question

"Waste stream" is a term describing a) the steady production of all waste products that humans produce. b) the process of eliminating domestic and commercial waste. c) the production of solid waste, specifically. d) the intermittent production of particular wastes. e) the production of liquid waste, specifically.

answer

a) the steady production of all waste products that humans produce.

question

In the United States about two-thirds of a ton of waste is generated for each person (including children). Compared to the United States, Japan and Europe generate about half that amount. One of the factors that probably does not contribute to this difference is a) the United States collection and dumping processes mix and crush everything together so separation is not possible. b) the fact that Japan is an island with limited space. c) the high rate of recycling in Japan. d) that people in the United States have a higher standard of living than Japan and Europe. e) All of these probably contribute to the difference in the waste stream.

answer

d) that people in the United States have a higher standard of living than Japan and Europe.

question

In recent decades, unregulated open dumps have ____________ in developing countries. a) nearly disappeared b) mostly become regulated c) remained the primary disposal method d) been replaced by incineration and methane generation e) been replaced by sanitary landfills

answer

c) remained the primary disposal method

question

Landfills differ from open dumps in that a) landfills are smaller. b) dumps are cleaner and smell less. c) landfilled waste is compacted and covered. d) landfills are cheaper to operate. e) Landfills and dumps are the same thing.

answer

c) landfilled waste is compacted and covered.

question

CERCLA legislation a) established the NPL. b) requires the testing of the toxicity of substances. c) requires brownfields to be developed. d) requires the EPA to clean up toxic waste sites. (X) e) all of the above. (X)

answer

a) established the NPL. (?)

question

In the case of sanitary landfills, the cost of disposing of wastes is _____ as technology provides safer alternatives. a) slowly increasing b) slowly decreasing c) staying relatively stable d) sharply increasing e) sharply decreasing

answer

d) sharply increasing

question

The main method for disposing of municipal wastes in the United States is ___________ while _____ is the main method in Japan. a) incineration; recycling b) recycling; landfilling c) landfilling; recycling d) landfilling; incineration e) recycling; incineration

answer

c) landfilling; recycling

question

Using a refillable beverage container (returnable bottles) would be an example of __________ materials. a) reusing b) recycling c) reducing d) redefining e) None of these are correct.

answer

a) reusing

question

Recycling, in terms of solid waste management, means a) reusing materials. b) melting or shredding to make new products. c) keeping intact but putting to a new use. d) using less of the material in production of a product. e) All of these are correct.

answer

b) melting or shredding to make new products.

question

Urban curbside recycling costs cities a) a great deal, but citizens approve the expense anyway. b) nothing at all because the materials pay for expenses. c) more than any other disposal method. d) far less than landfilling or incinerating. e) nothing, in fact, all cities make money with recycling.

answer

d) far less than landfilling or incinerating.

question

Recycling aluminum is most important for a) saving raw materials (the ore). b) saving energy. c) saving landfill space. d) reducing pollutants in the air and water. e) All of these are correct.

answer

e) All of these are correct.

question

Composting is a waste disposal method that a) is useful only for single households. b) is technologically complex. c) vastly reduces total waste volumes. d) is more environmentally costly than landfilling. e) is not realistic for college students.

answer

c) vastly reduces total waste volumes.

question

Individual efforts to reduce the volume of the waste stream a) have enormous cumulative effects. b) are fairly useful because it demonstrates to corporations that we care. c) have some effects, but we need to target industries to reduce their waste stream instead. d) have little effect but make people feel better. e) matter very little.

answer

a) have enormous cumulative effects.

question

The most often overlooked of the "three Rs" is a) recycle. b) reuse. c) release. d) redefine. e) reduce.

answer

e) reduce.

question

Which of the following actions would probably encourage efficiency and recycling programs? a) discontinue energy and water subsidies to industries when they are processing raw materials. b) discontinue subsidies that favor the extraction of raw materials. c) consumers asking for and buying products made from recycled products. d) All of these are correct. e) discontinue subsidies that favor the extraction of raw materials and consumers asking for and buying products made from recycled products are correct because industries do not receive water and energy subsidies.

answer

d) All of these are correct.

question

Hazardous waste is anything that a) causes human health threats. b) severely contaminates the environment. c) is toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, corrosive, or explosive. d) has the potential of causing health problems. e) All of these are correct.

answer

c) is toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, corrosive, or explosive.

question

The National Priority List is a list of sites that a) we currently have money to deal with. b) deserve research for possible cleanup. c) will probably never be cleaned up. d) seriously require cleanup to prevent further environmental and health damage. e) are especially vulnerable to hazardous wastes (e.g., aquifer recharge zones) and are not available for future building permits.

answer

d) seriously require cleanup to prevent further environmental and health damage.

question

The questions of ____ and _________ are among the biggest problems in cleaning up hazardous waste sites. a) liability; degree of purity required b) appropriate technology; location c) appropriate technology; liability d) degree of purity required; appropriate technology e) location; cost

answer

a) liability; degree of purity required

question

Toxic landfills are frequently located in ________ areas. a) wilderness b) urban c) rural d) nonpopulated e) suburban

answer

b) urban

question

Illegal dumping and storage of hazardous waste a) continues to threaten public health. b) has completely stopped since the Superfund Act. c) has not stopped completely but is rare. d) has become a problem mainly since the Superfund Act. e) will always be present because people are not concerned about toxic wastes.

answer

a) continues to threaten public health

question

Chemical processing is a way of __________ hazardous waste for safe disposal. a) reducing the volume of b) neutralizing c) incinerating d) filtering and precipitating e) acidifying

answer

b) neutralizing

question

Biological treatments of hazardous waste involve ___________ hazardous substances. a) using plants, bacteria or fungi to absorb and detoxify b) the genetic alteration of species suffering from c) using microorganisms to disperse d) special organic chemical processing of e) None of these are correct.

answer

a) using plants, bacteria or fungi to absorb and detoxify

question

Secure landfills are those that a) have no groundwater below them. b) accept no toxic substances. c) are built like a bathtub with a lid. d) are sealed entirely with durable plastic. e) are sealed entirely with concrete.

answer

c) are built like a bathtub with a lid.

question

According to the EPA, the US produces _____ tons of solid waste per year. a) 9 million b) 70 million c) 800 million d) 11 billion e) 123 billion

answer

d) 11 billion (?)

question

The major disadvantage of incinerating waste is a) it costs more than landfilling. b) it produces significant air pollution.(X) c) it cannot be done without first sorting the wastes. d) both it costs more than landfilling and it produces significant air pollution are correct. e) both it costs more than landfilling and it cannot be done without first sorting the wastes are correct.

answer

d) both it costs more than landfilling and it produces significant air pollution are correct.

question

Brownfields are a) landfills that have been converted to farmland. b) contaminated areas in cities that have to be abandoned. c) facilities that use plants to convert hazardous wastes to less harmful substances. d) farmland that has been made useless because of improper disposal of toxic waste. e) none of these are correct.

answer

e) none of these are correct.

question

Secure landfills are usually sealed with gravel. a) True b) False

answer

b) False

question

In terms of cost and safety, one of the best ways to manage hazardous waste is to produce less hazardous waste. a) True b) False

answer

a) True

question

The US stopped all dumping of municipal refuse into oceans in 1958. a) True b) False

answer

b) False

question

In 1950 only ____ percent of the world's population lived in cities. a) 16 b) 22 c) 31 d) 38 e) 43

answer

d) 38

question

In 2000 what continent had the highest percentage of people living in urban areas? a) North America b) Europe c) Asia d) South America e) Africa

answer

a) North America

question

Ecological economics is different from the other economic theories because it recognizes the a) scarcity of natural capital. b) recycling of ecological processes and the scarcity of manufactured capital. c) abundance of natural capital. d) fragility of the human economy and power of ecological systems. e) human economy as one part of a dynamic world system.

answer

e) human economy as one part of a dynamic world system.

question

Natural capital is that which is created by a) industrial processes. b) human labor. c) natural Earth processes. d) animal labor. e) All of these are ways natural capital is created.

answer

c) natural Earth processes.

question

Renewable resources are those that a) will not be exhausted. b) will always renew themselves unless we destroy them. c) can be renewed through intensive investments of capital and labor. d) are intangible and inexhaustible. c) are intangible and exhaustible.

answer

b) will always renew themselves unless we destroy them.

question

An example of an intangible resource, or one that is difficult to place a monetary value on, is a) solar energy. b) satisfaction. c) human labor. d) capital. e) extinct species.

answer

b) satisfaction.

question

When we purchase a product, the price we pay directly reflects the _____ cost of producing it. If the manufacture of the product degrades the quality of air or water, then the costs of this pollution are termed _____ costs. a) incidental; external b) incidental; indirect c) indirect; incidental d) external; internal e) internal; external

answer

e) internal; external

question

When a factory pollutes a river, the costs and losses that affect people downstream would be called a) indirect costs. b) external costs. c) incidental costs. d) internal costs. e) social costs.

answer

b) external costs.

question

Businesses are now willing to become "green" because a) it improves their public image. b) it saves money. c) doing so is expensive but makes good advertising. d) doing so improves their image and saves money in the end. e) they need to obey laws and comply with government regulations.

answer

d) doing so improves their image and saves money in the end.

question

Many businesses are exploring and adopting the "design for the environment." Which of the following is not associated with this approach? a) Improve public relations about the business' environmental policies. b) The products of a process are resources for other processes. c) Work within the limits of the current incoming amounts of solar energy. d) Include an emphasis on the maintenance of cultural and biological diversity. e) All of these are associated with adopting the "design for the environment." (X)

answer

a) Improve public relations about the business' environmental policies.

question

Environmental protection has been proven to __________ the number of available jobs because __________. a) decrease; it limits the use of nonrenewable resources (as in the case of the logging industry) b) increase; labor is usually substituted for natural resources (as in the case of recycling) c) stabilize; the use of nonrenewable resources is stabilized and jobs are scarce anyway d) decrease; it negatively affects economic growth e) stabilize; it limits the use of nonrenewable resources (as in the case of the logging industry)

answer

b) increase; labor is usually substituted for natural resources (as in the case of recycling)

question

Urbanization began to grow especially quickly after the a) development of agriculture. b) beginning of the twentieth century. c) invention of commerce and religion. d) industrial revolution. e) invention of record keeping.

answer

d) industrial revolution.

question

Which of the following is a push factor for urban growth? a) jobs in rural manufacturing b) unemployment in farming communities c) better access to education at big universities d) high unemployment in cities e) opportunities for specialization in an occupation

answer

b) unemployment in farming communities

question

Which would be an example of sustainable development? a) Current use of fossil fuels in the U.S. b) Heap-leach extraction of gold. c) Harvest of food species to the point of extinction. d) Development of brownfields in urban areas. e) Suburban development programs.

answer

d) Development of brownfields in urban areas.

question

Which is an example of a pull factor for an urban area? a) unemployment in rural areas b) the availability of arts and cultural activities c) heavy traffic on city streets d) the lack of clean drinking water in rural areas e) none of these are correct.

answer

b) the availability of arts and cultural activities

question

Slums are usually dwelling places that are a) illegal and built by squatters. b) legal but have inadequate living conditions. c) small but up to city code. d) condemned by the city but illegally occupied. e) on undeveloped lands in the outskirts of a city.

answer

b) legal but have inadequate living conditions.

question

In many U.S. cities, poor, undereducated, minority, and other less powerful groups are often concentrated a) in urban centers. b) at city margins. c) outside of the city entirely. d) in a ring of satellite settlements around a city. (X) e) None of these. Usually the poor, undereducated, minority, and other less powerful groups are distributed throughout the area.

answer

a) in urban centers.

question

Which is a negative consequence of urban sprawl? a) increased traffic congestion b) abandonment of city centers c) inefficient use of land d) all of these are correct. e) none of these are correct.

answer

d) all of these are correct.

question

Traditional suburban development does not a) consist of only house lots and streets. b) typically consist of identical parcels of land without open space. c) facilitate social interactions among neighbors. d) consume agricultural land and wildlife habitat. e) All of these are characteristics of traditional suburban development.

answer

c) facilitate social interactions among neighbors.

question

Which is not a goal of smart growth? a) reduction of noise, air and water pollution b) increased access to artistic and cultural opportunities c) reduction of substandard housing d) improved communication among members of the community e) all of these are goals of smart growth.

answer

e) all of these are goals of smart growth.

question

According to the principle of new urbanism what is the ideal size of a city? a) less than 15,000 people b) 15,000-30,000 c) 30,000-50,000 d) 50,000-100,000 e) up to 150,000

answer

c) 30,000-50,000

question

The idea of a steady-state economy was developed by a) Thomas Malthus b) John Stuart Mill c) Adam Smith d) Henry David Thoreau e) Karl Marx

answer

b) John Stuart Mill

question

Mass transportation in urban areas is one example of how cities have negative impacts on the environment. a) True b) False

answer

b) False

question

The estimated annual value of soil formation by natural systems is more than 10 trillion dollars. a) True b) False

answer

a) True

question

International trade of goods internalizes costs. a) True b) False

answer

b) False

question

Suburbs are known for the presence of artistic and cultural opportunities. a) True b) False

answer

b) False

question

A major criticism of the 'limits to growth' model is that it doesn't fully account for technological innovations. a) True b) False

answer

a) True

question

The dilemma of public property use presented by Garret Hardin is also called the "free rider problem." a) True b) False

answer

a) True

Chapters 13: Solid and Hazardous Waste, and 14: Economics and Urbanization – Flashcards

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