Deck 15: Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone Depletion

Question 1

Which of the following is a natural source of air pollution?

A) dust blown by wind
B) Wildfires
C) Volcanoes
D) volatile organic chemicals released by some plants
E) all of these answers

Answer 1

all of these answers

Question 2

The correct sequence of layers of the atmosphere from innermost to outermost is

A) mesosphere-stratosphere-thermosphere-troposphere
B) troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere-thermosphere
C) stratosphere-thermosphere-troposphere-mesosphere
D) thermosphere-stratosphere-mesosphere-troposphere
E) thermosphere-mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere

Answer 2

troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere-thermosphere

Question 3

In which of the following is the ozone layer found?

A) the troposphere
B) the stratosphere
C) the minisphere
D) the mesosphere
E) the thermosphere

Answer 3

the troposphere

Question 4

Primary pollutants from burning coal include all of the following except

A) droplets of sulfuric acid
B) sulfur dioxide
C) suspended solid particles
D) Ozone
E) None of the above

Question 5

Which of the following are primary pollutants that eventually result in acid deposition?

A) nitrogen oxides
B) Ozone
C) sulfur dioxide
D) carbon monoxide
E) both nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide

Question 6

All of the following are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) except

A) Methane
B) dry cleaning fluids
C) carbon monoxide
D) Benzene
E) industrial solvents

Question 7

Which of the following are health problems that can be caused by ozone?

A) skin cancer
B) reduced resistance to colds and pneumonia
C) nervous system disorders
D) Mutations
E) stomach cancer

Question 8

Which of the following forms of air pollution is most directly linked to increased incidence of asthma and bronchitis?

A) Ozone
B) VOCs
C) Radon
D) SPMs
E) sulfur dioxide

Question 9

Photochemical smog is formed when primary pollutants interact with

A) Sunlight
B) water vapor
C) sulfur dioxide
D) Oxygen
E) Carbon

Question 10

Which of the following is true of methane?

A) It is a greenhouse gas.
B) It is produced by rice paddies.
C) It is produced naturally by wetlands and termites.
D) All of these answers are correct.
E) It is a greenhouse gas and it is produced by rice paddies only.

Question 11

Industrial smog used to be a serious problem in many urban areas but is now rarely a problem in most developed countries. It is still a problem in industrialized areas of

A) China, India, and Brazil
B) India, China, and the Ukraine
C) Ukraine, Spain, and Portugal
D) Southeast Asia, China, and India
E) Brazil, China, and Russia

Question 12

Ozone is beneficial in the stratosphere but harmful in the lower troposphere. Ironically, human activities are causing ozone to

A) decrease in the stratosphere and increase in the lower troposphere
B) increase in the stratosphere and decrease in the lower troposphere
C) level out to equilibrium in both areas so there is no substantive difference between them
D) Human activities are not causing any changes in ozone concentrations anywhere.
E) bond with nitrous oxides to form acid rain

Question 13

Most of Earth's weather occurs in the

A) Troposphere
B) Thermosphere
C) Mesosphere
D) Stratosphere
E) all of these answers

Question 14

Which of the following is not true of carbon monoxide?

A) It is a colorless, odorless gas.
B) It is highly toxic.
C) It forms during the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials.
D) It reacts with hemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces the body's ability to transport oxygen.
E) It readily bio-accumulates and builds up in the fatty tissues of many aquatic organisms.

Question 15

If the Earth were an apple, the lower layer of the atmosphere would be the thickness of

A) the core
B) the part of the apple we eat
C) the skin
D) the whole apple
E) a seed

Question 16

The primary ways in which the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be increased are

A) Burning fossil fuels
B) Fertilizing croplands
C) Clearing forests and grasslands
D) Two of the above are correct
E) All of the above are correct

Question 17

Photochemical smog generally requires the presence of

A) nitrogen oxides
B) Sunlight
C) volatile organic compounds
D) Heat
E) all of these answers

Question 18

Which of the following is categorized as a secondary pollutant?

A) carbon monoxide
B) Ozone
C) carbon dioxide
D) sulfur dioxide
E) Hydrocarbons

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true about the ice that covers much of Greenland?

A) The glaciers are as much as two miles deep.
B) The ice contains roughly 10% of the world's water.
C) Despite the massive amount of ice, if it all melted, it would only raise sea levels globally by 2-3 feet.
D) Two of the above are correct.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

A) Oxygen
B) Nitrogen
C) Methane
D) carbon dioxide
E) water vapor

Question 21

Of the following strategies to reduce acid deposition, the most effective is probably

A) using low-sulfur coal
B) adding phosphate fertilizer to acidified lakes
C) adding more topsoil to thin soil with little buffering capacity
D) adding lime to neutralize the acids
E) implementing prevention approaches that reduce or eliminate emissions

Question 22

The people least vulnerable to air pollution are

A) infants
B) elderly people
C) adult males
D) people with heart and respiratory disease
E) pregnant women

Question 23

Which of the following can be said about the indoor pollutant styrene?

A) It is found in carpets.
B) It is found in plastic products.
C) It causes kidney damage.
D) It causes liver damage.
E) All of these answers

Question 24

According to WHO (World Health Organization) and World Bank experts, indoor air pollution is

A) the world's most serious air pollution problem
B) the world's least serious air pollution problem
C) a serious problem in poor countries, but no problem in affluent countries
D) more than one of these
E) none of these answers

Question 25

Formaldehyde is used in

A) particle board
B) paneling
C) furniture stuffing
D) foam insulation
E) all of these answers

Question 26

An emissions trading policy tried on ____ cut U.S. emissions by 53%.

A) carbon oxides
B) sulfur dioxide
C) asbestos
D) lead
E) carbon dioxide

Question 27

Which of the following can be placed into a broad category called acid rain?

A) acidic fog
B) acidic snow
C) wet deposition
D) dry deposition
E) all of these answers

Question 28

Pipe insulation and vinyl ceiling and floor tiles may be sources of

A) chloroform
B) formaldehyde
C) carbon monoxide
D) asbestos
E) sulfur dioxide

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Temperature inversions occur when a layer of cold air prevents warm air from rising.
B) Temperature inversions exacerbate pollution problems.
C) Temperature inversions last only a few minutes to a few hours.
D) Normally, cool air near Earth's surface expands and rises, carrying pollutants higher into the troposphere.
E) Temperature inversions help prevent air pollution.

Question 30

Acid deposition is best classified as a

A) local problem
B) state problem
C) regional problem
D) national problem
E) international problem

Question 31

Years of smoking and exposure to air pollutants can contribute to the incidence of

A) emphysema
B) chronic bronchitis
C) lung cancer
D) asthma
E) all of these answers

Question 32

All of the following are on the EPA's "four most dangerous indoor air pollutants list" in developed countries except

A) ultrafine particles from emissions
B) radon-222
C) cigarette smoke
D) formaldehyde
E) cooking fuels

Question 33

Photochemical smog is characteristic of urban areas with many vehicles and a climate that is

A) cool, wet, and cloudy
B) cool, dry, and sunny
C) warm, dry, and sunny
D) warm, wet, and cloudy
E) warm, wet, and sunny

Question 34

Which of the following is not a natural factor that helps reduce air pollution?

A) Wind
B) chemical reactions
C) salty spray from the oceans
D) a sunny, warm, and dry climate
E) rain and snow

Question 35

Humans are protected from air pollution by

A) sneezing and coughing
B) mucus capturing small particles
C) nasal hairs filtering out large particles
D) tiny mucus-coated, hairlike structures called cilia
E) all of these answers

Question 36

The effectiveness of the pollution prevention approach is best illustrated by the significant drop in atmospheric

A) ozone
B) sulfur dioxide
C) lead
D) carbon monoxide
E) nitrogen oxide

Question 37

The movement of air pollutants via evaporation and winds from tropical and temperate areas to polar regions is referred to as

A) temperature inversion
B) the grasshopper effect
C) acid deposition
D) the rainshadow effect
E) none of these answers

Question 38

Acid deposition can affect forests by

A) Leaching out essential plant nutrients
B) Diminishing the supply of Oxygen available to the tree
C) Releasing ions that are toxic to the trees
D) A and B are correct
E) A and C are correct

Question 39

The reduction of outdoor air pollution in the United States has been so successful because:

A) The U.S. Congress supported it and diligently crafted laws to ensure its success.
B) U.S. citizens insisted that the laws be passed.
C) The country is affluent enough to afford the controls and improvements it required.
D) All of these answers are correct.
E) Only U.S. citizens insisted that the laws be passed and the country is affluent enough to afford the controls and improvements it required are correct.

Question 40

Acid deposition has been linked to

A) contamination of fish with mercury
B) leaching of calcium and magnesium from soils
C) releasing ions of cadmium and aluminum into the soils
D) weakening trees, so they become more susceptible to other types of damage
E) all of these answers

Question 41

Which of the following statements correctly reflect the content of the 2007 IPCC report by climate scientists on climate change?

A) 2000-2009 was the warmest decade since the 1880's.
B) Average levels of CO₂ rose sharply between 1960 and 2010.
C) During the last century, the world's average sea level rose 7 inches.
D) Glaciers and floating sea ice are melting at increasing rates.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 42

NASA scientist Jim Hansen has recommended that we bring our atmospheric carbon dioxide levels down to _____ from the current level of _____ in order to maintain a planet with fairly constant atmospheric temperatures.

A) 450 ppm, 500 ppm
B) 350 ppm, 390 ppm
C) 388 ppm, 450 ppm
D) 488 ppm, 550 ppm
E) 560 ppm, 660 ppm

Question 43

A loss of 15% of _____ would cause a one meter rise in sea level that would threaten millions of people and cause trillions of dollar of damage to coastal areas.

A) the Antarctic ice sheet
B) the Arctic ice sheet
C) inland glaciers in Alaska
D) Greenland's ice sheet
E) Iceland's ice sheet

Question 44

All of the following statements about emissions trading are correct except

A) The success of emissions trading programs depends on how low the initial cap is set.
B) Sulfur dioxide emissions were reduced by the emissions trading system in the United States.
C) Cheating is possible without strict government oversight
D) The success of emissions trading programs depends on how often the cap is lowered to promote continuing innovation in air pollution prevention and control.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 45

Which statement is the most accurate?

A) Climate is determined by average weather conditions.
B) Weather is determined by average climate conditions.
C) Climatologists examine data from one to a few years to estimate weather.
D) A general rise or fall in temperature or precipitation over 25 to 30 years is a standard time period that climatologists will study.
E) None of these answers are accurate.

Question 46

Of what value are the oceans in moderating climate change?

A) Oceans remove about 25% to 30% of the atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by humans.
B) Oceans reflect sunlight back into space before the ultraviolet wavelengths are converted into infrared radiation.
C) Oceans absorb about 40% of the methane out of the atmosphere that has been produced by rice paddies and livestock.
D) Oceans help to reduce the level of water vapor in the atmosphere through condensation and transpiration.
E) All of these answers.

Question 47

Which statement most accurately reflects the projections on temperature-related deaths in humans if our climate projections are accurate?

A) Cold-related deaths will decline, heat-related deaths will increase.
B) Cold-related deaths will increase, heat-related deaths will decline.
C) Cold- and heat-related deaths will not change.
D) Heat-related deaths will not change, but cold-related deaths will.
E) Cold-related deaths will not change, but heat-related deaths will.

Question 48

Which of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is false?

A) The amount of heat trapped in the troposphere depends on concentrations of greenhouse gases.
B) The greenhouse effect is a new theory that explains the warming of the atmosphere.
C) Heat trapped by greenhouse gases keeps the planet warm enough for life.
D) The predominant greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
E) It has been confirmed by numerous lab experiments and measurements of atmospheric temperatures at different altitudes.

Question 49

As of 2009, per capita CO₂ emissions in the United States were

A) Two times as high as China
B) Five times as high as China
C) Two hundred times as high as some of the world's poorest countries
D) A and C are correct
E) B and C are correct

Question 50

A warmer world is least likely to result in

A) decreased food production
B) reductions in biodiversity
C) a rise in sea level
D) more moderate weather
E) spread of tropical diseases

Question 51

According to a 2007 IPCC report, with what amount of probability is it that human activities have been the leading cause of the observed atmospheric warming?

A) at least 50%
B) at least 60%
C) at least 70%
D) at least 80%
E) at least 90%

Question 52

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been implicated in which of the following?

A) increased global warming
B) increased seawater acidity
C) decreased seawater temperatures
D) both increased global warming and increased seawater acidity
E) both increased global warming and decreased seawater temperatures

Question 53

Which of the following best describes the Earth's average surface temperature for the past 900,000 years?

A) a steady warming trend
B) fairly steady temperatures until recently
C) many fluctuations of several degrees centigrade
D) fairly steady with occasional cool spells
E) fairly steady with a recent cooling trend

Question 54

Which of the following would function as a pollution reduction method for motor vehicles?

A) Improve motor efficiency.
B) Rely on mass transit and bicycles.
C) Use emission-control devices.
D) Add a charge to new cars based on the amount of pollution they produce.
E) All of these answers.

Question 55

Methods to prevent pollution from motor vehicle emissions include all of the following except

A) improving fuel efficiency
B) getting older, more polluting cars off the road
C) using pollution-control devices
D) using mass transit
E) walking or biking

Question 56

All of the following are problems that remain to be solved in the United States with respect to air pollution except

A) Dramatically reducing emissions from older power and industrial plants
B) The current laws do not deal seriously with indoor air pollution.
C) Enforcement of the Clean Air Act is too stringent.
D) Airports are exempt from many air pollution regulations.
E) Two-cycle engines need to be regulated more effectively.

Question 57

In a warmer world, we would expect more

A) droughts
B) hurricanes
C) prolonged heat waves
D) desert expansion
E) all of these answers

Question 58

In the arctic

A) Temperatures have risen twice as fast as the rest of the world during the past 50 years
B) Soot is darkening the ice, causing it to reflect more radiation
C) Sea ice is increasing while land based ice is decreasing
D) A and B are correct
E) None of the above

Question 59

Which of the following has provided information associated with past temperature changes?

A) tiny bubbles of ancient air found in ice cores
B) tree rings
C) radioisotopes in rocks and fossils
D) layers of soot trapped in ice cores
E) all of these answers

Question 60

Which of the following would make a greater contribution to rising sea levels?

A) melting sea ice
B) melting land-based ice
C) increased levels of precipitation in some areas
D) increased levels of atmospheric water vapor
E) increased levels of global evaporation and transpiration

Question 61

The Kyoto treaty to reduce global warming

A) does not require developing countries to make any cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions
B) requires participating countries to cut CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions
C) went into effect in 2005
D) was not supported by the U.S. after 2001
E) all of these answers

Question 62

We can slow the rate of ozone hole-creation by

A) stopping production of ozone-depleting chemicals
B) recovering and reusing ozone-depleting chemicals
C) finding substitutes for CFCs
D) all of these answers
E) none of these answers

Question 63

Between the first warnings about CFCs from the scientific community and a response to reduce CFCs from the political community there was a ____-year lag.

A) one
B) five
C) ten
D) fourteen
E) twenty-five

Question 64

President Barack Obama wants the United States to

A) continue to boycott the Kyoto Protocol
B) lead the way in creating a new international agreement on climate change
C) reduce our carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020
D) all of these answers
E) lead the way in creating a new international agreement on climate change and reduce our carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020

Question 65

The molecular structure of stratospheric ozone is identical to ozone that is toxic in the troposphere.

Question 66

Most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the result of human activities.

Question 67

Cow belching results in the release of methane, a greenhouse gas.

Question 68

Chlorofluorocarbons are

A) nontoxic
B) corrosive
C) odorous
D) flammable
E) expensive

Question 69

With immediate and sustained action to stop production of all ozone-depleting chemicals:

A) The ozone-hole problem will be solved immediately.
B) It will take about 5 years for the earth's ozone layer to recover to 1980 levels.
C) It will take about 30 years for the earth's ozone layer to recover to pre-1950 levels.
D) It will take about 60 years for the earth's ozone layer to recover to pre-1950 levels.
E) It will take about 60 years for the earth's ozone layer to recover to 1980 levels.

Question 70

Chlorofluorocarbons are compounds that were not appreciably present in the atmosphere before 1950 and have a significant role in catalyzing decomposition of stratospheric ozone.

Question 71

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Ozone in the lower stratosphere shields the earth from about 95% of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
B) CFCs are odorless and stable.
C) CFCs are nonflammable, nontoxic, and noncorrosive.
D) Fluorine atoms are most responsible for the breakdown of ozone to molecular oxygen.
E) CFCs are cheap to produce.

Question 72

All of the following are prevention approaches to global warming except

A) limiting urban sprawl
B) shifting to renewable energy sources
C) improving energy efficiency and transferring energy-efficiency and pollution-prevention technologies to developing countries
D) slowing population growth
E) dispersing methane from landfills to prevent explosions

Question 73

The threat of global warming can be addressed by

A) using energy more efficiently
B) reducing deforestation
C) slowing population growth
D) all of these answers
E) shifting to renewable resources

Question 74

In 1987, 36 nations meeting in Montreal, Canada, developed the Montreal Protocol to reduce production of

A) carbon dioxide
B) nitrous oxide
C) CFCs
D) toxic wastes
E) halons

Question 75

Which of the following are effects of ozone depletion?

A) increased photochemical smog
B) reduced crop yields
C) immune system suppression
D) reduced phytoplankton populations
E) all of these answers

Question 76

CFCs take ____ years to reach the stratosphere.

A) 1-2
B) 5-10
C) 11-20
D) 21-30
E) 31-50

Question 77

Today, the use of other fossil fuels, nuclear power, and hydroelectricity instead of coal has greatly reduced the occurrence of industrial smog.

Question 78

Nitrogen oxides can combine with water in the atmosphere and form nitric acid, one of the components of harmful acid deposition.

Question 79

Ozone is only toxic in the form that it takes in the stratosphere.

Question 80

As oceans become more acidic, the shells of tiny sea snails tend to dissolve. This is a concern because:

A) The snail shells provide material for jewelry making on south sea islands.
B) The shells are ground up and used for fertilizer for agricultural crops.
C) The snails are the base of a food web that supports entire polar ecosystems.
D) More than one of these are correct.
E) None of these answers.