Term
| What are the primary sources of electricity for the world? |
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Definition
| Coal, oil, and natural gas are primary sources of energy |
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Term
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Definition
| Solar energy that can be used in homes, buildings, and ovens. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Capturing the energy of sunlight with the use of a pump or photovoltaic cell and generating hot water or electricity. |
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Term
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Definition
| The carbon found in biomass. |
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Term
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Definition
| The carbon found in fossil fuels. |
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Term
| What processes lead to energy loss during energy extraction and use? |
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Definition
Extraction
Transportation
Processing
Combustion/Energy Conversion
Electricity Generation/Transmission
Disposal and Transportation Of Waste |
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Term
| What’s the efficiency of a typical coal or fossil fuel power plant? |
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Definition
35%
2/3 of energy ends up as waste. |
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Term
Conventional fossil fuel energy resources include all of the following EXCEPT
A. Coal.
B. Oil.
C. Natural gas.
D. Uranium.
E. All of the above |
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Definition
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Term
Environmental costs associated with the use of coal include all of the following EXCEPT
A. particulates that are released into the atmosphere when coal is burned.
B. degradation to land due to mining techniques.
C. the creation of highly radioactive waste.
D. trace metals found in coal.
E. the transportation of coal from mine to power plant. |
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Definition
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Term
Energy resources that can be regenerated rapidly, such as biomass energy sources, are considered to be
A. perpetual.
B. nonrenewable.
C. nondepletable.
D. fossil fuels.
E. potentially renewable. |
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Definition
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Term
Benefits of using wind energy over other renewables are all of the following EXCEPT
A. the land used by a wind farm is able to be used for other purposes.
B. wind farms do not alter the water quality of the area.
C. there is no pollution and no greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation.
D. wind is a nondepletable resource.
E. wind farms pose a potential threat to local wildlife populations. |
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Definition
| Wind farms pose a potential threat to local wildlife populations. |
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Term
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Definition
| Chemicals, particulate matter, or microorganisms found in the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm plants, animals, and materials such as buildings or to alter ecosystems. |
|
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Term
| Where Does Air Pollution Occur? |
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Definition
| First 10 miles of the Earth’s atmosphere. |
|
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Term
| What Are Human Causes Of Air Pollution? |
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Definition
| Automobiles, factories, power plants, etc |
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Term
| What Are Natural Causes Of Air Pollution? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What Are Primary Pollutants? |
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Definition
| Polluting compounds coming directly out of smoke-stacks, exhaust pipes, or natural emission source. |
|
|
Term
| What Are Secondary Pollutants? |
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Definition
| Primary pollutants that have undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds. |
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Term
| What is Stratospheric Ozone? |
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Definition
| Ozone has the ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation and protect life on Earth. |
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Term
| What Makes Stratospheric Ozone Better Than Tropospheric Ozone? |
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Definition
| It helps protect us from harmful UV rays, rather than harm us with toxins and smog. |
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Term
| What are examples of indoor air pollutants and where do they normally come from? |
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Definition
Asbestos, CO and Radon.
They can be found in the structure of homes, produced when cooking using certain resources and appliances and even used in certain household devices respectively. |
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Term
Ground-level ozone is classified as a pollutant because it reduces lung functionality AND
A. its concentrations are low but the particle size is high.
B. it occurs in the atmosphere only.
C. it is entirely anthropogenic in nature.
D. it can degrade plant surfaces.
E. it is an unstable molecule. |
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Definition
| It can degrade plant surfaces. |
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Term
The movement of large polluted air masses across the Pacific Ocean into the northern United States is an example of
A. the effects of the impact of the low air-quality standards of ocean transport vehicles.
B. a violation of the Montreal Protocol.
C. the ill effects of increased UV radiation.
D. a violation of the Clean Air Act.
E. a reason that collaborative international air-quality legislation would be useful. |
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Definition
| A reason that collaborative international air-quality legislation would be useful. |
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Term
The smog that frequently exists in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, California, is known as brown smog and consists primarily of what component?
A. Fog
B. Ozone
C. Sulfate compounds
D. Carbon particulate matter
E. Smoke |
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Definition
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|
Term
The major source of indoor air pollution in developing countries is
A. using synthetic materials in construction of buildings.
B. indoor cooking with biomass as a fuel.
C. release of radon-222 gas.
D. using lead-based paints on furniture and walls.
E. smoking cigarettes. |
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Definition
| Indoor Cooking With Biomass Cooking |
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|
Term
| Municipal solid waste (MSW) |
|
Definition
| Refuse collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions such as schools, prisons, municipal buildings, and hospitals. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Electronic MSW that is rapidly increasing, small by weight, and introducing more pollutants. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Process of burning waste materials to reduce their volume and mass and sometimes generate electricity or heat. |
|
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Term
| Integrated Waste Management |
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Definition
| Holistic method that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies in order to reduce the environmental impact of MSW. |
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Term
|
Definition
| The design of a product so that it will need to be replaced within a few years, which causes people to throw away more and more. |
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Term
Which of the following items would most likely end up in the waste stream the fastest?
A. An appliance
B. A paper cup
C. A piece of antique furniture
D. A ceramic plate
E. Auto parts in an abandoned car |
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Definition
|
|
Term
When MSW is categorized based on its source, the category that comprises the greatest amount is
A. containers and packaging.
B. nondurable goods.
C. durable goods.
D. construction debris.
E. food and yard waste. |
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Definition
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|
Term
An economic benefit of non-toxic fly ash production at a waste incinerator is that the ash may
A. be leached using a weak acid.
B. be landfilled.
C. be used in the production of cement blocks, cement flooring, and sheetrock.
D. require special toxic handling.
E. be used in the production of plastic. |
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Definition
| May be used in the production of cement blocks, cement flooring and sheet rock. |
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Term
Items to be considered in a life-cycle analysis include all of the following EXCEPT
A. the amount of energy needed to transport the material to a waste site.
B. the product’s aesthetic value.
C. the amount of raw material needed to produce the product.
D. the tipping fees when disposing the material.
E. the toxic aspects of the material once it becomes waste. |
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Definition
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|
Term
| How does risk transition as affluence increases? |
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Definition
| As a nation becomes more developed over time and attains higher income levels, the risks of inadequate nutrition and sanitation decline while the risks of tobacco, obesity, and poor urban air quality rise. |
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Term
| What are synergistic interactions? |
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Definition
| Two risks together cause more harm than one would expect based on their individual risks. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Diseases caused by pathogens. |
|
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Term
| What is the difference between Acute and Chronic disease? |
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Definition
| The former rapidly impairs bodily functioning, while the later slowly impairs bodily functioning. |
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Term
| What are the three major categories of risk? |
|
Definition
Biological
Physical
Chemical |
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Term
| What is the difference between LD50 and ED50? |
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Definition
| The former is a dose that kills 50% of patients, while the later is a dose that is harmful but non-lethal to 50% patients. |
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Term
Of the following risks to human health, which causes the most human deaths?
A. Consumer risks
B. Chemical risks
C. Biological risks
D. Personal risks
E. Physical risks |
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Definition
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Term
As a country transitions from a poor, developing country to a more affluent, developed country, its health risks for disease change.
Which of the following best represents the change in risk factors from the developing to the developed country?
A. The initial challenges are obesity and poor sanitation, which change to high blood pressure and poor nutrition.
B. The initial challenges are poor sanitation and sedentary lifestyles, which change to poor indoor air quality and obesity.
C. The initial challenges are sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition, which change to high blood pressure and poor urban air quality.
D. The initial challenges are malnutrition and poor sanitation, which change to high blood pressure and obesity.E. The initial challenges are malnutrition and availability of tobacco, which change to poor nutrition and poor sanitation. |
|
Definition
The initial challenges are malnutrition and poor sanitation, which change to high blood
pressure and obesity. |
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|
Term
A study focusing on the long term effects of a chemical on the reproduction of trout would be categorized as a(n)
A. prospective study.
B. chronic study.
C. ED50 study.
D. acute study.
E. retrospective study. |
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Definition
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|
Term
All of the following are correct regarding actual risk in the environment EXCEPT
A. often a person’s perception of actual risk may not match reality.
B. measuring actual risk involves qualitative risk assessment.
C. actual risk assessment is based on mathematical probabilities.
D. the United States keeps data on various hazards and these data are used to determine actual risk.
E. assessing actual risk involves quantitative risk assessment. |
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Definition
| Measuring actual risk involves qualitative risk assessment. |
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|
Term
| What mass extinction are we currently believed to be in? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are characteristics of inbreeding depression? |
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Definition
| Occurs when individuals with similar genotypes- typically relatives- breed with each other and produce offspring that have an impaired ability to survive and reproduce. |
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Term
| What makes The Sixth mass extinction different from the other five? |
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Definition
| 1st to occur since humans have been present and happening over a short period |
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Term
|
Definition
| The removal of natural habitats and the greatest cause of decline and extinction. |
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|
Term
| What species are being threatened the most by extinction? |
|
Definition
| Any and all on a country's Red List. |
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|
Term
The event that is defined by the last member of a species dying is termed
A. extirpation.
B. endangerment.
C. extinction.
D. endemic.
E. exclusion. |
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Definition
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|
Term
An inbreeding depression is likely to lead to
A. an increase in the expression of harmful genetic mutations.
B. a decrease in unviable offspring.
C. an increase in gene flow.
D. a decrease in species extinction.
E. an increase in disease resistance. |
|
Definition
| Decrease In Unviable Offspring |
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|
Term
A high degree of genetic diversity within a species would be important for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
A. higher disease resistance.
B. greater protection against environmental change.
C. increased access to beneficial traits.
D. higher overall species diversity.
E. lower potential for inbreeding depression. |
|
Definition
| Increased Access To Beneficial Traits |
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|
Term
All of the following are appropriate terms to describe a species that is present in an area where it does not normally occur EXCEPT
A. endemic.
B. non-native.
C. invasive.
D. alien.
E. exotic. |
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Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
|
Definition
| How greenhouse gases cause global warming. |
|
|
Term
| What is the greenhouse warming potential? |
|
Definition
| Estimates how much a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years relative to a molecule of CO2. |
|
|
Term
| What are natural sources of greenhouse gases? |
|
Definition
Volcanic Eruptions
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Water Vaport |
|
|
Term
| What are the anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases? |
|
Definition
| Use of fossil fuels, agricultural practices, the creation of landfills, and the industrial production of certain gases. |
|
|
Term
| What is a greenhouse warming potential? |
|
Definition
| An estimate of how much of a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years relative to a molecule of CO2. |
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Term
Which of the following phenomena is a major cause of increasing greenhouse gas production?
A. A weakening economy leading to less efficient energy usage
B. An increasing global population, which is also becoming increasingly affluent
C. A more intense Atlantic hurricane seasons
D. A thinning of stratospheric ozone, causing an increase in UV radiation
E. Higher evaporation rates due to greater area of impervious surfaces |
|
Definition
| An increasing global population, which is also becoming increasingly affluent. |
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|
Term
Oceans are a global sink for carbon dioxide. This is a concern because as global temperatures increase, the oceans ability to retain carbon dioxide will tend to
A. increase slightly.
B. remain unchanged.
C. double.
D. decrease.
E. triple. |
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Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following gases is the greatest overall contributor to the greenhouse effect?
A. Carbon dioxide
B. Methane
C. Ozone
D. Nitrous oxide
E. Chlorofluorocarbons |
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Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is likely to be the most difficult hurdle to overcome from current and future sea level rise?
A. An increase in wetland area
B. Compensating for the mass migration of coastal people
C. Lack of aquatic transportation
D. An increase in seafood production
E. Reduction in annual hurricane precipitation in coastal zones |
|
Definition
| Compensating for the mass migration of coastal people |
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|
Term
| What is the Kuznets curve? |
|
Definition
| This model suggests that as per capita income in a country increases, environmental degradation first increases and then decreases. |
|
|
Term
| What is environmental justice? |
|
Definition
| Social movement which examines whether there is equal enforcement of environmental laws and elimination of disparities – intended or unintended – in the exposure to pollutants and other environmental harms affecting different socioeconomic groups within a society. |
|
|
Term
| What are the types of capital? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The costs or impact of a good or service on people and the environment not included in the economic price of that good or service. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Something is considered sustainable when it meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
|
|
Term
The intersection point on a supply and demand curve indicates
A. the real cost.
B. the market equilibrium point for some item.
C. the reduction point.
D. an externality.
E. transaction costs. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which type of economic asset includes all goods and services that humans produce?
A. Manufactured capital
B. Natural capital
C. Ecological economics
D. Environmental economics
E. Human capital |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is one way that GDP can fail to accurately measure the overall well-being of a country?
A. In unhealthy societies, high health-care costs can drive up GDP.
B. GDP fails to include microlending activity.
C. GDP does not take international trade into account.
D. GDP does not include personal or business investments, only direct spending on goods.
E. Many countries don’t attempt to determine their GDP. |
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Definition
| In unhealthy societies, high health-care costs can drive up GDP. |
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|
Term
A coal-fired power plant is fined as a result of releasing more than its allowable quota of sulfur dioxide emissions. This regulatory approach by the government is termed
A. incentive based.
B. aversive conditioning.
C. risk analysis.
D. command and control.
E. litigation. |
|
Definition
| Command and Control Approach |
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