Environmental Science Midterm – Flashcards
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the long-term sustainability of life on Earth had depended on?
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- solar energy - nutrient recycling - biodiversity
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which of the the following areas of study are NOT important in the study of environmental science? a. Biology b. Chemistry c. Geology d. Economics e. all of the these answers are important
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E. all of the these answers are important
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goals of environmental science
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- learn how nature works - understand how we interact with the environment - live more sustainably - find ways to deal with environmental problems
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which of the following is a social movement dedicated to the protection of the Earths natural capital? a. Ecology b. environmental science c. environmentalism d. natural selection
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c. environmentalism
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Which of the following terms encompasses(includes) all of the others? a. natural capital b. natural resources c. natural services d. nutrient cycling e. photosynthesis
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a. natural capital
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which of the following is best characterized as an example of natural service? a. renewable energy b. nonrenewable energy c. water purification d. oil
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c. water purification
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when we speak of protecting the environment, we are referring to a. all living things on the planet only b. all non-living things such as air, fresh water and energy only c. all living and non-living things d. humans and the living and non-living things that affect them only e. humans and the living thing that affect them on
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c. all living and non-living things
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a set of organisms within a defined area interacting with one another and with their environment of living and non-living matter is called a(n) a. species b. ecosystem c. sustainable society d. natural resource
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c. sustainable society
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an environmentally sustainable society does which of the following a. protects natural capital b. lives off the income natural capital provides c. does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs d. all of these answers
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all of these answers - protects natural capital - lives off the income natural capital provides - does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs
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which of the following would be best categorized as a perpetual resource? a. oil reserves b. fisheries c. solar energy d. forests e. coal reserves
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c. solar energy
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what is an important characteristic that wold tell us whether a resource should be characterized as a renewable resource?
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it must have the capacity to be replenished within days to several hundred years
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which of the following categories of resources can be degraded if used beyond sustainable yield (using more than can be re-created by nature a. renewable resources b. perpetual resources c. energy resources d. mineral resources e. nonrenewable resources
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a. renewable resources
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what best describes what it meant by an ecological footprint?
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it is the amount of biologically-productive land and water needed to supply the people in a particular country or area with necessary resources
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if a country's ecological footprint is larger than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and absorb the resulting waste and pollution then
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it is said to have and ecological deficit
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developed countries
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high-income and use about 88% of the worlds resources
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which of the following statement about developing countries is true? a. they are highly industrialized (have lots of big businesses) b. they have high-average per capita income c. they include the united states, Germany, and Japan d. they are classified ad middle-income or low-income and have less money e. they have about 85% of the worlds wealth and income
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d. they are classified ad middle-income or low-income and have less money
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nonrenewable resources include
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- oil - minerals -salt and sand - coal
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sustainable yield is the...
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highest rate that a renewable resource can be used indefinably without reducing its available supply
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which of the following best describes the concept of environmental degradation? a. using solar power at a rapid rate b. growing crops for food c. cutting trees for wood products faster than the trees can regrow maturity d. catching only enough fish so that population of fish will stay about the same
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c. cutting trees for wood products faster than the trees can regrow maturity
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Pollution cleanup efforts can be ineffective because... a. they often take pollutants from one part of the environment and transfer them to another b. once pollutants are dispersed (spread out) if costs too much to reduce them to acceptable levels c. they can be made harder
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a. they often take pollutants from one part of the environment and transfer them to another b. once pollutants are dispersed (spread out) if costs too much to reduce them to acceptable levels c. they can be made harder by growth in population and consumption
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about ____ of the worlds humans population lives in the developing countries a. 20% b. 40% c. 60% d. 80%
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d. 80%
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if we make a commitment to more sustainable lifestyles now, how long will it take (according to scientific evidence) to fully implement the changes
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50 years
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root causes of unsustainable/ environmental problems include all of the following EXCEPT a. wasteful use of resources b. poverty c. rapid population d. including environmental and social costs in market prices of good and services
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d. including environmental and social costs in market prices of good and services
