Carbon Footprints AP ES Quiz

What is an ecological footprint?

• The number of trees in a specific area

• A measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems.

• The amount of water used in a household

• A type of shoe made from recycled materials

How is an ecological footprint calculated?

• By calculating the average temperature of a region

• By measuring the amount of plastic waste produced by a population

• By measuring the amount of biologically productive land and water area required to produce the resources that a population consumes and to absorb the waste that the population produces.

• By counting the number of trees in a given area

What are the components of an ecological footprint?

• Water footprint, air footprint, land footprint, and energy footprint

• Clothing footprint, transportation footprint, waste footprint, and entertainment footprint

• Plastic footprint, paper footprint, metal footprint, and glass footprint

• Carbon footprint, food footprint, housing footprint, and goods and services footprint

Explain the concept of biocapacity in relation to ecological footprint.

• Biocapacity is the measure of the distance between ecological footprints

• Biocapacity is the measure of the amount of carbon emissions produced by a population

• Biocapacity is the measure of the area and quality of land and water required to produce the resources a population consumes and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management practices.

• Biocapacity is the measure of the number of species in an ecosystem

Discuss the impact of human activities on ecological footprints.

• Human activities contribute to an increase in ecological footprints.

• Human activities have no impact on ecological footprints.

• Ecological footprints are not affected by human activities.

• Human activities decrease ecological footprints.

What are some ways to reduce an individual's ecological footprint?

• Driving a gas-guzzling car

• Eating more meat

• Using public transportation, reducing meat consumption, conserving energy, and minimizing waste

• Leaving lights and electronics on when not in use

Compare and contrast ecological footprints of different countries.

• There is no way to measure ecological footprints

• Comparing and contrasting ecological footprints is not important

• To compare and contrast ecological footprints of different countries, one can look at factors such as carbon emissions, energy consumption, and resource usage.

• Ecological footprints are the same for all countries

Explain the concept of overshoot in relation to ecological footprint.

• Ecological footprint is the measure of the total area of ecosystems required to produce the resources consumed and to assimilate the waste produced by a defined population.

• Overshoot refers to the balance between human demand and Earth's capacity to regenerate resources.

• Human demand on natural resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources within a given time frame.

• Human demand on natural resources is less than the Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources within a given time frame.

Discuss the limitations of using ecological footprint as a measure of sustainability.

• The ecological footprint accurately measures the impact on biodiversity

• The ecological footprint does not account for the quality of resources used, the impact on biodiversity, or the social and economic aspects of sustainability.

• The ecological footprint accounts for the quality of resources used

• The ecological footprint considers the social and economic aspects of sustainability

How can ecological footprints be used to inform policy and decision-making?

• By providing data on resource consumption and environmental impact

• By encouraging unsustainable practices

• By ignoring environmental impact

• By promoting excessive resource consumption