Deck 18: Environmental Issues

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the underlying factors amplifying environmental concerns?

A)climate change
B)depletion of resources
C)world overpopulation
D)lack of environmental concern

Answer 1

lack of environmental concern

Question 2

What index value of the Air Quality Index (AQI) indicates an unhealthy air quality level for the general population?

A)51-100
B)101-150
C)151-200
D)201-300

Answer 2

151-200

Question 3

The two major sources of pollutants involved in acid deposition are nitrogen dioxide and

A)sulfur dioxide.
B)carbon dioxide.
C)chlorofluorocarbons.
D)polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Answer 3

sulfur dioxide.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about water pollution is NOT true?

A)Exposure to lead can cause serious health problems.
B)Warm water is less likely to contain lead that has been leached from supply pipes.
C)Lead pipes and lead solder on pipes have been banned in the United States.
D)Letting water run for a minute or so can minimize lead exposure.

Question 5

The innermost layer of the atmosphere is called the

A)biosphere.
B)stratosphere.
C)ozone.
D)troposphere.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an effective method recommended to Americans for conservation of water?

A)Run the dishwasher empty once a week to avoid calcification.
B)Turn off sink faucets when brushing your teeth.
C)Purchase appliances with "Energy Star" labels.
D)Wash your clothes only when you have a full load.

Question 7

What 1974 legislation established safety standards for drinking water?

A)Safe Groundwater Act
B)Anti-Pollution Drinking Water Act
C)Contaminant-Free Drinking Water Act
D)Safe Drinking Water Act

Question 8

Which law established national emission standards for more than 188 different air pollutants?

A)Pollution Act of 1990
B)Emissions Act of 1990
C)Clean Air Act of 1990
D)Smog Act of 1990

Question 9

Water stored in aquifers eventually flows back into

A)rivers and lakes.
B)reservoirs.
C)sewers.
D)wells.

Question 10

Water resource experts say the main cause of water waste is

A)household and landscaping use, which exceeds all other water expenditures.
B)the artificially low cost of water, which limits the financial incentive to conserve.
C)the "virtual water" system that encourages communities to overuse even during drought conditions.
D)cost systems that differentiate between core living needs and luxury uses.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is NOT true about smog?

A)Photochemical smog problems are amplified by temperature inversion.
B)Industrial smog occurs mostly in warm weather.
C)Photochemical smog forms when various types of air pollution from industry and automobiles mix.
D)All modern cities have photochemical smog.

Question 12

What is the name of the international protocol that calls for nations to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases?

A)Montreal Protocol
B)Greenhouse Emission Protocol
C)Kyoto Protocol
D)United Nation Protocol

Question 13

The protective shield created by ozone in the stratosphere prevents about ________ percent of the sun's UV rays from reaching the earth's surface.

A)60
B)75
C)85
D)95

Question 14

The upper atmosphere layer is called the

A)stratosphere.
B)biosphere.
C)troposphere.
D)ozone layer.

Question 15

Which type of smog is a major problem in many cities in developed countries during the summer?

A)industrial
B)photochemical
C)exhaust
D)pseudo-organic

Question 16

Which source of water makes up 95 percent of the world's supply of fresh water?

A)surface water
B)precipitation
C)groundwater
D)ocean water

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the "criteria pollutants" found in air pollution?

A)carbon monoxide
B)nitrogen oxide
C)ground-level ozone
D)carbon dioxide

Question 18

Which of the following statements is NOT true about water?

A)Most surface-water reservoirs in the United States are contaminated by discharge pollutants.
B)The primary source of groundwater contamination is sewage treatment plants.
C)Groundwater supplies about half of the drinking water in the United States.
D)It is very difficult to clean up contaminated aquifers.

Question 19

Scientists estimate that about ________ percent of the earth's water is available for human use.

A)0.014
B)1.0
C)12.0
D)25.0

Question 20

Which of the following statements about temperature inversion is NOT true?

A)Temperature inversion causes a layer of warm air to trap a cooler layer of smog in an area.
B)Sunny climates with light winds are at a decreased risk for temperature inversion.
C)Large cities located in valleys surrounded by mountains are at an increased risk for temperature inversion.
D)If a temperature inversion lasts more than a few days, pollutants at ground level can build up to dangerous levels.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of the most dangerous indoor air pollutants, according to the EPA?

A)formaldehyde
B)radon
C)mold
D)environmental tobacco smoke

Question 22

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding wetland areas?

A)Wetlands provide breeding areas for wildlife.
B)Wetlands help prevent flooding.
C)Wetlands keep the water table low during droughts.
D)In the past 200 years, over 50 percent of U.S.wetlands have been destroyed.

Question 23

The average home in the United States generates about ________ pounds of hazardous waste annually.

A)50
B)75
C)100
D)200

Question 24

The world's largest energy consumer is

A)the United States.
B)China.
C)India.
D)Russia.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about deforestation is NOT true?

A)About 90 percent of the world's forest loss is occurring in tropical forests.
B)Tropical forests make up only six percent of the world's land but are home to 50 to 90 percent of all terrestrial species.
C)Reforestation in North America in the years since 1920 has had no measurable effect on the size and health of the continent's forests.
D)At present deforestation rates, 50 percent of tropical species could be extinct by 2042.

Question 26

People in the United States lead the world in yearly per-person garbage production, at approximately ________ pounds per year.

A)500
B)1,600
C)2,100
D)3,000

Question 27

The United States gets ________ of its commercial energy from nonrenewable sources.

A)none
B)most
C)almost all
D)all

Question 28

Scientists estimate that only 0.014 percent of the earth's water is readily available for human use.

Question 29

Aquifers are large rivers.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT among the projected effects of climate change?

A)more extreme weather events
B)increased drought
C)a worldwide drop in rain volumes
D)shrinking ice and a rising sea

Question 31

Which of the following statements is NOT true about waste management in the United States?

A)Sanitary landfills are designed to prevent leaching into water supplies and soil for at least 10 to 40 years.
B)One of the primary disposal methods of hazardous waste is injection into sanitary landfills.
C)Medical waste disposal is strictly regulated by the states.
D)Some solid waste is burned in large city incinerators.

Question 32

Groundwater makes up 95 percent of the world's supply of fresh water.

Question 33

The fact that there is less sea ice so that the sun warms ocean water more, which in turn causes more sea ice to melt, is best described as

A)the greenhouse effect.
B)a deposition.
C)a temperature inversion.
D)a feedback loop.

Question 34

In comparison with groundwater, surface water is contaminated very little by industrial and agricultural waste.

Question 35

The United Nations predicts the world population will reach roughly ________ people by 2050.

A)9 billion
B)20 billion
C)25 billion
D)50 billion

Question 36

Today, Americans produce what percentage of the world's solid waste?

A)15 percent
B)28 percent
C)33 percent
D)49 percent

Question 37

What is the term used to refer to the conversion of once-fruitful land into desert?

A)desertification
B)deforestation
C)second-growth forest conversion
D)old-growth forest conversion

Question 38

According to analysts, the earth's cultural carrying capacity is

A)the same as the global carrying capacity.
B)more than the global carrying capacity.
C)much less than the global carrying capacity.
D)unpredictable.

Question 39

What flame retardant chemical used in plastic and foam products accumulates in human tissue and may cause chromosome abnormalities?

A)polybrominated diphenyl ethers
B)formaldehyde
C)nitrogen oxide
D)asbestos

Question 40

The number of people the earth can support at an optimum standard of living is known as

A)the global carrying capacity.
B)subsistence living.
C)the cultural carrying capacity.
D)the ecological footprint.

Question 41

Steps you can take to improve air quality include maintaining your car in good working order and keeping your tires inflated to the right pressure.

Question 42

Ozone in the upper atmosphere prevents 95 percent of the sun's UV rays from reaching the earth's surface.

Question 43

Owners of private wells are not required to comply with Environmental Protection Agency health standards.

Question 44

Some ecologists believe replacing old-growth forests with second-growth forests has caused an overall reduction in biodiversity.

Question 45

If e-waste is not properly disposed of, it can cause ecological damage.

Question 46

Most of the solid waste produced in the United States is garbage and refuse from businesses and homes.

Question 47

Without the greenhouse effect, the earth's temperature would be much colder and less hospitable to life.

Question 48

Hazardous waste is primarily stored in sanitary landfills.

Question 49

About one in three people has an unusual susceptibility to ozone.

Question 50

The Air Quality Index measures air pollutants in communities on a 0 to 100 scale.

Question 51

Antibacterial soap, shampoo, shaving lotion, and skin cream are among contaminants of emerging concern because they are showing up in local rivers and other sources.

Question 52

The introduction of nonnative species into lakes disrupts the balance of the ecosystem but usually does not affect native species.

Question 53

Ozone is an odorless and colorless gas that is hazardous to health in the lower atmosphere.

Question 54

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects most of the waterways in the United States from development for public and commercial recreation use.

Question 55

The cutting down of trees in the past three decades is making forests a nonrenewable resource.

Question 56

The United States comprises 4.5 percent of the world's population but generates almost 33 percent of the world's solid waste.

Question 57

The burning of coal and oil significantly contributes to industrial smog.

Question 58

Photochemical smog occurs mostly in cold weather and produces a low-lying layer of pollution close to the earth's surface.

Question 59

Human activities, not natural events, are the primary cause of air pollution today.

Question 60

Public exposure to medical waste is very rare in the United States.

Question 61

The type of air pollution that forms when pollutants from motor vehicle exhaust and other sources combine in the presence of sunlight and heat is called ________ smog.

Question 62

The atmosphere is the whole mass of air surrounding the earth.The innermost layer of atmosphere is called the ________, or lower atmosphere.

Question 63

Incoming sunlight and a natural process called the ________ effect work together to warm the earth's surface and lower atmosphere.Greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb some of the solar heat radiated by the earth's surface.

Question 64

The 1974 ________ Drinking Water Act established many health standards for drinking water.

Question 65

Global carrying capacity refers to the maximum level of population that still maintains an optimum standard of living.

Question 66

The Air ________ Index measures air pollution and is issued daily by the EPA.

Question 67

The success of family planning programs in developing nations has been mixed.

Question 68

Analysts estimate that the global carrying capacity of the earth is about 50 billion people.

Question 69

Water not used by plants or carried as surface water into lakes or rivers slowly sinks into ground ________, giant underground water reservoirs.

Question 70

The type of air pollution that forms mostly in cold weather and is caused primarily by burning large amounts of coal and oil is called ________ smog.

Question 71

Americans consume more resources, generate more pollution, and discard more waste than any other people on the planet.

Question 72

Attractive landscaping that saves water by using native plants, avoiding supplemental irrigation, and preventing the loss of water to evaporation and run-off is referred to as ________.

Question 73

Under normal conditions, the air of the earth's surface is heated by the sun and rises to mix with cool air above it, but in a temperature ________, a warm layer of air moves in over a cooler layer of smog.This new layer sits on top of existing smog, trapping it so the air cannot leave.

Question 74

Approaches to population control include empowering women and increasing their access to educational and employment opportunities.

Question 75

The odorless, colorless gas composed of three atoms of oxygen is ________.

Question 76

The presence of one or more chemicals in the atmosphere that are of sufficient quality and quantity to cause harm to all forms of life and materials is referred to as ________ pollution.

Question 77

Dependence on oil, coal, and natural gas is the primary cause of air pollution, water pollution, and global warming.

Question 78

The water we use comes from surface water and ________.

Question 79

Water that is used to produce food, consumer products, and other services is called ________ water.

Question 80

Any chemical, biological, or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes it unsuitable for desired use is called water ________.