Environmental Science
1. Which period of U.S. environmental policy focused on land settlement and expansion?
Answer: Early policy period (late 1700s–1800s).
2. Which law gave settlers land for $16 under certain conditions?
Answer: The Homestead Act (1862).
3. What major book in 1962 helped raise environmental awareness in the U.S.?
Answer: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
4. The EPA was created in what year, and what is its primary role?
Answer: 1970; to enforce environmental laws and protect human health/environment.
5. What does NEPA require for any major federal project?
Answer: An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
6. What was the focus of U.S. environmental policy during the 1960s–1980s?
Answer: Pollution control and environmental protection.
7. Which law requires cleanup of hazardous waste sites?
Answer: CERCLA (Superfund Act, 1980).
8. Define a transboundary problem and give one example.
Answer: An issue that crosses political borders, e.g., pollution in the Tijuana River.
9. Which treaty phased out ozone-depleting chemicals?
Answer: The Montreal Protocol (1987).
10. What is cap-and-trade, and how does the “cap” part function?
Answer: Cap = a legal limit on emissions; trade = permits can be bought/sold.
11. What is the role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?
Answer: Coordinates international environmental efforts.
12. What is one limitation of international treaties in addressing environmental problems?
Answer: They rely on voluntary cooperation/enforcement.
13. NGOs such as Greenpeace influence policy mainly through __________.
Answer: Advocacy, lobbying, and raising awareness.
14. Which organization resolves trade disputes that can include environmental issues?
Answer: The World Trade Organization (WTO)
15. List one major cost and one major benefit of the Everglades restoration project.
Answer: Cost: $10.5 billion. Benefit: Improved water quality, biodiversity, flood protection.
16. What is the benefit-cost ratio of Everglades restoration, and what does it mean?
Answer: 4:1 ratio; benefits outweigh costs by four times.
17. Scottish wind farms reach carbon payback in how many months of operation?
Answer: About 6–9 months.
18. London’s ULEZ reduced hospital admissions for respiratory issues by what percent?
Answer: 44% decrease.
19. Name two benefits of Germany’s recycling program.
Answer: Conserves resources, creates jobs, reduces landfill use.
20. What is one challenge in applying CBA to environmental projects?
Answer: Difficult to quantify non-market values or long-term effects.
21. Why is it difficult to assign a monetary value to biodiversity?
Answer: Biodiversity has intrinsic, cultural, and ecological values beyond money.
22. If Ms. Molina drives 12,000 miles per year, about how many times must she fully charge her Tesla
Y?
Answer: About 37 full charges.
23. At $0.16/kWh, how much does it cost her to drive 100 miles in the Tesla Y?
Answer: About $3.63.
24. What is her total yearly cost of charging the Tesla Y at home?
Answer: About $436.
25. Which car has the lowest upfront cost: Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla Hybrid, or Tesla Y?
Answer: Nissan Versa.
26. Which car has the lowest yearly fuel/energy cost?
Answer: Tesla Y.
27. For someone on a teacher’s salary, which option makes the most financial sense in the short term?
Answer: Nissan Versa.
28. By how much did the region’s population increase between 1972 and 2000?
Answer: It tripled.
29. What percentage of San Diego’s beach closures in 2007 were linked to the Tijuana River?
Answer: 76%.
30. Why can't the U.S. Clean Water Act be enforced in Mexico?
Answer: It only applies within U.S. borders.
31. What commitments did the U.S. and Mexico make under the 1990 bilateral agreement?
Answer: U.S. built South Bay plant; Mexico upgraded wastewater treatment.
A polin challenges of ongoing cooperation between the US and Mexico in adresing Tuana.
Answer: Rapid population growth, funding shortfalls, and cross-border coordination issues.
33. Louisiana's fishing industry is second only to which state?
Answer: Alaska.
34. How many kilograms of seafood are harvested annually in Louisiana?
Answer: About 455 million kilograms.
35. A dead zone is defined by oxygen levels below what concentration?
Answer: Below 1.5 ppm oxygen.
36. The Gulf's dead zone reached a record size of 22,000 square km in what year?
Answer: 2002.
37. How many global dead zones have been documented worldwide?
Answer: Over 200.
38. What is the main cause of the Gulf's dead zone?
Answer: Nutrient runoff (nitrogen & phosphorus) from agriculture.
39. Which three Midwestern states contribute heavily to nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River?
Answer: Ohio, lowa, Illinois.
40. What happens when algae die and sink in the Gulf of Mexico's waters?
Answer: Bacteria decompose them, consuming oxygen and creating hypoxia.