Deck 8: Researching Environmental Problems

Question 1

Which concept explains why companies keep producing new commodities, such as cars, when the old ones still work?

A) natural environment
B) built environment
C) treadmills of production
D) renewable energy

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Since the ______ humans have used fossil fuels as the primary source of energy.

A) 1950s
B) 1970s
C) Deepwater Horizon
D) Industrial Revolution

Answer 2

D

Question 3

______ refers to how consumers view current products as outdated when new ones come out even if the current product is still perfectly useful.

A) Planned obsolescence
B) Perceived obsolescence
C) Conspicuous consumption
D) Treadmills of production

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In which country is the majority of e-waste generated?

A) India
B) China
C) United States
D) Slovakia

Question 5

Patricia enjoys hiking and camping. At her new school she sought out friends who had accessories and clothing related to the top brands for outdoors gear and camping equipment. Patricia was surprised to learn that her peers wearing the brands associated with outdoor activities did not actually know how to camp. Patricia thought that the items her peers owned reflected something about who they might be due to the widespread idea of ______.

A) consumerism
B) planned obsolescence
C) treadmills of production
D) economies of scale

Question 6

Perceived obsolescence differs from planned obsolescence because perceived obsolescence ______.

A) is consumer driven
B) costs less money to accomplish
C) costs more money to accomplish
D) is deliberately built into the product by the manufacturer

Question 7

Where is a majority of e-waste stored and disposed?

A) United Nations
B) Atlantic Ocean
C) China
D) United States

Question 8

______ is the idea that people and their values are defined by the products and services they consume.

A) Consumerism
B) Conspicuous consumption
C) Treadmills of production
D) Built environment

Question 9

Which type of environment do modern humans spend the most time in?

A) natural environment
B) built environment
C) landfills
D) e-waste

Question 10

A laptop computer manufacturer superficially changes the structure of the charging cable for each new model. This is frustrating for people who are brand loyal because they have perfectly good chargers that no longer work. As a result, when a person purchases a new computer they typically also have to purchase a new charging cable as well. This is an example of ______.

A) planned obsolescence
B) perceived obsolescence
C) conspicuous consumption
D) treadmills of production

Question 11

Which energy source does not contribute significantly to climate change?

A) nuclear
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) oil

Question 12

Which factor drives the continuous production of goods known as treadmills of production?

A) profit
B) legislation
C) consumerism
D) renewable energy

Question 13

Each year Isaiah discards a majority of his wardrobe. The clothes Isaiah gets rid of are perfectly functional, but he prefers to buy new clothing to stay up to date on the latest trends. This is an example of ______.

A) planned obsolescence
B) perceived obsolescence
C) e-waste
D) treadmills of production

Question 14

What is the benefit of treadmills of production for companies making products for profit?

A) It reduces waste.
B) It reduces manufacturing costs.
C) It results in higher-quality candidates for jobs.
D) It makes luxury items available to all consumers.

Question 15

Which statement accurately explains consumer expectations?

A) They expect things for free.
B) They expect to buy what they need.
C) Their expectations tend to decrease over time.
D) Their expectations tend to increase over time.

Question 16

A teenager wants a specific brand of bike to ride to school. The teenager's caregiver refuses to pay more money for a name-brand bike when cheaper bikes are of equal or even higher quality. Which concept best explains the teenager's desire for a specific brand of bicycle?

A) perceived obsolescence
B) conspicuous consumption
C) treadmills of production
D) built environment

Question 17

______ refers to the business practice of designing products to retain their worth for only a short time.

A) Planned obsolescence
B) Perceived obsolescence
C) Conspicuous consumption
D) Treadmills of production

Question 18

As the production cost of goods decreases ______.

A) demand increases
B) demand decreases
C) waste decreases
D) waste increases

Question 19

Which concept explains placing value on goods that can be shown off to others as a symbol of our status and economic power?

A) consumerism
B) conspicuous consumption
C) treadmills of production
D) built environment

Question 20

Which resource is a fossil fuel?

A) nuclear energy
B) e-waste
C) coal
D) leachate

Question 21

Which step is crucial to provide meaningful and lasting solutions to social problems related to food production?

A) individuals can choose to eat less meat
B) people can "vote with their dollar"
C) consumers demanding organic produce
D) large-scale changes in policy

Question 22

When fossil fuels are burned they release ______.

A) leachate
B) radioactive waste
C) greenhouse gasses
D) mitigation

Question 23

Which effort makes the largest societal impact?

A) choosing to eat less meat
B) eating locally grown foods
C) passing laws favoring renewable energy
D) using less air conditioning in the summer

Question 24

In 1978, the state of North Carolina needed to clean up 60,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil spread through 14 counties by an electric company. How did the state government decide on Warren County as the site to bury the toxic soil known to cause cancer?

A) A statewide vote.
B) Politicians said the area had less economic potential than others.
C) Warren county is the least densely populated area in the state.
D) It was the location of the corporation that did the dumping.

Question 25

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) how will environmental justice be realized?

A) When citizens have equal access to decision-making processes.
B) higher taxes
C) When it is cheaper for corporations to be environmentally conscious.
D) international treaties

Question 26

Farm raised pigs live amongst their kin and are able to engage in natural behavior before being slaughtered. Family farms often use 100% of the animal rather than discarding fewer valuable parts of the pig like skin and bones. The way family farms raise animals is in direct contrast to the ______.

A) sustainability model
B) persistent organic pollutants
C) Industrial Livestock Operation
D) World Health Organization

Question 27

Which characteristic makes renewable energy different from fossil fuels?

A) It is an infinite resource.
B) It can be stockpiled more easily than fossil fuels.
C) It is cheaper.
D) It is subsidized by the government.

Question 28

Which statement accurately describes the accessibility and abundance of fossil fuels?

A) There is a shortage of oil, but a surplus of coal.
B) Humans have used up the most convenient sources of fossil fuels.
C) Harvesting natural gas through high-tech fracking is environmentally sustainable.
D) Energy companies have the technology to safely and easily gather fossil fuels.

Question 29

According to the most recent research, why are communities of color up to four times as likely to host a hazardous waste landfill than predominantly White communities?

A) Racial and ethnic minority groups choose to live in such places due to the availability of properties.
B) Politicians disproportionately select communities with fewer resources and influence to make these decisions with little resistance.
C) Whites typically care more about environmental issues than other racial and ethnic groups.
D) This is a product of older decisions made when segregation was legal.

Question 30

Besides the ethical treatment of animals, what is another problem created by the factory farming of hogs?

A) toxic hog waste
B) inflation of food costs
C) limited transportation options
D) government intervention

Question 31

Which type of intervention is most effective for a problem like climate change?

A) gradual
B) global
C) individual
D) increasing industrialization

Question 32

The term ______ is a more accurate description of higher temperatures and disruptive weather events than the older term ______.

A) climate change; global warming
B) global warming; climate change
C) climate change; greenhouse gases
D) global warming; greenhouse gases

Question 33

Fossil fuels are superior to renewable energy when considering ______.

A) energy density
B) sustainability
C) climate change
D) waste

Question 34

Which country derives a majority of their electricity from nuclear power plants?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) India
D) France

Question 35

How did the citizens of Warren County react to their area being selected to suffer from the irresponsibility of the electric company that dumped toxic waste along 240 miles of highway to avoid paying recycling fees?

A) They sued the state.
B) They sued the corporation.
C) They engaged in nonviolent protests.
D) They were unaware of the decision.

Question 36

Which statement is a valid criticism of nuclear energy?

A) It is merely a convenient byproduct of oil drilling.
B) Obtaining it requires remote locations in the ocean.
C) It requires the disposal of dangerous radioactive materials.
D) It increases human dependence on fossil fuels.

Question 37

Which energy source benefits from the most government aid and subsidization?

A) nuclear
B) fossil fuels
C) renewable
D) hydroelectric

Question 38

______-driven research is a strategy that contributes to more equal citizen representation in environmental justice decisions.

A) Profit
B) University
C) International
D) Community

Question 39

Which social factor encourages monoculture in farming?

A) profit
B) science
C) livestock
D) gestation

Question 40

Why are fossil fuels cheaper than renewable energy?

A) economies of scale
B) virtual environmentalism
C) perceived obsolescence
D) conspicuous consumption

Question 41

Deforestation contributes to rising global temperatures.

Question 42

The elderly are at greatest risk to the dangerous toxins found in e-waste.

Question 43

A majority of trash that humans produce is reused and recycled.

Question 44

Buying things that symbolize status is an act of conspicuous consumption.

Question 45

Renewable energy installation is leading to a shortage of jobs.

Question 46

The government heavily subsidizes renewable energy while companies that process fossil fuels rely on their own profits and operating costs.

Question 47

The higher concentration of greenhouse gasses in the earth's atmosphere contributes to global climate change.

Question 48

In the 1990s, renewable energy replaced fossil fuels are the primary source of energy for the United States.

Question 49

The continual production of more goods requires a continuous demand for more.

Question 50

Nuclear energy is unpopular because it, like fossil fuels, contributes significantly to climate change.

Question 51

The availability of automobiles in the United States and Cuba leads to different approaches towards reusing cars.

Question 52

Before the late 1970s, there were no regulations regarding the disposal of solid waste in the United States.

Question 53

Shopping at secondhand stores is a consumer strategy for reducing waste.

Question 54

Meat consumption contributes to climate change.

Question 55

The world demand for energy is rising as fossil fuels are depleting.

Question 56

Virtual environmentalism empowers consumers to make environmentally friendly choices with ease.

Question 57

Planned obsolescence should be abolished if we want to considerably reduce waste.

Question 58

"Green" energy is another name for renewable energy.

Question 59

Lechate is a substance used to clean up oil spills.

Question 60

Previously, natural gas was a natural byproduct of oil drilling.

Question 61

What is conspicuous consumption? Provide an example.

Question 62

Large forests can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 63

Low-income individuals consume more resources than high-income individuals.

Question 64

Provide a positive aspect of industrial food production.

Question 65

If the world reaches the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement it will completely reverse the negative effects of global climate change since the Industrial Revolution.

Question 66

If you had a plan to curb climate change how would you use mitigation and adaptation strategies? Provide an example of each.

Question 67

Extracting more fossil fuels is one of the eight stabilization wedges in dealing with climate change in a series of steps.

Question 68

The city council proposes a plan for a nuclear power plant to provide energy for the city. As a concerned citizen you attend the meeting where the proposal is discussed. What are some positive and negative aspects of nuclear energy would you direct to the council?

Question 69

A local politician argues that we must support the fossil fuels because they are cheaper than renewable energy and the industry provides jobs that people need. How would an advocate of renewable energy respond?

Question 70

Briefly explain how the availability of cars in the United States is an example of treadmills of production.

Question 71

How does planned obsolescence benefit corporations? Provide an example.

Question 72

Burning coal is used to produce electricity in power plants.

Question 73

In high schools across the United States, teenagers gather in cliques of their closest friends. Often, these groups consist of people who look very much alike according to dress, activities, and how they spend their time. How would consumerism explain this phenomenon of people making friends with others who are similar to them?

Question 74

The IPCC, a scientific body that studies climate change, is a U.S. governmental organization.

Question 75

Buying food from local farmer's markets reduces the use of fossil fuels.

Question 76

Methane accumulates in the earth's atmosphere due to livestock and trash decomposing in landfills.

Question 77

Name at least one environmental disaster caused by a corporation extracting fossil fuels. How did oil supply contribute to these disasters?

Question 78

Describe the most effective strategies for reducing the negative impacts of landfills and waste disposal. Why are systemic solutions more vital than individual ones in this case?

Question 79

Climate change is agreed upon as a problem within the scientific community.

Question 80

Climate change contributes to extreme unpredictable weather patterns.