Exam Practice Questions Flashcards
Considered the pillars of sustainability
Economy, Environment and Social Equity
Best definition of “sustainable”, with respect to the environment
Applying methods of using a resource so it is not used up, destroyed or permanently damaged
How are conflict minerals/conflict resources (e.g. tantalum, tin, tungsten, gold) related to sustainability?
They are resources that are obtained under the threat of violence which threatens both human rights and the sustainable extraction of resources and minerals
According to the 2021 Sustainability Leaders survey conducted by GlobeScan and SustanAbility, what are the top 3 qualities of Sustainability Leaders?
Commitment to sustainable values, transparency in communications, and sustainable products and services
This country did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol
United States
Name two of the leading GHGs contributing to climate change
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O)
A furnace thermostat is an element in what kind of system phenomenon
A balancing loop
Systems-thinking is a way of approaching problems that assumes…
Elements are interdependent
A steady-state economy is an economic model that…
Seeks to find an equilibrium between production growth and population growth
If you are a “Malthusian” (i.e. you subscribe to the theories of Thomas Robert Malthus), how do you summarize your beliefs?
Human population growth will eventually be checked by the earth’s limited resources
The current level of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere is over 400 PPM (parts per million). The last time our planet experienced CO2 levels at or above 400 PPM was approximately how long ago?
2.5 to 3 million years ago
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report was developed by 1,360 of the world’s best scientists from 2000-2005. Summarize their findings
Measures to conserve natural resources are more likely to succeed if LOCAL COMMUNITIES are given ownership of them, share the benefits, and are involved in decisions.
The PRESSURES ON ECOSYSTEMS will increase globally in coming decades unless human attitudes and actions change.
Human activities have taken the planet to the edge of a massive wave of SPECIES EXTINCTIONS, further threatening our own well-being.
What is a common alternative to the term sustainability that is a generally accepted component of the definition?
Resiliency
Which response best defines the principle of Fair Trade?
Trading partnerships that seek to offer better trading conditions for marginalized producers and workers- especially in developing countries
What is the family of guidelines covering multiple aspects of environmental management systems, issued by the International Organization for Standards?
ISO 14000
For most organizations, the biggest contribution to their carbon footprint is…
Purchased goods and services, and products sold
The Natural Step’s system conditions were informed by which of the following natural laws?
The laws of thermodynamics
The Brundtland Commission produced a seminal report in 1987, which is considered the source for the most commonly used definition of sustainability. What was the name of the report?
Our Common Future
The following definition describes what driving social and economic force?
“A process, by which people and countries are brought ever closer together, economically and culturally, through trade, information technology, travel, cultural exchanges, the mass media, and mass entertainment”
Globalization
Anthropogenic global warming refers to…
Climate warming brought about by human activity
A “brown field” site is…
A site where redevelopment is complicated by the presence of an environmental contaminant
Conserving water is an important climate change mitigation strategy because…
It takes so much energy to move and purify water
The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as…
Development in which the needs of the current generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
In the field of systems thinking, a positive feedback loop is…
A process in which a change in one direction creates further change in that direction
From which industry section did the Equator Principles arise?
The financial sector
What did the Montreal Protocol address?
It limits chlorofluorocarbon emissions to protect the ozone layer
Which of the following processes of energy production adds the least to the biosphere’s carbon load?
Burning municipal solid waste
Each year, over 3,000 publicly traded companies are invited to participate in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Of these, the largest 2,500 global companies by market capitalization are eligible for inclusion in which one of the following Indices?
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index
What does the term “full cost accounting” mean?
Accounting tools and methods that measure the cost of financial, environmental, and social impacts of an organization’s activities
Example that best exemplifies the “precautionary principle”
A manufacturing company eliminates a chemical of concern without having hard evidence of its impact on human or environmental health
What does EPEAT stand for?
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, what is the largest source of global GHG emissions?
Energy production
In 1989 the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground dumping 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. What organization was formed as a result of this environmental disaster?
*If a ship runs aground, it touches the ground in a shallow part of a river, lake, or the sea, and gets stuck.
CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies)
The Natural Step framework and Natural Capitalist principles both…
Both advocate for protection of the earth’s ability to regenerate natural resources
Emission factors allow GHG emissions to be…
Allow GHG emissions to be estimated from a unit of available activity data
According to the ISSP competency research study, the following are considered key competencies for sustainability practitioners:
Ability to build financially-based arguments for a sustainable strategy
Ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder processes and meetings
Ability to develop and track key performance indicators for sustainability initiatives
According to Donella Meadows’ theory of where to intervene in complex systems, which of the following strategies is the most powerful lever for effecting change?
Changing the paradigms that define the system
This concept involves the “direct or indirect impact on an organization’s ability to create, preserve, or erode economic, environmental, and social value for itself, its stakeholders, and society at large”
Materiality
Example of a Pigovian tax on environmental externalities
Carbon tax
What is the name for intentional and unintentional gas releases, such as from equipment leaks, coal piles, and gas processing facilities?
Fugitive emissions
Invasive species can…
Can hurt native species
Can disrupt ecosystem balance
Can damage crops
When companies consider how much a product or service costs them over a set time period, it is known as…
Life cycle costing
