Question

1 Affluence tends to degrade nearby landscapes, while poverty tends to degrade far off landscapes.

(a) true

(b) false

2 What does it mean when an environmental issue is a ‘wicked problem’? (1 pt)

(a) It is created by people who care only about themselves.

(b) It is global in nature.

(c) It involves trade-offs that not everyone will be happy with.

(d) It is a problem that cannot be solved.

(e) one of the above describes “wicked problems.”

3 Which of the following is characteristic of a sustainable ecosystem? (1 pt)

(a) makes the most of renewable energy

(b) uses matter conservatively (recycles or reuses so nothing is wasted)

(c) keeps populations in check

(d) depends on local biodiversity

(e) All of the above

4 The United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reported that, due to humanity’s actions, the ability of Earth’s ecosystems to sustain future generations ____________________________. (1 pt)

(a) is safe and sound

(b) is uncertain

(c) is gravely imperiled

(d) is improving

(e) has not changed over human history

How does wealth inequality impede sustainable growth? (1 pt)

(a) Poorer nations lack natural resources.

(b) Underprivileged people sometimes exploit the local environment in order to survive.

(c) Wealthier nations are very affected by resource availability and must pay high costs to access them.

(d) People with the most money and power are the first to succumb to environmental problems.

(e) The world's natural resources are controlled by the vast majority of the population.

What is environmental literacy, and why is it important for individuals to have a strong understanding of environmental literacy when discussing environmental problems caused by humans? (5 pts)

What constitutes “the environment”

Answer 1

(1) b. False. Both Affluence and poverty show their negative impact on the environment in their own ways.Affluence provides people with the wealth which allows them to live a lifestyle that consumes more energy and hence,put additional burden on the existing resources.On the other hand Poverty affects the environment as poor financial condition forces them to over exploit forest resources,water resources which can be present in the nearby area or far away place so, we can not say that the negative affects on environment are seen only at a specific distances.

(2) d. It is a problem that can not be solved.When we say that an environmental problem is a wicked problem, it means to say that the problem is complex and has more than one plan of action because the problems are interconnected and also involves compromises that can make people unhappy.For example - Climate Change can be said to be a wicked problem.

(3) e. All of the above.A sustainable ecosystem makes the use of conservation and preservation strategies where ever it can be applied and the four mentioned options in a,b,c,d are essentially the characteristics of sustainable ecosystems.