Deck 10: Developing Sustainability Systems

Question 1

Resource systems are not one of the main keystone systems of sustainability

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Factor 4 theory is different from Factor 10 theory because...

A) It requires less of a cut in resource and energy use
B) It is easier to understand than factor 10 theory
C) It has only four key factors included in the theory
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Besides reducing resource and energy use, why is the circular economy different from the linear economy?

A) It no longer requires the exploitation of natural resources
B) The circular economy lasts forever, the linear economy does not
C) It takes waste outputs from the traditional linear economy and uses them as inputs to additional production processes
D) It eliminates 100% of potential waste products

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is not one of the four phases of energy infrastructure transitions?

A) Stagnation and inertia phase
B) System building and establishment phase
C) System transition and renewal phase
D) System evaluation and development phase
System expansion and momentum phase

Question 5

Technical and political champions are critical for energy infrastructure transitions. What are the characteristics of technical champions?

A) Elevate energy infrastructure solutions onto the political agenda and help de-risk large scale energy investments
B) Possess the knowledge and capabilities required to develop energy infrastructure solutions
C) Answer questions, work long hours and make contributions to infrastructure development often times behind the scenes
D) All of the above

Question 6

The acronym EROEI stands for what?

A) Ecological Return On Energy Investment
B) Economic Regulations On Energy Inefficiencies
C) Energy Return On Energy Investment
D) Ecological Response On Economic Ineffectiveness

Question 7

Which energy source has the highest EROEI value of 100:1?

A) Oil and gas
B) Wind
C) Coal
D) Solar
E) Hydropower

Question 8

EROEI values change both naturally and by human influence

Question 9

By sucking CO₂ out of the air, the stored carbon can be used for what products or processes?

A) Buildings and infrastructure
B) Transportation systems
C) Accelerate vegetable growth rates in greenhouses
D) All of the above

Question 10

LCA's are more comprehensive and better at measuring sustainability value than Lifecycle Sustainability Assessments

Question 11

Which of the following are models of funding distributed energy systems?

A) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing
B) Public ownership and local solarization
C) Third-party financing
D) Share-based models
E) All of the above

Question 12

The Anthropocene is characterized by:

A) Technological developments to prepare for the war over natural resources
B) Few, if any, measurable human impacts
C) Human impacts having a profound impact on the earth
D) A hyperbolized description of the actual impacts human activities have on earth to drive fear into the public

Question 13

What are the R3 principles of the New Water Cycle?

A) Replenish, Reduce, Reuse
B) Refuse, Reduce, Recycle
C) Reduce, Reclaim, Recycle
D) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Question 14

Using a portfolio of strategies rather than a single strategy helps build public legitimacy for water reuse

Question 15

What are the main challenges associated with the construction and operation of desalination plants?

A) Reduce energy demand
B) Reduce the materials required to build each plant
C) Reduce cost per unit of water produced
D) A and C
E) All of the above

Question 16

The main benefits of urban agriculture are social rather than ecological

Question 17

What system(s) does the FEW nexus urge be improved upon from a sustainability perspective?

A) Energy security
B) Food security
C) Financial security
D) Water access
E) A, B and D

Question 18

What is the goal of the circular economy?

A) Become more resource efficient
B) Keep valuable materials in circulation using systemic feedback loops between lifecycle stages, powered through resource-efficient industrial processes
C) Keep valuable materials in circulation
D) Increase the efficiency of production processes for a wide variety of goods and services

Question 19

The process of prosumption shifts which of the following?

A) Owning to renting
B) Consumer to user
C) Exploiting to growing
D) A and B
E) None of the above

Question 20

Household smart energy monitors have had mixed results in changing behavior and reducing energy demand

Question 21

Which of the following terms is matched with the correct definition?

A) Comfort effect; residents discover that their energy use levels are lower than their neighbors and consequently use more energy
B) Boomerang effect; when homeowners do not want to reduce energy use even if presented with data on the energy monitor that suggests high energy consumption or possible savings
C) Rebound effect; energy savings from technology or behavioral conservation are spent on other energy consuming things
D) Boomerang effect; energy savings from technology or behavioral conservation are spent on other energy consuming things
E) Comfort effect; residents discover that their energy use levels are lower than their neighbors and consequently use more energy

Question 22

The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) is a strong metric for sustainability at what scale?

A) Micro-scale
B) Meso-scale
C) Macro-scale
D) All of the above

Question 23

The GPI is not considered a strong metric to sustainability

Question 24

Sustainable development is defined as:

A) Development that can last for several generations at the cost of other species and their environment
B) Development that focuses on reducing environmental impact and carbon emissions
C) Development that meets the needs of the present but does not take into account the needs of future generations
D) Development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth's life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends

Question 25

On a macro level, improvements in achieving sustainable development goals have been uneven and in many cases too slow