Question 1

The supply of usable fresh water is

Accepted Answer

A)  projected to improve as global climate change increases worldwide precipitation rates. 
B)  gradually increasing as the polar ice caps melt. 
C)  projected to decline as global climate change precipitation patterns shifts to areas presently uninhabited. 
D)  projected to decline as groundwater reservoirs continue to be exploited at rates greater than their recharge. 
A)  projected to improve as global climate change increases worldwide precipitation rates. 
B)  gradually increasing as the polar ice caps melt. 
C)  projected to decline as global climate change precipitation patterns shifts to areas presently uninhabited. 
D)  projected to decline as groundwater reservoirs continue to be exploited at rates greater than their recharge.

Question 2

Satellite monitoring of life on our planet has shown that human activities have

Accepted Answer

A)  been smaller than expected. 
B)  been limited primarily to aquatic ecosystems. 
C)  have been serious and extensive. 
D)  been limited primarily to terrestrial ecosystems. 
A)  been smaller than expected. 
B)  been limited primarily to aquatic ecosystems. 
C)  have been serious and extensive. 
D)  been limited primarily to terrestrial ecosystems.

Question 3

In many of the world's most important agricultural areas, groundwater pumped from aquifers

Accepted Answer

A)  will continue to be available in virtually unlimited quantities. 
B)  is replenished by rainfall at rates comparable to its removal. 
C)  is being removed faster than it is being replaced. 
D)  has been abandoned for more reliable surface sources. 
A)  will continue to be available in virtually unlimited quantities. 
B)  is replenished by rainfall at rates comparable to its removal. 
C)  is being removed faster than it is being replaced. 
D)  has been abandoned for more reliable surface sources.

Question 4

Does the ability of humans to produce synthetic fertilizer mean that the carrying capacity of our biosphere for the human population is without limit?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes; with a constant supply of fertilizer humans can produce an unlimited amount of food. 
B)  No; the resources needed to produce fertilizers are themselves limited, as with other resources eventually fertilizer production will peak and decline. 
C)  Yes; fertilizers are almost entirely nitrogen, and as the most abundant gas in the atmosphere the supply of nitrogen is essentially unlimited. 
D)  No; converting the nitrogen in the atmosphere to a form chemically suitable for fertilizer is not economically practical. 
A)  Yes; with a constant supply of fertilizer humans can produce an unlimited amount of food. 
B)  No; the resources needed to produce fertilizers are themselves limited, as with other resources eventually fertilizer production will peak and decline. 
C)  Yes; fertilizers are almost entirely nitrogen, and as the most abundant gas in the atmosphere the supply of nitrogen is essentially unlimited. 
D)  No; converting the nitrogen in the atmosphere to a form chemically suitable for fertilizer is not economically practical.

Question 5

Wind power is not a sustainable source of energy, because wind directions change too often.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Although cap and trade systems reduce total emission for a given pollutant, they have been criticized because

Accepted Answer

A)  the government does not specify how emission reduction will occur. 
B)  some companies make money by emitting less and selling their allowance. 
C)  local air quality can actually worsen when a factory purchases additional allowances. 
D)  once an total emission cap is set it remains at that level indefinitely 
A)  the government does not specify how emission reduction will occur. 
B)  some companies make money by emitting less and selling their allowance. 
C)  local air quality can actually worsen when a factory purchases additional allowances. 
D)  once an total emission cap is set it remains at that level indefinitely

Question 7

There are numerous issues to be overcome to create a sustainable society, included among them are

Accepted Answer

A)  the stability of biomes. 
B)  the relationships among ecosystems. 
C)  the amount of solar radiation being retained by our atmosphere as heat. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  the stability of biomes. 
B)  the relationships among ecosystems. 
C)  the amount of solar radiation being retained by our atmosphere as heat. 
D)  all of the above

Exam 45: Building a Sustainable Society

The supply of usable fresh water is

Satellite monitoring of life on our planet has shown that human activities have

In many of the world's most important agricultural areas, groundwater pumped from aquifers

Does the ability of humans to produce synthetic fertilizer mean that the carrying capacity of our biosphere for the human population is without limit?

Wind power is not a sustainable source of energy, because wind directions change too often.

Although cap and trade systems reduce total emission for a given pollutant, they have been criticized because

There are numerous issues to be overcome to create a sustainable society, included among them are

The Nature of Science and the Characteristics of Life

Organizing the Diversity of Life

Major Groups of Living Organisms

Chemical Building Blocks

Cell Structure and Internal Compartments

Cell Membranes, Transport, and Communication

Energy and Enzymes

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

Cell Division

Patterns of Inheritance

Chromosomes and Human Genetics

DNA

From Gene to Protein

Control of Gene Expression

DNA Technology

How Evolution Works

Evolution of Populations

Adaptation and Speciation

The Evolutionary History of Life

Maintaining the Internal Environment

Animal Nutrition and Digestion

Gas Exchange

The Circulatory System

Animal Hormones

The Nervous System

Sensing the Environment

Skeletons, Muscles, and Movement

Defenses against Disease

Reproduction and Development

Animal Behavior

Plant Structure, Nutrition, and Transport

Plant Growth and Reproduction

The Biosphere

Growth of Populations

Interactions among Organisms

Communities of Organisms

Ecosystems

Global Change

Biodiversity and People

Cancer: Cell Division Out of Control

Harnessing the Human Genome

Humans and Evolution

Smoking--Beyond Lung Cancer

Feeding a Hungry Planet

Filters