Deck 10: Managing for Sustainability

Question 1

One potential cost of environmental regulation is reduced capital investment.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Since 2000,most changes to federal regulatory oversight of environmental protection have been due to:
A)

A) Supreme Court rulings.
B) Agency rulemaking.
C) Executive action.
D) Both B and C, but not

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 requires permits for most point sources of pollution,such as industrial emissions.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Current sustainability managers believe that the most important determinant of their success is their subject-matter expertise.

Question 5

Effective environmental management requires an integrated approach that involves all parts of the business organization.

Question 6

An ecologically sustainable organization is a business that addresses environmental issues only when they pose an immediate threat.

Question 7

Environmental regulations,such as energy conservation,depress the economy.

Question 8

Recent reports indicate that sustainability is becoming a less strategic part of business.

Question 9

The EPA has identified carbon monoxide as the sole indicator of the overall level of air pollution.

Question 10

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976,the government regulates hazardous waste from "cradle to grave."

Question 11

The Clean Air Act of 1990 incorporated the concept of tradable allowances as a key part of its approach to pollution reduction.

Question 12

Which of the following is not true about water pollution?

A) It affects crop yields.
B) It can be caused by pesticides and herbicides.
C) It can be caused by biodegradable products.
D) The Water Pollution Control Act maintains the integrity of all surface water in the United States.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true of air pollution?

A) Air pollution occurs when more pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere than can be safely absorbed and diluted by natural processes.
B) A majority of the people in the U.S. breathe unsafe air for at least part of the year.
C) Air pollution caused by particulate matter is responsible for fewer than 600 premature or unnecessary deaths annually.
D) The EPA has identified hundreds of "criteria" pollutants, relatively common harmful substances that serve as indicators of overall levels of air pollution.

Question 14

The first United States federal laws to protect the environment involved protecting navigable waterways.

Question 15

When the company that originally polluted a Superfund site can be identified,it is required to pay for the cleanup.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is not true with respect to acid rain?

A) A primary source of acid rain is coal-fired utilities.
B) Acid rain occurs when carbon dioxide combines with water vapor in the atmosphere.
C) Acid rain is worse in some regions of the United States than others.
D) Acid rain degrades buildings.

Question 17

In the United States,the federal government regulates which of the following major areas of environmental protection?

A) Air pollution.
B) Water pollution.
C) Land pollution.
D) All of the above.

Question 18

By setting a common standard for all firms,government can take the cost of pollution control out of competition.

Question 19

Rewards and incentives are effective ways to make business people consider the environmental impacts of their actions.

Question 20

Efforts to prevent inequitable exposure to risk,such as from hazardous waste,are sometimes referred to as the movement for environmental justice.

Question 21

In the U.S.,most solid waste ends up:

A) Recycled.
B) Composted.
C) Incinerated.
D) In landfills.

Question 22

The process of firms buying and selling the right to pollute is an example of which type of environmental regulation?

A) Command.
B) Control.
C) Market-based.
D) Emissions charges.

Question 23

Which of the following is (are)true about emission fees?

A) Each business is charged for the undesirable pollution that it emits.
B) Companies emitting more pollutants end up paying more pollution taxes.
C) Revenues from emission fees can be used to support environmental efforts.
D) All of the above.

Question 24

Which of the following statements accurately describe the role of chief sustainability officer?

A) Typically reports to the CEO.
B) Supervises staff across functional areas.
C) Requires strong interpersonal skills.
D) All of the above.

Question 25

Being able to continue their activities indefinitely,without altering the carrying capacity of the earth's ecosystem,is a characteristic of:

A) Ecologically sustainable organizations.
B) Concerned citizens.
C) Codes of environmental conduct.
D) Environmental regulations.

Question 26

Which of the following is true about the Toxic Substances Control Act?

A) It required reductions in urban smog, acid rain, and greenhouse gas emissions.
B) It established a national policy to regulate, restrict, and, if necessary, ban toxic chemicals.
C) It promoted nontoxic chemicals and fuels for business use.
D) It authorized funds for treatment plans and toxic waste cleanup.

Question 27

Which stage of corporate environmental responsibility focuses on the full life cycle of a product?

A) Pollution prevention stage.
B) Clean technology stage.
C) Product stewardship stage.
D) Green management stage.

Question 28

Which of the following statements is (are)true about the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)?

A) It established a fund supported primarily by a tax on the petroleum and chemical companies.
B)
B) It is regarded as one of the most successful environmental laws.
C) The funds collected are used to clean up sites where the original polluter cannot be identified.
D) Both A and C, but not

Question 29

Environmental regulations stimulate some sectors of the economy by:

A) Creating jobs in industries like environmental consulting, asbestos abatement, and instrument manufacturing.
B) Saving jobs in industries like fishing and tourism when natural areas are protected or restored.
C) Compelling businesses to become more efficient by conserving energy.
D) All of the above.

Question 30

When businesses form voluntary,collaborative partnerships with environmental organizations and regulators to achieve specific objectives this is called:

A) Inter-organizational alliances.
B) Environmental partnerships.
C) Cross-functional teams.
D) Command and control.

Question 31

Which of the following is indicative of a firm in the pollution prevention stage of the corporate environmental responsibility model?

A) Realizing that it would be less efficient and more expensive to prevent pollution before it is created.
B) Focusing on all environmental impacts of the product life-cycle.
C) Minimizing or eliminating waste before it is created.
D) Incurring losses due to environmental costs.

Question 32

Which of the following is not a possible cost of environmental regulation?

A) Unemployment.
B) Reduced capital investment.
C) Corporate restructuring.
D) Lowered productivity.

Question 33

Which of the following statements is not true about environmental standards?

A) Regulatory agencies can establish standard allowable levels of pollutants.
B) The government has the power to command business firms to comply with certain standards.
C) The government rarely interferes in a business's choice of pollution technology.
D) They are the most widely used methods of regulation.

Question 34

General Electric's "Ecomagination" effort to invest in clean technology is an example of:

A) Pollution prevention.
B) Product stewardship.
C) Clean technology.
D) None of the above.

Question 35

Which of the following is not true about the guidelines for sentencing environmental wrongdoers set by the U.S.Sentencing Commission in the event of a violation?

A) The penalties reflect the severity of the offense and the company's demonstrated environmental commitment.
B) Businesses having an active compliance program would receive lighter sentences.
C) Businesses having no active compliance program would be granted an extension to develop a program.
D) Businesses that promptly assisted any victims would receive lighter sentences.

Question 36

Sustainability leaders have found that the most effective environmental management approach involves:

A) A team of line managers from across the business organization.
B) Leadership from top-level executives who make all corporate decisions.
C) Only shareholders.
D) An engaged board of directors that dictates strategy.

Question 37

In 2013 what percentage of large firms issued triple bottom line reporting in a single document?

A) 10 percent.
B) 45 percent.
C) 72 percent.
D) 93 percent.

Question 38

Which of these statements is true about ecologically sustainable organizations?

A) Making and transporting products using minimal energy.
B) Using more natural resources than they replenish.
C)
C) Designing products with limited durability.
D) A and B, but not

Question 39

Which country has made the greatest progress in reducing its solid waste stream?

A) United Kingdom.
B) Germany.
C) Sweden.
D) United States.

Question 40

Environmental justice is a movement to:

A) Prevent inequitable exposure to risk, such as from hazardous waste.
B) Identify polluters and require them to pay for the cleanup of their toxic waste.
C) Reduce pollution at the source, rather than treat and dispose of waste at the "end of the pipe."
D) Specifically restrict the use of dangerous pesticides which can pollute groundwater.

Question 41

Discuss the following statement: "Effective sustainability management makes firms more competitive."

Question 42

Some researchers believe that business firms moving towards ecological sustainability results in:

A) Competitive advantages.
B) Decreased worker productivity.
C) More government regulation.
D) Less money for shareholders.

Question 43

Companies that cultivate a vision of sustainability must adopt sophisticated strategic planning techniques to:

A) Increase the competitive advantage of other global organizations.
B) Detect the limited number of internal factors that influence the employee performance reviews.
C) Allow their top manager to assess the full range of the firm's effects on the environment.
D) Increase the number of government regulations that are passed to reduce pollution.

Question 44

What are the appropriate civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate environmental laws? What types of guidelines exist for sentencing environmental wrongdoers?

Question 45

Cost-benefit analysis seeks to weigh the relative costs and benefits of various alternatives,to see which one gives the "best value." Of the various areas of environmental protection discussed in this chapter (air,water,and land),which one do you think has been the best value? Which has been the worst value? On what basis do you think so?

Question 46

Companies that reduce pollution and hazardous waste,reuse or recycle materials,and operate with greater energy efficiency achieve a competitive advantage due to:

A) Technological innovation.
B) Product differentiation.
C) Green marketing.
D) Cost savings.

Question 47

Commercial buildings and industrial facilities account for a major share of a company's environmental impact.Identify one business that has implemented green building standards and describe the advantages they have gained from their efforts.

Question 48

When environmentally proactive companies seek out imaginative,innovative new methods for reducing pollution and increasing efficiency,they are adopting which strategy?

A) Technological innovation.
B) Product differentiation.
C) Brand differentiation.
D) Cost savings.

Question 49

When companies develop a reputation for environmental excellence,and they produce and deliver products and services designed to attract environmentally aware customers,this is called:

A) Technological innovation.
B) Strategic planning.
C) Brand differentiation.
D) Cost savings.

Question 50

Describe the sustainability management practices of a business firm with which you are familiar.Which stage of the corporate environmental responsibility model best fits this firm,and why? Looking again at this same firm,what steps might its managers take to improve its environmental performance? In answering this question,consider the various elements of effective environmental management.

Question 51

Do you think businesses should voluntarily undertake environmental efforts,beyond those required by law? Why or why not?

Question 52

Briefly describe acid rain.Do you think a command-and-control or market-based regulatory approach would work better to reduce acid rain emissions,and why?