Deck 11: Environmental and Energy Policy

Question 1

What is the primary (and controversial) biofuel that the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandated an increased use of?

A) switchgrass
B) soy-derived biodiesel
C) vegetable oils
D) corn-derived ethanol

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which interests often come into direct conflict with environmental interests?

A) state interests
B) business and economic interests
C) individual interests
D) the interests of governmental institutions

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, for the first time, developed ______.

A) a set of strict regulations focused solely on coal emissions across the United States.
B) uniform air quality standards for the entire United States.
C) market incentives for industry to reduce harmful emissions.
D) an agreement industry and the government about how to address declining air quality.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the federal government passed a number of acts to control pollution.Which of the acts listed below was not one of these major acts?

A) Clean Water Act
B) Superfund
C) Wetland Degradation Act
D) Clean Air Act

Question 5

Which of the following agencies has primary responsibility for implementing environmental laws in the United States?

A) Department of the Interior
B) Department of Natural Resources
C) Council on Environmental Quality
D) Environmental Protection Agency

Question 6

Which statement describes the nature of the seven major environmental statutes enacted in the 1970s?

A) Each of the statutes was ambitious yet limited to a distinct issue or focus.
B) The statutes as a group were focused on issues of pollution related to use of energy.
C) The statutes were developed by environmental agencies.
D) Each of the statutes could be described as broad and far-reaching in scope and lacking focus.

Question 7

The environmental problems of Love Canal, New York, are often referred to as a catalyst in the passing of what law?

A) Toxic Substances Control Act
B) Clean Water Act
C) Clean Air Act
D) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act

Question 8

What did new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards passed in a 2007 energy bill improve?

A) controls on greenhouse gas emissions
B) the fuel economy of light trucks and cars
C) the price of gasoline, by lowering gas taxes across the country
D) automobile emissions and traffic congestions, by raising gas taxes across the country

Question 9

What have recent IPCC reports claimed about climate change?

A) The rate of climate change has slowed, and it is likely we have many more decades until significant changes are observed.
B) Climate change is already occurring and having serious, widespread effects globally.
C) New data suggest that climate change is nowhere near as serious as originally thought, and concerns should be limited.
D) Climate change has actually reversed its course, and the climate is stabilizing back to the long-term average.

Question 10

Which level of government typically makes environmental policy?

A) state
B) local
C) Policy making is shared across all levels.
D) federal

Question 11

A(n) ______ is a detailed and systematic study of all environmental effects of a proposed action.

A) environmental impact statement
B) cap and trade plan
C) regulatory analysis
D) environmental protection analysis

Question 12

A ______ program is an emissions-control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower emitting industries.

A) proactive policy approach
B) cap-and-trade
C) CAFÉ standard
D) carbon tax

Question 13

The EPA is a(n) ______.

A) government corporation
B) cabinet department
C) independent executive agency
D) regulatory commission

Question 14

Which administration attempted to achieve environmental policy goals primarily through collaborative decision making?

A) the George W. Bush administration
B) the Reagan administration
C) the Clinton administration
D) the Carter administration

Question 15

What is ecosystem-based management?

A) utilizing local ecosystems to better serve human needs
B) prioritizing the natural environment over human needs, assuming most human needs can be accomplished through a stable and healthy ecosystem
C) a shift in emphasis toward principles of protecting habitat and maintaining biological diversity
D) the process of restoring ecosystems that had been previously damaged by earlier policy decisions

Question 16

What is one of the most hotly contested natural resource policies?

A) Endangered Species Act
B) Wilderness Act
C) National Forest Management Act
D) Pollution Prevention Act

Question 17

The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 1970s focused on ______.

A) pollution control and protection of human health
B) protection of ecosystems and biodiversity
C) protection of natural resources by strengthening protections of endangered species
D) development of stronger energy policies that were designed to clean up the air

Question 18

When was the "environmental decade" of federal legislation?

A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s

Question 19

What is one of the biggest concerns with renewable energy?

A) no one will use it
B) pollution
C) whether there is a sufficient supply
D) whether it can be produced efficiently (comparable cost)

Question 20

Which level of government is typically involved in implementing environmental policy?

A) state
B) federal
C) local
D) all levels implement policy evenly

Question 21

Which statement best summarizes the effectiveness of U.S.environmental policies enacted over the past 30- to 40 years?

A) They have led to significant improvements in the environment and have improved the quality of our natural resources.
B) Surface water quality has improved across the board, while air quality remains poor.
C) They have had mixed results: While point source pollution has declined and urban air quality improved, other conditions have not improved.
D) The Superfund cleanup efforts have been much more cost effective than expected.

Question 22

Developing alternative energy is likely to be an effective policy option to reduce carbon emissions for states and the federal government.However, alternative energy is costly to develop yet produces less energy (than fossil fuels) for the investment.Which evaluative criteria would reflect this high cost- to benefit ratio?

A) equity
B) efficiency
C) market incentives
D) policy analysis

Question 23

What was found in a study of the costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act and its later amendments?

A) The costs massively outweighed the benefits.
B) The costs of the policy were about even with the benefits.
C) The benefits massively outweighed the costs.
D) It was unclear whether the costs outweighed the benefits or vice versa, and the policy was said to have inconclusive results.

Question 24

After the IPCC issued dire warnings on climate change and the EPA took action in the form of new rules and regulations, what moderated the effects of the rule change and helped shift energy policy in the United States?

A) a moderation of climate change itself and a slower rate of warming
B) increases in gas and oil drilling with the aid of hydraulic fracturing
C) a wide agreement on the new rules and regulations that boosted the use of renewable energy
D) a stubborn resistance to the new rules and an unintended rise in the use of traditional fossil fuels

Question 25

The three primary areas of focus for environmental policy are described by which of the following statements?

A) Air quality, land quality, and water quality
B) Environmental protection, stewardship, and development
C) Environmental impact assessment, government management, and pollution control
D) Pollution control, resource conservation/management, and energy policy

Question 26

Environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act, Water Pollution Control Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act (and others) tended to emphasize which policy tool?

A) privatization
B) subsidies to business
C) market incentives
D) command and control regulation

Question 27

How did the EPA demonstrate the danger of coal plants and justify its new rules?

A) It calculated the amount of preventable deaths and ailments as a result of coal plants and placed an economic value on the avoidance of these.
B) It calculated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions these plants were producing and convinced policy makers and the public that new rules and regulations would drastically curb these emissions.
C) It did not need to justify the new rules, as there was little to no resistance against them.
D) It exposed dangerous and rampant safety violations at coal plants, which was enough to shift public opinion in favor of the new rules.

Question 28

Which answer best describes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

A) a large cabinet-level department with numerous local offices reporting to the president
B) a department of each state government that reports to the federal executive branch
C) the largest independent agency with strong regional offices reporting to the president
D) the largest entitlement program of the U.S. government regulated by the Congress

Question 29

Which best describes the recent history of environmental policymaking in the United States?

A) not much activity until the mid-1980s followed by a period of significant policymaking activity that continues today
B) much policymaking activity in the late 1960s through 1970s followed by a long period of gridlock and incremental changes
C) period of incremental policy change followed by numerous significant policies enacted in the 1990s
D) period of incremental policy change followed by high level of regulation

Question 30

What is collaborative decision making as a policy strategy?

A) An approach where in which government works closely with industry to develop and implement policy.
B) An approach where in which government works independently of the needs or desires of industry.
C) An approach where in which the federal government works with state and local governments to develop policy.
D) An approach where in which the federal government works with other national governments to find policy solutions to global environmental issues.

Question 31

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that environmental impact statements (EIS) be conducted for proposed development projects.Which statement choice defines an EIS?

A) detailed and systematic study of the financial impact of proposed environmental regulations on a business
B) a detailed and systematic study of wetlands impacted by a proposed action
C) a detailed and systematic study of whether development projects have been implemented according to EPA guidelines
D) detailed and systematic study of all environmental effects of a proposed action

Question 32

With regard to environmental policy formulation, in the 1970s, ______ was the norm in the United States, while ______ was the norm in the 1980s and 1990s.

A) consensus; disagreement
B) disagreement; consensus
C) partisanship; cooperation
D) state leadership; federal leadership

Question 33

During what period in U.S.history did the conservation movement lay the ground work for modern environmental policy?

A) the 1960s
B) the Second World War
C) the colonial period of the 18th century
D) the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Question 34

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 ______.

A) focused on regulating the process of making local decisions to protect the environment
B) required developers to conduct an environmental impact statement
C) was enacted because states were not protecting the environment sufficiently
D) all of these

Question 35

What is collaborative decision making as a policy strategy?

A) An approach where government works closely with industry to develop and implement policy.
B) An approach where government works independently of the needs or desires of industry.
C) An approach where the federal government works with state and local governments to develop policy.
D) An approach where the federal government works with other national governments to find policy solutions to global environmental issues.

Question 36

Where Congress has failed in recent years regarding climate change policy, who has succeeded in implementing effective policy?

A) the EPA and local, state, and city governments
B) various bureaucratic institutions at the federal level
C) the Supreme Court, through landmark decisions on environmental policy
D) small businesses and large corporations that have funded and furthered environmental initiatives in the wake of government failure

Question 37

The Clean Air Act of 1990 provided for the use of buying and selling of pollution permits to combat acid rain.What type of policy instrument does this describe?

A) market incentives
B) public education
C) privatization
D) subsidies

Question 38

With regard to U.S.energy policy, most experts would agree with which statement?

A) The United States has developed a strong energy policy since President Obama took office.
B) The Bush administration supported significant development of alternative sources with support from Congress; this has stalled due to the current recession.
C) The United States has no real cohesive energy policy; individual and corporate decisions in the marketplace dictate energy patterns and use.
D) The United States has had a strong energy policy implemented by the EPA since the early 2000s.

Question 39

What is the best definition of sustainable development?

A) shunning economic growth for the sake of improved ecosystems
B) economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals
C) an approach to policy that tries to mitigate the conflict between economic pursuits and environmental protection
D) a purely economic strategy to ensure the viability of companies and industries over time

Question 40

Which statement best describes a cap and trade program?

A) an emissions control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower emitting industries.
B) a program that gradually reduces the allowed emissions of an industry each year, incentivizing the industry's transition to zero emissions with tax breaks.
C) a policy that requires industries to cap their emissions by a specific deadline or give majority ownership to the state if they fail to accomplish this reduction.
D) an international attempt to reduce emissions by setting emissions quotas for each country and allowing each country to buy emission credits from others if they reach their limit.

Question 41

______ is defined as economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals.

Question 42

What were the primary reasons automobile companies and autoworker unions initially opposed raising CAFE standards?

A) They claimed these standards would lead to even more emissions as people drove even farther and longer.
B) They worried that the U.S. auto industry would become uncompetitive internationally and lead to a drop in sales.
C) They argued that new standards were a distortion of the free market, a violation of individual choice, and a path to smaller, more unsafe vehicles.
D) They claimed new standards would threaten traditional American-style vehicle designs and lead to an "Europeanization" of the American auto industry.

Question 43

Define the term "intergenerational equity" and explain how it relates to climate change and energy policy.

Question 44

A ______ is a policy that implements a higher tax on gasoline and other fossil fuels to curb their use.

Question 45

President Clinton tried to achieve environmental policy goals through ______, an approach where in which government works closely with industry to develop and implement policy.

Question 46

What is meant by multiple use when discussing natural resource policy?

A) Natural resources should be managed in a way that encourages economic development but also protects the environment.
B) Natural resources must be used multiple times before being disposed of.
C) One regulatory policy should cover multiple natural resources, such as wetlands, fossil fuels, timber, and others.
D) Economic development should use multiple natural resources.

Question 47

Why do many believe there is a conflict between environmental policy and economic growth?

Question 48

What is an environmental impact statement and what is it used to assess?

Question 49

Policy proposals to reduce carbon emissions would limit companies' allowed emissions.If a company chooses to exceed emission limits, it could purchase emission permits from other lower emitting companies.This market-incentive policy tool is called ______.

Question 50

Discuss the environmental policy options that are favored by critics of command-and-control regulation.

Question 51

______ are two of the most frequently proposed policy options for future natural resource policies.

Question 52

With regard to climate change policy, many conflicts arise regarding how the various policy proposals affect different groups of citizens now and in future generations.This relates to ______.

A) ethical and equity concerns of policy
B) political feasibility
C) cost-effectiveness of policy
D) effectiveness of policy

Question 53

In the United States, relating to almost all kinds of environmental policy, there is ongoing tension between environmental interests and ______ interests.

Question 54

The Clean Air Act of 1990, which provided for the use of buying and selling of pollution permits to combat acid rain, is a policy instrument known as a ______.

Question 55

Which of the following policies is considered a market incentive?

A) carbon tax
B) renewable energy subsidies
C) cap and Trade
D) raising fuel economy standards

Question 56

______ refers to a shift in emphasis toward principles of protecting habitat and maintaining biological diversity.

Question 57

The ______ were seen as the "environmental decade" of federal legislation.

Question 58

______ is a shift in climate patterns characterized by rising temperatures, increased storm intensity in some locations, and persistent droughts in other areas, already is having significant effects throughout the world.

Question 59

The ______ level of government typically makes environmental policy, while ______ is/are heavily involved in implementing environmental policy.

Question 60

What is a carbon tax?

A) A policy that implements a higher tax on gasoline and other fossil fuels to curb their use.
B) A policy that requires industries to pay taxes on emissions that go beyond an established yearly quota.
C) A tax placed on oil companies to fund the development of renewable energy sources.
D) A proposed plan to monitor the carbon emissions of individual households, much like electricity meters, and adjust property taxes higher with higher emissions.

Question 61

What are CAFE standards? How have they changed in recent years?

Question 62

Discuss the features of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Question 63

Explain the common purpose and elements of the seven key environmental statutes developed in the early 1970s.

Question 64

Discuss the evolution of U.S.environmental policy over the past 50 years.How has U.S.environmental policy changed over the years (use the following time periods: pre-1960s, mid-1960s to 1970s, 1980s to early 2000s, and currently)? Why have these changes occurred?

Question 65

Explain how scientists link climate change to energy policy.Discuss why climate change policy is considered an ethical issue by many individuals.Finally, explain two policy proposals that have been considered to reduce use of fossil fuels and the economic and political feasibility issues of each.