Deck 12: Resource Issues

Question 1

Cambodia and Laos have a water dispute over

A) The Mekong River.
B) The Ganges River.
C) The Nile River.
D) The Indus River.

Answer 1

The Mekong River.

Question 2

_________ refers to the conversion of forested land to other uses such as cropland and industrial use.

A) Deforestation
B) Desertification
C) Greenhouse effect
D) Renewable energy

Answer 2

Deforestation

Question 3

_____________ refers to the process by which an area becomes a desert, usually caused by a combination of drought and overexploitation of grasses and other vegetation.

A) Deforestation
B) Desertification
C) Greenhouse effect
D) Renewable energy

Answer 3

Desertification

Question 4

In 2011, there was a severe nuclear accident in what country?

A) The United States
B) Japan
C) France
D) Iraq

Question 5

Which of the following is the primary cause of deforestation?

A) Lumber company clear-cutting
B) War
C) Natural processes
D) Human settlement and agriculture

Question 6

According to the text, which countries had the highest rates of deforestation in the 1990s?

A) Argentina and Spain
B) Poland and Russia
C) Brazil and Indonesia
D) India and Nigeria

Question 7

____________ refers to an increase in the earth's temperature caused by the emissions of certain gases that trap and retain the sun's heat in the atmosphere.

A) Greenhouse effect
B) Global warming
C) Greenhouse warming
D) Greenhouse heating

Question 8

Which country was not among the six countries emitting the most carbon dioxide in 2011?

A) The United States
B) France
C) China
D) Russia

Question 9

Which of the following countries emitted the most carbon dioxide in 2011?

A) China
B) The United States
C) Russia
D) India

Question 10

According to the text, the WHO estimates that air pollution leads to the premature death of approximately ____ people worldwide each year.

A) 100,000
B) 2 million
C) 1 million
D) 500,000

Question 11

Which of the following best characterizes the debate between Canada and the United States over acid rain?

A) The U.S. government blames Canada for the acid rain that falls in the United States.
B) Acid rain is a direct cause of global warming.
C) The technology necessary to stop acid rain is inexpensive and easy to implement.
D) None of the above.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes which states are most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions?

A) Currently the developing states are most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
B) Currently the developed states are most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
C) Energy consumption is growing fastest in the industrialized nations.
D) In the future, developing states will be responsible for less pollution than the industrialized nations.

Question 13

Which of the following is true?

A) Industrialized states emit greenhouse gases more than developing states.
B) Developing states are more concerned with economic development than with pollution.
C) Developing states have agreed to cut greenhouse emissions as outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.
D) All of the above.

Question 14

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, by 2030 China is expected to be responsible for what percentage of the world's total emissions?

A) 26 percent
B) About 30 percent
C) A little less than 35 percent
D) About 40 percent

Question 15

One of the most successful international environmental agreements is

A) The 1987 Montreal Protocol.
B) The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
C) The 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
D) None of the above.

Question 16

The international agreement that phased out the use of CFCs is

A) The 1987 Montreal Protocol.
B) The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
C) The 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
D) None of the above.

Question 17

To preserve the earth's ozone layer, international agreements have called for reducing the level of

A) Nuclear testing.
B) Acid rain.
C) Automobile emissions.
D) Chlorofluorocarbons.

Question 18

The primary focus of the Kyoto Protocol is

A) CFCs.
B) Carbon emissions.
C) Water pollution.
D) Nuclear proliferation.

Question 19

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol called for

A) More stringent limits on carbon emissions from the less developed countries.
B) More stringent limits on carbon emissions from the industrialized states.
C) More stringent limits on carbon emissions from the states of the EU only.
D) More stringent limits on carbon emissions from the United States only.

Question 20

Some of the most effective efforts to preserve the environment have been carried out by

A) The United Nations.
B) The United States.
C) NGOs.
D) The World Bank.

Question 21

On July 7, 2007, concerts to increase awareness on environmental issues were held in eight different venues around the world. The concerts were collectively known as

A) Live 8.
B) Live Earth.
C) Good Earth.
D) Go Green.

Question 22

It is expected that by 2025 more than ________ of the world's population will have difficulty accessing clean water.

A) Two-thirds
B) One fourth
C) One half
D) Three fifths

Question 23

Approximately how many of the world's children die each day from water-related diseases such as diarrhea?

A) 1,800
B) 4,000
C) 250
D) 10,000

Question 24

The major issue regarding water is

A) Access.
B) Sanitation.
C) Price.
D) All are important.

Question 25

Of the 263 transboundary basins, _____ are shared by two or more states.

A) Two thirds
B) One third
C) Half
D) Three fourths

Question 26

Generally, how do states deal with each other regarding access to water?

A) By using international institutions
B) By going to war
C) By signing treaties
D) By acquiring technology to convert salt water to potable water

Question 27

The most important challenge in feeding the world's population is

A) A shortage of food.
B) Food distribution.
C) Feeding refugees.
D) Discrimination.

Question 28

Which of the following is used to indicate how much food an individual consumes every day?

A) Daily per-capita caloric intake
B) Daily average caloric intake
C) Aggregate caloric intake
D) None of the above

Question 29

How many deaths of children under age 5 are attributed to malnutrition annually?

A) 1 million
B) 6 million
C) 500,000
D) 15 million

Question 30

Which organization has the mandate to combat world hunger and provide emergency relief?

A) World Health Organization
B) World Food Organization
C) United Food Programme
D) World Food Programme

Question 31

Which of the following is true?

A) There is not enough food produced to feed the world's hungry.
B) There is enough food; the problem lies in distribution.
C) The major reason for chronic food shortages is poverty.
D) Both b and c

Question 32

Which of the following is a major cause of acute food shortages and famine?

A) Lack of production
B) Refusal of developed states to export food to the most needy
C) Flooding, drought, and warfare
D) All of the above

Question 33

Which of the following limit(s) access to food?

A) Wars
B) Poverty
C) Natural disasters
D) All of the above

Question 34

The drought in this country in 2007 is considered one of the worst in the past three decades.

A) Somalia
B) Ethiopia
C) Lesotho
D) Sudan

Question 35

To what African nation did the United Nations send military forces to distribute food in the early 1990s?

A) Somalia
B) South Africa
C) Swaziland
D) Sierra Leone

Question 36

In general, efforts to provide food to countries that cannot feed themselves

A) Have failed.
B) Have been relatively successful.
C) Have always been successful.
D) Are hampered by an unwilling international community.

Question 37

The United States imposed a grain embargo against what nation in 1980?

A) China
B) Haiti
C) Ethiopia
D) The Soviet Union

Question 38

Which nation has used food as a political tool?

A) China
B) The Soviet Union
C) The United States
D) Cuba

Question 39

In terms of relief, NGOs tend to focus on ___________, whereas IGOs focus their efforts on ____________.

A) Short-term relief; long-term relief
B) Long-term relief; short-term relief
C) Short-term relief; creating international institutions to investigate causes of hunger
D) Long-term relief; creating international institutions to investigate causes of hunger

Question 40

In the short term, the best solution to world hunger is

A) Increasing the food supply.
B) Improving distribution networks.
C) Providing economic development.
D) Bringing more land under cultivation.

Question 41

In the long term, the best solution to world hunger is

A) Increasing the food supply.
B) Focusing on short-term needs.
C) Providing economic development.
D) Bringing more land under cultivation.

Question 42

Because of the relation between economic growth and energy consumption,

A) The industrialized nations have begun to curb their energy usage to conserve for the future.
B) The industrialized nations have transferred technology to developing states to help them conserve energy.
C) There is an increased demand for energy resources in developing countries.
D) There is a decrease in demand for energy resources in developing countries as they become signatories of the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 43

The institution with the most power over oil is

A) The G-8.
B) OPEC.
C) The United Nations.
D) NATO.

Question 44

Demand for oil rises and falls with

A) The demands of the U.S. consumer.
B) The number of wars occurring around the globe in any given year.
C) Total economic activity.
D) None of the above.

Question 45

In 2011, this country was the second-largest oil producer in the world.

A) Saudi Arabia
B) Venezuela
C) Russia
D) Iran

Question 46

The top producer of oil in the world in 2011 was

A) The United States.
B) Russia.
C) Saudi Arabia.
D) Iran.

Question 47

A major oil crisis occurred in each of following years except

A) 1973.
B) 1977.
C) 1979.
D) 1980.

Question 48

The first major oil crisis was precipitated by which event?

A) World War II
B) Arab-Israeli War of 1973
C) The overthrow of the shah of Iran
D) The Gulf War

Question 49

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is designed to

A) Replace OPEC as the world's dominant oil producer.
B) Monitor the nuclear power plants of countries suspected of having developed nuclear weapons.
C) Protect member-states from economic difficulties resulting from oil shortages.
D) Be the official voice of OPEC in international organizations.

Question 50

The top oil consumer in the world in 2011 was

A) The United States.
B) China.
C) Russia.
D) Japan.

Question 51

The IEA was first tested in 1979, when the Iranian Revolution resulted in an end to Iranian oil exports. Which of the following is true?

A) The IEA responded quickly to stabilize oil prices.
B) The United States requested that the IEA begin an oil-sharing program.
C) The IEA refused to respond to Sweden's request for relief.
D) All of the above.

Question 52

Which of the following is the world's fastest growing fossil fuel?

A) Natural gas
B) Oil
C) Coal
D) Solar energy

Question 53

Which two regions account for the majority (75 percent) of the world's reserves of natural gas?

A) North and South America
B) Eurasia and the Middle East
C) North America and East Asia
D) Southeast Asia and the Caribbean

Question 54

The energy source that contributes most to electricity generation is

A) Coal.
B) Nuclear power.
C) Natural gas.
D) Both a and c

Question 55

__________ refers to environmentally friendly alternative sources of energy.

A) Renewable energy
B) Clean energy
C) Green energy
D) Disposable energy

Question 56

Which of the following is a renewable energy source?

A) Coal
B) Oil
C) Hydroelectricity
D) Natural gas

Question 57

The major drawbacks to nuclear energy are

A) Cost and safety.
B) Cost and availability.
C) Safety and acquisition of the technology.
D) Cost and acquisition of the technology.

Question 58

Arguments that this source of energy is costly and its structures an eyesore are associated with

A) Nuclear energy.
B) Solar and wind power.
C) Hydroelectric power.
D) Fossil fuels.

Question 59

Which source of energy is the most affordable for developing states?

A) Geothermal and hydroelectric
B) Natural gas and oil
C) Oil and coal
D) Coal and natural gas

Question 60

When it comes to the issue of energy,

A) In the long run, states will have to adapt and do more with less energy.
B) In the long run, states will learn to share their resources.
C) In the short term, states must attempt to conserve and safeguard their current supplies of energy.
D) Both a and c

Question 61

The goal of Al Gore and his Alliance for Climate Protection is to redefine national and international interests such that protecting the environment is a global priority. This is an example of

A) The individual level of analysis and constructivism.
B) The individual level of analysis and liberalism.
C) The systemic level of analysis and constructivism.
D) The systemic level of analysis and liberalism.

Question 62

Explain the consequences of the Xayaburi Dam for Cambodia and Vietnam in relation to Laos and the Mekong River.

Question 63

Provide two examples of how environmental issues demonstrate the impact of globalization.

Question 64

Differentiate between deforestation and desertification.

Question 65

What are the primary causes of deforestation?

Question 66

Explain how war and unnatural disasters contribute to deforestation. Give two examples.

Question 67

Beyond the loss of trees, provide two negative consequences of deforestation.

Question 68

List the six countries that emitted the most carbon dioxide in 2011.

Question 69

Briefly explain the debate between developing and developed countries regarding reducing atmospheric pollution.

Question 70

List and briefly explain two major international agreements regarding the environment.

Question 71

Explain why the Montreal Protocol is generally viewed as the most successful international environmental agreement.

Question 72

What is the Kyoto Protocol, and why did the United States refuse to sign?

Question 73

Explain how NGOs have participated and impacted the efforts to preserve the environment.

Question 74

List at least four major issues regarding water facing the international community.

Question 75

Briefly explain how water scarcity might lead to conflict.

Question 76

What must happen for future generations to enjoy a "green and pleasant globe"?

Question 77

What are the primary challenges to feeding the world?

Question 78

Beyond food distribution, what major problems are caused by food shortage?

Question 79

List and briefly explain the factors that brought about the three major oil crises.

Question 80

What is the IEA, and what is its mandate?