Final Exam Review

Question 1

Silent Spring

Answer 1

Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson in 1962 describing the effects of pesticides on plants, animals, and humans. This book is credited with beginning the American environmental movement. Many people also believe this book led to the ban of DDT. Al Gore credits Carson with his interest in the environment.

Question 2

Paul of Tarsus

Answer 2

Paul of Tarsus (formerly Saul) is credited with the being a founder of Christianity ca 33 CE in the Ancient Near East. Paul took three journeys across the region to spread the Gospel, targeting Gentiles specifically. He also wrote many books of the Bible to inform early churches how to live and spread the word of Jesus Christ.

Question 3

Mitzvot

Answer 3

The Mitzvot is the moral code given to the Jewish people from God through Moses. These “commandments” are the groundwork that Judaism is set on because the faithfulness to these laws shoes their faithfulness to God. There are 613 Mitzvot.

Question 4

Four Noble Truths

Answer 4

The Four Noble Truths are the four ideas that Siddhartha Gautama realized after intense meditation ca 500-600BCE. Dukkha means there is suffering in life. Tahna means that humans “crave” the materialistic things that aren’t permanent. Nirvana is the state of total detachment from worldly things, meaning one is totally free in their cognitive state. The “Eightfold Path” is righteous living, mastering one’s thoughts, total self-control, and generous living.

Question 5

Tanakh

Answer 5

The Tanakh is the sacred text of Judaism consisting of the Torah, Nevinin, and Ketuvim. Not only does the Tanakh lay the groundworks of the Jewish faith, but it is also a vital part of many world religions, including Christianity and Islam. It outlines the law and holiness of God and the history of the Israelite people.

Question 6

Eightfold Path

Answer 6

The Eightfold Path is the fourth truth of Gautama’s Four Noble Truths crated ca 500-600 BCE in the Indus River Valley. This truth explains to followers of Buddhism how to live righteously, master their own thoughts, control their cognitive and physical selves, and live generous and compassionate lives.

Question 7

Jihad

Answer 7

Jihad is an effort to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution in the Islamic faith, created in 622 CE by Muhammad. Military actions are occasionally used for the promotion of this idea, like in the case of ISIS, but the Qur’an explains that military force should only be used as a last resort if at all.

Question 8

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 8

The Greenhouse Effect is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in the planet’s lower atmosphere. This occurs naturally, but an increase in carbon dioxide emission has caused an increase in warmth trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. This causes damaging effects on the habitats of old weather animals and could effect crop production in the future.

Question 9

Talmud

Answer 9

The Talmud is a collection of writings that interpret, explain, and apply the Torah to Jewish living. Many believe it was written between 200-500 CE but Orthodox Jews understand it to have been spoken at the time of Moses and transcribed later. The Talmud is seen as sacred to Orthodox Jews, while Conservative Jews see it as an ever-changing document. Their doctrine is one of the dividing factors between the denominations of Judaism.

Question 10

Sharia

Answer 10

The Sharia is Islamic law inferred from the writings of Muhammad in 622 CE. It outlines religious and secular duties of both anders and the repercussions for those who break the law. In Islamic states, Sharia is integrated into legislation and must be followed by all Muslims.

Question 11

Kyoto Protocol

Answer 11

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 and activated in 2005. This protocol commits parties to reduce greenhouse emissions because global warming is being caused by human carbon dioxide emission. The Kyoto Protocol is seen as a step towards lowering greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and defeating global warming.

Question 12

Biofuels

Answer 12

Biofuels are alternative energy sources (not fossil fuels) made from crops, like corn, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While a good step towards ending global warming, biofuels take away from food that could be consumed by humans and, therefore, contributing to global hunger.

Question 13

IPCC

Answer 13

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a group formed by the United Nations in 1988 to evaluate climate change data. Because of its scientific accreditations and intergovernmental influence, the IPCC is a good source for law makers to use to make decisions on climate change legislation.

Question 14

Brahman

Answer 14

In Hinduism, Brahman is the source of all things and is all things. Practitioners of Hinduism aim to escape reincarnation so that their atman will reunite with Brahman. Brahman is not a person but can be known through many gods as manifestations of Brahman.

Question 15

Muhammad

Answer 15

Muhammad founded Islam in 622 CE when it is said that the Angel Gabriel spoke the word of God to Muhammad, and he wrote it down verbatim. He relayed the Five Pillars of Islam: an essential law in Islam. His revelation of law influenced the beliefs of billions worldwide and, as a result, the structure of the world today.

Question 16

GMOs

Answer 16

Genetically modified organisms are crops that have been scientifically altered to have more desirable characteristics, such as drought- and pest-resistance. These were first created by Boyer and Cohen in 1973. GMOs could potentially solve world hunger, but the lack of testing makes people very skeptical of their safety.

Question 17

Agape

Answer 17

Agape is the Godly love Jesus prescribed Christians and the love that Paul spread across the world ca 33 CE. It is the moral code that says to love all people, and it influences how Christians around the world live their lives and treat others.

Question 18

Hajj

Answer 18

A hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that all practitioners of Islam are expected to make once in their lifetime. This is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. While Muslims travel to Mecca to worship Allah, the greater purpose of the journey is to further their religion and bring more people to Allah, not unlike a missionary Christian.

Question 19

Qur’an

Answer 19

The Qur’an is the most important sacred text in the islamic faith, transcribed by Muhammad in 622 CE. The Qur’an outlines Gabriel’s revelation to Muhammad. It is considered to be sacred, as it is the word of God as he spoke it through Gabriel, and is very influential in deciding matters of doctrine and policy in Islamic states.

Question 20

Food Security

Answer 20

Food security means the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food. Availability, access, and usage issues make people food insecure and can lead to hunger throughout the world.

Question 21

GHGs

Answer 21

Greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) advance the warming of the earth by trapping the sun’s energy in the lower atmosphere of the earth. Human production leads to an increase in GHGs, and therefore, an larger increase in the world’s temperature. Greenhouse gases cause global warming, which is detrimental to animals and crops.

Question 22

Desertification

Answer 22

Desertification is when fertile, arable land turns into dry, arid, infertile land. This prevents certain areas, like towns in the Sahara Desert, from being able to produce food and therefore is a contributing factor to world hunger.

Question 23

Logos

Answer 23

Logos is the cosmic order principle that practitioners of Hinduism seek the will of to be able to escape reincarnation. This directly influences the actions and decisions of Hindus. The greater the will of logos they have, the closer they to escaping the suffering of life and reuniting with Brahman.

Question 24

Five Pillars of Islam

Answer 24

The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of Muslim life. Muhammad outlined them in the Qur’an in 622 CE. They are the testimony of faith, prayer towards Mecca five times a day, donation to the needy, fasting during Ramadan, and a hajj to Mecca. It is important for Muslims to follow these laws as a part of living a good life and shows their faithfulness to Allah.

Question 25

The Gospels

Answer 25

The Gospels are four books of the Christian Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that describe the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ. These books show Christians the “agape” that Jesus teaches and prescribes them a way of life that accomplishes that Godly love.

Question 26

Vedas

Answer 26

The Vedas are the sacred scriptures of Hinduism written by Sanskrit from 1200 BCE to 100 CE. It is a symbol of unchallenged authority and tradition. As time went by, polytheism of Vedas was transformed to ta focus on Brahman, which is what modern Hindus focus on. Early Vedas play little to no role in Hinduism today.

Question 27

Nirvana

Answer 27

Nirvana is a state of final liberation in Buddhism as described by Gautama ca 500-600 BCE. It is an escape from reincarnation and the suffering of life. The strive to achieve Nirvana drives the actions and decisions of acting Buddhists.

Question 28

Anthropogenic Global Warming

Answer 28

Anthropogenic Global Warming explains that greenhouse gases are advancing the natural trapping of the sun’s warmth in the lower atmosphere. This theory explains the shrinking of ice caps and may result in the eventual inability for animals or plants to live on Earth.