GLOBAL ISSUES UNIT 11

The hypothetical example used to explain why groups of individuals might overexploit shared environmental resources even when they know that it could be against their long-term interests is known as:

The Tragedy of the Commons

Certain gases in the atmosphere—water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide—can trap solar radiation and cause the atmosphere to warm. These are called:

Greenhouse gases

Which of the following are greenhouse gases (select all that apply, there are one to SIX possible correct answers)?

Carbon dioxide

Ozone

Water vapor

Nitrous oxide

Hydrofluorocarbons

Methane

Why are some gases considered greenhouse gases

Because of their effect on the warming of the atmosphere

Because they trap solar radiation in the atmosphere

When did scientists first discover the “greenhouse effect”?

In the 1850s

Which of the following provides evidence that a warming planet is related to human behavior (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Scientific research showing that temperatures have risen along with carbon dioxide emissions from the nineteenth century

Scientific discoveries that burning coal changes the climate by increasing the levels of carbon in the atmosphere

What does a glaciologist study (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

How glaciers in Antarctica and elsewhere move and how they have changed over time

The relationship between ice flow over time and the earth systems that depend on it

Where are the two largest remaining ice sheets on earth?

Greenland and Antarctica

What do ice-penetrating radars do (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

They send out radio frequency pulses and reflect off layers within the ice

They allow scientists to learn about the structure of ice and its thickness

What name is sometimes used to refer to coral reefs?

Rainforests of the sea

Why are coral reefs sometimes called the “rainforests of the sea”?

They are home to a quarter of all oceanic fish species

By how much has the Earth’s average surface temperature risen between 1880 and 2019?

By 1 degree Celsius

Which of the following were contributing factors to the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011 (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Large numbers of people had to move into already crowded cities

The loss of up to 85% of livestock in some areas

The years preceding the civil war had seen a devastating drought

What percentage of the Earth’s warming has been absorbed by oceans?

More than 90%

Which of the following are ways in which climate change is affecting the oceans and ocean life (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Heat and carbon absorption has led to changes in the chemistry of oceans

-Shells and skeletons of organisms as well as coral reefs are being dissolved by ocean acidification

-Oceans are expanding in size due to the increased temperature of seawater

-The acidity of oceans has increased by 30% since the industrial revolution

What is a carbon sink?

An area that absorbs carbon, such as oceans

Which of the following are examples of how climate change impacts agriculture (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

While some crops may see increases in crop yields¸ many geographic regions will see yield decreases

Regions throughout the world may experience greater food scarcity due to decreased crop yields

Levels of essential vitamins in crops like wheat¸ rice¸ soybeans¸ and other staple grains are reduced by increased carbon in the atmosphere

Increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreases the nutrient yield of important crops

What do we know about species extinction (select all that apply; there are one to FIVE possible correct answers)?

Over the course of 3½ billion years of life on earth¸ 99% of all species have become extinct

We’re now losing species at the fastest rate in millions of years

Species extinction is part of the natural process

When a single event leads to a lot of species going extinct at the same time¸ this is called mass extinction

There have been five events leading to mass extinction in the history of the earth

What are the main drivers of today’s species extinction (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Habitat transformation

Pollution

Climate change

Species exploitation

What can be done about species extinction (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Reduce deforestation in the tropics to zero

Fly less

Consume less meat

Order the following economic sectors in terms of their greenhouse gas contributions (highest to lowest).

Electricity generation

Transportation

Manufacturing and the construction industry

Agriculture

Land use and forestry

As noted in your reading, which of the following had the highest 2018 total carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy?

China

As noted in your reading, which of the following had the highest 2018 per capita carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy?

Qatar

Match the following to their 2018 share, as noted in the reading, in percentage of global total carbon emissions.

China-27.5%

United States-14.8%

European Union-9.8%

Match the continents to their 2018 share in percentage of global total carbon emissions, as discussed in the reading.

Asia-53%

North America-18%

Europe-17%

Africa-3.7%

South America-3.2%

Oceania-1.3%

Order the following from most to least in terms of their cumulative emissions over the time period 1751–2017.

United States

European Union

China

Based on the BBC video, which gives slightly updated numbers than the reading, match the following carbon emissions per person per year to the country.

United States-16.1 tons

China-7.1 tons

United Kingdom-5.5 tons

Democratic Republic of the Congo-0.03 tons

Qatar-38.6 tons

Which countries are the world’s two biggest carbon emitters?

China and the United States

What does it mean to say that “when it comes to climate change, China is both firefighter and arsonist”?

China is the #1 producer of greenhouse gases, but also produces more solar power, wind power, and electric cars than any other country

Which of the following is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal?

China

What do developing nations, who have contributed the least to global warming, demand of richer countries (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Money to adapt their infrastructure to reduce future emissions

Compensation for the loss and damage of current climate disasters

That those responsible be held accountable (“the polluter must pay”)

What are the leading contributors of methane (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Burping livestock

Farming

Landfills

Fossil Fuels

To limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, by how much do we need to reduce methane emissions?

By about 1/3

According to the UN video, which has the highest potential for methane reductions,  much of it at no net cost?

The oil and gas industry

When did the world’s nations come together for the first time in history to address global environmental challenges?

1972, in Stockholm

The 1997 agreement that contains legally binding emission targets for industrialized countries with respect to key greenhouse gases is:

The Kyoto Protocol

When was the Kyoto Protocol set to expire?

2012

What are the reasons why small island states are particularly concerned with reducing carbon dioxide emissions (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Rising sea levels could make small island states uninhabitable

A rise of just a few feet in sea level could flood small island states

What were the concerns raised with the Kyoto Protocol (select all that apply; there are one to four possible correct answers)?

The fact that key developing countries (i.e.¸ China and India) didn’t face binding emissions targets

The United States did not participate

Even though it represented important progress, what was a potential problem of the Copenhagen Accord (2009)?

It was not legally binding

The Paris Agreement, which focused on renewed efforts to set emissions reduction targets to be met by both developing and developed countries, was signed by _________ states.

195

According to the IMF video, at its core, the Paris Agreement establishes a pathway for mitigating and adapting to climate change in a fair way by having developed countries:

Move further faster, and provide finance and technology to developing countries

What does CPAT, the Climate Policy Assessment Tool, a model developed by the IMF and the World Bank, allow analysts to do?

CPAT allows for the quantification of emissions targets and of climate ambition

What according to the IMF video still needs to be done in order to meet the Paris Agreement ambitions? 

We need to see more mitigation ambition and action this decade in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25-50% below 2019 levels by 2030

What do current targets in emission reductions achieve globally? 

Current targets achieve about an 11% cut in emissions 

In addition to scaling up climate ambitions, what else does the IMF video recommend be done to meet the Paris climate goals (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-To accelerate implementation through complementary agreements between countries

-To drastically increase mitigation investment (increase 6-fold by 2030)

-To more quickly develop and diffuse low carbon technologies

What according to the UN Environment Program was achieved at COP28 in Dubai, UAE at the end of 2023 (select all that apply, there are one to five possible correct answers)?

Nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels

A global methane pledge aims for a 30% reduction in human-made methane by 2030

1 billion dollars in funding was pledged by countries and the private sector to cut methane emissions in low- and middle-income countries

Oil producers representing nearly half of global production pledged to reach near zero methane emissions by 2030

130 countries signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency pledge 

By 2018, how much of the GLOBAL electricity supply was coming from renewable energy sources?

26%

Which of the following are alternative energy sources (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Hydroelectricity

b

Wind power

c

Biomass

d

Solar

e

Geothermal

f

Ocean or tidal power

Which of the following is the world’s largest source of renewable energy?

Hydroelectricity

Which renewable energy source has the potential to generate more than 18 times the global electricity demand?

Wind

Which of the following countries has the biggest onshore wind farm?

China

Which of the following countries has 6 of the 10 biggest wind farms in the world?

U.S.

Which of the following can be social and environmental problems associated with the building of big dam projects generating hydropower (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

a

Displacement of populations

b

Flooding cities

c

Loss of access to water for downstream communities

d

Causing environmental damage such as landslides

e

Destruction of archaeological sites

Which of the following are reasons for why many environmentalists do not see nuclear energy as a clean alternative energy source (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Uranium mining and extraction¸ processes necessary for fueling nuclear energy reactors¸ leave behind contaminated groundwater

c

Indigenous communities have suffered disproportionately as uranium mining and extraction has historically been done on indigenous lands

e

Nuclear energy generation produces radioactive waste

What is controversial about biomass energy (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

a

Land that could be used for food production might be used to make biofuels

b

Forests might be cut down to make biofuels

d

Transporting biofuels can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions

e

Burning biomass releases carbon dioxide

Which of the following are examples of regenerative agricultural practices (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

a

Rotational grazing

c

Use of methods to encourage the soil to store carbon in the ground

d

Use of cover crops

What do we call the process when governments tax carbon dioxide to reduce fossil fuel energy consumption?

Carbon pricing

What does it mean to say that the switch to a biomass furnace helped create a “circular” economy for the Alaskan community of Ambler (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Residents are paid for the wood they gather and cut for the biomass furnace

b

The town’s limited fuel stores can be diverted to private residences

c

The money the town saves on fuel can be reallocated to supporting its residents

d

The resources needed to fuel the furnace are a local renewable resource that generates employment and does not come with transportation costs

What are sun-tracking solar panels?

Solar panels that track the sun throughout the day (potentially increasing energy production by a third)

Which of the following are examples that should inspire hope in our efforts to curb climate change (select all that apply there may be one to four possible correct answers)?

Costa Rica’s ability to generate over 98% of its electricity from renewable energy sources

d

 Iceland’s move from fossil fuel dependency to generating almost 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources

Which Swedish teenager started striking outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, inspiring others to push for climate action?

Greta Thunberg

According to the BBC video, what inspired Priyanka from Trinidad and Tobago to take up activism?

Witnessing firsthand the devastation of Hurricanes Maria and Irma and seeing what destruction they brought to neighboring islands

Which of the following is an important outcome of youth raising awareness about climate change issues?

It raises hope and urges policymakers and all of us to listen to young people

According to the PBS video, which are the three main heat trapping greenhouse gases?

Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

Why does author/journalist Elizabeth Kolbert say it is likely that many millions of people will become climate refugees? 

Because the places that they have lived in are going to be made difficult to inhabit because of climate change

Who was one of the first people to officially raise the alarm about climate change in the 1950s?

Roger Revelle

Why, according to the PBS interview with author/journalist Elizabeth Kolbert, is it necessary to focus on hope in the face of the seemingly overwhelming climate crisis?

Because despair is not productive, and we need to focus on what we can do and get it done