Exam 22: Technology and the Global Environment

Tristan is concerned with the number of fossil fuel-burning automobiles on the roads today. What is he worried about?

In the late 1960s, the river running through the Ojibwa village of Grassy Narrows in Ontario was poisoned for 50 years by mercury pollution from a local pulp mill. What does this example illustrate?

How much more does the richest quintile of the world's population earn than the poorest quintile?

In the United States, heavy industrial polluters are often located near African-American communities. What does this example illustrate?

According to the textbook, when was the steam engine first invented?

Who is responsible for the creation of most technological innovations? Is this a beneficial arrangement for most of humanity?

Which of the following counties in Nova Scotia was the most polluted in the 1990s?

According to the textbook, which of the following groups is most likely to experience disproportionately more environmental risk?

What causes acid rain?

Which of the following nations is most likely to be responsible for global environmental damage?

Most pollutants released into the environment are especially concentrated in the west and east coasts of Canada.

Clearly, as the textbook demonstrates, market forces have assisted in dealing with environmental problems. However, markets alone cannot do it all. Why is this so?

Which of the following terms expresses the idea that technology is bound to fail due to its sheer complexity?

The Bomqvist Factory emits a variety of toxic chemicals into the water and soil surrounding the plant. What is this process called?

Which social scientist first discovered that creative outputs and inventions seem to occur in patterned ways?

If technology transforms society, in what way is it under human control?

According to the textbook, what is a likely outcome of the ability to genetically program fetal development in humans?

What do Canadian surveys on environmental issues demonstrate about the Canadian public?

Uranium ore was manually carried out of Port Radium in the Northwest Territories by Dene men who were paid minimally and were not warned the dangers of handling the materials. What does this example illustrate?

The price of gasoline in Canada is about $1.32 per litre at the time of this writing. But the social cost, which includes the cost of repairing environmental damage done by burning gas, is perhaps three times higher. This is an example of the slow pace of change, which is why we should not solely rely on market and technological forces to solve environmental problems.