Oral exam questions Flashcards
What are early warning signs or indicators that someone might be at risk of committing gun violence, and how can these signs be effectively identified and adressed by communities and authorities?
- Suddenly withdrawing from friends, family and activities (including online or via social media)
- Bullying, especially if targeted towards differences in race, religion, gender or sexual orientation
- Excessive irritability, lack of patience, or becoming angry quickly
- Experiencing chronic loneliness or social isolation
- Expressing persistent thoughts of harming themselves or someone else
- Making direct threats toward a place, another person, or themselves
- Bragging about access to guns or weapons
- Recruiting accomplices or audiences for an attack
- Obsession with online violent content, mass shooters, or weapons
- Cruelty to animals
Notably, in 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of the attacker’s plan but failed to report it. - anonymous reporting systems
creating welcoming environments at school - prevents loneliness
more education, spreading awereness at communities
Is death penalty cost-effective?
death penalty cases are up to10 times more expensive than compreable non-death penalty cases
in Maryland: $2million more to carry out a single death sentance; the state spent $186 millions extra to carry out 5 executions
most cost associated with the death penalty is hidden in legal proceeding, hours of work of judges, clerks, prosecutors etc.
capital cases invlve more lawyers, witnesses, expert, seperate trials for sentencing
68% of cases are overturned - significantly flawed trials
What is the most humane way of executing when implementing the death penalty?
methods: lethal injection, hanging, gassing, shooting and electric chair
lethal injection is considered to be the most humane; but injection consists of 3 chemicals that cause general anaesthesia, muscle paralysis and last one stops the heart - inadequate levels of the first one could lead to prisoner experiencing excruciating pain as they experience cardiac arrest; due to paralysis they cannot communicate
injections are less unpleasant by those carrying them out - the smell, sound, bodily fluids, - there is no such thing as a humane way to carry out death penalty, it can be only humane for those who carry them out
other methods are also flawed, but e.g. shooting is a very fast way to die
all need to be done very precisely
What risks and sacrifices did Navalny face as an individual standing up against an authoritarian regime?
he faced the risk of imprisonment, torture,possible death - which in the end did happen
he sacrificed his feeling of safety and security, relationship with his family - away for long periods of time
he did all of that to stand up against the regime, to show people that should not let the government intimidate them
Russia vs “1984”
from Russian state television: “Even Orwell would be amazed if he could hear the head of RT Margarita Simonyan and her fellow propagandists claim that the West is forcing Russia to kill Ukrainians and they pity Ukrainians more than Ukrainians pity themselves.”
After the invasion of Ukraine the word ‘war’ was instantly banned and ordered to be replaced, on pain of prosecution, by the phrase ‘a special military operation.’ Those who came out into the streets with placards bearing the Oceania slogans [from 1984] ‘War is Peace,’ ‘Freedom is Slavery,’ ‘Ignorance is Strength’ or their variations were detained and a man who handed out free copies of Orwell’s novel was charged with the administrative offense of ‘discrediting Russia’s armed forces.
Is Alexei Navalny a hero for his fight against corruption and authoritarianism in Russia, and what qualities or actions define him as such?
hero:
bravery, sacrifice, return to Russia after he was poisoned - it would be much safer for him to stay abroad, because he was immediately arrested at the airport
however, all his actions were not a result of his chase to being a hero, someone to be admired, it was just because he believed in his views; his death would be a testament to the strength of his movement.
How does agriculture contribute to global warming ?
Americans eat 48 billion burgers per year
forest are being cleared for livestock, as they need 8 times more the space to live than humans - e.g. Brasil ; removing trees that absorb CO2
more than 6800 litres of water are needed to make a single pound of grain-fed beef - 4 times more than for chicken, 10x for wheat
corn, which is what the cows are fed with instead of grass, makes them bloat with gas, methane, that is produced by their digestive system
methane is more climate-changing than CO2 (21x)
cows produce more greenhouse gas than 22 million cars a year
cow manure - nitrous oxide, 300x the power of CO2
nitrous oxide is also in fertilisers - the runoff from fertiliser and manure pollutes rivers and oceans, leading to creation of dead zones
What lessons can be learned from comparing Navalny’s fight for justice with the dystopian warnings in “1984”?
unfortunately the lesson is very pessimistic - authoritarian goverment will win in the end;
fight for justice is a hard battle that only very few people are able to sustain in long term
Winston and Navalny are similar in terms of their need to expose the truth (Winston started to remeber his past, memories of the “traitors” - evidence of corruption, concealing evidence)
Are the materials used in electric car batteries ethically sourced?
Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia—together referred to as the “Lithium Triangle”—hold more than 75 percent of the world’s supply beneath their salt flats.
Lithium extraction in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile requires significant amounts of water, at approximately 500,000 gallons per ton of lithium. In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, lithium extraction being performed by various companies has consumed 65 percent of the region’s water supply. This has not only created extreme water shortages, but has also had a substantial impact on the abilities of local farmers to grow crops and maintain livestock.
In Chile, local inhabitants have criticized mining companies for polluting their waters and covering their landscapes in blankets of discarded salt. In Argentina, natives of the Salta and Catamarca provinces have alleged that the operations of lithium mining companies have contaminated the streams that are used by humans and livestock and for the purposes of crop irrigation.
This joint business venture - Bolivia and German company, however, has not appeared to take the form of a true partnership, and has certainly not been what García Linera envisioned. The local population is not reaping the benefits of the work that is being done near their homes. There have been few jobs offered to unskilled, indigenous workers, let alone well-paid jobs.
Local residents should not be struggling to pay for sewage systems and adequate resources while distant firms profit off of their natural resources.
What are some ways to reduce plastic use in daily life?
- Avoid single-use plastics such as drinking straws
- If you go shopping, remember to take a cloth bag
- Recycle chewing gum… it’s also make of plastic!
- Buy more bulk food and fewer packaged products
- Replace plastic Tupperware for glass or steel containers
- Avoid using cosmetics that use micro-plastics, buy a biodegradable brush and wear natural fabrics
- Choose to reuse and give some of the packaging a new purpose
- shop second-hand
Give an example of a city that has increased its green zones in an innovative way?
47% of Oslo is GREEN
The Norwegian capital is widely recognized for investing in preserving green spaces. A total of one million trees grow within the urban zone of Oslo and two-thirds of the area is located within the city’s boundary, consisting of forests, parks, and lakes.
Copenhagen, Denmark. The city has developed several “ecodistricts” that promote sustainable practices and reduce environmental impacts. One notable example is the Nordhavn district:
Sustainable Urban Development: Nordhavn is designed as a model for sustainable living, featuring energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy sources, and green infrastructure. The district incorporates mixed-use development to reduce the need for transportation and promote walkability.
Smart Energy Systems: The district uses smart grids and energy storage solutions to optimize energy consumption. Renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power, play a significant role in powering the area.
Waterfront Revitalization: Nordhavn includes floating structures and promotes sustainable water management practices. The district integrates stormwater management systems that help reduce flooding and improve water quality.
Focus on Public Transport and Cycling: The development emphasizes reducing car dependency by providing extensive cycling infrastructure and efficient public transport connections.
Community Engagement and Flexibility: The local government involves residents in decision-making processes, ensuring that the district adapts to evolving sustainability goals and community needs.
Nordhavn exemplifies how a city can create a green zone that revitalizes an area while promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impacts.
What is a dead zone? What can we do to prevent dead zones?
Dead zones are low-oxygen, or hypoxic, areas in the world’s oceans and lakes. Because most organisms need oxygen to live, few organisms can survive in hypoxic conditions.
ead zones occur because of a process called eutrophication, which happens when a body of water gets too many nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. At normal levels, these nutrients feed the growth of an organism called cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. With too many nutrients, however, cyanobacteria grows out of control, which can be harmful. Human activities are the main cause of these excess nutrients being washed into the ocean. For this reason, dead zones are often located near inhabited coastlines.
the key in preventing is managing runoff from large agricultures creeks (animal manure and commercial fertilisers - nitrogen); additonally buffers - planting trees to abrosrb nutrients; managing livestock waste; drainage water management
What role do governments and policies play in addressing plastic pollution
- glitter ban: It was first introduced in September 2023, part of EU’s REACH regulations; loose glitter and products that contain certain microbeads & other microplastics are no longer allowed; EU is aiming to reduce the pollution of plastic pellets in Europe by 74% by 2030.
Implementation of this ban won’t impact the microplastic pollution significantly, but every action counts to reduce the pollution, even small changes are a step forward - taxes on single use plastic: Taxing plastic materials, specific plastic polymers, or certain plastic uses (like single-use pacffkaging) can curb the excessive use of plastic. Levying taxes on single-use plastic items would raise their prices, reducing demand and encouraging the adoption of more sustainable alternatives. These alternatives might involve revamped plastic choices (more recyclable or durable) or non-plastic options made from wood, metal, or glass.
What are some challanges electric cars need to overcome to become more widespread?
- One of the most significant challenges is infrastructure and electric vehicles’ high cost. The price of electric vehicles is often higher than that of their gasoline counterparts, making them less accessible to consumers.
- EV’s range anxiety- worrying about the battery lasting, especially during winter and on long trips, or during an emergency (recent LA fires?)
- charging infrastructure/ charging speed
What do you see as a main advantage of electric cars over traditional ones?
- There are no emissions when driving (0g C02 per km) - more environment friendly (greenhouse gases emissions); Drivers of electric vehicles have reduced CO2 emissions by more than 177,758,804 kg
- Cheaper to maintain over the lifetime of the vehicle
- Extremely quiet
- Outperform petrol-powered cars
- Electric cars are futureproof
- No fuel required so you save money on gas: Paying $0.10 per kW is the equivalent of driving on gasoline that costs less than $1 per gallon. On average, drivers save about $700 in fuel costs per year while driving electric cars.
