Q&A Hero

Q: One problem with urban centres is that they tend to export their wastes to some other area that then must deal with these wastes.

Q: One way to increase urban sustainability would be to allocate land for locally produced foods.

Q: The term "sprawl" refers to the unplanned spread of urbanized land use patterns outward from a central city.

Q: In Canada, more that 80% of the population is made up of urban dwellers.

Q: Urban centres may have a lower per capita environmental footprint than the suburbs because ________.A) of their higher consumption rateB) the suburban footprint is increased by the contribution of small agricultural areas between the subdivisionsC) of their higher economic footprintD) of the shorter distances that need to be travelled and the higher population densityE) of the economy of scarcity

Q: Calgary's environmental footprint is created in the process of meeting the various needs of Calgarians. The two needs with the largest ecological footprints are ________. Next come these three needs, in order of decreasing footprint: ________. A) goods and services; mobility, housing, and government B) mobility and services; housing, government, and goods C) housing and services; mobility, goods, and government D) mobility and housing; goods, services, and government E) housing and goods; mobility, government, and services

Q: People who seek to improve the resource sustainability of our cities urge us to ________. A) maintain a slow, steady pattern of growth and development B) use zoning and taxation to promote livable cities C) impose strict limits on growth (apply UGBs) D) use renewable energy sources and recycle materials E) find a fair balance between imports and exports of resources

Q: People who live entirely within an urban environment ________. A) have too many luxury goods at too expensive a price B) are never provided enough quality housing, even for those who can afford it C) become disconnected from nature and from the true costs of their needs and activities D) have insufficient choices for activities and lifestyles E) pay less for food and gasoline than people living in rural areas

Q: A resource sink ________. A) has an environmental footprint much larger than the area it physically occupies B) has an environmental footprint much smaller than the area it physically occupies C) produces many things and needs to export them to a variety of places to be able to import things it does not produce D) is a depression in the ground caused by the removal of underground resources E) is a resource that is desirable, such that different cities must compete to obtain enough of it for their citizens

Q: The role of zoning is to ________. A) promote urbanization B) classify areas for different types of urban development and land use C) integrate agriculture with urban land use D) run city governments like the federal government E) promote zone taxation according to land use

Q: The original purpose of parks in eastern U.S. cities was to ________. A) provide protected places for hunting foxes, birds, and deer B) provide wildlife sanctuaries within cities C) protect passenger pigeons, Carolina parakeets, and other rapidly declining species D) provide a place where wealthier people could go to "see and be seen" E) provide open places for games, such as football, cricket, and lawn tennis

Q: Matthew Turner uses ________ to investigate factors that drive and control urban sprawl. A) census figures B) satellite imagery C) business statistics D) door-to-door questionnaires E) mail questionnaires

Q: Which of the following is a method that governments use to improve urban transportation? A) Give tax rebates to people who use only public transportation. B) Designate carpool lanes and carpool parking spots in many public places. C) Make some public buildings and some communities accessible only by public transportation. D) Provide bicycle lanes on freeways. E) Let motorcycles share streetcar rail lanes.

Q: The new urbanism tries to ________. A) develop walkable communities, with homes and businesses close together B) use zoning to keep small neighbourhoods intact C) keep business in a central location, near transportation centres D) provide low-cost, long-distance, mass transit systems E) use tiered taxation to maintain inner cities as vibrant, livable communities

Q: An urban growth boundary (UGB) is intended to ________. A) ensure that businesses do not locate in residential areas B) enforce certain restrictions within neighbourhoods C) help an area retain its distinctive character D) prevent suburban sprawl and protect non-urban areas E) maintain low housing costs for the average homeowner

Q: A city planner needs to consider ________ as a first priority. A) the amount of money investors have available for new business B) optimal land use strategies for different areas of the city C) local laws pertaining to property rights D) railroads, subway systems, and how much they charge riders E) the best use of sales tax money within the city proper

Q: Pat and Terry are considering moving from near the centre of a large city into the suburbs. Which of the following discussion points is valid? A) If they move to the suburbs, it will cost much less for transportation. B) If they stay in the city, they will probably get less exercise. C) If they stay in the city, they will contribute more to local pollution. D) It will be easier to have a vegetable garden if they move to the suburbs. E) They'll experience more stress if they move to the suburbs.

Q: One of the things that contributes to sprawl is ________. A) the steady state of human populations B) the steadily increasing prices for gasoline C) zoning D) the trend toward increasing the per capita land consumption E) developer's fees

Q: Any consideration of the true costs of sprawl must include ________. A) the restoration of natural areas to inner cities B) the problems of decreased water and energy consumption C) increasing use of pesticides D) crumbling inner cities with deteriorating facilities, increased use of fossil fuels E) more time for families to be together

Q: Air travel, the Internet, cheap fossil fuels, phones, and television have all allowed people to ________. A) consume less energy and materials B) move to cities C) live in less centralized communities D) return to an agricultural society E) live within the UGB's demanded by smart city design

Q: Over the past 50 years, most Canadians and Americans who could afford to do so ________. A) migrated into the cities B) improved the cities C) left the cities for the suburbs D) moved into high-rise condominiums E) moved into "downtown" city centre areas

Q: Throughout history, all cities have ________. A) been influenced by the rural areas surrounding them B) had disagreements with the rural areas surrounding them C) dominated the rural areas surrounding them through conquest or politics D) drawn resources from surrounding areas by trade, persuasion, or conquest E) been major sources of labour for the rural areas surrounding them

Q: Around the world, most major cities are situated ________. A) at elevations above 500 m B) near mountains, usually in a valley C) on the more northern continents D) along rivers, oceans, roads, or train routes E) in agricultural areas

Q: Concentrations of methylmercury are higher in large fish relative to that in small fish. This is best described as ________. A) distillation B) toxification C) biomagnification D) bioaccumulation E) synergism

Q: Mercury is not readily excreted; it is stored in mammalian body tissues. This is best described as ________. A) distillation B) toxification C) biomagnification D) bioaccumulation E) synergism

Q: Based on the specific health effects described above, mercury would be best classified as a ________. A) synergist B) neurotoxin C) carcinogen D) endocrine disruptor E) allergen

Q: Mercury is to methylmercury what DDT is to ________. A) DDE B) DEP C) POP D) PCB E) PBP

Q: After building a hydro dam, some of the mercury contained in flooded organic matter becomes methylated. Which of the following is NOT true? A) The local population will be advised to reduce their consumption of fish. B) Prey fish closer to the source of contamination will have a higher mercury concentration than the predatory fish. C) Children and pregnant women should eat less fish than other people. D) It is usually safer to eat younger fish. E) It is usually safer to eat smaller fish.

Q: Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. The release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, the anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily because of increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methylmercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as the shark and the swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methylmercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle incoordination, and attention deficits. Children and pregnant women are especially sensitive to methylmercury's toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methylmercury.Which of the following Canadian agencies is primarily responsible for addressing causes of mercury pollution?A) PHACB) Environment CanadaC) Heavy Metal Monitoring GroupD) Health CanadaE) Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Q: Explain the four main types of environmental hazards. Give examples of each. Which parts of Canada may be most vulnerable to each of them?

Q: Imagine you are renting an older house with your friends. The landlord has installed new furniture and carpets, but there have been recurring problems with cockroaches. One of your roommates smokes. The house is next to a busy street and is within several kilometres away from a petroleum refinery. Your neighbour has a surprisingly green well-manicured lawn, without any dandelions or other weeds. What environmental health issues are you likely to experience?

Q: What are the most common geological hazards? How are they related? Where are they most common and why? (Hint: Recall "the ring of fire" from Chapter 2.) Which parts of Canada are most vulnerable to these hazards and why?

Q: Explain how response to hazards can vary based on individual differences and types of exposure. Give examples, where appropriate.

Q: Define risk assessment and risk management. Discuss how risk management combines science and other social factors.

Q: Summarize the opposing views on how much risk is posed by natural vs. synthetic toxicants.

Q: How is the precautionary principle used in environmental health? What is an alternative philosophical approach?

Q: What are epidemiological studies, and what is their value? Are there any disadvantages to epidemiological studies?

Q: Explain and give an example of biomagnification.

Q: What are endocrine disruptors? How do they work on pests? Why are they a problem for humans? Have they been banned? Why or why not?

Q: In 2003, SARS came to Canada from Africa.

Q: Some threats to human health are unavoidable because they are wholly natural and part of the natural environment.

Q: The United States still manufactures DDT, which it exports to other countries for agricultural use. This comes back to Canada in food that has been sprayed with this pesticide.

Q: Acute exposure to chemical agents is more difficult to detect than chronic exposure.

Q: Radon is a highly toxic radioactive gas that is introduced into homes through the use of electrical power generated by nuclear power plants.

Q: Natural chemical substances include oil oozing from the ground and radioactive radon gas.

Q: Examining case studies, such as the role of serpentine asbestos in human health, is not a good way to assess risk of toxicants for human populations.

Q: The findings by Hunt indicated that bisphenol-A was toxic to humans.

Q: ________ are particularly good indicators of presence of pollutants in our environment.A) Guinea pigsB) CanariesC) FishD) MiceE) Rats

Q: Concentration of DDT (expressed as parts per million) are 0.04 ppm in zooplankton , 0.5 ppm in small fish , 2 ppm in large fish, and 25 ppm in osprey. This pattern ________. A) is an example of synergy B) resembles the changes in available energy in a trophic pyramid C) suggests that the numbers of ospreys will decline, which would restore ecosystem homeostasis D) is not as bad as one would think at first glance, because the higher concentrations are in larger animals, so DDT content per kilogram of biomass does not increase as much as these numbers would suggest E) should not be too alarming, because even the highest numbers are still too low to cause significant damage (at most they are 25 ppm).

Q: People with immune systems compromised by HIV are more vulnerable to other diseases. This effect is an example of ________. A) negative feedback B) synergistic effects C) disease loop D) additive effects E) immunological flashback

Q: Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the followingEXCEPT ________. A) gonadal abnormalities B) lung cancer C) low birth rates D) male feminization E) thyroid hormone abnormalities

Q: The European Union's experience with PBDE's has shown that ________. A) removal of the toxin from the environment reduces its concentrations in humans B) economic factors have superceded health concerns C) these molecules can be rapidly metabolized by decomposers D) human metabolism of these compounds could solve the problem without legislation E) these molecules result in birth ratios of 9 males:1 female

Q: The effect of toxicants on fetuses ________. A) is greater than the effect on adults because of the fetuses' rapid growth and smaller biomass B) is less than the effect on adults because the fetuses' metabolisms are higher C) is less than the effect on adults because the fetuses are protected by their mothers' immune systems D) has been systematically evaluated for most chemicals released into both indoor and outdoor environments E) can be extrapolated downward from the known effects in adults, after correction for different weight

Q: Synergistic effects of toxicants ________. A) have effects that tend to cancel one another out B) typically have simple additive effects C) are not numerous in the natural environment D) often have effects that are multiplicative E) always involve synthetic toxicants

Q: The leading cause of deaths in the world are ________. A) infectious diseases B) cardiovascular diseases C) cancers D) respiratory and digestive diseases E) injuries

Q: Order the following hazards according to the risk they pose (with the most risky first). A) automobile accident, homicide, drowning, airplane accident B) homicide, automobile accident, drowning, airplane accident C) automobile accident, homicide, airplane accident, drowning D) airplane accident, automobile accident, homicide, drowning E) automobile accident, airplane accident, homicide, drowning

Q: Louis Guillette is most famous for his studies ________. A) on gonadal abnormalities in frogs B) about the dangers of DDT C) on neurological effects of pesticide poisoning D) describing reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators in Lake Apopka E) about the dangers of secondhand smoke

Q: The Yaqui Valley, Mexico, study showed that ________. A) wealth is correlated with intelligence B) infectious disease is more widespread in poor countries C) frogs were affected by water pollution D) developmental delays occurred in children exposed to pesticides E) organic agriculture can be successful with government support

Q: The goal of the Stockholm Convention is to ________. A) reduce global warming B) reduce the ecological footprints of people around the world C) end the use and release of the 12 POPs shown to be the most dangerous D) prevent trade in asbestos E) protect the ozone layer

Q: Canada's approach to chemicals is to assume they are toxic until they are shown to be harmless. This is called the ________. A) nonexistent approach B) buyer-beware approach C) let-the-industry-regulate-itself approach D) innocent-until-proven-toxic approach E) precautionary principle approach

Q: Chemicals used in cosmetics in Canada are ________. A) reviewed before being sold B) marketed using the precautionary principle C) reviewed and approved by the CFIA before they are sold D) reviewed and approved by the PHAC before they are sold E) reviewed and approved by the CEPA before they are sold

Q: Children exposed to pesticides may suffer ________. A) loss of hearing B) loss of taste C) acute skin inflammation D) from Toxoplasma E) developmental impairments

Q: The bald eagle, brown pelican, and peregrine falcon are all ________. A) found only in British Columbia B) Canadian invasive species C) over-hunted for their feathers D) extinct E) susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT

Q: Which of the following is the least likely to persist in an active form after one year? A) DDT B) DDE C) PCBs D) PBDEs E) Bt toxin

Q: Frogs are especially good indicators of pollution because ________. A) they are easy to catch B) these organisms are the most abundant on Earth C) most chemicals are water soluble so they enter these organisms through drinking or skin absorption D) all chemical toxicants are found in water E) the metabolism of these organisms is most like ours

Q: What is the most likely reason for the government of Canada to block international efforts to regulate the global trade in asbestos? A) because chrysotile is used only in countries that enforce prior informed consent B) because there are strong doubts about the science linking asbestos with cancer C) because it wants to continue lucrative exports of chrysotile to the United States D) because it wants to be able to use chrysotile in the Canadian construction industry E) because it wants to continue exports of chrysotile to India and other developing countries

Q: The Chemicals Management Plan reviews the safety of ________. A) industrial chemicals B) prescription drugs C) non-prescription drugs D) food additives E) cosmetics

Q: ________ is/are one of the "dirty dozen" persistent organic pollutants, produced by incomplete combustion and in chemical manufacturing. It is/They are released in some types of metal recycling, pulp and paper bleaching, automobile exhaust, tobacco smoke, and wood and coal smoke. A) DDT B) Dioxins C) Atrazine D) Methylmercury E) DDE

Q: Transport of airborne toxicants, a specific problem in agricultural environments, is called pesticide ________. A) leaching B) drift C) runoff D) transposition E) globalization

Q: Bisphenol-A is ________. A) an estrogen mimic that is used in plastic manufacturing B) produced when fossil fuels are burned C) released from aerosol spray cans D) a currently used herbicide E) a banned insecticide

Q: The worldwide drop in sperm counts among men has been attributed to ________. A) DDT B) endocrine disruptors C) teratogens D) radon E) allergens

Q: The results of Guillette's team was important because it focused on ________. A) Lake Apopka's water pollution problems B) Lake Apopka's environmental problems with DDT C) the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on humans at Lake Apopka D) disputing claims made in Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring E) Lake Apopka's ability to handle waste solids

Q: If your immune system does not work properly and, instead, makes you sick, you have been most likely exposed to ________. A) neurotoxins B) allergens C) teratogens D) hormones E) antibiotics

Q: PCB contamination ________. A) is the main focus of the book Silent Spring B) caused penis abnormalities in Taiwanese boys whose mothers used contaminated cooking oil C) has never been documented outside the United States D) was the main environmental problem in Lake Apopka E) results from the overapplication of pesticides

Q: Tobacco and asbestos industries for decades denied that their products may cause cancers. One of the reasons why it was difficult to prove the carcinogenic nature of these products was the fact that carcinogens ________. A) are the least common toxicants B) have a long lag time between exposure and disease C) are rare in nature D) are difficult to measure E) are usually invisible

Q: A child was born with birth defects. This could have been caused by exposure to ________. A) allergens B) teratogens C) carcinogens D) neurotoxins E) vectors

Q: A person with cancer may have been exposed to ________. A) allergens B) teratogens C) carcinogens D) neurotoxins E) vectors

Q: Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring primarily focuses on the environmental problems associated with ________. A) aquifer depletion B) pesticide toxicity C) loss of biodiversity D) overpopulation E) deforestation

Q: Why are wood frogs increasingly suffering limb abnormalities?

Q: ________ are used in industry as heat-exchange fluids, in electrical transformers and capacitors, and as additives in paint, sealants, and plastics. They have been found many thousands of kilometres away in the milk of polar bears.