. it doesn’t make sense to recycle if it costs more than sending wastes to a landfill or an incinerator.
d. it doesn’t make sense to recycle if it costs more than sending wastes to a landfill or an incinerator.
Environmentalists are likely to claim that all of the following are primary benefits of recycling except
a. reduced throughput of matter and energy resources.
b. reduced use of landfills and incinerators.
c. reduced use of virgin resources.
d. reduced pollution.
e. lower production costs.
b. reduced use of landfills and incinerators.
Which of the following statements about incinerators is false?
a. They are expensive to build, operate, and maintain.
b. They create many long-term jobs.
c. They emit toxic air pollutants.
d. They produce toxic ash.
e. They do not eliminate air pollution by using scrubbers.
b. They create many long-term jobs.
Currently, about ____ by weight of the solid waste produced in the United States is buried in landfills.
a. 25%
b. 35%
c. 45%
d. 55%
e. 65%
d. 55%
_____ is a gas which can be collected from landfills and burned for energy.
a. Propane
b. Methane
c. Hydrogen sulfide
d. Butane
e. Ethanol
b. Methane
All of the following are advantages to incineration of waste except
a. reduces trash volume
b. encourages recycling
c. lowers water pollution
d. need less landfills
b. encourages recycling
In the United States, “hazardous waste” legally includes all of the following except
a. carcinogens and mutagens that exceed established limits.
b. flammable materials.
c. explosives.
d. oil drilling wastes.
e. gas drilling wastes.
d. oil drilling wastes.
If a small business produces less than ___ pounds of a waste per month, the EPA does not consider the material hazardous.
a. 120
b. 220
c. 320
d. 420
b. 220
Bioremediation
a. involves training bacteria to eat new foods.
b. results in the production of low-level hazardous wastes.
c. may be used at considerably less expense than landfills and incineration.
d. is widely accepted as the best way to cut hazardous wastes.
e. does not yet exist.
c. may be used at considerably less expense than landfills and incineration.
Evaluations of bioremediation indicate that it is most effective for
a. toxic metals.
b. concentrated chemical wastes.
c. complex mixtures of toxic chemicals.
d. a few specific organic wastes.
e. none of these answers
d. a few specific organic wastes.
Hazardous waste deposited in ponds or lagoons
a. may promote smog formation.
b. may evaporate into the atmosphere.
c. may enter groundwater when there are no liners or when liners leak.
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
The real cost of dumping hazardous wastes is borne by
a. the producer of the waste.
b. the disposer of the waste.
c. the people whose health is affected by waste disposal.
d. activist groups protesting hazardous waste sites.
e. recyclers of the waste.
c. the people whose health is affected by waste disposal.
The Superfund program pays
a. to clean up inactive or abandoned hazardous waste dump sites.
b. to monitor hazardous wastes.
c. for testing for lead in paint, water, and air samples.
d. the doctors’ bills and lawyers’ fees for pollution events.
e. all of these answers
a. to clean up inactive or abandoned hazardous waste dump sites.
Which of the following statements about hazardous waste cleanup is false?
a. According to the Waste Management Research Institute, cleanup of a final priority list of 10,000 sites could cost one trillion dollars.
b. Superfund cleanups are based on the polluter-pays principle.
c. It costs 10–100 times more to prevent hazardous waste releases than to clean them up.
d. Cleaning up toxic military dumps and contaminated Department of Energy sites used to make nuclear weapons could run between $100 billion and $200 billion.
e. Pollution prevention is cheaper than cleanup strategies.
c. It costs 10–100 times more to prevent hazardous waste releases than to clean them up.
Enforcement of Superfund has failed because
a. polluters deny responsibility.
b. polluting businesses campaign that toxic dumps are not that threatening.
c. big polluters sue local governments and small businesses to make them responsible for cleanup.
d. all of these answers
e. none of these answers
d. all of these answers
It is generally accepted that enforcement of Superfund could be improved by
a. creating a form of triage in which hazardous waste sites are classified by severity and the worst ones get treated first.
b. involving people and local governments where sites are located in the decision-making process.
c. setting up an Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund.
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
Which of the following principles does not contribute to a transition to a low-waste society?
a. Economic growth and free markets reduce waste.
b. Everything is connected.
c. There is no “away.”
d. Reduce, reuse, recycle are the best priorities for using matter.
e. Dilution is not always the solution to pollution.
a. Economic growth and free markets reduce waste.
To minimize passing our environmental problems on to future generations, citizens could
a. focus on pollution prevention.
b. reduce waste production.
c. reuse materials.
d. all of these answers
d. all of these answers
To help reduce solid wastes, individuals can do all of the following except
a. use reusable lunchboxes.
b. use rechargeable batteries.
c. carry groceries in reusable bags.
d. release helium balloons at the next Earth Day celebration.
e. recycle.
d. release helium balloons at the next Earth Day celebration
Individuals can reduce inputs of hazardous waste by all of the following except
a. using rechargeable batteries.
b. using biodegradable cleaning products.
c. changing automobile oil and dumping it carefully in marked storm drains.
d. consulting local environmental agencies for safe disposal methods for hazardous chemicals.
e. recycling.
c. changing automobile oil and dumping it carefully in marked storm drains.
When the waste outputs of one organism become nutrient inputs for another organism, waste is reduced.
TRUE
Both solid waste and hazardous waste disposal today compromise the environment.
TRUE
At least 24 countries have eco-labeling programs that certify a product or service as having met specified environmental standards.
TRUE
Instead of being sent to landfills, containers made from bioplastic could be composted to produce a soil conditioner.
TRUE
Most scientists think that waste management should be the last priority for dealing with material use and solid waste.
TRUE
n our material-flow economy, manufacturers make more money on a product if it can be recycled because the reduction of raw materials needed.
FALSE
Reusing products can be a health hazard for the poor in developing countries who dismantle products to extract usable parts.
TRUE
Plastics are routinely recycled because they are composed of pure resins that can be extracted and used for other plastic products.
FALSE
aying a product’s full cost would enable recycling to be more feasible in today’s market.
TRUE
__________ involves using natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter and remove contaminants from polluted soil and water.
Answer: Phytoremediation
The core idea of __________ is that a variety of strategies are used to deal with the wastes we produce.
Answer: integrated waste management
__________ are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk to human health and the environment.
Answer: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
The fastest growing solid waste problem in the United States and the world is __________ .
electronic waste or e-waste
(NOT SURE ABOUT THIS ANSWER OR QUESTION..CHECK ON IT)
Various plants have been identified as __________ to help clean up soil and water contaminated with chemicals such as pesticides, organic solvents, and radioactive metals.
Answer: “pollution sponges”
__________ occurs when waste is made into new products of the original type.
Answer: Primary or closed-loop recycling
__________ utilizes bacteria and enzymes instead of plants to filter or destroy hazardous substances.
Answer: Bioremediation
__________ systems charge consumers for the amount of garbage picked up but do not charge for the amount of materials separated that can be recycled.
Answer: Pay-as-you-throw
Cargill Dow is manufacturing biodegradable and recyclable plastic containers made from a polymer called __________ , which is made from the sugar in corn syrup.
Answer: polyactide (ACT)
Developed countries produce about __________ % of the world’s harmful solid and liquid wastes.
Answer: 80-90 %