Academic Pentathlon 2025 Social Science (custom)

Which is not one of the 4 subsystems of the world?

• geosphere

• hydrosphere

• atmosphere

• biosphere

• mesosphere

What major natural disaster in 2022 caused 156 fatalities and resulted in $112 billion in damages?

• Hurricane Katrina

• Hurricane Sandy

• Hurricane Maria

• Hurricane Ian

• Hurricane Harvey

All of the following are true about the Standing Rock protests EXCEPT

• the protests were focused on the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is part of the Keystone Pipeline System

• protesters were concerned about the pipeline's route under the Missouri River, which supplies drinking water to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

• the protests raised questions about land rights and the environmental impact of fossil fuel transportation

• the protests successfully led to the permanent cancellation of the Dakota Access Pipeline project

• the protests involved both legal battles and acts of civil disobedience

What intervals define the Milankovitch cycles related to Earth’s climate changes?

• 30,000 years, 20,000 years, and 10,000 years

• 60,000 years, 45,000 years, and 15,000 years

• 100,000 years, 41,000 years, and 26,000 years

• 100,000 years, 76,000 years, and 31,000 years

• 200,000 years, 60,000 years, and 18,000 years

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 1989 paper presented by the Marshall Institute?

• It argued that solar energy variability was causing global warming.

• It had widespread support from the broader scientific community.

• It was criticized by the IPCC as scientifically unsound.

• It was used to influence President George H. W. Bush’s administration.

• It was leveraged to create public doubt about climate science.

What was the decision of the International Union of Geological Sciences regarding the Anthropocene in March of 2024?

• They formally recognized it as a new epoch.

• They commissioned further study without a decision.

• They postponed the decision indefinitely.

• They accepted it as a sub-epoch under the Holocene

• They rejected the proposal to name it as a new epoch

How many times did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocate against climate action out of thirty-nine policies in 2022?

• 5

• 10

• 15

• 25

• 30

What are the layers of the atmosphere listed from lowest to highest altitude?

• stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

• troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

• mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, exosphere, thermosphere

• exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere

• thermosphere, mesosphere, exosphere, stratosphere, troposphere

Which BEST describes the type of investments targeted by the Justice40 Initiative?

• investments in public transportation and electric vehicles for developed nations

• investments in underserved communities focused on clean energy, housing, and infrastructure

• investments in expanding fossil fuel production to meet energy demands

• investments in luxury housing developments and privatized clean energy programs

• investments in climate mitigation efforts exclusively for rural areas

Which president signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law on August 16, 2022, providing the largest source of government funding for climate-related issues in U.S. history?

• Barack Obama

• Joe Biden

• Donald Trump

• George W. Bush

• Bill Clinton