Chapter.12 Climate Change And Sustainability Exam Prep

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 1

1) One reason why hurricanes have been increasingly dangerous is because more people live in areas where they hit. Another is that

Page reference: See introduction to Chapter 12.

a. they are more powerful.

b. they are less powerful, so people take them less seriously and are less likely to evacuate in advance of them.

c. more people have lived through previous hurricanes and erroneously believe that they can live through future ones, regardless of intensity.

d. our weather forecasting techniques and technologies are less accurate than before.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 2

2) Which 2017 storm destroyed more than 100,000 homes in Houston, Texas?

Feedback Hurricane Harvey wreaked destruction in one of America’s largest cities.

Page reference: See introduction to Chapter 12.

a. Hurricane Maria

b. Hurricane Agnes

c. Hurricane Harvey

d. Superstorm Sandy

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 3

3) Which US island saw nearly one-third of its homes destroyed in 2017’s Hurricane Maria?

Page reference: See introduction to Chapter 12.

a. Three Mile Island

b. Hawai’i

c. Hatteras Island

d. Puerto Rico

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 4

4) The idea that the choices we make to live in a modern society—one with technological advances, and the changes in social relationships that make them possible—creating particular dangers for us, is central to the thesis of

Page reference: See “Climate Change and the ‘Risk Society.’”

a. The Environment: From Surplus to Scarcit, by Allan Schnaiberg.

b. Risk Society, by Ulrich Beck.

c. An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary featuring Al Gore.

d. The Politics of Climate Change, by Anthony Giddens.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 5

5) Living in a risk society means that people

Page reference: See “Climate Change and the ‘Risk Society.’”

a. make rational choices about danger.

b. are equally able to influence policy decisions that impact their lives.

c. cannot protect themselves from risk-produced crises.

d. must be personally responsible for their own safety.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 6

6) Can you ever escape a risk society?

Page reference: See “Climate Change and the ‘Risk Society.’”

a. Yes, by living “off grid”—away from the social relationships that increase your risk of harm.

b. Yes, by working together with others to eliminate all risk.

c. No, but you can radically reduce harm by disengaging from risky activities like smoking or driving.

d. No, because new risks emerge with new technologies, business practices, and political policies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 7

7) Ecological modernization theory says that people will develop sustainable practices to lower environmental risk as

Page reference: See “Climate Change and the ‘Risk Society.’”

a. expert knowledge becomes more available and people’s consciousness is raised.

b. they personally come to know someone hurt by climate change.

c. they see their financial investments negatively impacted by environmental disasters.

d. journalistic coverage of the international crises produced by climate change increases.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 8

8) The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic introduced profound structural changes that have reduced levels of air pollution, which include all of the following except

Page reference: See Paired Concept box “COVID-19 and Air Pollution.”

a. Working from home arrangements for many industries, reducing or eliminating former commutes

b. Alternative forms of transportation in residential areas that are conducive to social distancing, e.g., bicycles or walking

c. A widespread shift to veganism, which reduced greenhouse gas emissions related to animal agriculture

d. Suspension of manufacturing in countries like China, which led to large reductions in pollutants like nitrogen dioxide.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 9

9) You are a member of your city’s disaster preparedness team preparing for a hurricane to make landfall. While you will be thinking about each of the questions below, which one reflects risk management thinking?

Page reference: See “Climate Change and the ‘Risk Society.’”

a. What reasons do people give for failing to follow evacuation orders?

b. What is the proper pay rate for emergency first responders during a crisis?

c. Is it safer to release low-level offenders from prison so that they can evacuate themselves or to keep them in the city jail with few guards, increasing the chance of violence within the jail, including against guards?

d. How many gallons of clean drinking water should each home have on stock?

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 10

10) According to research on why people resist acting to protect the environment, people are more likely to change their habits if they

Page reference: See section “Controlling the Narrative: Denial and Expertise.”

a. are lectured by someone they see as an expert.

b. are scolded by political leaders.

c. have a good understanding of the technical and scientific aspects of climate change.

d. learn about the environment in ways that are connected to their other socialization and cultural experiences.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 11

11) For people to act on climate change, they need to

Page reference: See subsection “Culture, Media, and Socialization.”

a. be willing to ignore their own environmentally damaging behaviors so that they are not overwhelmed by shame.

b. understand the science behind it.

c. believe that their actions matter.

d. first give up all hope.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 12

12) Many scientific articles about climate change have been published in scholarly journals. What percent of these deny that climate change is real or say that it is real but not caused by humans?

Page reference: See subsection “Culture, Media, and Socialization.”

a. 3 percent

b. 33 percent

c. 53 percent

d. 73 percent

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 13

13) How can journalism’s effort to report without bias contribute to climate change denialism?

Page reference: See subsection “Culture, Media, and Socialization.”

a. Because they are committed to citing credible sources, journalists are unable to locate many scholarly sources that say that climate change is not real or does not have human causes. This causes readers who want to hear that argument to do their own online research, and then they often find themselves reading information from conspiracy theorists.

b. Journalists often try to present “both sides of a story,” but claims that climate change is not real or has no human causes is not credible, so including that “side” of this story suggests that there is scientific debate when there is in reality strong consensus.

c. Because they want to appeal to a wide range of readers or viewers, journalists hesitate to report on the most frightening stories about climate change, which then makes readers and viewers underestimate the danger.

d. Because news media often relies on the sale of advertising, they are inherently biased in favor of corporations and thus are unlikely to report on the main cause of pollution: the quest for profit.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 14

14) Which figure has been a predominant and popular figure in environmental activism in recent years?

Page reference: See subsection “Culture, Media, and Socialization.”

a. Alyssa Milano

b. Angelina Jolie

c. Greta Thunberg

d. Bernie Sanders

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 15

15) Which statement about the distribution of environmental risk is accurate?

Page reference: See subsection “The Unequal Distribution of Environmental Risk.”

a. White people and people of color in the US face the same environmental risk.

b. People of color in the US face greater environmental risk than do white people.

c. White people in the US face greater environmental risk than people of color.

d. People of color in the US used to face greater environmental risk than white people, but now they face the same level of risk.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 16

16) Why are African American households more likely than white households to have exposure to lead from their environment?

Page reference: See subsection “The Unequal Distribution of Environmental Risk.”

a. They are more likely to buy antiques, which sometimes are painted with lead paint.

b. They are often poorer, which means they are less able to move into places where lead exposure is lessened.

c. They are less likely to believe in the risks of lead exposure, so they do not take precautions against it.

d. They are more likely to buy products with lead in them, such as toys imported from nations with fewer consumer protections.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 17

17) Concentrated disadvantage describes the way that

Page reference: See subsection “The Unequal Distribution of Environmental Risk.”

a. children in urban areas have a higher rate of asthma due to air pollution.

b. the threat of climate change forges unions between people who would otherwise see themselves as enemies.

c. the already-disadvantaged suffer the most from environmental risk.

d. wealthy nations become exporters of green technologies to poorer nations.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 18

18) Which book argues that the continuous quest for economic growth encourages businesses to pursue strategies that cause environmental damage?

Page reference: See section “Profit, Politics, and the Environment.”

a. The Environment: From Surplus to Scarcity

b. Risk Society

c. An Inconvenient Truth

d. The Politics of Climate Change

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 19

19) Who, according to Allan Schnaiberg, bears most responsibility for the mass consumption that occurs in wealthy nations?

Page reference: See section “Profit, Politics, and the Environment.”

a. Corporations, which seek profit regardless of environmental damage

b. Consumers, who refuse to limit their consumption habits

c. Politicians, who do not care about the environmental impacts

d. Landfill owners, who profit from waste

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 20

20) Corporations produce more than people need, and people consume more than they need, which leads to more production of things they don’t need. This is Allan Schnaiberg’s concept of

Page reference: See section “Profit, Politics, and the Environment.”

a. the treadmill of production.

b. the cycle of spending.

c. the mountain of garbage.

d. consumer goods as pre-trash.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 21

21) A senator up for re-election talks about bringing down the cost of gasoline so that American drivers are not paying as much at the pump and so that shipping companies can save money—savings, he says, that will be passed on to the consumer. By focusing his concern on the financial cost of gas rather that the high environmental costs of gasoline use, the senator is

Page reference: See section “Profit, Politics, and the Environment.”

a. arguing that high gasoline costs make it harder to raise taxes on gasoline since consumers will only tolerate gas prices of a certain amount before they stop driving.

b. prioritizing short-term gains over long-term dangers.

c. arguing that hybrid and electric cars, which use less gas, should be taxed more at the point of purchase (a sales tax) since their drivers contribute less in fuel tax but still use roads that are maintained through fuel taxes.

d. prioritizing road, bridge, and other infrastructure maintenance over the environmental damage done by such projects.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 22

22) Dominic and Patrick are building a house together. They tell their architect that they want to use clean energy to provide power to their house. Which of the following would the architect not suggest?

Page reference: See subsection “Renewable Energy.”

a. Wind, which generates energy from the movement of a windmill

b. Solar, which captures energy from the sun to provide electricity

c. Geothermal, which draws heat from the ground to warm the house

d. Oil, which is burned in a furnace to heat the house

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 23

23) Energy production from _______ is now the fastest-growing form of energy globally.

Page reference: See subsection “Renewable Energy.”

a. wind

b. coal

c. water

d. solar

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 24

24) Which nation is now the global leader in renewable energy production and manufacturing?

Page reference: See subsection “Renewable Energy.”

a. China

b. India

c. Russia

d. The United States

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 25

25) Which nation currently produces more greenhouse gasses than any other?

Page reference: See subsection “Renewable Energy.”

a. China

b. India

c. Russia

d. The United States

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 26

26) The modern environmental movement was first inspired by concerns about

Page reference: See section “Sustainability: Promise and Responsibility.”

a. overfishing, whaling, and water pollutions.

b. acid rain and a hole in the ozone layer.

c. deforestation, especially of rainforests.

d. nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 27

27) What holiday was first organized in 1970 as an environmental teach-in?

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. World Wetlands Day (February 2)

b. America Recycles Day (November 15)

c. Arbor Day (the last Friday in April)

d. Earth Day (April 22)

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 28

28) In 2019, the US Department of Energy, under the presidency of Donald Trump, began to revise rules about dishwasher design. Previously, dishwashers were required to use less water and energy, which required them to use more time in order to clean dishes effectively. The new rule would allow dishwashers to consume more water and energy in order to operate faster. The argument about dishwasher energy use became a symbolic fight for many Trump supporters in the fight against environmental regulation. Their support for a measure that uses water and energy unnecessarily is an example of

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. risk society.

b. consolidated disadvantage.

c. backlash.

d. risk management.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 29

29) Why have environmental movements typically been more successful in Europe, North America, and Asia?

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. These places face greater risk from environmental degradation and so are more motivated to address it.

b. These places have long traditions of care for Earth that are not present in other societies.

c. The affluence of the nations in these places allows people to engage in a post-material politics.

d. The people there are more deeply connected to their land than in other places and so want to care for it.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 30

30) The free-rider problem occurs when

Page reference: See subsection “The Free-Rider Problem.”

a. individuals do not act in a way that benefits the group unless it also advances their personal interests.

b. an individual or company seeks economic gain without giving back to society.

c. a company is forced to provide a plan for managing its waste without passing the cost of doing so along to the public.

d. affluent nations with long histories of mass consumption insist that poorer nations curtail their consumer habits out of concern for the environment.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 31

31) After the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, global greenhouse gas emissions

Page reference: See subsection “The Free-Rider Problem.”

a. increased.

b. declined.

c. stayed the same.

d. increased rapidly, then declined rapidly.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 32

32) The Paris Agreement

Page reference: See subsection “The Free-Rider Problem.”

a. allows each nation to set its own targets for reducing pollution.

b. sets different targets for pollution reduction for affluent and poor nations.

c. has the strictest enforcement policy of any global environmental regulation so far.

d. was drafted by the US, the first nation to agree to it.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 12 Question 33

33) A green roof like those mandated by law on new buildings with slopes of less than 30 degrees in Copenhagen, Denmark

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. is made from recycled tires.

b. is covered in plants to absorb rainwater and reduce stormwater runoff and help lower the temperature of a city.

c. has solar panels on it to capture sunlight and transform them into energy.

d. is made of materials that will decompose easily in a landfill.

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 34 

34) In 1989, Alaska faced a major environmental crisis when 

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. a hurricane overwhelmed a city’s pumping system, leading to widespread flooding at the same time that a city dam collapsed .

b. an earthquake and the tsunami it created overwhelmed a nuclear power plant leading to three nuclear meltdowns and the release of nuclear contaminants.

c. the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, spilling oil into the water for six months before being sealed.

d. an oil tanker rammed a reef, spilling 10.8 million gallons of oil into environmentally important and fragile waterways.

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 35

35) In 2010, the coastal states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida faced a major environmental crisis when 

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. a hurricane overwhelmed a city’s pumping system, leading to widespread flooding at the same time that a city dam collapsed.

b. an earthquake and the tsunami it created overwhelmed a nuclear power plant leading to three nuclear meltdowns and the release of nuclear contaminants. 

c. the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, spilling oil into the water for six months before being sealed.

d. an oil tanker rammed a reef, spilling 10.8 million gallons of oil into environmentally important and fragile waterways.

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 36

36) Which environmental organization’s focus is on wildlife protection? 

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. Greenpeace 

b. Appiko Movement 

c. Break Free 

d. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 37

37) Which social movement seeks to convince business leaders to adopt sustainable and environmentally responsible practices? 

Page reference: See subsection “Corporate Social Responsibility.”

a. Socially responsible investing 

b. Boycott, divest, and sanction 

c. Greenwashing 

d. Consolidated disadvantage 

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 38

38) When your favorite soft drink includes a statement on its plastic bottle saying that it is made of 100 percent recycled materials, the soft drink company is encouraging

Page reference: See subsection “Corporate Social Responsibility.”

a. consumers to drink from glass bottles or aluminum cans instead.

b. consumers to drink less soda because it is stored in recycled bottles.

c. consumers to recycle because the company loves the planet. 

d. brand loyalty through the advertising of its environmental friendliness.

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 39

39) Which political party’s platform focuses on environmental issues? 

Page reference: See subsection “Corporate Social Responsibility.”

a. The Green Party  

b. The Democratic Party 

c. The Working Families Party 

d. The Social Democratic Party 

Type: multiple choice question 

Title: Chapter 12 Question 40 

40) In general, what kind of environmental movement has been most successful? 

Page reference: See subsection “Making Wastefulness Deviant.”

a. Those asking ordinary people to make changes to their everyday habits 

b. Those seeking international policy changes 

c. Those that address the behavior of corporations 

d. Those that that appeal to religion