Exam 15: Populations, Cities, and the Environment

One of the major problems with slowing greenhouse gas emissions lies in the developing world, where many countries are just now starting to burn fossil fuels at the same rate as the industrialized world. Aside from the pollution produced, this is also a problem because there is not enough oil left for the world to burn it at its current rate. What do many people believe we need to solve this problem?

What has happened if a blighted urban neighborhood has suddenly developed an assortment of upscale restaurants, coffee shops, hip boutiques, and art galleries?

Will the world population continue to grow, or will it eventually stabilize?

Many parents today are worried about the bottles out of which their babies drink, because many contain plastics made with Bisphenol A (BPA). This is a compound that helps to make hard, clear, shatter-proof plastics, but it might also be a neurotoxin to which children may be especially vulnerable. Science has yet to fully explore this issue, but what era of the environmental movement does this concern MOST closely follow?

Chris McCandless lived on his own in the wilderness because he felt constrained and betrayed by a society that cared so little for its individual members. What term describes the attitude to which McCandless objected?

What type of community would it be if the vast majority of people living in the cities and towns of Riverside County, a suburban Southern California community near Los Angeles, were unable to commute to work in Los Angeles?

What are the two elements of the ecological footprint? Discuss ways a U.S. citizen could reduce their ecological footprint for each element.

How are environmental sociologists understanding the environment when they study the problems of waste and consumption?

Which of the following is a major area of concern within the four analytic frameworks of environmental sociology?

Climate change causes more severe droughts; stronger and more prevalent hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones; and more rain and flooding.

When did cities become the prevalent residential areas?

A town developer is advocating for economic and urban planning policies that emphasize responsible development and renewal. How would you classify their approach to growth?

A country has a population of 1,231,994 as of December 31, 2017. On December 31, 2018, you are tasked with calculating the growth rate over the year. The country experienced 128,240 births and 103,412 deaths. The net migration was 12,388. What was the growth rate?

What do we call resources, such as coal and oil, that CANNOT be replaced except through very slow geological processes?

Some urban planners are working hard to make sure their communities use the same land for multiple purposes. In particular, they advocate for using land "vertically," such as having apartments on top of retail space. This type of planning is called

During what era did the environmental movement focus on citizen participation and change at the local level?

Thomas Malthus would be most worried about

What is demography? Identify and explain the three basic variables that demographers use to understand population dynamics.

The population in the United States is growing even though fertility rates have dropped below the level needed to maintain the population level because

The modern environmental movement began shortly after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska.