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Sustainable Development

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Source: http://www.shareyouressays.com/114083/20-multiple-choice-questions-mcqs-with-answers-on-effects-of-human-activities-on-environment

Effects of Human Activities on Environment


1. Agricultural activity such as tilling, harvesting, heating and ventilation are direct consumes of:
(a) Energy
(b) Air

ADVERTISEMENTS:
(c) Sun
(d) Heat

2. Which of the following is not the effect of modern agriculture?
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(a) Nitrate pollution
(b) Eutrophication
(c) Biomagnification
(d) Ozone depletion

3. Housing affects:
(a) Neighbourhood
(b) Energy consumption
(c) Water consumption
(d) All of the above

4. The human activity, among the following, which causes maximum environmental pollution having regional and global impacts, is:
(a) Urbanization
(b) Industrialisation
(c) Agriculture
(d) Mining

5. Production, transformation and use of energy are the major problems of:
(a) Industrial activity
(b) Sustainable development
(c) Global warming
(d) Acid rain

6. A chemical industry is not a cause of:
(a) Air pollution
(b) Noise pollution
(c) Water pollution
(d) Nuclear pollution


7. Electronic waste is the adverse effect of:
(a) Industry
(b) Agriculture
(c) Housing
(d) Mining

8. Extraction of mineral and metal form the earth is:
(a) Agriculture
(b) Transportation
(c) Mining
(d) Sustainable development

9. Underground and open caste is the methods of:
(a) Agriculture
(b) Mining
(c) Housing
(d) Transportation

10. This is not the effect of transportation:
(a) Air emission
(b) Material consumption
(c) Solid waste generation
(d) Acid mine drainage

11. In EIA the decision to hold hearing has to made within:
(a) 5 days
(b) 10 days
(c) 20 days
(d) 30 days

12. SPCB’s are required to give notice in how many newspapers mentioning the date, time and place of public hearing:
(a) 2
(b) 4
(c) 6
(d) 8

13. ‘Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own need’ is given by:
(a) Brundtland
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Maathai
(d) Sunderlal Bahugana

14. The idea of sustainable development was conceived in early:
(a) 1950
(b) 1960
(c) 1970
(d) 1980
15. How many agreement are there in Agenda – 21?
(a) 4
(b) 5
(c) 6
(d) 7
16. Sustainable development will not aim at:
(a) Social economic development which optimise the economic and societal benefits available in the present, without spoiling the likely potential for similar benefits in the future
(b) Reasonable and equitable distributed level of economic well being that can be perpetuated continually
(c) Development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs
(d) Maximising the present day benefits through increased resource consumption

17. Which of the following statements in relation to sustainable development is not true?
(a) Sustainable development is defined as the development that meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of our future generations to meet their own needs
(b) Sustainability has the main objective of purely focussing on the natural environment
(c) Sustainable development of various countries and the entire world is the only solution left with mankind to survive for a longer period on Earth
(d) Sustainable development not only considers the protection of the environment but also the maintenance of economic viability as well as the social and ethical considerations

18. The maximum number of individuals that can be supported by a given environment is called
(a) Biotic potential
(b) Carrying capacity
(c) Environmental resistance
(d) Population size

19. Supporting capacity and assimilative capacity are the components of
(a) Carrying capacity
(b) Holding capacity
(c) Containing capacity
(d) Capturing capacity

20. Social, economical and ecological equity is the necessary condition for achieving
(a) Social development
(b) Economical development
(c) Sustainable development
(d) Ecological development

Answers:
1. (a); 2. (d); 3. (d); 4. (b); 5. (a); 6. (d); 7. (a); 8. (c); 9. (b); 10. (d); 11. (d); 12. (a); 13. (a); 14. (d); 15. (b); 16 (d); 17. (b); 18. (b); 19. (a); 20. (c)
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Source: http://www.careerride.com/mcq-tag-wise.aspx?Key=Sustainable%20Development%20Goals&Id=15

Sustainable Development Goals


 1)   Which of the following are the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals?

1) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
2) Reduce inequality within and among countries
3) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts


a. 1, 3
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 2
d. All of the above
ANSWER: All of the above
Explanation:
The goals are to be achieved in 15 years i.e. till 2030. The goals are –
1. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
2. Reduce inequality within and among countries
3. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
4. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
5. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
6. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
7. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
8. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

2)   Which of the following are the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals?

1) Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
2) End 80% poverty in all its forms everywhere
3) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable


a. 1, 2
b. 1, 3
c. 2, 3
d. All of the above

ANSWER: 1, 3
Explanation:
The goals are to be achieved in 15 years i.e. till 2030. The goals are -
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere;
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture;
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages;
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all;
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
7. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

3)   Sustainable Development Goals and targets are to be achieved by-


a. 2020
b. 2025
c. 2030
d. 2050

ANSWER: 2030
Explanation:
On September 25th, countries will have the opportunity to adopt a set of global goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.

4)   ”A Million Voices: The World We Want" is report by -


a. WHO
b. IUCN
c. UNISEF
d. UN

ANSWER: UN
Explanation:
The voices of more than 1 million people all over the world were gathered to produce a United Nations report that reflects their priorities concerning development issues, which will help Member States shape the post-2015 sustainability agenda.
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Source: http://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/gk-quiz-on-sustainable-development-basel-convention-1458546021-1

1. UNCED stands for……….
(a) United Nations Confederation on Environment and Development
(b) United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(c) United Nations Conference on Economical Development
(d) United Nations Confederation on Economy and Development
2. What does mean “Agenda 21”?
(a) It’s an agreement between 20 developing countries of the world on climate change.
(b) It’s a free trade agreement between 7 developed countries of the world.
(c) Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.
(d) None of the above
3. What is not true about “The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 1992”?
I. The first global environment conference, the UN sought to help Governments rethink economic development and find ways to halt the destruction of
irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet.
II. The first global environment conference, the UN sought to help Governments rethink political development and find ways to halt the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet.
III. The second global environment conference, the UN sought to help Governments rethink environmental development and find ways to halt the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet.
Code:
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) I, II, III
(d) All are incorrect
4. Consider the following statement (s) related to Rio+20 ,1992
I. Securing renewed political commitment for inclusive development
II. Assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting previous commitments.
III. Addressing new and emerging challenges.
What is/ are not the objective of Rio+20, 1992 conference?
Code:
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Only I & II
(d) I, II, III
5. Basel Convention is related to the:
(a) Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
(b) Ozone layer depletion
(c) Sustainable development
(d) Earth summit
6. Since when Basel convention became effective?
(a) 1989
(b) 1998
(c) 1983
(d) 1992
7. Which of the following statement/s is true about Basel convention?
I. It does not address the movement of radioactive waste.
II. It became effective from 5 May 1998.
III. It became effective from 5 May 1992.
IV. Basel is based in Switzerland.
Choose option/s
(a) Only II, III, & IV
(b) I,III & IV
(c) Only I, II & IV
(d) Only I & IV
8. Which of the followings are the aims of the Basel Convention?
I. The reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, wherever the place of disposal;
II. The restriction of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes except where it is perceived to be in accordance with the principles of environmentally sound management.
III. A Regulatory system applying to cases where trans-boundary movements are permissible.
(a) Only I & II
(b) Only I & III
(c) Only II & III
(d) All of the above
9. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from:
(a) 2004
(b) 2005
(c) 2009
(d) 2010
10. In the word “COP”, C stands for:
(a) Confederation
(b) Conference
(c) Community
(d) Climate

Question

 Answer
1
 b
2
 c
3
 a
4
 a
5
 a
6
 d
7
 b
8
 d
9
 a
10
 b

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Source: http://global.oup.com/uk/orc/busecon/business/wetherly_otter3e/student/mcqs/ch08/

Question 1

Which of the following adjustments would be made to any increase in GDP in order to derive an 'Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare' (ISEW)?
 
 
d) Subtract the costs of environmental degradation
Feedback:
An increase in GDP is conventionally used as a measure of how much better off we are getting. But it includes expenditures on things which are actually related to how much worse off we are getting (such as expenditures on goods to protect ourselves from assault with increasing crime levels e.g. guns), and does not include things such as the costs of the destruction of our natural environment, which everyone would value as part of their overall level of economic welfare. This is included in a measure such as ISEW. So increasing GDP can be consistent with declining ISEW. 

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the "emissions trading" policy instrument?

c) All producers are required to be equally efficient in reducing emissions of the pollutant
Feedback:
The point here is that typically firms will be unequally efficient in reducing emissions, and the trading mechanism will over time create a situation where the least environmentally efficient firms will have to buy permits to cover their excess emissions, and this will give them an incentive to move to less polluting production methods.

 Question 3

Which one of the following characteristics is widely regarded as being an important aspect of sustainable development?
 
a) Inter-generational equity
Feedback:
Fairness or equity within and between generations are two key ideas of the notion of sustainable development, so inter-generational equity was the one to select here. The other alternatives are either irrelevant or inimical to the achievement of sustainable development (increased saving might be indirectly relevant, depending on what the saving was used for). 

Question 4

Which one of the following gases is not included in the category 'greenhouse gases'?
 
b) Hydrogen
Feedback:
Carbon dioxide constitutes 77% of global greenhouse gasses, methane is 15%, and nitrous oxide is 8%. Hydrogen does not figure in the residual 1%. 

Question 5

Which one of the following is not a 'renewable' energy source?
 
b) Coal
Feedback:
Coal is a finite reserve in the ground, and once it is mined and burnt to generate energy it is gone. So it is not renewable. Solar, wave and wind power are renewable as the sun will always shine, the wind will always blow, and the waves will never stop rising and falling. 

Question 6

Why is transport one of the most intractable factors in considering the global environmental problem?

b) Transport demand grows faster than possible technological improvements can reduce the output of greenhouse gases and the depletion of nonrenewable fossil fuel reserves
Feedback:
The first and fourth alternatives are clearly red herrings which do not have anything to do with environmental problems, except to make them worse. The second alternative is clearly correct if you are an attentive reader, but the third has just enough of a grain of truth to lead the unwary astray. In fact, this argument is actually put forward in some circles, and relates back to some very involved arguments about the relationship between transport and economic development. Apart from the issue of the immediacy of our global environmental problem, vis-a-vis the long term nature of potential gains in economic growth from transport investment, a basic problem for those who support this argument is that research over many years has failed to demonstrate that transport investment reliably produces the economic growth effects claimed for it.

 

Question 7

What do we mean when we say "think globally, act locally" in relation to environmental problems?

d) While these problems, as we experience them in relation to sustainability issues, are produced by processes operating at a global level, we all have a role to play in our local context in making individual and collective responses, as communities and companies, which will help ameliorate the effects of these problems
Feedback:
There is a little bit of truth in each of the three incorrect alternatives. International negotiations have a crucial role to play, but local responses are also crucial and are not simply related to self protection measures. Equally, a global perspective of research and thought on environmental issues is crucial, but the results and implications generated from this apply at a range of spatial levels, not just the local. The essential aspect of the phrase or adage in the question is that we need a global perspective on environmental issues so that we can focus correctly on what we can do at a local level to respond.

 

Question 8

A "green transport plan" is:

c) A plan devised by a company or organization to reduce the environmental impact of the transport demands generated by itself and its employees
Feedback:
While the use of words here is arguably arbitrary, a "green transport plan", or company travel plan, is the term used in the literature for transport plans devised by companies or organizations to limit the impact of their transport demands on the environment. They are most frequently devised in consultation with local authorities, and take cognizance of the general transport plans for their areas, and also the general government advice published to help companies prepare such plans.

 Question 9

ISO 14001 is:

d) An international standard setting out best practice for carrying out audits by companies of their environmental management systems and policies
Feedback:
ISO is the acronym for the International Standardization Organization, which is the promulgator of ISO 14001 as described in the final alternative. The others are red herrings of varying degrees of plausibility.

 Question 10

Focusing on reducing carbon production to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is argued to be the wrong variable to focus on because:

b) The focus should be on carbon consumption
Feedback:
In a situation where many countries (such as UK) after many years have made little progress towards achieving their Kyoto emissions reduction targets, critics are starting to point out that the situation would be much worse if these countries had not managed to get reduce their carbon production by exporting it to countries like China, by de facto exporting jobs. But the effect is illusionary, because we still import back from countries such as China the goods which we might have produced ourselves. Of course, the reason for exporting the jobs in the first place is to take advantage of low cost production locations. But if we keep consuming as we did before, at a global level nothing is achieved. We need to focus on carbon consumption. Hence 'The focus should be on carbon consumption' is the correct answer; 'It is impossible to achieve' is not true, as carbon production can be reduced at an aggregate level; 'It has nothing to do with carbon dioxide emissions' is simply wrong, as it is very much to do with carbon dioxide emissions; while 'The focus should be on carbon elimination' is merely a red herring; it does not mean anything.

 

Question 11

A scientific hypothesis, such as the influence of increased carbon dioxide emissions since 1945 on global temperatures, is tested by:

c) Checking the predictions of the hypothesis against relevant data
Feedback:
This is not an easy one, and some of the possible answers are ones about which there is a great deal of controversy. Even 'Considering whether the prediction accords with common sense', which is incorrect, is one that a lot of people, laypersons one might say, would agree with. What does your common sense tell you? What seems reasonable? Science, however, provides us with rules for assessing what sort of evidence may be used to support a scientific hypothesis. Often common sense explanations of phenomena cannot be tested. If the question under examination is an important one, there may be many scientists studying it. One may suggest taking the majority view as a reliable indicator of whether the hypothesis is "true". This is called taking the consensus view (this would be answer 'Checking out what the majority of experts think'). But one may say that, what if opinion is almost evenly divided, say 51% to 49%? In this case you might say the majority is not convincing, and a more substantial majority is needed, say 75% to 25% (this would be answer: 'Agreeing with the majority view of experts, provided the majority is substantial, e.g. 75% agree with the hypothesis'). The idea of the consensus view is often spoken about by people who support the theory that the globe is warming, and that this is caused by man-made carbon dioxide (or other greenhouse gasses). The idea of a consensus does not exist in the philosophy of science as way of testing hypotheses: scientific progress is not brought about by majority voting. Moreover, the idea of a consensus is slippery. All sorts of scientists and experts get involved with global warming issues, and some seem to be not strictly climate scientists. Should the participants on both sides of the argument be weighted by their scientific credentials? The requirements of science are, however, simple. Hypotheses are conjectural statements which are put up in order to be argued about, and, if appropriate, knocked down if they do not seem to explain the observed data, or else, if an alternative hypothesis is put forward which explains the data better. In fact, that is what happens to most hypotheses: they get replaced by better ones. And you only need one person to put forward a better hypothesis in order to displace a ruling consensus. This is what happened when Albert Einstein thought up the Theory of Relativity. This explained the motion of planetary bodies more satisfactorily than Newton's Laws of Motion, which had been accepted for a couple of centuries. Thus the correct answer is 'Checking the predictions of the hypothesis against relevant data'. Having said that, one has to say that "officially" public policy is driven by a belief in the existence of a "scientific consensus" that global warming is real and manmade (despite the fact that it has been shown there has been no global warming for 18 years). One might take the view that the jury is still out, but it would be more important to recognize that global warming is only one part of the complex of problems we study in relation to man's activities and the natural environment: read the chapter title again. And even if one questions whether global warming is man-made, not many people question that it is happening (though as we said just now, no increase in global temperatures has been measured for 18 years, but some scientists say this is due to the heat being absorbed by the oceansst now, no increase in temperature has been measured for 18 years)), and we still have the problem of what to do about its consequences.

 

Question 12

One of the predictions of climate change models is that parts of the world will be subject to drastic climate change: wet areas may experience drought, and dry areas may experience excess water due to changes in rainfall patterns and/or changes in sea levels. However, recent research shows that there has been very little change in world-wide drought since 1950. This shows that:

b) We must nevertheless not ignore the importance of water as a crucial resource
Feedback:
While there are various issues about global warming which are in dispute, the fact that over sixty years drought patterns have got no worse is not proof on its own that global warming is not happening (in fact, the authors of this research believe that global warming is happening). So 'Global warming is not happening' is incorrect. The question of whether areas may or may not experience more drought as a result of global warming tends to divert our attention from other aspects of sustainable development which are arguably more immediate, and just as important as global warming. Thus drought may be a problem in particular places due to climate change, but the key issue is that useable water is scarce nearly everywhere, and great efforts have to be expended to collect and store it. As both world economic development and population increases this problem gets more difficult, as these factors factors produce increasing demands for water. So 'We must nevertheless not ignore the importance of water as a crucial resource' is correct. But all is not gloom: as Bjørn Lomborg (Ed.) points out in his recent book (October 2013) How Much have Global Problems Cost the World?: A Scorecard from 1900 to 2050 (Cambridge University Press),deaths from lack of access to clean water in developing countries have fallen from 1.5 per 1,000 people in 1950 to 0.4 today, and will be 0.2 by 2050. It is true that most of the earth's surface is covered by water, but most of it is not useable, so 'As most of the earth's surface is covered by water, we have even less to worry about' is incorrect. And the potential problems of rising sea levels are mainly associated with the melting of the Polar ice caps. So 'Worries about rising sea levels are misplaced' is incorrect. However, no problems caused by rising sea levels are yet reported, and Polar ice caps are increasing in extent. But this is not to say there may not be future problems. more imediatet of global warming tends to divert our attention

 

Question 13

"Greenwash" is a company's way of giving itself a more acceptable environmental image as a way of marketing itself and its products, and attracting business, without there necessarily being any real substance in the claims it makes about itself. "Greenwash" is therefore:

b) An inevitable business activity which should be encouraged if carried out positively and responsibly
Feedback:
While some companies may make unwarranted claims about the favourable environmental attributes of their products or services, many will be making justified claims, so we cannot make a blanket judgement, and so 'An undesirable activity which should be banned' is incorrect. In addition, it would be very difficult to assess accurately the actual extent of "greenwash", so one would have to be careful in judgements. But where companies have genuine and useful claims to make about products and services, this should be welcomes, and so 'An inevitable business activity which should be encouraged if carried out positively and responsibly' is correct. The implication of 'A form of advertising which can be ignored' is that advertising generally can be ignored: this is an unwarranted blanket judgement, so 'A form of advertising which can be ignored' is incorrect. The mini-case on p.218 does refer to a company which is making environmental claims, and which observers say is not paying as much tax as it ought to, but there is no necessary connection between environmental claims and tax payments, and so 'An activity engaged in by large international corporations to avoid paying tax' is incorrect.

 

Question 14

The idea of the "learning organization" has been put forward as an approach to getting all the employees of a company to act together as a single unified "green" organization. This is an interesting idea, but:

c) Is very new in relation to applications in this area, and not much research has been reported so far
Feedback:
No one has ever argued that the idea of a "learning organization" is impractical, so 'Is totally impractical' is incorrect. There are a number of reported applications of the idea, so 'Has never been tried out' is incorrect. But in the area of sustainable development and business, there are no reported applications that could be found for this chapter, but it is likely that research is in progress, still to be reported. So 'Is very new in relation to applications in this area, and not much research has been reported so far' is correct. It is true that companies have multiple training priorities, so 'A company can't afford to train its entire staff all the time on these issues: there are other training priorities' is almost right, but getting all employees involved in a company's green initiatives (rather than one designated promoter, or one enthusiast) is arguably a high priority, but not one that necessarily uses much resources once green practices are embedded in the everyday responsibilities of employees.

 

Question 15

We have had twenty years of international conferences on what to do about the global environmental crisis, and some commentators say absolutely nothing has been achieved. This shows that:


c) The environmental crisis is only one of the issues that nations negotiate about, and agreement on environmental issues has to be compatible with agreements on other issues, such as trade
Feedback:
This is a knotty final question to wind up with, and indicates the ideal way of setting a MCQ (usually have one obviously wrong alternative, one correct alternative, plus two that might almost be correct, but are not). It would be very difficult to argue that nations generally are not committed to positive action in this area, so 'There is a complete lack of international commitment to positive action' is not correct. But of course, 'commitment' is a difficult word, as the outcomes of a conference are not simple yes/no statements, but complex agreements where individual nations, or blocks of nations, have priorities which others find difficult to accede to. Equally, there is no denying that it can be difficult to devise appropriate policies, but there is no doubt that over the years there has been evident progress, so 'It is very difficult to devise appropriate policies' is not correct. Of course, the big problem in reaching international agreement on climate issues is that not only are the issues to be resolved within these conferences highly complex, but the conferences do not take place in isolation from international discussions and debates on other issues, and environmental issues might for a group of nations be a bargaining counter from which concessions on some other entirely unrelated issue can be secured. That of course is politics. So 'The environmental crisis is only one of the issues that nations negotiate about, and agreement on environmental issues has to be compatible with agreements on other issues, such as trade' is the correct answer here. As far as the remaining question is concerned, 'There is no agreement on the environmental issues facing the global community' is not correct, but there is some element of truth there. It is true that there may be disagreement on particular aspects of the environmental issues facing the global community, but overall it would be hard to say that there is not broad agreement on the general categories of environmental issues facing the world. So 'There is no agreement on the environmental issues facing the global community' is not correct. But we stress again, it is not just about global warming, which is a relative newcomer as an issue, but a whole range of other issues which are encapsulated in the title of this chapter, and which were discussed for fifty years before the term 'sustainable development' came into vogue. And even if the international agreements reached so far may be weak and not fully signed up to, we cannot deny that the conferences over the last twenty years have had a significant impact on the international consciousness of the issues in this area.

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