Deck 17: Sociology and the Environment

Question 1

Many environmental health risks are chronic,involving low-dose exposure over an extended period of time.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

While Marcelo was playing at the park,he picked flowers to make a bouquet for his mother.Rather than scolding him for removing the flowers from a public garden,she praised his efforts and encouraged him to pick more.Which concept best describes this type of behaviour?

A) risk society thesis
B) environmental injustice
C) personal environmental tragedy
D) tragedy of the commons

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Epidemiological studies conducted of the Aamjiwnaang First Nations Reserve show that over the past decade a statistically significant lower number of girls than boys have been born.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Elizabeth drove a clunker of a car with terrible gas mileage,so she used public transit as often as she could and drove the car only when public transit wasn't an option.After winning a fuel-efficient car in a sweepstakes draw,she stopped purchasing bus passes and drove everywhere she needed and wanted to go.What explains Elizabeth's change of behaviour?

A) an energy conservation attitude
B) the effect known as Jevon's paradox
C) an attempt to reduce her carbon footprint
D) an ecostandards approach

Question 5

The tipping point is the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development.

Question 6

Alberta collects more revenue from oil than it does from the province's taxpayers,despite the fact that it has one of the lowest royalty rates for oil extraction in the world.

Question 7

According to your text,what plays a substantial role in influencing the environmental attitudes and behaviours of people?

A) scientific reports
B) popular films
C) environmental journals
D) educational programs

Question 8

What discovery by scientists in 1985 led to the banning of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)in 1987?

A) a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic
B) an unprecedented rise in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere
C) particulate matter levels in the air that exceeded the World Health Organization's guideline levels
D) a causal relationship between lung cancer and chlorofluorocarbons

Question 9

Allyson believes that women are better preservationists of earth as a result of their nurturing nature in contrast to men's dominating nature.Which group would Allyson fall into?

A) radical ecofeminist
B) anticolonial ecofeminist
C) cultural ecofeminist
D) essentialist ecofeminist

Question 10

Nonrenewable resources are infinite in quantity and therefore nonexhaustible.

Question 11

The command-and-control approach to environmental protection serves as the foundation for the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 12

Pollution is considered to be an externality since it occurs outside the pollution-producing plant.

Question 13

Prior to the 1970s,sociologists considered both social and biophysical bases in their analysis of environmental problems.

Question 14

The regulatory agencies in Western Europe have adopted the principle of precaution-a new chemical is not introduced if statistical evidence shows a relationship between its use and a dangerous health effect.

Question 15

Disadvantaged people are the primary victims of pollution.

Question 16

In the 1970s,scientists predicted that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)could rapidly destroy the Earth's ozone layer,but it wasn't until 1987 that CFCs were banned.

Question 17

The livestock raised in factory farming operations are often given megadoses of antibiotics and hormones.

Question 18

The idea of sustainable development suggests that it is possible to have continued economic growth without damaging the environment.

Question 19

Industrialized monoculture is large scale cultivation of a diverse array of organic foods.

Question 20

The psychological tendency known as future discounting means that many people are not inclined to change their environmentally dangerous behaviour since present reality is more important than future possibilities.

Question 21

Cody is in charge of organizing an environmental justice conference,and is in the process of lining up the guest speakers.Which environmental issue is most likely to be the featured talk at this symposium?

A) pollution
B) ozone depletion
C) genetically modified food
D) biodiversity

Question 22

Lyn grew up in a fishing town in Newfoundland with her father and brothers working long hours in the fish-canning factory.She moved with her family to Alberta in 1993,in order for her father and brothers to find work.What would explain this cross-country move?

A) The fish-canning factories were closing down as a result of a government moratorium.
B) The fish-canning industry moved all work offshore to developing countries with lower wage costs.
C) The fish-canning industry was facing a huge increase in corporate tax rates,so smaller factories closed.
D) All the fish-canning factories were losing money due to low market demand,so they closed.

Question 23

Tania's course outline asserts that students will be exploring the development and implementation of environmental policies and discussing the interactions of government with industry and consumers while addressing environmental issues.What class is Tania enrolled in?

A) lobby groups-policy and practice
B) environmental governance
C) economic environmentalism
D) resource curse in resource-poor countries

Question 24

David's course assignment was to investigate the connections between human beings and nature and the impact one has on the other.What class was David enrolled in?

A) alternative environmental studies
B) environmental sociology
C) geophysical sociology
D) organic sociology

Question 25

The Buckminster Fuller Institute sponsored a corporate challenge to "make the world work for 100 percent of humanity" and asked for submissions outlining proposed industry strategies to address environmental concerns.What was the Institute advocating?

A) alternative environmental design
B) modern science system
C) sustainable development
D) conquer nature program

Question 26

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick invites a leading environmentalist to speak at its annual general meeting,and he tells the audience that the planet is rapidly approaching the time beyond which the global ecosystem will not be able to sustain life.Which term best characterizes this moment in time?

A) point of no return
B) doomsday clock
C) ecological limit
D) tipping point

Question 27

Josie learned that a development company would be cutting down an old-growth rain forest in the interior of British Columbia.She organized a number of people to join her protest,and on the day scheduled for the industrial clear-cut,they tied themselves to the trees.Josie also ensured that the media was present to record their protest.What were Josie and her fellow protestors doing?

A) creating a high-profile event
B) fighting a losing battle
C) staging a morality play
D) halting progress

Question 28

What evidence did the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change use to support its conclusion that there has been a dramatic rise in greenhouse gas since the time of industrialization?

A) recorded temperatures of the past 150 years
B) scientific models of carbon dioxide emissions
C) carbon dioxide readings taken from tree rings and coral reefs
D) solar flare analyses of the past 150 years

Question 29

Lorraine studied a group of people living at the edge of an expanding swamp.She wanted to know if people's actions were influenced by the swamp and/or if they would work to alter the swamp itself (e.g. ,draining the land).Which research field is Lorraine working in?

A) environmental sociology
B) sociology of environmental issues
C) sociology of the everyday
D) behavioural sociology

Question 30

In the ongoing "climate change debates," which group is least likely to be identified as having an interest in overemphasizing the need for global action on climate change?

A) the media
B) fossil fuel industries
C) academic climate change researchers
D) island nations that are experiencing rising sea-levels

Question 31

According to your text,when did environmental issues become prominent?

A) following the publication of Silent Spring
B) after the publication of Our Common Future
C) when the Minister of the Environment drew everyone's attention to air polluting industries
D) following the spread of Dutch elm disease across the country

Question 32

Which country does NOT strongly opposed the imposition of regulations to limit the greenhouse gas emissions of domestic industries?

A) Canada
B) United Kingdom
C) United States
D) Saudi Arabia

Question 33

Which of the following was responsible for the establishing of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?

A) United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization
B) United States,China,and various European countries
C) political attendees of the Kyoto Convention
D) environmentally conscious citizens of developed nations

Question 34

Wei,an exchange student from China,was called upon to give an example of an externality that she experienced in her homeland.Which of the following would she cite?

A) the decreasing number of persons afflicted with SARS
B) government statistics showing an increasing unemployment rate
C) weather bureau warnings against exercising outdoors
D) the increasing number of postsecondary graduates

Question 35

Extracting oil from the Alberta tar sands is a very difficult technical process.What is a consequence of this reality?

A) Tar sands oil extraction is being halted in favour of normal oil extraction.
B) Tar sand oil-extracting companies are working on new and easier extraction methods.
C) Tar sands oil generates twice the greenhouse gas emissions of normal oil extraction.
D) Tar sands oil generates three times the greenhouse gas emissions of normal oil extraction.

Question 36

Who was the author of Silent Spring?

A) Ulrich Beck
B) Club of Rome
C) United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development
D) Rachel Carson

Question 37

Which thesis predicts that the level of environmental concern in a population follows the levels of prosperity and hardship being experienced by the citizens?

A) economic-contingency
B) globalization
C) broadening-base
D) environmental-diffusion

Question 38

What is another name for the cap-and-trade system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

A) ecofriendly fees
B) marketable pollution permits
C) environmental licensing
D) the polluter pays tax

Question 39

The province of Alberta collects more revenue from oil than it does from Alberta citizens.While this may appear beneficial,there are serious social and political ramifications.Which of the following would be a consequence of this arrangement?

A) The government is more inclined to measure oil production and accurately report oil royalties.
B) The public is more likely to scrutinize how the government is spending the oil royalties revenue.
C) The government is more apt to regulate environmental standards.
D) The government is more prone to accommodating the needs of the petroleum sector.

Question 40

Marcus drives his family crazy-going around and turning off lights,lecturing his brother on recycling,and instructing his mother on how to use less water and hydro when doing laundry.But when he is with his friends,Marcus discusses his ongoing purchases of computer monitors,keyboards,and the 54-inch LED television that replaces his 42-inch LCD purchase of last year.What is Marcus demonstrating?

A) command and control approach to environmental issues and problems
B) different framing of environmental issues and problems
C) environmentally friendly attitude and approach
D) consequences of the resource curse

Question 41

In a conversation with her friends,Dana was asked to give an example of an environmental tipping point.Which of the following would she offer?

A) Researchers report that they have discovered a connection between wind power turbines and hearing loss in humans.
B) Researchers report that permafrost in a region of Siberia has started to melt for the first time since it formed 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age.
C) Researchers report that global warming is responsible for the increase of methane in the atmosphere.
D) Researchers report an increasing number of community gardens in urban areas.

Question 42

What environmental issue was the focus of the third wave of environmentalism?

A) global climate change
B) acid rain
C) the use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture
D) the preservation of natural wilderness areas

Question 43

What characterizes the second wave of environmentalism?

A) It addressed the issue of acid rain.
B) It saw the emergence of the federal Green Party.
C) It focused on environmental threats to human health.
D) Its primary focus was addressing global climate change.

Question 44

Which of the following has the lowest royalty rate on industry oil revenue?

A) Alberta
B) California
C) New Brunswick
D) Venezuela

Question 45

What precipitated the first wave of the modern environmental movement?

A) emergence of the federal Green Party
B) issue of global climate change
C) publication of Silent Spring
D) extensive impact of industrialization on forests

Question 46

According to your text,what can be said about the phenomenon of climate change?

A) It is a scientifically established truth.
B) It is a popular truth as established through the mass media.
C) It is an indisputable truth.
D) It is a truth that is reflected in people's environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Question 47

After watching a pre-election political debate,Wayne commented to Wendy that he was amazed at the amount of time used by the major parties to discuss their position on environmental issues.Wendy said there was a really good explanation for that.Which of the following would she offer?

A) because of the Kyoto Accord
B) because of the growing magnitude of environmental issues
C) because of the increasing number of diseases associated with environmental hazards
D) because of the existence of the Green Party and the major parties' fear that they would lose votes

Question 48

What represents the largest contributor to climate change?

A) the melting of the polar icecaps
B) fossil fuel-intensive industries
C) citizens of unindustrialized countries
D) changing ocean currents and increased solar activity

Question 49

As City X grew,a new source of energy was needed to power the increasing number of factories and homes.A wind farm was built and companies were given subsidies to use solar power.Which concept includes the logic behind developing wind and solar power rather than using oil or coal?

A) modern urban expansion
B) resource conservation
C) sustainable development
D) environmental conservation

Question 50

What is greenwashing?

A) Transforming products to be more ethical.
B) Making a product appear more ethical than it really is.
C) Converting the company to green production methods.
D) Convincing customers to buy ethically.

Question 51

Which of the following would you find involved in the operations of the Global Climate Coalition?

A) politicians and government employees
B) the new middle-class environmentalists
C) Shell Oil,General Motors,and Ford
D) naturalists,geologists,and biologists

Question 52

Which of the following has been documented by epidemiological studies conducted on the Aamjiwnaang First Nations Reserve in Chemical Valley?

A) a statistically significant lower number of boys than girls have been born
B) a statistically significant lower number of girls than boys have been born
C) breastfeeding mothers have extreme levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)in their breast milk
D) residents show a high level of radioactive contamination

Question 53

Who developed the risk society thesis?

A) Anthony Giddens
B) Ulrich Beck
C) Robert Bullard
D) Erving Goffman

Question 54

Who comprises the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?

A) scientists interpreting climate studies
B) oil industrialists seeking to create doubt
C) new middle-class environmentalists
D) signatory countries of the Kyoto Protocol

Question 55

Which country was the first in the world to ban bisphenol A from baby bottles?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) Sweden
D) Australia

Question 56

According to your text,why do the news media often report on environmental issues and problems?

A) The media are in the business of informing the public.
B) The media need to appease the environmentalists in their audience.
C) The media have to promote a socially responsible position.
D) Environmental news items are often associated with controversy and drama.

Question 57

Phanat was telling his classmates about scientists finding a region in Siberia where a million square kilometres of permafrost was melting.This was followed with his assertion that runaway global warming and worldwide social,economic,and environmental devastation was imminent.What was Phanat arguing?

A) that the Earth's environmental system had reached a tipping point
B) an apocalyptic environmental perspective
C) a nonrenewable resource position
D) the perspective of a risk society theorist

Question 58

The citizens of Nimbi were actively involved in environmental movements throughout the decade in which the country was recording ever-increasing levels of economic growth.Then a recession hit,and their interest and participation severely declined.What reason could be given to account for this?

A) They were bridging the difference between dominant and alternative environmental outlooks.
B) They realized the wisdom of future discounting.
C) They were following the logic of economic contingency.
D) They considered themselves trapped in a high-carbon society.

Question 59

Which movement resulted from the recognition that people in subordinate positions are exposed to more and greater environmental risk factors than are experienced by people occupying dominant positions?

A) full-stomach environmentalist
B) risk management
C) environmental justice
D) environmental inequality

Question 60

Julia is an ardent supporter of sustainable development.In her presentation at city hall,which statement would she be arguing?

A) We need more resources to be directed towards economic growth.
B) We need to allocate more resources for the development of industrial land.
C) We need to promote growth that will minimize resource depletion and pollution.
D) We should direct fewer resources towards economic growth.

Question 61

Which hypothesis predicts that the broadening of environmental concerns depends on the prevailing economic conditions?

A) globalization of economics
B) broadening-base
C) environmental-diffusion
D) economic-contingency

Question 62

Jason loved taking long showers,but his environmentally conscious mom knocked on the bathroom door after 10 minutes,saying that he had used enough water.For a birthday gift,he gave his mom a shower head that uses 50 percent less water.Since then,both he and his mom take half-hour showers.What explains the change of attitude of Jason's mom?

A) a reframing of environmental issues
B) an energy conservation attitude
C) the effect known as Jevon's paradox
D) an ecostandards approach

Question 63

According to cultural ecofeminists,what biases in Western culture are responsible for environmental issues?

A) patriarchal
B) matriarchal
C) industrialized
D) colonial

Question 64

What was explored in Silent Spring?

A) the impact of nuclear power and wastes
B) the impact of pesticides
C) the impact of global warming
D) the impact of genetically modified organisms

Question 65

Which wave of the modern environmental movement adopted a somewhat adversarial approach and anti-industrial viewpoint?

A) first wave
B) second wave
C) third wave
D) fourth wave

Question 66

Brian learned that an international logging company was going to be clear cutting an old growth forest of Douglas fir trees in Cathedral Grove.He and other members of the "Friends of the Grove" group organized a "Crime Against Nature" protest,scheduling it for the day the loggers were to start work and issuing a press release.The day of the protest,representatives from four major news outlets showed up.Why?

A) It was a slow news day.
B) Environmental issues are associated with controversy and dramatic moments.
C) The media has a mandate to cover human interest stories.
D) It was an international rather than domestic logging company.

Question 67

In class,Jim was asked to give a clear and concise explanation of Jevon's paradox.Which of the following would he use?

A) issues that are intangible and less visible are not immediately thought of
B) answering the question "What's going on here?"
C) choosing less now,rather than more later
D) more efficiency leads to more consumption

Question 68

Why was Agent Orange (a cancer-causing chemical)sprayed in areas of Northern Ontario in the mid-1960s?

A) to kill spruce trees
B) to stop the spread of Dutch elm disease
C) to kill birch,maple,and poplar trees
D) to eradicate the pine bark beetle population

Question 69

What is the "tragedy of the commons" a reference to?

A) how individual irrationality can result in group rationality
B) how the countries producing the least greenhouse gas per capita reap the greatest benefits
C) how companies that produce the pollution are penalized the most
D) how the pursuit of short-term individual gain leads to long-term collective costs

Question 70

What attribute of the dominant class explains why disadvantaged people are the primary victims of pollution?

A) People with power live closer to the cleaner sources of pollution.
B) Poor people choose to live in polluted,urban working-class neighbourhoods.
C) Dominant-class members can afford home-based pollution control devices.
D) Wealthy people have the political clout to keep polluters away from their homes.

Question 71

Which of the following expends great energy to discredit scientific research on climate change?

A) developing nations that want to be industrialized
B) industries that provide alternative sources of energy
C) government officials who do not want to pass environmental legislation
D) fossil fuel-intensive industries

Question 72

In 1982,AIDS went from being a rare disease affecting a small,predominantly homosexual,population to a world-wide epidemic.Which term most accurately reflects this phenomenon?

A) tipping point
B) body burden
C) disease crisis
D) epidemiological transition

Question 73

When growing up,Randy was always being told to turn off the lights when he left the room and he copied this practice with his own children.Then Randy and Sharon and their kids moved into their custom designed home,replete with recessed energy-efficient LED lighting throughout.After a few months,turning off the lights in unoccupied rooms was no longer a family practice.Which concept would best explain this change of attitude and behaviour?

A) future discounting
B) Jevon's paradox
C) competing claims
D) economic contingency

Question 74

Which of the following is the best definition of externality?

A) the cost of doing business
B) the negative effect of recycling
C) the alternative to internal production runs
D) a private company cost imposed on the public at large

Question 75

Who introduced the idea of sustainable development?

A) Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring
B) Ulrich Beck in his risk society thesis
C) the Club of Rome report
D) the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development

Question 76

In his economics class,Judson learned that countries that are rich in resources have slower-growing economies and greater inequality than countries that are resource poor.What term describes this phenomenon?

A) political dysfunction
B) resource curse
C) environmental injustice
D) resource contingency

Question 77

Natural resources in Canada are owned by the government,and private companies pay a royalty to extract natural resources.What is the royalty rate that Alberta receives from companies extracting oil?

A) 29 percent of net revenue
B) 39 percent of net revenue
C) 29 percent of gross revenue
D) 39 percent of gross revenue

Question 78

In the tragedy of the commons,what does "the commons" refer to?

A) the popularly elected component of Parliament
B) a copyright license that enables the free distribution of a copyrighted work
C) any shared and limited resource
D) the privatization of wealth

Question 79

Jeremy asked Ahmad,an international student from Saudi Arabia,what it was like to grow up in a rich country with the largest crude oil reserves in the world.Ahmad explained that his fellow citizens were being impoverished-their per capita income was almost $30,000 in the early 1980s and was currently less than $7,000.Which of the following would explain this phenomenon?

A) diminishing economic returns
B) declining crude oil prices
C) resource curse
D) the switch to environmentally friendly energy

Question 80

In a poll taken during the 2008-2009 recession,what percentage of Canadians believed that environmental issues were not garnering the necessary attention?

A) 54
B) 64
C) 74
D) 84