The Connections Between Food And Global Warming
Settings
Take our quiz and learn about the many solutions available today that can produce a robust food supply while safeguarding our health, protecting our soil and water, and reducing heat-trapping emissions. Enter your name and email below and click "start quiz" to begin. After each question you can click "view answer" for a detailed explanation of the answer.
- 1.The process by which plants take carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into plant tissue is known as:
- A.
Photosynthesis
- B.
Respiration
- C.
Decomposition
- D.
Reproduction
- 2.Carbon is released from plant tissues back into the atmosphere when plants decompose or when fossil fuels are burned. The movement of carbon from the air to plants to the soil and back to the air again is known as:
- A.
The life cycle
- B.
The carbon cycle
- C.
The spin cycle
- D.
The carbon copy
- 3.
- A.
Manufacturing
- B.
Transportation
- C.
Overuse
- D.
All of the above
- 4.How many pounds of carbon dioxide does each gallon of gasoline burned by a lawn mower put into the atmosphere?
- A.
0.2
- B.
2.0
- C.
20
- D.
200
- 5.What is compost?
- A.
A substance that only farmers or someone with an advanced degree in chemistry should try to create
- B.
Any mixture of decaying organic materials—leaves, animal manure, food scraps—that is created by a natural process in which bacteria, fungi, and other organisms break down wastes into a nutrient-rich soil addition
- C.
A pile of trash that will stink up your yard and cause your neighbors to file complaints
- D.
A fruit-based dessert
- 6.On large farms and in small gardens, there are periods of time when plants are not actively growing. Cover crops are often planted during the off-season in unused areas because they offer what benefits?
- A.
Preventing erosion and increasing soil's water-holding capacity
- B.
Suppressing weeds
- C.
Reducing heat-trapping nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen-based fertilizers
- D.
All of the above
- 7.Crop rotation—growing different crops in succession in the same field—is one of the most powerful techniques of sustainable agriculture because it can:
- A.
Reduce pest problems
- B.
Reduce erosion
- C.
Reduce the need for chemical fertilizers
- D.
Both a and c
- 8.Grass lawns can remove carbon from the air and store it in soil. Which of the following methods does UCS recommend to lower the global warming pollution from your lawn?
- A.
Keep your lawn really short so that it doesn’t require much water
- B.
Make sure you rake up all the lawn clippings so that they don’t block water from getting to the roots
- C.
Water during the hottest part of the day when your lawn needs it the most
- D.
None of the above
- 9.Because trees are large, woody, and live a long time, they can store larger quantities of carbon than other plants, for longer periods of time. What is another major climate benefit of planting trees near your home?
- A.
Trees can lower air conditioning costs and energy consumption if planted in strategic locations
- B.
The release of water from plant leaves results in cooler air temperatures, further reducing the need for energy-intensive air conditioning
- C.
Trees can block winter winds and reduce energy used to heat your home
- D.
All of the above
- 10.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Back to top