Deck 14: Going Green: Environmental Sociology

Question 1

Air pollution generated by developed countries has been steadily increasing since 1983.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Migration is the movement of people into or out of a country.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Countries with high birth rates also have high infant mortality rates.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to the Global Footprint Network, it takes one half year to regenerate for each year of human use.

Question 5

Advanced industrialization is stage 3 of the demographic transition theory. It includes a declining birth rate and reduced death rate.

Question 6

Ecological overshoot refers to the capacity of single ecological system to regenerate in shorter timeframe than scientists predict.

Question 7

Canada encourages immigration to add diversity to its culture along humanitarian grounds.

Question 8

The term "population checks" was developed by David Suzuki to describe inadvertent human fertility problems arising from environmental degradation.

Question 9

The idea of sustainable development suggests that it is possible to have continued economic growth without damaging the environment.

Question 10

Increases or decreases in population have relatively little impact on the social, economic, and political structures of societies.

Question 11

"Carrying capacity" refers to the optimum population size that the planet can support under present environmental conditions.

Question 12

A carbon footprint is a method for identifying and keeping track of environmental impacts, both good and bad.

Question 13

Sustainability is the use of natural resources at a rate on par with natural replenishment.

Question 14

According to Thomas Robert Malthus, the population, if left unchecked, would exceed the available food supply.

Question 15

Environmental concern is limited to the thinning of the ozone layer and global warming.

Question 16

Climate change is an entirely human-induced problem.

Question 17

Demography is the study of cities and urban development.

Question 18

Sustainable development is a concept that tries to bring together various environmental viewpoints in a way that protects the environment while maintaining economic growth.

Question 19

According to the text, urban sprawl refers to the overlapping and eventual amalgamation of several small communities that surround a major city.

Question 20

Fertility and mortality trends are very close to predictions made in the demographic transition theory.

Question 21

According to the text, what is the term for the concept that humans are separate from and superior to all other natural things?

A)anthropocentrism
B)biocentric egalitarianism
C) the Gaia hypothesis
D) the superorganism hypothesis

Question 22

During the 1980s, what shift took place that ushered in the second wave of environmentalism?

A)Ozone concerns were replaced with a focus on acid rain.
B)Focus turned to industrial contributions to the environmental problems.
C) Human consumption and development contributed to serious environmental threats.
D) Previous hypotheses were found to be less serious environmental threats.

Question 23

According to the text, what is the average amount of waste a person in Canada creates on a daily basis?

A)0.5 kilograms
B)1.2 kilograms
C) 2.2 kilograms
D) 3.5 kilograms

Question 24

Significant population growth due to high birth rates and lower death rates is typical of which stage of demographic transition?

A)1
B)2
C) 3
D) 4

Question 25

The Global Footprint Network (2014) is an organization that helps to measure the impact of human consumption on the earth's renewable resources. According to the text, what is our current rate of consumption footprint relative to the earth's renewable resource footprint, respectively?

A)2.6:1.8
B)1.8:2.6
C) 3.4:1.2
D) 5.6:2.1

Question 26

More than 81% of contemporary Canadian society lives in urban centres.

Question 27

Greenwashing is when consumers are misled regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or services.

Question 28

Thomas Malthus predictions of the planet's human carrying capacity are coming true.
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Question 29

According to the text, what is the term used to study the interdependence between humans and the natural environment?

A)the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)
B)the Human Exemptionalism Paradigm (HEP)
C) the Green Environmental Paradigm (GEP)
D) the Natural Environmental Paradigm (NEP)

Question 30

According to the text, what is the mission of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)?

A)to stop environmental degradation and help achieve sustainable growth
B)to reduce carbon footprints to near zero
C) to improve water quality in underdeveloped countries
D) to promote environmentally conscious living in all countries

Question 31

According to the text, which of the following was NOT a problem during the first wave of environmentalism?

A)It offered technological solutions rather than social solutions.
B)It involved complicated phases of emission reductions.
C) It solved only some problems, while creating new ones.
D) It failed to address the bigger issue of energy reform.

Question 32

Ecofeminism holds that women are more sensitively attuned to nature than men.

Question 33

Alexandra is going to do a study that explores how a community has embraced a family of coyotes that has taken up residence in a local wooded area. According to the text, which of the following paradigms would be a good framework for this study?

A)the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)
B)the Human Exemptionalism Paradigm (HEP)
C) the Green Environmental Paradigm (GEP)
D) the Natural Environmental Paradigm (NEP)

Question 34

The Global Footprint Network (2014) is an organization that helps to measure the impact of human consumption on the earth's renewable resources. According to the text, what is another term for "renewable resource footprint"?

A)biodiversity
B)biocapacity
C) bio-regeneration
D) regenerative capacity

Question 35

The human exemptionalism paradigm featured the ideals of steadily evolving social progress, prosperity, and material comfort for all segments of society.

Question 36

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick invites a leading environmentalist to speak at its annual general meeting, and he tells the audience that the planet is rapidly approaching an environmental tipping point, a place beyond which the global ecosystem will not be able to sustain life. Which of the following terms best characterizes this view?

A)point of no return
B)carrying capacity
C) ecological limits
D) doomsday scenario

Question 37

Greenpeace is a grassroots environmental organization, founded in 1967.

Question 38

According to the text, what is the term used when a company misleads the consumer in terms of the environmental benefits of using a particular product?

A)enviro-fiction
B)greenwashing
C) false-greening
D) impressionable greening

Question 39

A young woman decries the spoiling of the earth's natural environment, claiming that male-dominated industry embodies practices that are the antithesis of Mother Nature's nurturing and regenerative ways. Which of the following environmentalist categories best fits this person's views?

A)deep ecology
B)ecofeminism
C) sustainable development
D) the Gaia hypothesis

Question 40

According to Stage 4 of demographic transition theory, which of the following characteristics does postindustrialization involve?

A)Birth rates increase as people's wealth increases.
B)Near zero population growth occurs.
C) The cost of raising children continues to decrease.
D) The population grows very slowly.

Question 41

According to the text, approximately what percentage of Canada's population lives in cities today?

A)20 percent
B)35 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 80 percent

Question 42

Which of the follow is an example of a country in the early industrialization stage?

A)Bangladesh
B)Peru
C) Iceland
D) Thailand

Question 43

According to the text, what is the ratio of average rate of consumption when comparing an average person in North America to an average person in Africa?

A)3:1
B)5:1
C) 9:1
D) 12:1

Question 44

What is the term used to describe noxious substances that accrue in the fatty tissues of living organisms?

A)"second generation" pesticides
B)biological pollutants
C) "dirty" pesticides
D) ecological and biological toxins

Question 45

Which of the following descriptions corresponds to preindustrial societies?

A)societies that burn large amount of coals
B)societies with agriculture-based economies
C) societies that are largely governed by religiously based sociopolitical and cultural systems
D) societies with economies and services that are not yet capable of structured and coordinated industry

Question 46

According to the text, who would seek answers to the question "Exactly how many people can Earth sustain?"

A)demographers
B)environmentalists
C) ecologists
D) urban anthropologists

Question 47

Lorraine studied a group of people living at the edge of an expanding swamp. She wanted to know if peoples' actions were influenced by the swamp and/or if they would work to alter the swamp itself (e.g., draining the land). Which of the following research fields would Lorraine be working in?

A)environmental sociology
B)sociology of environmental issues
C) sociology of the everyday
D) acceptance sociology

Question 48

Marcelo is one of many immigrants coming to Canada this year. As a skilled worker, his entry into Canada is based, in part, on his ability to enter the workforce. According to the text, Canada is welcoming many immigrants to assist with which of the following challenges?

A)to support Canada's human carrying capacity
B)to maintain Canada's demographic transition
C) to ensure sustainable development
D) to help fund social programs for the aging population

Question 49

Jeremy was shopping in his favourite supermarket. He was trying to be environmentally conscious of his purchase. He specifically looked for products labelled as "all natural." Unfortunately, the majority of products labelled as "all natural" fall under one of the seven sins of greenwashing. Under which of the seven sins does the term "all natural fall"?

A)sin of irrelevance
B)sin of fibbing
C) sin of no proof
D) sin of vagueness

Question 50

According to the text, which of the following statements is a critique of demographic transition theory?

A)It best describes development in Western societies.
B)It is applicable only to developing nations.
C) Population control is a common, or even necessary, change in society.
D) Stage 2 is no longer relevant given the exportation of mortality-reducing technology.

Question 51

According to the text, what is a population check?

A)a system to estimate a local population
B)a system to estimate world population
C) a factor that limits population growth
D) a factor that assists with population growth

Question 52

According to Thomas Malthus, what would happen if the population was left unchecked?

A)We would exceed the available land supply.
B)We would exceed the available food supply.
C) We would exceed the ecological balance.
D) We would exceed the earth's water supply.

Question 53

How is the concept of "carrying capacity" best defined?

A)maximum economic growth based on a country's birth rate and immigration
B)minimum economic growth appropriate for a country's birth rate and geography
C) optimum population the planet can support under current environmental conditions
D) optimum population growth, given the value of a country's natural resources

Question 54

Based on the Malthusian perspective, which of the following would be a preventive check on population?

A)famine
B)birth control
C) migration
D) moral restraint

Question 55

How does the text define demography?

A)the study of urban living
B)the study of cities
C) the study of people
D) the study of human populations

Question 56

Which of the following was likely the most important factor in the growth of cities around the world, according to the text?

A)immigration
B)the Industrial Revolution
C) World War II
D) the invention of the automobile

Question 57

As City X grew, a new source of energy was needed to power the increasing number of factories and homes. A wind farm was built and companies were given subsidies to use solar power. Which of the following concepts includes the logic behind developing wind and solar power rather than using oil or coal?

A)modern urban expansion
B)resource conservation
C) sustainable development
D) environmental conservation

Question 58

According to the text, what was the impetus behind the initial sociological interest in the environment?

A)Greenwashing was identified as a major social issue.
B)Greenpeace was founded.
C) It became clear that society was ignoring environmental concerns.
D) It became obvious that social factors posed environmental challenges.

Question 59

Karl ran across a report that focused on the possible adverse reactions to nonbiodegradable pesticides. According to the text, it was likely written during which wave of environmentalism?

A)the first wave
B)the second wave
C) the third wave
D) the fourth wave

Question 60

Glen and Hanna are working on a report that describes the rate that humans are consuming the earth's recourses. They have discovered that the earth currently needs about one-and-a-half planets to sustain itself. What is the term used to describe this phenomenon?

A)biological divergence
B)biocapacity overshoot
C) ecological overshoot
D) ecological overrun

Question 61

According to the text, which country today would be considered to be strictly in Stage 2 of demographic transition?

A)England
B)Canada
C) Afghanistan
D) Mexico

Question 62

According to the text, which description corresponds to the measures of infant mortality rate?

A)the measure of a country's level of economic and social development in terms of factors such as health care, education, and proper sanitation
B)the measure of the use of birth control in a country's child-bearing women
C) the rate of appropriate and adequate child nutrition in a region
D) the rate of available physicians and primary child health care services per child-bearing mothers and infants in a region

Question 63

Alphonse and Justyn joined a group of environmental activists who marched in front of the Canadian Parliament buildings and then in from of the Alberta Legislature to protest the further development of the "oil sands" in Alberta. According to the text, why is extracting oil from bituminous sands or "oil sands" a contentious process?

A)It is very dangerous to human workers due to the fumes and gases emitted during the extraction processes.
B)It produces more greenhouse gas than conventional oil extraction processes.
C) The cost of extraction is much higher than conventional oil extraction processes.
D) It contributes to the overall high price Canadians pay for fuel.

Question 64

A prominent ecologist writes a book bemoaning the "rape" of the environment as a consequence of rampant capitalism: how the drive for profits fuels consumer society without regard for the planet. What is the term for the process he is describing?

A)conspicuous consumption
B)the treadmill of production
C) the drive for profit
D) rampant consumerism

Question 65

Sanjay has takeout meals for lunch every day. He goes to the local food court and brings his meal back to his desk. When he is finished lunch, he throws out the styrofoam containers and plastic utensils. According to the text, this practice is part of what kind of society?

A)disposable
B)consumable
C) luxury-oriented
D) service-oriented

Question 66

According to the text, what is the first step to living green?

A)acknowledging there is a limit to what influence individuals can have
B)acknowledging the power of lobby efforts
C) acknowledging personal behaviours that represent consumption
D) acknowledging industry as the root cause of most environmental problems

Question 67

Coal, a polluting fossil fuel, has been rebranded as "clean coal," with controlled emissions and open-pit mines reclaimed for green space. Advocates claim coal is necessary for economic growth, while being environmentally friendly. What term identifies this approach?

A)energy independence
B)sustainable development
C) zero-sum energy analysis
D) environmental science

Question 68

According the text, what is Canada's consumption footprint relative to its level of biocapacity?

A)low rate of consumption and high level of biocapacity
B)average rate of consumption and high level of biocapacity
C) high rate of consumption and higher level of biocapacity
D) average consumption and high level of biocapacity

Question 69

Jonathan wants to examine why a particular company continues to ignore environmental toxins that it is producing. According to the text, which of the following paradigms would be a good framework for this study?

A)the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)
B)the Human Exemptionalism Paradigm (HEP)
C) the Green Environmental Paradigm (GEP)
D) the Natural Environmental Paradigm (NEP)

Question 70

Dana's mother always told stories of hardship from when she was a child and from when Dana's grandmother was a child to demonstrate how much easier life was for Dana. With fewer monetary concerns and more luxury items accessible to Dana, which of the following world views do these stories support?

A)the economic evolution paradigm
B)the human-exemptionalism paradigm
C) the liberalization paradigm
D) the progressive environmental paradigm

Question 71

According to the text, what is the term used to describe the use of resources at a rate that exceeds sustainability?

A)gluttonaeity
B)excessivity
C) hyperconsumption
D) overconsumption

Question 72

According to the text, what is an ecological footprint?

A)a study of the environmental impact of urban growth
B)an estimate of how much land and water area a human population requires to live
C) an estimate of environmental impact of industry
D) a study of behaviours that impact the environment through greenhouse gas production

Question 73

A wealthy industrialist protests against government regulations forcing a cleanup of his polluting processes. He argues that the cleanup will cost too much and that it is humanity's right to have mastery over the environment. What term best defines his position?

A)ethnocentric
B)anthropocentric
C) self-centredness
D) capitalist

Question 74

According to the text, which of the following environmental paradigms promotes the idea that humans are able to overcome problems through technical innovation?

A)the environmental paradigm
B)the social-constructionist paradigm
C) the human-exemptionalism paradigm
D) the economic-prosperity paradigm

Question 75

According to the text, which country would be strictly in the postindustrial economic stage (Stage 4)?

A)Canada
B)Belgium
C) Greece
D) the United Kingdom

Question 76

The demographic transition addresses changing fertility and mortality rates over time. What trend does this transition track?

A)an alarming increase in death rates in developing countries
B)dramatically increasing fertility rates in the underdeveloped world
C) increasing birth and death rates in overurbanized cities worldwide
D) a trend from high to low birth and death rates in wealthier nations

Question 77

Emanuel has just finished a study in Alberta that indicates how much wind power must be captured if fossil fuel consumption is to decline, while still maintaining the standard of living. According to the text, which of the following is Emanuel trying to manipulate?

A)urban sprawl
B)overpopulation
C) the ecological footprint
D) the carbon footprint

Question 78

Which of the following relates to Stage 1 of the demographic transition theory?

A)postindustrialization
B)early industrialization
C) advanced industrialization and urbanization
D) preindustrial societies

Question 79

According to the text, what is the term used for development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet its own needs?

A)environmental conscience
B)eco-friendly inventions
C) positive environmentality
D) sustainable development

Question 80

What term describes the economic system's need for increasing profits through consumer demand?

A)unsustainable development
B)consumer needs system
C) industrialism
D) treadmill of production