Test Questions & Answers Chapter.9 Environmental Issues 3e

CHAPTER 9: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

9.1 Identify today’s key environmental problems, major policies to address them, and the implications for international relations.

9.2 Describe similarities and differences among several approaches to environmental problems.

9.3 Evaluate international responses to environmental problems at three levels of analysis.

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

1. Do your hairspray and refrigerator potentially have anything to do with the global environment?

1. They affect the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere.
2. They affect water pollution.
3. They affect deforestation and forest fires.
4. They have almost nothing to do with the environment.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

2. The ozone layer–related international treaties were signed in the

1. 1920s.
2. 1960s.
3. 1980s.
4. 1990s.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

3. The Montreal Protocol deals with

1. Depletion of the ozone layer.
2. Fishing rights.
3. Nuclear proliferation.
4. Global trade issues.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

4. The United States is part of

1. A country’s ecosystem only.
2. A regional ecosystem only.
3. The global ecosystem only.
4. A country ecosystem, a regional ecosystem and a global ecosystem.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

5. Acid rain is caused by high contents of sulfur dioxide resulting from all of the following, EXCEPT

1. Biological processes.
2. Human metabolic activities.
3. Industrial activities.
4. Automobile emissions.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

6. Early negotiations regarding acid rain in the 1970s were held between

1. China and the United States.
2. Europe and China.
3. The United States and Canada.
4. India and China.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

7. Environmental policies are primarily concerned with at least two general types of environmental problems:

1. Contamination and depletion.
2. Bureaucracy and inadequate funding.
3. Lack of science and lack of money.
4. Ideological and political.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

8. Contamination affects

1. Air.
2. Water.
3. Soil.
4. Air, water, and soil.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

9. Depletion is the ______of essential elements of an ecosystem.

1. Serious reduction.
2. Harmful contamination.
3. Negligible removal.
4. Dangerous growth.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

10. What is the main global source of air pollution today?

1. Power plants using coal.
2. Automobiles and other kinds of transportation.
3. Industrial processes.
4. Agricultural practices.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

11. The greatest source of air pollution is

1. Oil.
2. Coal.
3. Volcanic activity.
4. Gas.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

12. Smog is

1. A kind of air pollution.
2. A water pollutant.
3. A respiratory problem.
4. Small oxygen molecules.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

13. The Aral Sea case discussed in the textbook is an example of

1. Environmental depletion.
2. Protection of endangered species.
3. Realism in environmental policies.
4. Global commons.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

14. Climate change is ______of global weather patterns.

1. A reoccurring change.
2. A significant and lasting alteration.
3. A reversible fluctuation.
4. An insignificant modification.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

15. Who of the following is/was the least likely to be active in global warming research?

1. Al Gore.
2. George W. Bush.
3. Guy Callenar.
4. Svante Arrhenius.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

16. Which country is projected to be the biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2025?

1. Russia.
2. Iran.
3. India.
4. China.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

17. Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?

1. O₂.
2. CO₂.
3. CH₄.
4. O₃.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

18. The massive removal or disappearance, thinning, changing, and elimination of trees, bushes, and other vegetation is called

1. Deforestation.
2. Forestation.
3. Depletion.
4. Pollution.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

19. Deforestation contributes to all of the following, Except

1. Increases in greenhouse gases.
2. Soil erosion.
3. Desertification.
4. Ozone depletion.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

20. Skeptics argue that global warming is caused by

1. Natural processes only.
2. Negligible human activity.
3. Human activities and natural processes.
4. Processes that take place in space.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

21. Which branch of economic sector is the largest consumer of water in the world?

1. Agriculture.
2. Car manufacturing.
3. Oil manufacturing.
4. Transportation.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

22. If deforestation, urban development, tourism, mining, and commercial hunting and fishing continue unabatedly, between ______ of species will disappear by 2050.

1. 35 and 66 percent.
2. 7 and 13 percent.
3. 15 and 37 percent.
4. 72 and 85 percent.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

23. If the world’s population continues to grow, then agriculture’s demand for water will ____ by 2050 compared to 2000.

1. Double.
2. Triple.
3. Half.
4. Quintuple.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

24. Because of changes in weather patterns, the Mediterranean region can expect a drop in precipitation of ____ by the middle of the century.

1. 25–30 percent.
2. 3–5 percent.
3. 52–65 percent.
4. 13–17 percent.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

25. Of the following countries, which has the LEAST problem with unclean drinking water?

1. Mexico.
2. China.
3. India.
4. Italy.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

26. Bhopal is synonymous with

1. A chemical accident in India in 1983.
2. A molecular compound that can alleviate air pollution.
3. A drug to treat radioactive exposure of animals.
4. The first green company in the United States.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

27. Where did the world’s largest oil spill occur?

1. Alaska.
2. Kuwait.
3. Gulf of Mexico.
4. African West Coast.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

28. Which legal act is the BEST example of “regulation and restriction” environmental policies?

1. The Westphalian Peace Treaty.
2. The 1956 Geneva Accords.
3. The 1900 Lacey Act.
4. The Camp David Accords.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

29. Business ventures in which companies are involved in activities reducing contamination and depletion are called

1. Green investments.
2. Green dreams.
3. Green trade.
4. Green governance.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

30. Seeking technological solutions to environmental problems is referred to as

1. Geoengineering.
2. Environmental problem solving.
3. Green thinking.
4. Earth solutions.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

31. Which of the following is NOT a renewable energy source?

1. Oil.
2. Water.
3. Wind.
4. Sunlight.

Question type: factual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

32. Biofuels are

1. Made from plants.
2. Considered biohazards.
3. Not biodegradable.
4. Nonrenewable.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

33. General Electric’s commitment to using wind power, diesel-electric hybrid locomotives, new efficient aircraft engines and appliances, and advanced water-treatment systems is called

1. Ecoimagination.
2. Green thinking.
3. Biocommitment.
4. Sustainability.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

34. Sustainable development is a comprehensive policy stimulating economic growth and ____ at the same time.

1. High unemployment rates.
2. Socialist policies.
3. Economic isolationism.
4. Environmental protection.

Question type: applied

Section 9.1 Environmental Problems, Disasters, and Policies

35. Which of the following has made the MOST progress in combatting climate change?

a. United States.

b. European Union.

c. China.

d. India.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

36. According to realists, environmental problems are

1. Marginal.
2. An imminent threat to security.
3. A growing concern.
4. More important than military problems.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

37. The right of a state to use and protect its environment and natural resources is called

1. Environmental sovereignty.
2. Environmental freedom.
3. State of nature.
4. Nature choice.

Question type: factual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

38. Which of the following is NOT part of the global commons?

1. The atmosphere.
2. Outer space.
3. Minerals under countries.
4. Antarctica.

Question type: factual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

39. The first wave of environmental treaties occurred in the

1. 1920s.
2. 1950s.
3. 1970s.
4. 1990s.

Question type: applied

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

40. What has been the most ambitious goal of environmentalists?

1. Convincing the United States to take real action on climate change.
2. Developing a global policy framework under UN auspices.
3. Gaining acceptance for the concept of the global commons.
4. Getting green parties into power in as many countries as possible.

Question type: factual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

41. According to a 2013 survey conducted in 39 countries, 54 percent of respondents said this was a major concern:

1. Global climate change.
2. Pollution of the oceans.
3. Acid rain.
4. Deforestation.

Question type: factual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

42. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the worst “environmental offenders” are the inhabitants of this country:

1. France.
2. United States.
3. China.
4. United Arab Emirates.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.2 Approaches to Environmental Issues

43. According to constructivists, two environmental key values exist:

1. Mastery and harmony.
2. Sustainability and depletion.
3. Conscious and reckless.
4. Conquest and cooperation.

Question type: applied

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

44. Who received the Peace Nobel Prize for his environmental efforts?

1. Helen Clark.
2. Al Gore.
3. Barack Obama.
4. George W. Bush.

Question type: factual

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

45. Environmental skeptics believe in the following, EXCEPT

1. Environmental policies require a more cautious, balanced approach.
2. Mastery values should guide environmental policy.
3. There is a need for urgent and comprehensive actions to protect the environment.
4. Conservation on a smaller scale.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

46. Which environmental approach challenges the Gaia theory?

1. Theory of Global Commons.
2. The clash of civilizations theory.
3. Constructivism.
4. Environmental skepticism.

Question type: applied

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

47. Which American politician has had the LEAST concern for the environment?

1. Donald Trump.
2. Jimmy Carter.
3. Al Gore.
4. Barack Obama.

Question type: conceptual

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

48. Overall, which type of political party is LEAST likely to support environmental protection measures?

1. Agricultural.
2. Social democratic.
3. Conservative.
4. Green.

Question type: factual

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

49. In the 2000s, renewable energy accounted for about __ percent of total global energy production.

1. 0.
2. less than 10.
3. 30.
4. 40.

Question type: factual

Section 9.3 Environmental Issues at the Three Levels of Analysis

50. Greenpeace started in 1971 by targeting

1. Whaling.
2. Nuclear testing.
3. Fossil fuel consumption.
4. Acid rain.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What is contamination?

2. Explain the concept of depletion with respect to international environmental policies.

3. Name and describe three global environmental problems.

4. What are greenhouse gases?

5. What is global warming?

6. Describe the ozone depletion theory.

7. List and explain some of the consequences of global warming.

8. What is deforestation and why is it important?

9. Describe the nature and the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

10. What does Bhopal stand for?

11. Define and describe the Kyoto Protocol.

12. What is the significance of the 2015 Paris Agreement?

13. What do we understand by geoengineering?

14. Define environmental discrimination.

15. Define environmental sovereignty.

16. Who is Al Gore and why is he important for international environmental policy?

17. Describe the concept of socially responsible investing.

18. What is hydropower?

19. Name and describe three sources of renewable energy.

20. What are green loans?

21. Define mastery values.

22. What is acid rain?

23. What are debt-for-nature swaps?

24. What is desertification and why is it increasing?

25. Describe the concept of the global commons.

Essay Questions

1. What are the primary causes of climate change, according to scientific consensus? What are the likely consequences if humans do not take sufficient action?

2. Compare and contrast the realist, liberal, and constructivist approaches to environmental problems.

3. Write an essay that examines how the individual and state contexts affect the formation of environmental policy.

4. Write an essay about the efforts states have made to address climate change. Are these efforts adequate?

5. Compare the views of environmentalists and environmental skeptics.

6. What is the Kyoto Protocol? Why is it considered inadequate by its critics?

7. What are the key aspects of the liberal approach to solving environmental problems? What factors inhibit advocates of the liberal approach from achieving their goals?

8. Drawing on the history of Greenpeace activism, discuss and analyze the organization’s strategy to promote environmental protection.

9. Who should be held responsible for humanmade environmental disasters? Discuss different views, choosing an empirical case.

10. Discuss different policy strategies to enhance global environmental efforts. What challenges exist?