1) An example of a renewable energy resource would be
a) American coal
b) nuclear power
c) electricity from wind turbines
d) shale oil
2)In the U.S., what do we currently do with the waste generated by nuclear power plants?
a) re-use it as nuclear fuel
b) sell it to other countries
c) shoot it into space
d) store and monitor the waste
3) The largest source of air pollutants is presently
a) combustion of fossil fuels
b) volatile organics emitted by forests
c) wind erosion of contaminated soils
d) particulates from construction and development
4) The largest source of freshwater pollution, affecting the greatest percentage of streams, rivers, and lakes is
a) fugitive solid waste from landfills
b) toxins from factories and industry
c) municipal wastewater treatment plants
d) agricultural and urban surface runoff
5) Sustainable forest management could be defined as
a) setting aside forests as wilderness, off-limits to the public
b) harvesting at a rate equal to the rate of new growth/regeneration
c) producing lumber for nearby communities
d) harvesting as needed to maintain high employment in timber industries
6) An example of an ecosystem service, a benefit provided to society by ecosystems, in the state of Maine would be
a) ecotourism
b) natural resource production (fish, timber)
c) pine state enterprise zones
d) a) and b)
e) all of the above
7) Of the three “R’s” below, which is the most important (the one to do first)?
a) re-use products
b) reduce consumption of products
c) recycle used products
d) all equally important
8) The most abundant greenhouse gas emitted by human activities is
a) sulfur oxides (SOx)
b) carbon dioxide (CO2)
c) helium (He)
d) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
9) Which country is now the largest emitter of greenhouse gases?
a) the United States of America
b) Russia
c) India
d) China
10) Endless growth of human populations is considered unsustainable because
a) there are insufficient resources to support continuous growth
b) Social Security funding will be exhausted
c) we will run out of space for housing
d) the global economy cannot generate jobs fast enough
11) The most significant driver of species extinctions and loss of biodiversity globally is
a) overhunting/overfishing
b) conversion of natural habitats into human-dominated (farms/agriculture, urban spawl)
c) toxic contamination from air pollution
d) interbreeding of domesticated and wild stocks of plants and animals
12) The overall impact of human populations on the environment depends on
a) the total number of people
b) the per capita consumption of resources
c) thetechnology we use (old/dirty vs. modern/clean)
d) a) and c)
e) b) and c)
f) all of the above
13) the most commonly used definition of sustainable development is
a) Creating a government welfare system that ensures universal access to education, health care, and social services
b) setting aside resources in perpetuity, never to be used
c) meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
d)designing communities for maximal economic and socio-demographic diversity
14) Market-based solutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions work by
a) regressive taxes that punish people for polluting
b) progressively increasing the cost of fossil fuels, causing people to find ways to use less
c) creating enforceable regulations that force companies to stop polluting
d) providing tax subsidies for development of non-polluting energy sources
e) a) and c)
f) b) and d)
15) Use of groundwater aquifers for agricultural irrigation is presently unsustainable because
a) groundwater is suffering from widespread fracking contamination
b) groundwater is being withdrawn faster than it is being recharged
c) factories and powerplants are using excessive groundwater for cooling
d) GMO crops require more water than non-GMO crops
16) Increasing movement of humans, goods and services results in unintended introductions of harmful invasive species. In Maine, examples of invasive species that threaten ecosystems and our economy include
a) milfoil
b) the Asian shore crab
c) the wooly adelgid
d) all of the above
17) Over-use of pesticides on crops can be unsustainable because
a) it becomes too expensive for farmers to keep it up
b) it forces natural detoxification mechanisms to speed up
c) it can promote pesticide resistance, creating pests that are harder to eradicate
d) it creates unfair economic conditions for organic farmers
18) The Gulf of Maine is warming, from climate change, faster than almost any other body of water worldwide. This is a problem because
a) native species may be forced to migrate to colder water, or perish if they cannot
b) tourists expect cold ocean water, and will consider warmer water “contaminated”
c) this will affect the amount of clean energy available from offshore wind farms and wave/tidal generators
d) sea level will rise faster in Maine than other parts of the U.S.
19) The stratospheric ozone layer has been depleted by certain chlorinated pollutants. This is a problem because the ozone layer provides vital protection from
a) acid rain
b) climate change
c) cosmic debris
d) ultraviolet light radiation
20) Consumption of which of the following foods has the greatest negative overall environmental impact?
a. corn
b. eggs
c. lettuce
d. beef
e. I don’t know
21) Approximately how many of the world’s roughly 7 billion people go hungry or are malnourished?
a. 1 million
b. 10. Million
c. 100 million
d. 1 billion
e. 3.5 billion
22) The American college and university presidents’ climate commitment (ACUPCC) pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by a certain date. What must we do to meet that commitment here at Saint Joseph's College?
a) reduce greenhouse gas emissions through switching to renewable energy sources and increasing efficiency
b) pursue ways of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions (pull them out of the air)
c) divest (take investments away) from any polluting corporation
d) a) and b)
e) all of the above