Minerals and Energy Full Test Bank Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Minerals and Energy

Multiple Choice Questions

1. ________ is an example of a renewable resource.
   1. Solar radiation
   2. Coal
   3. Natural gas
   4. A mineral deposit
2. Non-renewable resources formed on a time scale of ________.
   1. millions of years
   2. hundreds of thousands of years
   3. thousands of years
   4. hundreds of years
3. ________ might motivate profit-oriented mining and fossil-fuel extraction companies to engage in environmental management.
   1. An inherently ethical standpoint
   2. Long-term economic returns on corporate-responsibility investments
   3. A reduction in costly government inspections and auditing practices
   4. Both b and c
4. The main environmental issues for the mining sectors are related to ________.
   1. metal toxicity
   2. acid mine drainage
   3. sulphur dioxide emissions
   4. All of the above
5. The root cause of acid mine drainage is ________.
   1. the separation of sulphide-bearing ore minerals from other minerals
   2. the burning of fossil fuels at mines
   3. hydroelectric energy production near old mine sites
   4. the drilling of test wells
6. Sulphur dioxide emissions are created by ________.
   1. the separation of sulphide-bearing ore minerals from other minerals
   2. the smelting of sulphide-bearing ores.
   3. the burning of fossil fuels
   4. Both b and c
7. Many uses of asbestos are no longer considered acceptable because of its role in ________.
   1. reducing fertility
   2. toxicity to fish
   3. causing strokes
   4. causing cancer
8. In 2015, Canada produced ________ minerals and metals.
   1. 60
   2. 70
   3. 50
   4. 40
9. Canada is the world’s ________ largest exporter of uranium.
   1. fourth
   2. third
   3. second
   4. fifth
10. Potash is a term for ________.
    1. nitrogen-rich soils
    2. ash deposits from ancient forest fires
    3. deposits of high-phosphorus rock
    4. potassium salt deposits
11. The vast majority of potash is used for ________.
    1. biocides
    2. manufacturing
    3. electronic components
    4. fertilizer
12. In 2016, ________ was spent on exploration and appraisal of deposits in Canada.
    1. 1.6 billion
    2. 2.6 billion
    3. 1.6 million
    4. 2.6 million
13. Canada’s first two diamond mines are located in ________.
    1. Quebec
    2. the Northwest Territories
    3. Nunavut
    4. Ontario
14. Canada’s third diamond mine is located in ________.
    1. Quebec
    2. the Northwest Territories
    3. Nunavut
    4. Ontario
15. ________ is an indicator mineral associated with diamonds.
    1. Asbestos
    2. Pyrite
    3. Yellow quartz
    4. Chrome diopside
16. Kimberlite is ________.
    1. an igneous rock
    2. a kind of granite
    3. a sedimentary rock
    4. a metamorphic rock
17. Kimberlite pipes are important because ________.
    1. kimberlite is used for building materials
    2. kimberlite pipes sometimes contain diamonds
    3. kimberlite pipes indicate that there is a nickel deposit nearby
    4. kimberlite indicates that gold can be found nearby
18. The Ekati mine will produce a gross value of ________ over its 25-year lifespan.
    1. $5 billion
    2. $5 million
    3. $9.5 billion
    4. $1 million
19. BHP signed impact and benefit agreements in 1996 that prioritised the hiring of________.
    1. Indigenous people from the NWT
    2. non-Indigenous people from the NWT
    3. Canadians with mining experience
    4. their own people from Australia
20. The most significant comment on sampling design at Ekati provided by federal government departments was that ________.
    1. more effort was required to incorporate traditional knowledge into the scientific data collection process
    2. the lake chosen to hold the tailings was deemed unsuitable because of a unique fish species found during the baseline surveys
    3. more emphasis should be placed on hiring Indigenous peoples
    4. the mine should not go ahead as planned, and exploration should continue in another area of the country instead
21. BHP noted including traditional knowledge into its research program was a challenge because ________.
    1. no one set of traditional knowledge existed, since the Inuit, Métis, and Dene each have their own traditional knowledge
    2. some Indigenous groups were reluctant to provide traditional knowledge due to ongoing land claims
    3. traditional knowledge was viewed by Indigenous peoples as their intellectual property, meaning its use and management had to remain within their control
    4. All of the above
22. ________ was proposed to hold tailing in Long Lake.
    1. A frozen core dam
    2. A timber dam
    3. A steel core dam
    4. A rock-fill dam
23. Among environmental issues, the most important concern raised at Ekati was the potential effects on ________.
    1. moose
    2. caribou
    3. muskox
    4. grizzly bear
24. Impact and benefit agreements (IBAs) are ________.
    1. voluntary agreements, beyond the formal impact assessment requirements
    2. intended to facilitate extraction in a manner that contributes to economic and social well-being of local communities
    3. designed to address community and industry relations in mining and extractive resource activities
    4. All of the above
25. The “Ring of Fire” area north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, contains massive deposits of ________.
    1. potash
    2. calcium
    3. cadmium
    4. chromite
26. Geothermal heat occurs near the Earth’s surface in ________.
    1. Brazil
    2. USA
    3. Iceland
    4. Canada
27. Biomass energy sources include ________.
    1. heat from burning firewood
    2. muscle power of people and animals
    3. biogas conversion of crop and animal wastes
    4. All of the above
28. Canada produces ________ of its electricity from nuclear power.
    1. 10 per cent
    2. 30 per cent
    3. 5 per cent
    4. 15 per cent
29. In Canada, ________ has had the greatest increase in energy use.
    1. British Columbia
    2. Alberta
    3. Manitoba
    4. Quebec
30. ________ is the main type of primary energy production in Canada.
    1. Fossil fuel energy
    2. Solar energy
    3. Biomass energy
    4. Nuclear energy
31. Choice of energy sources is based on ________.
    1. price and energy content
    2. storability, safety, and flexibility
    3. occurrence, transferability, and reliability
    4. All of the above
32. Wind energy converts ________ energy into mechanical energy or electricity.
    1. radiant
    2. kinetic
    3. potential
    4. chemical
33. As of 2017, ________ leads the world in wind energy production.
    1. USA
    2. China
    3. Netherlands
    4. Canada
34. In Canada, ________ are leaders in wind energy production.
    1. Ontario and Quebec
    2. Quebec and Alberta
    3. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
    4. Ontario and British Columbia
35. The Health Canada and Statistics Canada research report on the health impacts of wind farms in Prince Edward Island and Ontario found that ________.
    1. there was no relationship between reported annoyance and levels of wind turbine noise
    2. individuals receiving personal benefits from wind farms were more likely to report annoyance
    3. self-reported sleep problems and illnesses were not associated with exposure to wind turbine noise
    4. exposure to wind turbine noise was correlated to higher blood pressure and resting heart rates
36. The advantages of wind power include that ________.
    1. it does not require fuel
    2. it does not produce toxic waste
    3. it does not produce greenhouse gases
    4. All of the above
37. The potential impact of wind turbines thought to be the most significant for wildlife is ________.
    1. collisions
    2. habitat loss
    3. falling ice
    4. noise
38. Solar power is a viable energy solution because ________.
    1. the sun is an endless energy source
    2. the cost of solar panels has been dropping
    3. solar energy systems can be useful for remote communities
    4. All of the above
39. Solar power has several disadvantages, EXCEPT that ________.
    1. it is an intermittent power source due to cloudy conditions or at night
    2. panel installations require relatively large areas
    3. it is not suitable for smart energy networks involving distributed power generation
    4. it requires storage batteries and equipment to convert direct electricity to alternating electricity
40. ________ was the first offshore natural gas project in Canada.
    1. White Rose
    2. Hibernia
    3. Sable Island
    4. Terra Nova
41. The support vessel stationed near the offshore oil production platform used at Hibernia has the task of ________.
    1. transporting workers to and from the coast of Newfoundland
    2. anchoring the production platform during high wave and wind conditions
    3. towing small- and medium-sized icebergs away from the platform
    4. transporting oil to inshore terminals
42. ________ prevents exploratory drilling for oil and gas off the coast of BC.
    1. A moratorium imposed after a major oil spill in Alaska in 1989
    2. A moratorium imposed after a major oil spill off the coast of BC in 1989
    3. A moratorium imposed by the federal government in 1972
    4. A set of Indigenous land claims
43. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was a result of ________.
    1. a collision between a large tanker and the oil rig
    2. human error during the installation of a permanent cap on the wellhead
    3. a tanker that ran aground a reef
    4. an explosion that resulted in an uncontrolled wellhead blowout
44. Extracting bitumen from the oil sands has a negative environmental impact on ________.
    1. the boreal forest
    2. air quality
    3. Athabasca River
    4. All of the above
45. ________ cannot be replicated by land reclamation efforts in the oil sands area, because they take thousands of years to develop.
    1. Bird habitats
    2. Peatlands
    3. Meadows
    4. Woodlands
46. The ________ river system is vulnerable to water withdrawal and pollution arising from oil sands operations.
    1. Athabasca
    2. Churchill
    3. Mackenzie
    4. Nahannie
47. Greenhouse gas emissions from Alberta’s oil sands are the fastest growing source of GHGs in Canada, representing ________ of Canada’s total GHG emissions in 2010.
    1. 3 per cent
    2. 5 per cent
    3. 1 per cent
    4. 10 per cent
48. The removal of natural gas from rock formations well below the Earth’s surface is called ________.
    1. hydraulic fracturing
    2. hydrological fracking
    3. gas mining
    4. bitumin
49. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization would apply ________ for used nuclear fuel.
    1. a hybrid of technical methods and management systems
    2. storage in a centralized above ground site in Northern Ontario
    3. storage in regulated facilities on the sites at which the waste was produced
    4. adaptive phased management approach
50. ________ will help save energy in a household.
    1. Use window shades to keep sunlight out during cold winter days
    2. Removing programmable thermostats
    3. Installing low-flow shower heads
    4. Replacing fluorescent light bulbs with incandescent bulbs

True or False Questions

Flow or renewable resources in the critical zone can be harvested or exploited to exhaustion.

Using renewable resources never leads to environmental problems.

Some non-renewable resources can be recycled and reused.

Extraction of non-renewable resources usually results in their absolute depletion in anything less than a geologic timeframe.

Canada is one of the world’s major exporters of minerals and metals.

The mining sector is the main contributor to sulphur dioxide emissions in Canada.

Canada is the second-largest exporter of potash.

Saskatchewan’s potash mine operations are some of the least efficient in the world.

The first diamond mines began operation in Canada in late 1970s.

The BHP diamond mine called Ekati is located in Nunavut.

Diamonds are separated from other minerals by physical crushing.

Northern Indigenous residents have the highest priority in getting jobs at BHP’s northern mining operations.

The frozen core dam design was chosen at Ekati because the climate is conducive to this design.

The “Ring of Fire” in Northern Ontario was named after a Johnny Cash song.

All Canadians have the same attitudes towards resource development.

Wind turbines are often situated on high spots, since wind speed decreases with elevation above the surface.

Nocturnal migrating birds tend to suffer the highest mortality rates from wind turbines.

Solar energy is constant, thereby making it the most reliable energy source.

Canada is third after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia for oil sand reserves.

Land reclamation of Alberta’s oil sand development areas will restore the area to its original, natural state.

Concerns related to fracking include the potential for triggering of earthquakes.

Coal is no longer mined or consumed within Canada.

Nuclear power plants supply up to 15 per cent of Canada’s electricity.

The Canadian federal government determined that deep geological depositories are not an acceptable long-term management strategy for nuclear waste.

Compact fluorescent bulbs require less energy compared to incandescent light bulbs.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the difference between flow and stock resources?
2. What types of management concerns need to be considered when dealing with non-renewable resources?
3. What are the three main environmental issues for the mining and energy sectors? Briefly describe each one.
4. What are the best practices for mining and fossil-fuel companies’ environmental management?
5. What is kimberlite, why is it found in Canada’s north, and why is it associated with diamonds?
6. What challenges did BHP Diamonds face in trying to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into their environmental research program?
7. What are impact and benefit agreements (IBAs)?
8. Why is Canada such a large user of primary energy?
9. What factors should be considered when choosing between different sources of energy?
10. Wetlands perform several important ecological functions which are lost if they are destroyed due to oil sands operations. What are these functions?