Environmental Issues
Final Exam
Course Introduction
This course explores the major environmental challenges facing our planet today, including climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and waste management. Students will examine the scientific, social, economic, and political dimensions of these issues, gaining an understanding of both their causes and potential solutions. Through case studies, discussions, and hands-on activities, the course encourages critical thinking about the balance between human development and environmental sustainability, preparing students to make informed decisions and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Recommended Textbook
Environmental Science 13th Edition by G. Tyler Miller
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17 Chapters
1902 Verified Questions
1902 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best describes the concept of environmental degradation?
A)using solar power at a rapid rate
B)growing crops for food
C)cutting trees for wood products faster than the trees can regrow to maturity
D)letting agricultural runoff cause oxygen depletion and fish kills downstream
E)two of these answers
Answer: E
Q2) The action of processing plastic or aluminum cans into another usable product is called ____________________.
Answer: recycling
Q3) In an environmentally sustainable society, most affluent citizens work to decrease their consumption of products.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) The tragedy of the commons is a phenomenon that occurs only when the number of users is small.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
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Chapter 2: Science, Matter, and Energy
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107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) salt water
A)High-quality matter
B)Low-quality matter
C)High-quality energy
D)Low-quality energy
E)Both high-quality matter and high-quality energy
Answer: B
Q2) Employing the concepts of high-quality matter and low-quality matter, explain to a friend why recycling aluminum drink containers is a good idea.
Answer: The aluminum needed to produce more aluminum products is more easily obtained from the concentrated metal in a recycled container than by mining aluminum ore from the soil.
a.Aluminum ore is more widely dispersed, difficult to extract, and ends up being more costly in terms of environmental degradation.
Q3) Since scientific theories are tentative explanations, they should not be taken seriously.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They
Work
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177 Verified Questions
177 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The amount of energy transferred from an organism on one trophic level to the next trophic level ranges from 1.6% to 56%, but on average is about _____.
A)1%
B)10%
C)15%
D)25%
E)50%
Answer: B
Q2) Transfer of carbon among organisms depends primarily on
A)fuel combustion and decomposition
B)photosynthesis and cellular respiration
C)soil bacteria and precipitation
D)volcanic activity and organic decay
E)the rock cycle
Answer: B
Q3) According to the second law of thermodynamics, energy can be recycled.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Page 5
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Chapter 4: Biodiversity and Evolution
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94 Verified Questions
94 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Clearly describe in what ways living organisms impact the climate of the planet.
Q2) If the concentration of atmospheric oxygen on Earth increased by less than 5%, the planet would likely ignite into a giant fireball
A)True
B)False
Q3) Specialist species
A)are very adaptable
B)tolerate a wide range of environments
C)are more likely to become extinct
D)eat a wide variety of food
E)all of these answers
Q4) Geographic isolation and reproductive isolation can both lead to speciation.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Current environmental conditions will dictate which traits are beneficial, and will ultimately drive evolution through the process of ____________________.
Q6) ____________________ are random changes in the structure or number of DNA molecules in a cell.
Q7) In what way are the birds labeled A, B, C, and D similar?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control
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93 Verified Questions
93 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The southern sea otter is a keystone species because it is a top predator.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A logistic growth curve depicting a population that is limited by a definite carrying capacity is shaped like the letter ____.
A)J
B)L
C)M
D)S
E)U
Q3) Inertia is not a feature of grassland ecosystems, but resilience is.
A)True
B)False
Q4) On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents the step in which perennial weeds and grasses are plentiful.
Q5) The relationship between a lion and a zebra is said to be that of a(n)
7
Q6) A common tick is an example of a(n) ____________________.
Q7) Compare and contrast primary succession and secondary succession.
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Chapter 6: The Human Population and Urbanization
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126 Verified Questions
126 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) During 2009, about ____________________ million people will be added to the planet.
Q2) Technological advances have allowed humans to avoid the pressure of ____________________.
Q3) One of the cultural preferences driving couples to continue having children in India is
A)the preference for female children
B)the desire to have both male and female children
C)the preference for male children
D)the perceived need for children to care for them in old age
E)more than one of these answers
Q4) Because of the concentration of people, automobiles, business enterprises, and industries in cities, they can never be sustainable.
A)True
B)False
Q5) On the generalized population age structure figure, choose the diagram that shows a declining population.
Q6) On the generalized model of the demographic transition, choose the stage that has a high birth rate and a high death rate.
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Chapter 7: Climate and Biodiversity
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137 Verified Questions
137 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following does not belong with the others?
A)taiga
B)savanna
C)boreal forest
D)evergreen coniferous forest
E)coastal coniferous forest
Q2) The term ocean hemisphere applies to the hemisphere that contains the Pacific Ocean.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The euphotic zone is that region of the ocean just below the limit of light absorption.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The rain shadow effect refers to
A)more light on the windward side of mountain ranges
B)more light on the leeward side of mountain ranges
C)drier conditions on the windward side of mountain ranges
D)drier conditions on the leeward side of mountain ranges
E)wetter conditions on the windward side of mountain ranges
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Chapter 8: Sustaining Biodiversity: the Species Approach
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103 Verified Questions
103 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) There is evidence to suggest that previous mass extinctions (prior to the current one) were caused by
A)prehistoric humans
B)asteroids
C)major climate changes
D)all of these answers
E)asteroids and major climate changes
Q2) The primary threat to polar bears is pollution from oil spills in Arctic waters.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Foxglove
A)endangered species
B)plant species that are sources of drugs for humans
C)deliberately introduced invasive species
D)accidentally introduced invasive species
Q4) Conservation biologists use the acronym ____________________ to summarize the most important secondary causes of premature extinction.
Q5) Most failed species reintroduction occurs because of lack of
Q6) ____________________ is the best way to reduce threats from invasive species.
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Chapter 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: the Ecosystem Approach
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84 Verified Questions
84 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which country pays landowners to restore tree cover?
A)Panama
B)Brazil
C)Costa Rica
D)China
E)Norway
Q2) Which common problem of U.S. a.cities is now a problem in United States national parks?
A)homeless people
B)lack of funding for schools
C)air pollution
D)all of these answers
E)none of these answers
Q3) A tree harvesting method that involves cutting intermediate-aged or mature trees singly or in small groups is called
A)clear-cutting
B)strip cutting
C)selective cutting
D)patch cutting
E)landscape cutting
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Chapter 10: Food, Soil, and Pest Management
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) depends on non-renewable fossil fuels
A)industrialized agriculture
B)organic agriculture
Q2) Which of the following would not be used to describe polyculture?
A)Plants mature at various times.
B)The plot of land is left unmanaged for long periods of time.
C)Fertilizer use and water use are reduced.
D)Pesticides are rarely needed.
E)It produces higher yields than high-input monocultures.
Q3) Sharply reducing ____________________ is the single most important component of more sustainable agriculture.
Q4) For a given theoretical country, assume the productivity in metric tons per hectare remains stable, and the weighting factor remains the same, but the metric tons of fish harvested per year is reduced by 50%.
a.How will this affect the fishprint for this country?
Q5) Low-input ____________________ produces higher yields than does high-input ____________________.
Q6) Organic agriculture increases biodiversity ____________________ and ____________________ ground.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Water Resources and Water Pollution
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133 Verified Questions
133 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) U.S.
a.subsidies are provided to farmers who reduce water use in irrigation.
A)True
B)False
Q2) According to the United Nations, from 40% to 60% of all water supplied in all of the world's major cities in developing countries is
A)used for crop irrigation
B)lost through leakage of water mains, pipes, pumps, and valves
C)recycled as grey water
D)used for watering landscaping
E)polluted
Q3) Drinking is the biggest use of water worldwide.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Water in a tap in Palm Springs, California, could have originated in northwestern Colorado.
A)True
B)False
Q5) ____________________ is the name given to the natural nutrient enrichment of a shallow lake.
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Chapter 12: Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
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99 Verified Questions
99 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is not a problem associated with extracting mineral resources from the ocean?
A)Many of the mineral resources that are found in seawater are in low concentrations.
B)This can be extremely expensive given current technologies.
C)There might be ecological impacts associated with aquatic life.
D)There might be disagreement as to who has legal access and rights to certain resources.
E)There are no valuable mineral resources in the ocean.
Q2) On the figure of the earth's crust, choose the letter that represents the continental crust.
Q3) Tectonic plates can slide and grind past each other at a(n)
A)ocean ridge
B)convection cell
C)transform fault
D)subduction zone
E)seam fault
Q4) Which area on the graphic represents solid lithosphere?
Q5) A volcano is created when ____________________ rises in a plume through the lithosphere.
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Chapter 13: Energy
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110 Verified Questions
110 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The purpose of the Rocky Mountain Institute is to
A)fund exploration of more conventional oil reserves
B)train solar energy technicians
C)research and teach organic farming methodology
D)do research and consultation on energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives
E)train environmentally certified energy efficient design builders
Q2) Bitumen is
A)a type of coal
B)a deep shale-oil deposit
C)high-sulfur heavy oil
D)an octane-raising gasoline additive
E)a type of natural gas
Q3) Explain why the concerns about nuclear power plants changed in the year 2001.
Q4) Cellulosic ethanol provides a way to produce biofuel and yet dodge the food vs. a.biofuels dilemma.
A)True
B)False
Q5) List and briefly describe four widely used forms of technology in our society that waste large amounts of energy.
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Chapter 14: Environmental Hazards and Human Health
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97 Verified Questions
97 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The major cause of a reduced human life span today is A)poverty
B)smoking
C)cancer
D)high cholesterol
E)driving
Q2) Malaria is caused by A)viruses
B)bacteria
C)Plasmodium parasites
D)parasitic worms
E)mosquitoes
Q3) The damage to human health from exposure to a chemical is called the response. A)True
B)False
Q4) In the United States, the leading cause of death is tobacco use. A)True
B)False
Q5) On this graph, what dose in hypothetical units did it take to kill 25% of the population?
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Chapter 15: Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone
Depletion
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136 Verified Questions
136 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements is true?
A)Thermal inversion occurs when a layer of cold air prevents warm air from rising.
B)Thermal inversions exacerbate pollution problems.
C)Thermal 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)Thermal inversions help prevent air pollution.
Q2) 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
Q3) The United States, China, and Russia-three of the world's major emitters-agreed in 2001 to participate in a cap-and-trade program to slow global warming.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Clearly describe a positive feedback loop associated with global warming.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Solid and Hazardous Waste
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Sample Questions
Q1) The use of bacteria and enzymes to convert toxic or hazardous substances to harmless compounds is called ____________________.
Q2) What is a law that has been enacted in the cities of New Delhi, India, and Los Angeles and San Francisco, California?
A)A tax has been levied on the use of plastic shopping bags.
B)A tax has been levied on the use of water bottled in disposable plastic containers.
C)Plastic shopping bags have been banned.
D)Customers who recycle at curbside get a discount on garbage pick-up.
E)None of these answers.
Q3) The First Priority in an integrated solid waste management program can be most effectively applied in which area of the diagram?
Q4) The ____________________ approach to recycling saves energy, provides jobs, and educates people about how to reduce waste.
Q5) The pricing of hazardous materials used in the U.S. a.and most countries does not include their ____________________.
Q6) Briefly explain the advantages and disadvantages of phytoremediation as a method of removing or detoxifying hazardous wastes.
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Page 18
Chapter 17: Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews
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97 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The view that natural resources are important but not indispensable is held by
A)environmental economists
B)ecological economists
C)Eastern European economists
D)neoclassical economists
E)classical economists
Q2) Sport hunting and mining are not allowed in national parks, but they are allowed in ____________________.
Q3) A guiding principle for environmental sustainability that advises us not to make decisions that cannot be reversed later if the decision turns out to be wrong is the ____________________.
Q4) Since 1992, ____________________ company has been leasing most of its copying machines as part of its mission to provide document services rather than to sell photocopiers.
Q5) Chattanooga's environmental success story is an example of how
A)Ethics, economics, and politics can be used to solve environmental problems.
B)Top-down changes can solve environmental problems.
C)Environmental policies do not need the endorsement of common citizens.
D)Federal funding solves environmental problems.
E)None of these answers.
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