Deck 24: Sustainable Solutions

Question 1

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
Archaeological evidence shows that, in a manner similar to Easter Island, the first settlers cleared forests by burning them and feasted on the birds, fish, turtles, and bats. The archaeological middens (trash piles)show that they extirpated numerous species of plants, birds, and bats, that the fish and shellfish numbers declined dramatically, and that the average sizes of these organisms was drastically reduced. By the end of the first thousand years of residency, the initial food resources were gone and Tikopians began to raise pigs as a major protein source. Suddenly, about 500 years later, the people killed every pig on the island. This is most likely because .

A)they were having a huge celebration of some event, such as a victory over an enemy
B)they realized they were better off eating vegetables than feeding vegetables to pigs and eating pigs
C)their chiefs made it taboo to eat pork
D)they were tired of pork
E)they had a serious problem, such as a prolonged drought, and sacrificed the pigs to their gods

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following will lead us toward sustainability?

A)increasing energy production
B)creating industrial systems that are linear in design and operation
C)reducing consumption and halting population growth
D)increasing population growth
E)runaway consumer growth

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Producing responsible and constructive technology that can achieve sustainable solutions requires .

A)having citizens be cognizant of the need for politicians to work with "big business"
B)funding for scientific research and elimination of damaging and inefficient technology
C)increase of technology developed through self-interest of large companies
D)importing inferior technology to developing countries while developed countries invest in green technology
E)public pressure to put limits on environmental protection

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Structures given a LEED platinum ranking are _.

A)exemplary in sustainable design, especially energy efficiency
B)inefficient and need to be renovated
C)typically built in sustainable villages in developing countries
D)constructed to function without electricity
E)especially high in heavy metal content

Question 5

Colleges and universities can advocate for sustainability with a focus on local biodiversity by .

A)ignoring recommendations from an audit of operations
B)having procedures and technology to use energy and water efficiently
C)using native plants in landscaping
D)conducting an audit of operations to determine their school's ecological footprint
E)choosing to build new buildings using "green" materials, designs, and technology

Question 6

An important way to alter the perception that protecting the environment is incompatible with economic progress is through .

A)education
B)articles in newspapers
C)consumerism and competition
D)picketing and paying for newspaper ads
E)top-down governmental mandates

Question 7

The term sustainability refers to .

A)opposing change from current policies
B)holding or increasing the current quality of human life
C)maintaining resource use at current or higher levels
D)maintaining the natural environment and human society in a healthy and functional state
E)always focusing on fulfilling short-term needs

Question 8

Sustainable development involves _.

A)using all resources at maximum rates
B)larger buildings using stronger design and materials
C)reducing consumption, increasing efficiency, and using renewable energies
D)developing better transportation by building more roads
E)searching for more deposits of fossil fuels

Question 9

Environmental protection can positively affect local economies by _.

A)having citizens move out of the community in order to find employment
B)creating jobs that will attract companies from other sectors of the economy
C)eliminating current excess jobs
D)having businesses move out of the area to locales with less-stringent environmental protection
E)increasing short-term costs to existing and future businesses

Question 10

Our global society has a greater potential to address concerns of sustainability today compared to previous societies because .

A)politicians today propose short-term solutions
B)of the Bill of Rights
C)we have citizens who vote
D)we have many thousands of scientists who study Earth's processes and resources closely
E)we value goods

Question 11

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
One reason for the "economy vs. the environment" mindset is .

A)that industrialization and urbanization have broken the connection between ourselves, our economies, and our natural environment
B)the difference in salary between environmental watchdogs and corporate CEOs
C)that industrialization has had several positive impacts on local ecosystems
D)that CEOs are usually Republican and environmental advocates are Democrats
E)that environmental policies generally are oppressive and cost more money than they save

Question 12

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
As of 2013, nearly 700 university presidents had signed a University Presidents' Commitment to .

A)increase campus biodiversity
B)reduce solid wastes
C)increase electrical consumption
D)take inventories and set dates for becoming carbon- neutral
E)conserve water

Question 13

In general, the movement toward sustainability is .

A)faced with growing opposition from economic interests
B)growing, with greater interest from governments and businesses
C)mainly occurring only on college campuses
D)still a distant philosophical goal of the environmental movement
E)declining as interest in sustainable environmental policy declines

Question 14

Many proponents of sustainability believe that encouraging local self-sufficiency is important for building sustainable societies because .

A)more and more people are growing gardens
B)it eliminates governmental influence on local practices
C)it forces citizens to look more closely at the global community
D)when people are tied more closely to the area they live in, they will value the area more and seek to sustain its environment and its human communities
E)this is not correct; proponents of sustainability believe that encouraging local self-sufficiency will pose a threat to building sustainable societies

Question 15

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
There are food taboos on Tikopia. In order to catch and eat fish, a citizen must obtain permission from a clan chief. The purpose of this taboo is that it _ _.

A)helps spread the wealth
B)requires the population to be obedient
C)prevents overfishing
D)keeps people from gaining too much weight
E)ensures that everyone eats the same things

Question 16

Working to achieve sustainability on college and university campuses .

A)is not a vital part of university curricula
B)will have long-term benefits to society when students graduate
C)will have no impact on society after students graduate
D)increases costs to students
E)is opposed by most universities

Question 17

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
Responsible stewardship in the coming decades will require global energy policies that promote .

A)exploration for petroleum reserves in deeper areas of the oceans than were previously technologically possible
B)additional exploration of shale oil and natural gas resources
C)the development of abundant and inexpensive fossil fuels such as shale gas
D)productivity and economic prosperity in developing nations
E)both sustainability and technological efficiency

Question 18

We could, in theory, make all of our industrial processes sustainable if we could .

A)speed up the disposal of wastes by deep- well injection
B)transform linear processes into circular ones
C)reduce the use of biodegradable plastics
D)develop more draconian policies to regulate manufacturing
E)transform cyclic processes into linear ones

Question 19

Student sustainability movements are more successful when administration is shown how a policy of sustainable practices _.

A)attracts a more diverse student body
B)saves money
C)increases the prestige of the college
D)recruits more top-notch faculty
E)wins more awards

Question 20

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
One major problem Tikopians have faced and solved is how to .

A)maintain a sustainable society over a long period of time
B)organize an educated community
C)use technology to increase population size
D)find and exploit economically valuable resources
E)conduct trade with far distant groups

Question 21

One key to reconnecting ourselves with nature is to .

A)ignore it
B)curb human population growth
C)continue rapid development of all resources
D)continue our current rate of resource use until we are forced to return to a more localized agrarian society
E)consider and value the origin of what we use in our daily personal lives, so it is easier to see our interdependence with the environment

Question 22

Match the following.

A)anti- recycling society
B)biodegradable building materials
C)high energy efficiency
D)internalized
E)external
F)population
G)pollution
H)collegiate recycling contest
I)acquisition fever
J)affluenza
Wealthy people in developed countries often have this

Question 23

The current use of fossil fuels versus the need to develop new renewable energy sources is an example of _ _.

A)the Precautionary Principle
B)an issue that will never be resolved
C)two different goals that are not in opposition
D)how short-term needs are in opposition to long-term sustainability
E)governmental vision competing with economic practicalities

Question 24

Reforming campus transportation is an important step toward carbon neutrality because .

A)federal and state funds are available for this purpose
B)the Campus Commuter Act of 2009 requires it
C)all forms of transportation use fossil fuels
D)over 50% of the average university's carbon emissions come from commuting to and from campus
E)most campuses are highly congested with traffic

Question 25

If the total world population reaches 13 billion, what is one issue that consumers will need to address to maintain the population on Earth while considering carrying capacity of the Earth itself?

A)Since biocapacity will be less than carrying capacity, consumption in developing countries can increase.
B)Behavior, attitudes and lifestyles will need to follow a path of increasing consumption of resources.
C)Behavior, lifestyles, and expectations will need to follow a path of minimizing consumption of resources.
D)Resources will need to be limited in only developing countries.
E)Resource demand will need to be limited in only developed countries.

Question 26

Match the following.

A)anti- recycling society
B)biodegradable building materials
C)high energy efficiency
D)internalized
E)external
F)population
G)pollution
H)collegiate recycling contest
I)acquisition fever
J)affluenza
Sustainable universities build green LEED- certified buildings that have this

Question 27

Match the following.

A)anti- recycling society
B)biodegradable building materials
C)high energy efficiency
D)internalized
E)external
F)population
G)pollution
H)collegiate recycling contest
I)acquisition fever
J)affluenza
Recycle Mania

Question 28

Match the following.

A)anti- recycling society
B)biodegradable building materials
C)high energy efficiency
D)internalized
E)external
F)population
G)pollution
H)collegiate recycling contest
I)acquisition fever
J)affluenza
In the IPAT model of human impact on environment, P is

Question 29

Some argue that globalization will have a negative impact because .

A)it will decentralize control of power to many stakeholders
B)it entails weakened central power as a result of homogenization
C)governments will gain more power
D)it entails multinational corporations attaining greater and greater power over global trade
E)citizens will gain more power

Question 30

Greeks Going Green at the University of Washington installed several hundred devices to conserve on campus.

A)e- wastes
B)water
C)biodiversity
D)heat
E)electricity

Question 31

Which of the following has been most negatively impacted by globalization?

A)agricultural practices
B)the exchange of information
C)local cultures' religious and dietary traditions
D)international travel
E)public- health practices

Question 32

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
Tikopians should be particularly concerned about sustainable land management because .

A)the population is threatened by global climate change
B)the nearby islands have likely already been overharvested
C)the annual dry season could kill the tropical plants if they are not well maintained
D)tourists would not want to visit an island that has been decimated by human activities
E)tropical cyclones could permanently harm the island's ability to sustain the local population

Question 33

Because of human , there is ample reason to hope that we may achieve sustainability before doing too much damage to our planet and to our own future prospects.

A)consumption patterns
B)rationalization
C)ingenuity
D)"affluenza"
E)procrastination

Question 34

A Kill- A- Watt meter is useful for .

A)drawing more power into electrical appliances to which the meter is attached
B)increasing the efficiency of appliances to which they are attached
C)recycling materials that are unacceptable at landfills
D)measuring pollution from electrical generating industries
E)auditing electrical usage plug- by- plug and room- by- room

Question 35

The success of De Anza College's sustainability program includes .

A)requirement that faculty research include an environmental focus
B)the expectation that all students take a specified number of environmental courses
C)requirements that students major in an environmental field
D)emphasis on using nonbiodegradable materials in offices and classrooms
E)a supportive administration and increased environmental literacy of faculty

Question 36

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Northeast of Australia and northwest of Fiji lies the isolated tropical island of Tikopia. Less than two square miles in length, it supports 1,200 people and has been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years, with the population holding steady for much of that time. It has a two-month dry season every year and lies in the Pacific's cyclone belt, which destroys homes and gardens on an unpredictable but regular basis. Tikopia is too far away from other islands to have any regular contact; the islanders must be self-sufficient.
People live in clans on the island. Within the clan, individual families are probably encouraged to in order to .

A)have very few children; avoid food shortages
B)have as many children as possible; care for their parents and other older clan members
C)have very few children; concentrate the clan wealth among only a few people
D)have as many children as possible; grow crops to feed the clan
E)have as many children as possible; wage war on other clans

Question 37

Why are short-term solutions often offered to achieve sustainability? Why must sustainable solutions work in the long term? Why does the current political system inhibit our ability as a community to work on long-term solutions, and how can citizens change this?

Question 38

Match the following.

A)anti- recycling society
B)biodegradable building materials
C)high energy efficiency
D)internalized
E)external
F)population
G)pollution
H)collegiate recycling contest
I)acquisition fever
J)affluenza
Sustainable accounting practices include these costs

Question 39

To encourage corporations to adopt green technologies in a capitalist economy, citizens can .

A)choose products with the lowest price
B)visibly protest companies that are destructive to the environment
C)choose products from companies that adopt sustainable practices
D)write letters to all companies encouraging them to adopt green technologies
E)attend meetings with other people who desire green technologies

Question 40

The lesson of Easter Island was that .

A)we never comprehend resource issues until the resources are gone
B)conservation of resources is necessary for sustainable societies
C)political and governmental support are required to ensure sustainable societies
D)economics is an important facilitator of sustainable societies
E)grassroots organizations must be involved to ensure sustainable societies

Question 41

Describe some of the actions being taken by colleges and universities to promote sustainability.

Question 42

How can consumption be reduced while maintaining one's quality of life?

Question 43

Why is it imperative that humans alter their consumptive behaviors and practices to more sustainable ones?

Question 44

What accounts for the view that we cannot protect the environment while simultaneously providing for people's needs?

Question 45

What is the definition of true progress for our entire planet?

Question 46

What is the typical first step toward a sustainable campus?

Question 47

Why is the movement to become a sustainable institution, as demonstrated by De Anza College and other colleges and universities, so successful? How might the successes at these institutes of higher education translate to society as a whole?