Deck 3: Climate Change, science, and Risk

Question 1

Which of the following countries have cut their greenhouse emissions the most?

A)the United Kingdom and the U.S.
B)the U.S.and China
C)China and Germany
D)the United Kingdom,China,and Germany

Answer 1

the United Kingdom,China,and Germany

Question 2

The 1987 Montreal Protocol is significant because:

A)a number of nations signed an agreement to cut their use of CFCs.
B)Europe and the U.S.indicated that they would eliminate methane gases by 2025.
C)the U.S.committed to eliminating fossil fuel use by 2015.
D)a and b
E)b and c

Answer 2

a number of nations signed an agreement to cut their use of CFCs.

Question 3

_________ and _________ account for 90% of the heat-trapping capacity of greenhouse gases.

A)tropospheric ozone,methane
B)methane,water vapor
C)water vapor,carbon dioxide
D)carbon dioxide,methane

Answer 3

water vapor,carbon dioxide

Question 4

Greenhouse gases play an important role in regulating the temperature of the earth.Which of the following are true of those gases?

A)Human activity has little effect on water vapor.
B)Burning fossil fuels drastically increases methane gas.
C)Human activity has little effect on carbon dioxide.
D)All of the above are true.
E)None of the above are true.

Question 5

Stratospheric ozone can be destroyed by:

A)oxygen.
B)arsenic.
C)saline.
D)chlorine.

Question 6

Which of the following arguments is MOST consistent with a natural scientist/environmental scientist "frame" (perspective) on climate change?

A)The supply of minerals is essentially infinite.
B)There is a finite supply of minerals,and therefore,there are limits on the grades of ore that can be processed without spending more than they are worth.
C)Human adaptability will develop improved technologies to find and process minerals.
D)All of the above are true.
E)None of the above are true.

Question 7

Freon is an environmental hazard because it:

A)releases chlorine atoms that destroy the stratospheric ozone layer.
B)is so unstable that it presents risks to the average consumer.
C)is very expensive.
D)is highly toxic to those who come into contact with it.

Question 8

Which of the following best illustrates mitigation as a strategy to reduce global warming?

A)attempt to assess the economic value of the biosphere for future investors
B)double the fuel economy of two billion cars
C)implement sunlight screening to reflect income sunlight
D)a and c
E)b and c

Question 9

Some countries produce more carbon dioxide than others.Which of the following countries produces more than all the others?

A)China
B)the U.S.
C)Russia
D)India

Question 10

Which of the following is the most useful physical sign of long-ago climate change?

A)coral reefs
B)fossilized grains
C)ice cores extracted from ancient glaciers in Greenland
D)annual growth rings in trees

Question 11

Which of the following statements are true of climate?

A)Climate is relatively easy to understand.Therefore,most meteorological forecasts are extremely accurate.
B)Climate and weather are interchangeable terms.
C)Studies clearly support the notion that climate evolved independently of life forms.
D)Climate is impossible to experience directly.

Question 12

The Kyoto Protocol is significant because:

A)the United States was the first to sign the Accord.
B)the LDC nations,including India and China,were very strong supporters-this paved the way for other LDC nations to sign.
C)it legally committed industrial nations to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases early in the twenty-first century.
D)none of the above

Question 13

The Kyoto Protocol has several weaknesses,including:

A)a weak goal of 5.2% reduction in emissions.
B)the fact that the MDCs were able to successfully lobby for "flexibility loopholes."
C)the fact that it allowed for emissions trading among countries.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 14

Freon was readily accepted as a refrigerant because it was:

A)nontoxic.
B)nonflammable.
C)easier to compress.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 15

The ozone layer in the stratosphere functions to:

A)protect us from harmful UV-B rays.
B)increase free radicals in the body.
C)decrease photosynthesis.
D)none of the above

Question 16

Which of the following provide evidence of increased global temperatures?

A)melting ice caps in the Andes,Rockies,Alps and Kilimanjaro
B)longer growing seasons in Europe and North America
C)bleached coral reefs
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 17

Nicholas Stern's assessment of climate change concluded that it is:

A)better to adapt to climate change than to mitigate it.
B)better to mitigate climate change than to wait to adapt to it.
C)not really clear that climate change is actually taking place
D)none of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is not one of the three schools of thought regarding action on climate change?

A)Act now to satisfice.
B)Act now with no regrets.
C)Act now to minimize risks.
D)Do not take action until you are certain.

Question 19

CFCs can be used in which of the following ways?

A)refrigerants
B)solvents
C)propellants
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 20

Scientific uncertainty sometimes makes it difficult to understand climate change because:

A)skepticism is a key characteristic of the scientific process itself,therefore,scientists do not easily rush to conclusions.
B)comparisons can be difficult when problems are framed in different ways.
C)theories that make opposing predictions are sometimes equally plausible.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 21

Freon is a good example of an invention that produced unforeseen but disruptive consequences for society.

Question 22

Global warming would increase the intensity of droughts,but not the intensity of floods and hurricanes.

Question 23

Scientific uncertainty plays a significant role in understanding climate change.

Question 24

The IPCC's 2007 Fourth Assessment Report concluded that contemporary global warming is caused by human activities that increase greenhouse gases.

Question 25

The greenhouse effect can be used to explain the cold climate of Mars.

Question 26

Suppose that one group considers a 50% chance of climate change to be a low probability,while another group considers 50% to be a very high probability.This illustrates possible uncertainty based on semantics.

Question 27

Space mirrors are one type of geoengineering option to counteract climate change.

Question 28

The Kyoto Protocol is significant because it required signatory nations to commit to reducing their emissions by one third.

Question 29

Global warming could threaten human health by increasing the transmission of tropical diseases.

Question 30

The strong positive correlation between atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and fluctuations in the earth's mean temperature is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Question 31

One of the known advantages of geoengineering is that it would most certainly have fewer side effects than mitigation.

Question 32

Most scientific knowledge about greenhouse gases in maintaining the earth's temperature is relatively new.

Question 33

Adaptation as a strategy for coping with climate change will be most effective if climate change occurs very rapidly.

Question 34

The notion that well-functioning markets not hampered by excessive regulations will address climate change problems is an example of a "paradigmatic frame."

Question 35

Herbert Simon coined the term "bounded rationality."

Question 36

A general circulation model represents an attempt to mathematically model changes in temperature,humidity,wind speed,soil moisture,and sea ice.

Question 37

The fact that chlorine atoms do not persist for long periods in the stratosphere helps to limit their destructive potential for ozone.

Question 38

Wedge analysis is a type of mitigation strategy.

Question 39

Herbert Simon dubbed modern societies "risk societies."

Question 40

One drawback to carbon taxes is that they are regressive taxes and thus burden the poor much more than the rich.

Question 41

Identify and discuss at least three ways in which climate change might adversely affect human societies.Be sure to give specific examples.

Question 42

Describe and discuss some ambiguities in the evidence regarding climate change.What effect does this have on our ability to set policy?

Question 43

Compare and contrast the strategies of adaptation,mitigation,and geoengineering.Which strategy appears to be most useful,and why?

Question 44

Explain why we should care about ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere,and what actions we might take to reduce it.Be sure to give specific examples.