ESS - Topic 1.4 - Sustainability

What is the purpose of a baseline assessment in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

• To present mitigation strategies that minimise the environmental impact of the development

• To collect data on ecosystem quality before project development

• How to reclaim the development when it is not needed and decomission it

• To monitor the the environmental impact of the development

Which reduction of natural capital is influenced by human activities?

• Forest fires in the Amazon rainforest

• The depletion of groundwater stores

• All of these

• The loss of top soil due to erosion

According to the UN's Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) released in 2005, how much of the world's coral reefs have been either destroyed or are severely degraded?

• 40%

• 60%

• 20%

• 10%

The Ecological Footprint (EF) considers which of the following?
I.   The land and water area needed to produce the products we use.
II.  The amount of land and water needed to absorb the waste we produce.
III. The technology and resource management practices we use.

• I, II

• I, II, III

• I ONLY

• II, III

Which of the following does NOT directly influence your ecological footprint?

• Forest land to absorb carbon dioxide produced

• Grazing land to raise meat

• Amount of land needed to absorb and store rain water

• Crop land needed to grow food and fibres used by humans

Which of the following is an example of natural income?

• Groundwater stored in an aquifer

• Rice harvested from a field

• Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere

• Trees growing in a forest

Which continent has the most countries whose Ecological Footprint is less than 1 earth?

• Africa

• Asia

• South America

• North America

Which of the following is an example of sustainable development?

• Build larger cities so more people can move in from the countryside.

• Build more roads to improve transportation systems.

• Find more fossil fuels to make fuel cheaper.

• Reduce consumption, improve the efficiency of developments to reduce pollution and switch to renewable energies.

The biggest contributor to the average person's overall ecological footprint from a developed country is

• the amount of grazing land to raise meat

• the amount of forest land needed for building products

• the amount of built-up land to house people

• the amount of forest needed to absorb carbon dioxide

Which energy source is unsustainable?

• Solar

• Geothermal

• Wind

• Fossil Fuels