Test 4

Question 1

Human Exemptionalism Paradigm (HEP)

Answer 1

humans are unique among the earth’s creatures because of culture
culture can vary almost infinitely
can change much more rapidly than biological traits
thus, many human differences are socially induced rather than inborn
they can be socially altered, and inconvenient differences can be eliminated
cultural accumulation means that progress can continue without limit

Question 2

Solid Waste

Answer 2

average person in the U.S. throws out 4.4 pounds of paper, metal, plastic, and other disposable materials daily
the country as a whole generates 1.4 billion pounds of solid waste each day
Americans live in a disposable society that values material comfort
the US consumes more products than any other nation
Americans use a disproportionate share of the planet’s natural resources and generate most of the world’s solid waste
The U.S. recycles more than a third of it’s solid wastes, up from 6.4% in 1960

Question 3

environmental justice

Answer 3

-belief that all people should have equal protection of environmental and public health laws
Principles of Environmental Justice:
all individuals should be protected from environmental destruction
the threat should be eliminated before harm occurs
polluters are responsible for harm caused by discriminatory discharges
unequal impact and statistical weight is discrimination
targeted action and resources are the solution

Question 4

coal

Answer 4

of all fossil fuels, coal is the most harmful to the environment and human health
air pollution
air pollutants from coal burning kill between 65,000 to 200,000 Americans a year
contribute to at least 50,000 cases of respiratory disease, and result in several billion dollars in property damage
water pollution
60,000 babies a year may be born with neurological damage from mercury exposure in pregnant women who have consumed mercury-laden fish
acid rain— precipitation, made acidic by air pollution, that destroys plants and animals
6 million acres of Adirondack Park in NY, 400 lakes and ponds have been declared “dead” because they are too acidic to support fish or plant life

Question 5

Clean Air Acts

Answer 5

1970 1977 1990
as a result, between 1970 and the mid 1990s levels of air pollutants decreased nationally by almost 30%
by 2002, release of 300 chemicals tracked since 1988 had been cut in half
the US has spent about 346 billion between 1970 and 1990 to comply with the clean air acts

Question 6

Toxic Exposure

Answer 6

over 40% of the Hispanic population, and over 25% of Asian/Pacific population live in communities exposed to poor air quality
3/5 of black and hispanic americans live in communities with toxic waste sites
Low-SES neighborhoods have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, asthma, infant mortality
race is a significant variable in explaining cancer risk distributions

Question 7

Scientific Consensus

Answer 7

a scientific consensus first emerged in the early 1980s
an analysis of 928 climate change articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 1993-2003 found zero that refuted the consensus position
this position has been further supported by
the american association for the advancement of science (AAAS)
the american meteorolocial society
the national academy of science
the american geophysical union
the IPCC— the 5th report found at 95% confidence that human activity is main culprit

Question 8

Media & climate change

Answer 8

media presentation of issues is a biased one
the media’s balance norm has led to a skeptical bias in American stories covering climate change
implications
less pressure is put on political representatives to pass any climate change legislation since they are consuming skepticism on this story in the media
constituencies are less inclined to put pressure on politicians due to skepticism created by media stories that have provided a platform for climate change skeptics
equal time to opponents treats them as equals and exaggerates role of opponents

Question 9

environmental racism

Answer 9

deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities

Question 10

Sustainable Societies

Answer 10

Restoring the biological base— including fertile soil, grasslands, fisheries, forests, wetlands, freshwater bodies and water tables
Stabilized population— slowing growth and a more stable population size implies that people have access to contraception and family health care, control resources to alleviate extreme material insecurity, and reduce gender inequality
Renewable energy— minimizing and phasing out the use of fossil fuels
Economic efficiency— increase investments in efficient equipment and buildings, and maximize the recycling of materials and wastes
Social forms— social restraints on behavior, but tolerance of diversity, social justice, and democratic politics would be valued as necessary to elicit the required responsiveness, cooperation, and coordination of people
A new culture— beliefs, values, and social paradigms that define and legitimize these natural, economic, and social characteristics
Participation in a world order— cooperating in the negotiation of sustainability in other societies

Question 11

Ecological Modernization

Answer 11

capitalism is flexible enough to permit movement in the direction of sustainable capitalism
industrial society must use better environmentally friendly technologies
the market is viewed as a more efficient mechanism for solving environmental problems than the state
environmental protection is a precondition for future sustainable growth, not a burden on the economy

Question 12

Greenwashing

Answer 12

disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image
the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service
greenwashing suggests that the corporation is environmentally responsible and its products are environmentally friendly
Ex. in 2008, industry groups like the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) spent $35 million-$45 million on image advertising that often pitched “clean coal” as a new environmentally friendly fuel

Question 13

Urban Sprawl

Answer 13

urban sprawl has been facilitated by building highways that allowed the middle class to leave cities for suburbs
led to declining tax base
move to suburbs declined property values in cities, more crime
automobile dependency
urban development is planned with cars in mind
pollution
destroys healthy ecosystems
loss of social capital
dwindling sense of community w/ detachment from neighbors in suburban life

Question 14

Wind Power

Answer 14

generates no pollution or hazardous wastes
doesn’t deplete natural resources
uses a free renewable fuel source
provides more jobs per $ invested than any other energy technology
price is relatively immune to inflation
competitive with energy produced from coal or gas

Question 15

Solar Power Plant

Answer 15

can be built much quicker than either coal or nuclear plant
takes 18 months (coal or nuclear takes 5 to 10 years)
Germany uses more solar power than any other country
costs of electricity is still more expensive for solar energy
solar cell manufacturing produces hazardous waste
disrupt natural ecosystems due to use of large amounts of lands

Question 16

The Treadmill of Production

Answer 16

Firms must continually grow to produce profits
Each level of growth requires future growth
growth in production requires the stimulation of growth in consumption
ecological disruption is its necessary consequence

Question 17

pesticides

Answer 17

The EPA ranked pesticides residue in foods as the 3rd most serious environmental health threat in terms of cancer risk

Question 18

Merchants of Doubt

Answer 18

Summary: Scientists know that all these things are bad, but they get paid a lot of money to lie and shut down the other scientists who are saying that it’s bad.
Tobacco
Second Hand Smoking
Global Warming
Pesticides (DDT)

Question 19

Residential energy use

Answer 19

-A reduction in demand for energy resources has a long-distance benefit to communi-
ties affected by their proximity to mining operations, power plants, and hazardous waste disposal facilities. However, the investment necessary to increase the envi-
ronmental efficiency of existing homes and reduce the ecological impact of new home construction is often seen as incompatible with affordability goals.
-The challenge of residential sustainable energy remains creating the link between consumers and available technology in conser- vation and renewables.

Question 20

toxic use reduction

Answer 20

For toxic and solid waste reduction, collaboration with industries and regulatory bodies as well as enterprising activities by organizations such as NCAT and TURI have led to the application of innovative ideas.

Question 21

land use planning

Answer 21

In the area of land use planning, the essential theme
appears to be the empowerment of community members into decision making
with local governments and developers. This approximates to procedural justice.

Question 22

transportation

Answer 22

Many urban sustainability advocates point to transportation as the number-one issue to address in creating sustainable cities, and gradually, federal, state, and local transportation agencies have included nonautomotive modes as relevant parts of transportation system

Question 23

bicycle infrastructure

Answer 23

Evidence is beginning to accumulate that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists, providing the basis for initial transportation engineering guidelines for cyclist safety. Street lighting, paved surfaces, and low-angled grades are additional factors that appear to improve cyclist safety. Future research examining a greater variety of infrastructure would allow development of more detailed guidelines.