Environmental Science

1) If atmospheric carbon dioxide was eliminated from our atmosphere, we would expect that theEarth would:A) cool considerably and photosynthesis would dramatically increaseB) cool considerably and photosynthesis would dramatically decreaseC) heat up considerably and photosynthesis would dramatically increaseD) heat up considerably and photosynthesis would dramatically decrease2) Which of the following is a correlation that is causing widespread concern?A) As atmospheric oxygen levels decline, the ozone layer is being destroyed.B) As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels decline, the ozone layer is being destroyed.C) As levels of methane decline, average global temperatures are increasing.D) As levels of carbon dioxide increase, average global temperatures are increasing.3) Which of the following is part of natural capital but not ecosystem capital?A) solar energy used to drive photosynthesis throughout the biosphereB) coal and oil reservesC) the production of electrical energy from wind turbines and damsD) the genetic diversity of all plants and animals used in modern agriculture4) From an ecological economist’s perspective, without sustainability, as economies grow:A) gross national product grows tooB) natural resources are renewedC) the natural world is depletedD) natural ecosystems are replenished5) Natural capital includes ecosystem capital plus:A) natural forms of energy, such as solar, wind, and flowing waterB) nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuelsC) money available to invest in growing industryD) all of the products of photosynthesis in the biosphere6) The concept of sustainability requires that:A) economic growth does not exceed the renewal of natural capitalB) all sources of energy used in an economy must come from the sunC) global economic systems are based on the harvesting of natural productsD) economies use equal portions of land, labor, and capital7) Uncertain about the best way to keep his new lizard alive, Jerome places a heat lamp at oneend of the long lizard cage. Over several days, Jerome notices that the lizard tends to sit in acertain place when the lamp is on. The lizard’s selection of a particular place to stayrepresents its:A) range of toleranceB) temperature optimumC) biotic conditioningD) use of a limited resource8) As global climate change warms certain mountain ranges, the temperature optima for the insectspecies living on the mountain is causing these insects to:A) move higher up the mountainB) move down the mountainC) move to a new biomeD) become parasitic9) Energy is lost as it moves from one trophic level to the next because:A) one trophic level does not consume the entire trophic level below itB) some of the calories consumed drive cellular activities and do not add massC) some ingested materials are undigested and eliminatedD) All of the above.10) In general, biomes at higher latitudes are most like:A) biomes at higher altitudesB) aquatic biomesC) biomes at lower altitudesD) biomes at lower latitudes11) Biomes with more than 75 centimeters (30 inches) of rain a year and that never experiencefreezing temperatures are most likely found:A) at high altitudesB) nearest the equator at low altitudesC) at high altitudes in temperate zonesD) at high altitudes and high latitudes12) Biomes with permafrost are most likely:A) covered in coniferous forests at high latitudesB) in temperate zones with deciduous treesC) located near the poles and without any treesD) located at high altitudes nearest the equator13) Biomes with less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain a year are:A) high in primary productivityB) likely to have extremely cold wintersC) covered with coniferous treesD) deserts14) Which of the following are current limiting factors for future human population growth?A) pollution and land for agricultureB) availability of oxygen and waterC) fossil fuels and carbon dioxide productionD) oxygen levels in the atmosphere and availability of sodium chloride15) According to demographer Joel Cohen, the human carrying capacity:A) can be calculated in the same way it is determined for other animal speciesB) depends upon a standard of livingC) can clearly be determinedD) largely depends upon the availability of fresh water16) In a significant 2004 paper reviewing 69 studies on world human population and carryingcapacity, the authors estimated that the sustainable carrying capacity of humans for theplanet is about:A) 600 millionB) 2.5 billionC) 7.7 billionD) 20 billion.17) According to the UN Population Division and a significant 2004 paper reviewing 69 studieson world human population and carrying capacity, the world population of humans will exceedcarrying capacity in about the year:A) 2014B) 2024C) 2050D) 210018) Which of the following activities would be consistent with the Millennium Development Goals?A) help communities build technical and trade schools for boys to learn skills in highdemandB) develop coal, gold, and silver mines wherever possible as quick sources of jobsC) provide meals and mosquito nets for every child under the age of fiveD) encourage the expansion of national militaries to provide income and technical training19) If the Millennium Development goal to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 isachieved:A) almost a billion people will still live in extreme povertyB) no continent will have more than 10,000 people still hungryC) fertility rates will decline to those of most European nationsD) the rural population of the world will nearly double20) Which of the following represents the Millennium Development Goal that is least likely to beachieved?A) universal primary educationB) reduced child mortalityC) increased access to clean drinking waterD) decreased maternal childbirth deaths21) Which of the following affects the greatest number of people in the developing world?A) water availabilityB) lack of primary schools for childrenC) inadequate sanitationD) no childhood immunization for measles22) A rural farmer most likely obtains drinking water by drilling a deep well to use:A) gravitational water that has percolated through soil and accumulated as groundwaterB) gravitational water that is retained by the soil and accumulated just above the watertableC) capillary water found in surface waters, located above the water tableD) capillary water that has percolated through soil and accumulated below thegroundwater23) About 99% of all liquid fresh water on Earth is found in:A) lakes, including the Great Lakes of North AmericaB) rivers such as the Amazon, Nile, and Mississippi watershedsC) underground aquifersD) the upper few meters of topsoil24) Which one of the following is fed by groundwater and often drained by seeps or springs?A) lakesB) aquifersC) riversD) watersheds25) In Costa Rica, a heavy downpour provides water that quickly evaporates or is absorbed andreleased by the dense vegetation of the tropical rain forest. This is an example of a cycleusing:A) condensation, evaporation, transpiration, and green waterB) condensation, precipitation, and gravitational waterC) evaporation, gravitational flow, and adiabatic coolingD) precipitation, gravitational flow, and convection26) Gutters and storm sewers in a city are most concerned with the:A) evapotranspiration loopB) surface runoff loopC) precipitation loopD) groundwater loop27) Which one of the following soil orders is the most typical of drylands and deserts?A) alfisolsB) oxisolsC) mollisolsD) aridisols28) A hydric soil is one that:A) is typical of wetlands and may contain peatB) is unusually well suited for agricultureC) is typical of tropical areas that receive abundant rainfallD) was typical of the U.S. prairie states until the Dust Bowl of the 1930s29) Which of the following would be best suited for planting crops such as corn or wheat?A) an irrigated aridisolB) a fertilized alfisolC) a plowed oxisolD) an irrigated gelisol30) Most plants acquire their minerals from:A) the recycling of nutrients from detritusB) the precipitation of minerals from rainfallC) the weathering of rockD) dust storms that transport minerals into a region31) Which of the following would be classified as “soil constraints”?A) cold climateB) moderate to heavy rainfallC) poor drainage, salinity and high levels of aluminumD) low erosion potential and high levels of phosphorus32) One of the general concerns about the widespread use of transgenic organisms is the:A) spread of these transgenic traits to other organismsB) need to apply more pesticides to crops and plow the soil twice a yearC) reduced yields that result from using bioengineered organismsD) pressure to bring more land into agricultural production33) If you live in the United States, chances are that you have consumed some processed foodthat includes bioengineered plants:A) almost every dayB) at most once a monthC) perhaps once a yearD) once in your lifetime34) Wood pellets are produced from the waste sawdust of lumber and paper mills. Home-heatingstoves burning these pellets can heat homes directly, instead of relying on other energysources. Heating your home with wood pellets is:A) sustainable, less polluting, and more efficient than heating a home using electricityfrom a coal-fired power plantB) sustainable, much more polluting, and is about 30% more efficient than usingelectricity from a coal-fired power plantC) not sustainable but is less polluting and is about as efficient as using electricity from acoal-fired power plantD) not sustainable and actually pollutes more than using electricity from a coal-firedpower plant35) Which one of the following energy sources is most likely to lead to thermal pollution?A) a coal-fired power plantB) a large field of windmillsC) a hydroelectric plantD) a large field of solar cells36) The future use of electricity to power personal transportation largely depends on:A) more efficient turbogeneratorsB) finding more fossil fuel suppliesC) low-cost, lightweight batteries that can store large amounts of powerD) the development of small turbogenerators for automobiles37) Instead of only generating more electricity, rising energy demands may also be met by:A) switching from natural gas to coalB) switching from coal and natural gas to windmills and solar technologiesC) increasing the efficiency of energy consumptionD) using more nuclear power instead of fossil fuels38) At present, the total number of long-term, commercial, below-ground nuclear wastedepository sites in use in the United States is:A) 0B) 7C) 23D) over 10039) One of the major problems associated with long-term, high-level nuclear waste storage is:A) selecting an environment that will remain stable for more than 10,000 yearsB) determining a cost-effective way to shoot waste into spaceC) figuring out how to contain the material so that it does not leak into the oceanD) creating a secure environment to protect the material from terrorists40) Yucca Mountain in the state of Nevada is:A) the location of a leaky nuclear power plant that will cost billions of dollars to clean upB) the only potential site for long-term commercial nuclear waste storage in the UnitedStates, rejected for safety concerns in 2009C) a military base that has accumulated low-level and high-level nuclear waste for manydecadesD) the site of a lake that received illegal dumping of nuclear waste in the 1960s41) NIMBY is:A) a publicly perceived risk of siting a toxic or nuclear waste disposal facility near theirhomesB) the U.S. federal agency that oversees nuclear power facilitiesC) a U.N. organization in Geneva that directs the medical use of radioactive isotopesD) the deciding factor in the approval of theYucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada42) The Obama administration’s commission on nuclear power waste disposal recommended:A) the process of site selection should be kept secret from the publicB) a private for-profit corporation should be engaged to choose and construct the facilityC) that the sites should be spread over dozens of freshwater lakes in the northern UnitedStatesD) there is an immediate need to develop temporary geological storage sites until apermanent one is located43) New Generation III nuclear plants such as the AP1000 Advanced Passive Reactor features:A) a combination of nuclear fusion and fission in a single designB) a pressurized water system with many new passive safety features to prevent a LOCAC) a design that uses a mechanical source of X-rays for powerD) designs based on the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan44) In a photovoltaic system, an inverter is required to:A) directly convert surplus electricity into heatB) generate electricity from solar energyC) connect the DC current of the solar panel to the AC current of an electrical gridD) convert AC from the solar panel into DC of the grid45) Around the world, photovoltaic technology is quickly being adopted to generate electricity in:A) large scale commercial power plants and on rooftop home unitsB) large scale commercial power plants but not yet on rooftop home unitsC) rooftop home units but not large scale commercial power plantsD) small electronic applications such as calculators but not yet on rooftops or incommercial power plants46) The most costly aspect of photovoltaic technology is being addressed by:A) inventing a way to convert alternating current to direct currentB) inventing a way to convert direct current to alternating currentC) finding a way to reduce the damaging effects of the sun on solar panelsD) new technologies that reduce the cost of manufacturing solar cells47) Solar trough technology converts:A) the ultraviolet light in sunlight directly into electricityB) the heat of the sun into steam to drive a turbogeneratorC) sunlight into electricity which then produces steam heatD) the direct current generated by photovoltaic cells into alternating current48) Some milk becomes contaminated with mercury. If each of the following people consume 16ounces of this contaminated milk each day for a month, who will most likely be impacted bythis poison?A) an 82-year-old womanB) a fetus inside a mother who drinks this contaminated milkC) a 12-year-old girlD) a 51-year-old man49) A pharmacist asks a mother about a new prescription for an antibiotic, wanting to be sure thatthe drug is for the mother. The pharmacist is most likely concerned because:A) antibiotics do not typically work on childrenB) most types of antibiotics prescribed to an adult will likely kill a childC) a normal dosage for an adult can be toxic to a childD) a normal child’s dosage may be toxic to an adult50) You learn that an old friend has died from a disease that resulted from their lifelong exposureto a substance. This loved one most likely died from:A) whooping coughB) a bacterial infectionC) cancerD) malaria51) Which of the following contains the greatest number of carcinogens?A) a thick vanilla milkshakeB) a Twinkie snackC) chewing tobaccoD) tap water from most cities in the United States52) You examine an ice core sample from 10,000 years ago when global temperatures wereunusually high. Based upon past studies and insights from current GHG levels, we expect thatatmospheric levels of carbon dioxide:A) and methane were unusually lowB) and methane were unusually highC) were high but methane levels were lowD) were low but methane levels were high53) In his movie, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore warns of increasing levels of carbon dioxide inthe atmosphere which suggest that:A) methane levels will soon rise, destroying the ozone layerB) global temperatures will also continue to riseC) the oceans of the world are losing carbon dioxideD) clouds are thinning and global precipitation is declining54) Evidence from proxies indicate eight major oscillations in global temperatures over the past800,000 years, most likely the result of:A) rising and falling sea levels that greatly impact photosynthetic activityB) variations in solar activity that produce different levels of radiationC) Milankovitch cycles of periodic variations in Earth’s orbits around the sunD) lunar cycles in which the moon orbits at different distances from the Earth55) In general, temperatures along an ocean coastline vary less than temperatures 100 milesinland. This moderation of temperatures along coastlines is because:A) as the oceans evaporate it cools off the coastlinesB) the sun shines more intensely away from the ocean coastlinesC) ocean temperatures change more quickly than air temperaturesD) ocean temperatures do not change as quickly as air temperatures56) In our world, something with the greatest heat capacity is able to:A) evaporate the most water from its surfaceB) retain its heat the longestC) insulate the bestD) reflect the greatest amount of sunshine57) If the sun suddenly stopped shining, where would be the best outdoor location to stay warmwith the least change in ambient temperature?A) Atlanta, GeorgiaB) on a beach in HawaiiC) Kansas City, KansasD) the center of Brazil58) Which one of the following principles of smart-growth will most likely result in less commutingfor all residents?A) have states purchase open spacesB) set physical boundaries on urban sprawlC) build new homes and stores on existing abandoned or brownfield urban propertiesD) promote the integration of homes, stores, light industry, and professional offices59) According to the U.S. Sprawlometer, the most sprawling and congested area is:A) New YorkB) Los AngelesC) Greensboro, NCD) Riverside, CA60) The Obama administration has moved to combat urban sprawl through the:A) Clean Air ActB) Clean Water ActC) American Recovery and Reinvestment ActD) ISTEA61) Over the past 60 years, as people moved from U.S. cities to suburbs, the people that were leftbehind in the cities were primarily:A) older, poor people representing ethnic minoritiesB) younger, wealthy people representing ethnic minoritiesC) older and wealthy CaucasiansD) younger Caucasians62) In a large city experiencing urban blight, we would be surprised to find:A) a declining tax baseB) depreciating real estateC) improving schoolsD) increasing crime63) The main financial problems for a city experiencing urban blight result from:A) a declining tax baseB) increasing industrial growthC) the need to build new schoolsD) increasing use of public transportation64) Buses and cars using fuel cells are:A) not yet possible because the technology to safely store hydrogen is still not resolvedB) not yet available because the fuel cell generates unsafe levels of heatC) still inefficient, largely because the fuel cells are large and heavyD) already in use and ready for commercial production65) Which one of the following produces the least air pollution?A) an automobile burning hydrogen as a fuelB) an automobile running on a hydrogen fuel cellC) a Toyota Prius hybrid vehicleD) a car running on natural gas66) Automobiles with fuel cells can be more flexibly designed because they:A) do not have wheelsB) have to be so large that there is extra room for passengers and accessoriesC) do not have an engine fuel combustion compartmentD) do not have to be aerodynamically constructed to get better fuel mileage67) A hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell uses:A) hydrogen and water and generates electricity and oxygenB) hydrogen and oxygen and generates electricity and waterC) carbon dioxide and water and generates electricity and hydrogenD) hydrogen and water and generates electricity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide68) The most promising immediate alternative to gasoline fueled vehicles in a time of globalclimate change and increasing oil imports is powering vehicles using:A) solar powerB) hydrogen as a fuel sourceC) fuel cells using hydrogenD) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles69) Enhanced geothermal systems:A) generate electricity using the heat of the earth to make steamB) are routinely used in China to power automobilesC) use the energy of the sun to boil water and generate electricityD) use gravity to propel large turbines, which generate electricityA home located next to a 5-acre pond (30 feet deep in the center) uses the steady temperature of the deep pond water for heat exchange. A closed system of water is piped from the home under­ground to deep regions of the pond and then back to the home. Inside the home, a heat exchange system extracts heat in the winter and removes heat from the home in the summer. This home relies completely on electricity, generated by burning coal at a distant power plant.70) This home system illustrates the use of:A) ecothermal energyB) biomass fuelsC) geothermal energyD) hydroelectric energy71) Compared to heating and cooling this home using a standard heat pump system, this home’sheating and cooling system will:A) probably keep the pond from freezing over in the winterB) probably cause ice to form on the pond in the early summer and fallC) reduce the carbon footprint of the homeownersD) not work if ice forms on the top of the pond72) Harnessing the energy of tides to generate electricity is different than the force moving thewater in a hydroelectric power station at a dam because:A) tidal energy uses turbines and a dam uses generatorsB) tidal energy ultimately relies on moon’s gravity and hydroelectric power ultimately relies on the energy from the sunC) tidal energy ultimately relies on ocean currents and hydroelectric power ultimately relies on the energy from the sunD) tidal energy ultimately relies on the wind and hydroelectric power ultimately relies on the energy of rain73) A tidal barrage would be used to generate electricity:A) at the mouth of a bayB) at the bottom of a large lakeC) near the tip of an ocean peninsulaD) in the open ocean74) One of the least promising non-fossil fuel energy sources uses:A) wind powerB) biomass energyC) geothermal energyD) thermal-energy conversion in the oceans75) The future global energy demands may be met by developing sustainable energy resources andalso, most easily, by:A) dramatically increasing oil and natural gas explorationB) increasing our use of the abundant natural gas and coal resourcesC) improving energy conservation and efficiency of current technologyD) limiting the use of energy in developing countries76) In the past decade, the United States government has:A) discouraged the use of alternate energy resources and promoted the use of fossil fuelsB) promoted but not invested in the development and use of sustainable energy resourcesC) promoted and invested heavily through the Recovery Act of 2009 in the developmentand use of sustainable energy resourcesD) required the use of sustainable energy resources for more than 95% of our energydemands by the year 202077) Responsible stewardship in the coming decades will require global energy policies thatpromote:A) both sustainability and technological efficiencyB) productivity and economic prosperity in developing nationsC) the development of abundant and inexpensive fossil fuels such as shale gasD) additional exploration of shale oil and natural gas resources78) Energy policies that promote the use of renewable-energy resources:A) and oil and gas exploration are the most promising ways to address global climatechangeB) and efficiency will automatically reduce the generation of greenhouse gasesC) increase the demand for fossil fuels and require the importation of oil to mostcountriesD) hurt the poorest families and discourage economic growth in developing countries79) If some current trends and energy strategies continue and succeed over the next few decades,in fifty years you might be able to say that you witnessed the shift from:A) an energy-consuming economy to an energy-producing economyB) a wind-driven economy to a solar economyC) an unsustainable fossil-fuel-driven economy to a sustainable hydrogen economyD) a renewable energy- driven economy to a clean-burning natural gas economy.80) Which one of the following vehicles would generate the greatest amount of carbon tax?A) a large hybrid-electric SUV that gets 31 miles per gallonB) a small gas-powered car that gets 27 miles per gallonC) an all-electric car that charges its batteries using solar power-generated electricityD) a car powered by natural gas that gets 33 miles per gallon81) The general U.S. government response to possible terrorism at nuclear power plants since2001 has been:A) limited to a few unenforced regulationsB) to convert nuclear facilities to military installations with state of the art securityC) enhanced security at plants and at spent fuel storage poolsD) nothing, because of budget cuts brought about by the 2008 recession82) Security of nuclear resources and the safe storage of nuclear wastes:A) remain a global challengeB) have been improved by concentrating these in four secure locations throughout theworldC) have now been addressed by UN task forces who guard resources that are subject toterrorist attacksD) remain a problem only outside of the United States and Canada83) The more than 100 nuclear power plants planned 30-40 years ago were never built in largepart due to:A) increasing incidents of terrorism directed against nuclear plantsB) decreased demand for electricity and increased costs of safety features in constructionC) pressing demand for electricity, which required simpler coal-fired power plants thatcould be built fasterD) budget constraints stemming from the 2008 recession84) The longevity of nuclear power plants has averaged about:A) 20-25 years due to unexpectedly high levels of corrosion and embrittlementB) 40-50 years, longer than imagined, because neutrons tend to stabilize the buildingmaterialsC) 10 years, only about 25% of their expected life, due to the need for newgovernment-mandated safety designsD) 40 years, as expected, due to routine maintenance and the replacement with new longer-lasting materials85) Unlike corrosion, embrittlement results in the degradation of nuclear power plant materialsfrom the:A) buildup up iron oxide after prolonged exposure to waterB) rapid expansion and contraction of super-heated and ice-cold water through most ofthe pipesC) use of highly corrosive saltwater throughout most of the water pipesD) bombardment of materials by neutrons produced by fission86) Nuclear power plants are especially expensive because they:A) require the highest levels of securityB) usually cost as much to decommission as they did to buildC) have so many parts that must be coated in goldD) are constructed of many thick layers of concrete87) In the United States and many countries in Europe, there is renewed interest in nuclear powerplants because of:A) a worldwide shortage of coalB) the spotty availability of natural gasC) concern about global climate changeD) the greatly reduced costs associated with generating electricity using nuclear power88) In the near future, the number of nuclear power plants in the United States and throughoutthe world will most likely:A) declineB) hold steadyC) increaseD) depend upon the price of oil89) In Japan today, the greatest risk associated with the use of nuclear power is:A) an earthquake and/or tsunamiB) a terrorist attackC) the lack of sufficient nuclear fuelD) the generation of mutations in nearby plants and animals90) Compared to standard fission reactors, fast-neutron reactors are:A) less expensive to buildB) less expensive to operateC) more efficient in fuel useD) safer, requiring less security91) A much greater use of breeder or fast-neutron reactors would pose a greater safety riskbecause fast-neutron reactors would generate greater amounts of:A) heavy water, which can easily leak out into the local community near nuclear power plantsB) radon gas, which over many years can greatly increase the risk of cancer in the region surrounding a nuclear plantC) plutonium, which is more easily used to construct nuclear weaponsD) lead, which is widely used in the creation of bullets and other ammunitions92) Breeder or fast-neutron reactors generate more fuel than they use because:A) these reactors capture the energy of extra neutrons released by 235U fissionsB) the Second Law of Thermodynamics does not apply to nuclear reactionsC) of solar collectors that invest the energy of the sun into new fuelD) the heat that is usually released in standard reactors is mostly recaptured93) Reprocessing of nuclear fuel:A) requires the heavy use of lead and iron oreB) eliminates the need for nuclear power plantsC) requires additional mining of uraniumD) reduces and reuses the stockpile of nuclear waste94) The energy released from the sun and other stars comes from the:A) fusion of helium into hydrogenB) fusion of hydrogen into heliumC) fission of helium into hydrogenD) fission of hydrogen into helium95) Today, we are able to use nuclear fusion to:A) power a hydrogen bombB) generate electricity efficientlyC) produce hydrogen for fuel cell carsD) power jets and ships96) Nuclear fusion reactions:A) were used in the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945B) require conditions that are not yet cost-efficient for the generation of electricityC) are widely used today in nuclear power plantsD) can only occur in the special conditions of the sun and stars97) Over the past 50 years, interest in nuclear power:A) rose, decreased, and now is increasing againB) decreased, rose, and now is decreasing againC) has remained high around the worldD) was high but then declined and continues to decline worldwide98) Which of the following is a clear advantage in the use of nuclear power instead of fossil fuels?A) Nuclear plants are cheaper to build than power plants that burn fossil fuels.B) Nuclear power can be used today to power most forms of public transportation.C) Nuclear power contributes less to global climate change.D) Nuclear power generates fewer wastes with lower health risks.99) Much of the recent increased interest in nuclear power is related to:A) the limited supply of coal to generate electricityB) the limited supply of natural gas to generate electricityC) increasing costs of oil and gasolineD) concerns about global climate change100) Good stewardship of nuclear power is best promoted by:A) government oversight and international cooperationB) independent decisions of the countries of the worldC) oversight provided by the companies that own the facilitiesD) limiting regulations and requirements

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