Our Choice: A Plan To Solve The Climate Crisis
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Why has much of the world been so hesitant to embrace nuclear power as an alternative energy source?
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Questions related to "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis" by Al Gore.
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How can improving women's girls' education around the world help combat global warming?
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What is "passive solar energy" and how can homeowners and landlords take advantage of it?
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According to Al Gore, which one of the following could be the biggest source of energy in the world if better understood?
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Wind energy
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Solar energy
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Geothermal energy
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Ethanol
Correct Answer
A. Geothermal energyExplanation
Though it receives less attention than wind and solar power, geothermal energy - which is derived from the heat beneath the earth's surface - could match the output of all the world's coal, oil and gas combined if properly used. While the potential is huge, more active investments in technology are needed to tap the world's geothermal resources.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Which of the following energy sources releases the most CO2 into the atmosphere?
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Coal
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Wood
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Oil
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Gas
Correct Answer
A. CoalExplanation
Though coal produces less energy per pound than oil, it releases about 40 percent more energy. More than 40 percent of the electricity in the world is produced by burning coal.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Which of these countries receives more than three quarters of its power from nuclear energy?
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Russia
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Ukraine
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France
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Argentina
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China
Correct Answer
A. FranceExplanation
While nuclear power has stonewalled in many parts of the world, France has long used nuclear power as its primary energy source, albeit with tight regulations and at considerable government expense.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Which of the following countries ranks first in the share of its energy that comes from wind?
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India
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Germany
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Denmark
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United Kingdom
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Israel
Correct Answer
A. DenmarkExplanation
Denmark built its first commercial-scale windmill after World War II using money from the Marshall Plan and now receives 21 percent of its electricity from wind. Other leading countries are Spain and Germany, which get more than 5 percent of their power from wind sources.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Which U.S. state has maintained the lowest increase in electricity consumption over the last three decades?
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Ohio
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North Carolina
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Wyoming
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California
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Washington
Correct Answer
A. CaliforniaExplanation
Though it is the most populous state in the country with the largest economy and several large cities, tighter energy efficiency standards than the rest of the country have kept California’s electricity output unchanged in the past 30 years, while the overall U.S. output has increased by 60 percent.Rate this question:
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- 9.
By how much did the world's population grow from 1900 to 2000?
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29.4 million
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134.8 million
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1.2 billion
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2.7 billion
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4.2 billion
Correct Answer
A. 4.2 billionExplanation
The earth’s population has swelled tremendously over the past century. However, researchers believe they have a clearer picture than ever before of the factors contributing to the population boom, and the growth rate has already started to slow.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Which of the following megacities is projected to grow the most by 2025?
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New York City, USA
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Tokyo, Japan
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Lagos, Nigeria
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Beijing, China
Correct Answer
A. Lagos, NigeriaExplanation
The number of megacities (cities with populations greater than 10 million) is expected to reach 27 in a just over a decade, and the vast majority of that growth is taking place in developing nations. This provides both opportunities and challenges. Some aspects of urbanization, like mass transport and more localized lifestyles, can be a boone when well-planned. However, in developing countries, the transition of rural residents to urban communities has often been accompanied by a sharp increase in energy use and pollution.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Which of the following is the fastest growing source of energy in the world today?
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Wind
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Coal
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Solar
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Oil
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Corn
Correct Answer
A. WindExplanation
For the past two years, wind energy has grown in popularity faster than any other type of power, and for good reason. Once turbines have been built, wind power eats up almost zero resources, and the world’s wind capacity is technically large enough to produce five times the energy used worldwide from all sources.Rate this question:
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Which of the following is considered by energy experts to be the LEAST efficient source of power?
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Petroleum
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Corn-based ethanol
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Wind energy
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Oil palm biodiesel
Correct Answer
A. Corn-based ethanolExplanation
Though it burns cleaner than petroleum and has been trumpeted by American politicians, corn-based ethanol has grown increasingly controversial over the past decade, and most experts now agree it is actually less efficient than oil and gas. The issue lies with the large amount of energy consumed in the process of making ethanol from corn, which negates any environmental benefit the end product might have.Rate this question:
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In what year did oil prices reach their all-time high?
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1977
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1981
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1998
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2001
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2008
Correct Answer
A. 2008Explanation
Reducing dependence on foreign oil serves as a good secondary reason to invest in alternative energy. When oil prices hit a record peak in 2008, the rise coincided with an equally historic surge in green energy investment. When prices receded, though, so did that enthusiasm.Rate this question:
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- 14.
Behind China and the United States, what two countries are the next largest contributors to global warming? (Check two answers.)
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Mexico
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Brazil
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Russia
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Japan
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Indonesia
Correct Answer(s)
A. Brazil
A. IndonesiaExplanation
It may surprise people to learn that Indonesia and Brazil rank as the third and fourth largest contributors to climate change. The explanation lies in the rapid deforestation taking place in those countries, which together account for 60 percent of the deforestation worldwide.Rate this question:
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- 15.
What does GPI stand for?
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Gross Property Initiatives
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Gross Premium Investments
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Genuine Progress Indicator
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Gerald's Pretty Igloo
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Gaugeable Personal Income
Correct Answer
A. Genuine Progress IndicatorExplanation
A country's Genuine Progress Indicator is a proposed update the Gross Domestic Product that would account for, in addition to measurable consumption stats, non-market elements like volunteer work, crime, deforestation and pollution that affect the quality of life in a society. In "Our Choice," Al Gore proposes using the GPI as a way to take a broader view of our economy and what that means.Rate this question:
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True or False: The average length of investors' market holdings as increased significantly over the past 50 years.
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True
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False
Correct Answer
A. FalseExplanation
Over the course of the 20th century, stockholders' behavior has revealed a marked tendency towards short-term profit. During the 1950s and 1960s, an average investment was around seven to eight years, whereas it now stands at less than a year. The shift has a direct impact on our environment, as business leaders are less likely to consider environmental concerns if they're not thinking in a long-term mindset.Rate this question:
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In what month do Americans use the most energy in their homes?
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May
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July
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September
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November
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December
Correct Answer
A. JulyExplanation
With the proliferation of home air conditioning units, the amount of electricity Americans use at peak times such as summer has skyrocketed, straining the nation's electric grid and sometimes leading to outages when they're least wanted. A new national "smart grid," recently green-lit by the Obama administration, would include advanced sensors and processors that could balance electricity distribution more appropriately. See p. 290-291 for a diagram of a proposed smart grid.Rate this question:
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True or False: Plugged in electronics in "off" mode do not use electricity.
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True
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False
Correct Answer
A. FalseExplanation
Though consumers might not realize it, televisions, DVD players and other devices consume energy any time they are plugged into an outlet, even when turned off. In fact, it takes the full output of a 1,000-megawatt generating plant just to supply energy to American television sets that are not even being watched.Rate this question:
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- 19.
As documented by Gore, which of the following is a common argument put forth opponents of climate change legislation?
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A closer look at satellite measurements reveals the earth's atmosphere is in fact cooling.
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Global warming appears to be happening, but its effects will prove to be enjoyable for most people.
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Even if global warming is real, the economic and lifestyle costs of fighting it will be worse than the predicted climate change itself.
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Global warming is real, but it is the result of natural trends in the earth's atmosphere, not human activity.
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All of the above.
Correct Answer
A. All of the above.Explanation
Though the scientific consensus on global warming is solid, those who stand to lose from tighter environmental regulation have waged a well-funded propaganda campaign to obscure the documented facts. As Gore explains, most efforts have aimed not to argue ith scientific research on the issue, but to create just enough public doubt to resist legislative change.Rate this question:
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Which of the following ideas has been proposed by credentialed scientists as strategies to tackle climate change?
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Placing billions of strips of tin foil into orbit around the earth to reflect sunlight away from the planet.
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Erecting a giant shield to be orbited around the sun that would partially shade the earth from solar rays.
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Artificially releasing large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, as volcanoes do upon eruption, to counteract the carbon dioxide responsible for heating the planet.
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Initiating massive plankton booms in parts areas of the ocean to help the sea absorb more CO2.
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All of the above.
Correct Answer
A. All of the above.Explanation
The severity of the climate crisis has led some scientists to devise elaborate, creative and sometimes bizarre solutions to the solve global warming. Some are obviously unrealistic, while others carry major environmental risks that could harm the planet more than they help. Consensus opinion holds that the best way to counteract climate change is through a large yet focused change in the human activities that caused global warming to begin with.Rate this question:
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- 21.
According to Gore, which of the following is the most critical step that must be taken to combat climate change?
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Greater use of mass transportation by urban commuters.
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International agreements and legislation by governments to put a price on carbon emissions.
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Broader consumer acceptance of energy-efficient products, such as hybrid vehicles and LED light bulbs.
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Continued growth of the locally grown food movement and a shift towards vegetarianism.
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A large reduction in cigarette smoking.
Correct Answer
A. International agreements and legislation by governments to put a price on carbon emissions.Explanation
While individuals have a significant role in any social change, Gore makes clear that the problem of climate change is too dire to be addressed by merely changing consumer behavior. If climate change is to be taken seriously, it will require change at the highest levels, which will mean bold moves by governments to change laws and restrict CO2 emissions.Rate this question:
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Apr 09, 2024Quiz Edited by
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Oct 21, 2009Quiz Created by
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