Deck 22: Technology and the Global Environment

Question 1

Most pollutants released into the environment are especially concentrated in the west and east coasts of Canada.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Laura is working on a project at her university that, if successful, may create enormous profits for the investors while being potentially harmful to some animal species.According to the textbook, what is she most likely to suffer from in this situation?

A)a moral quandary
B)a risk society
C)a normal accident
D)a technological dilemma

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which social scientist first discovered that creative outputs and inventions seem to occur in patterned ways?

A)Charles Perrow
B)Ulrich Beck
C)Gottleib Daimler
D)Nikolai Kondratiev

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Acid rain is a form of oxygen that blocks ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun.

Question 5

Sheldon Ungar tells us that most people are prepared to sacrifice on behalf of global warming only when exposed to a "social scare."

Question 6

"Normal accidents" refer to the idea that technology will not fail if human subjectivity can be removed from its implementation and operation.

Question 7

Genetic pollution refers to the health and ecological dangers that can result from artificially splicing genes together.

Question 8

The price of gasoline in Canada is about $1.32 per litre at the time of this writing.But the social cost, which includes the cost of repairing environmental damage done by burning gas, is perhaps three times higher.This is an example of the slow pace of change, which is why we should not solely rely on market and technological forces to solve environmental problems.

Question 9

Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise in Canada and most other countries.

Question 10

With its huge population, Mainland China is the world's number-one polluter.

Question 11

The first major nuclear reactor accident in the world occurred in December 1952 at the Chalk River nuclear facility in Canada.

Question 12

The textbook contends that market and technological solutions are insufficient by themselves to overcome the dangers of environmental degradation caused by technology.

Question 13

A respected group of climate scientists and statisticians assert that if we continue to burn fossil fuels at current rates, it will be extremely difficult to avert disaster by the year 2024.

Question 14

What element blocks excessive ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth?

A)hydrogen
B)nitrogen
C)helium
D)oxygen

Question 15

Technological determinism is the belief that technology is the major force shaping human society and culture.

Question 16

Because of the need to bioengineer and use biotechnology to make good food for everyone, large multinational companies share their patents and information.

Question 17

Which of the following may provide humankind with the inability to contract HIV/AIDS?

A)DNA simplification
B)DNA diversification
C)recombinant DNA
D)designer DNA

Question 18

The advantaged in a society often consciously put the disadvantaged in harm's way to avoid risk themselves.

Question 19

The greenhouse effect is the gradual increase in the world's temperature.

Question 20

What do we call the tendency of powerful people to put marginalized people in harm's way?

A)toxic prejudice
B)environmental racism
C)socio-ecological insensitivity
D)discrimination degradation

Question 21

Werner works for an organization that covers the costs of the majority of new research and development of technological applications today.What type of organization does he work for?

A)a federal government
B)a military agency
C)a not-for-profit
D)a private industry

Question 22

When natural disasters strike, marginalized people tend to experience more hardship.What do sociologists call this phenomenon?

A)environmental racism
B)classic disadvantage
C)socio-economic insensitivity
D)ecological discrimination

Question 23

There is a disturbing association in Canada between high levels of contamination and pollution and which of the following?

A)visible minorities
B)cigarette smokers
C)infant deformities
D)Aboriginal people

Question 24

How much more does the richest quintile of the world's population earn than the poorest quintile?

A)20 times more
B)40 times more
C)60 times more
D)80 times more

Question 25

Which of the following characterizes a risk society?

A)most people's engagement in risky behaviour
B)most young people's engagement in risky behaviour
C)the weighing of technological hazards against the benefits
D)the global danger posed by all technologies

Question 26

Daniel is aware that in the production of his new patented invention, there is the possibility for things to go awry.He believes that this possibility for harm is outweighed by the potential of his invention to be beneficial.Which of the following terms is used to refer to how Daniel most likely views the less positive possibilities of invention?

A)invention speculation
B)the risks of invention
C)normal accidents
D)invention hazards

Question 27

According to Darwin, which of the following is an important variable in species survival?

A)competition
B)motivation
C)fear
D)health

Question 28

What does the increased use of fossil fuels, especially in industry, cause?

A)genetic pollution
B)global warming
C)acid rain
D)a decrease in biodiversity

Question 29

What effect did the invention of the steam engine and the internal combustion engine have during the Industrial Revolution?

A)They caused the growth of industry.
B)They were technological determinants of history.
C)They transformed society when the need arose.
D)They slowed the pace of reckless industrial growth.

Question 30

When looking at the graph showing surface air temperatures and CO₂ levels, which of the following best describes the pattern?

A)a positive relationship
B)a negative relationship
C)an inverse relationship
D)no relationship

Question 31

According to the textbook, approximately what percentage of the world's main fish species are in decline today?

A)10 percent
B)30 percent
C)50 percent
D)70 percent

Question 32

Lee is concerned because he lives in the nation that is considered the world's largest polluter.Where does he live?

A)China
B)the United States
C)India
D)South Africa

Question 33

What would the textbook suggest is the cause of the back-and-forth public opinion about the existence and dangers of global warming?

A)the power of suggestion
B)the malleability of public attitudes
C)the process of social and political definitions
D)the social construction of social problems

Question 34

Tristan is concerned with the number of fossil fuel-burning automobiles on the roads today.What is he worried about?

A)global warming
B)a decline in biodiversity
C)acid rain
D)genetic pollution

Question 35

What do we call the act of joining DNA from two separate hosts together?

A)recombinant DNA
B)reorganized DNA
C)replicated DNA
D)resyndicate DNA

Question 36

The anti-nuclear movement is an example of a movement that forced changes in corporate and government policies.What is demonstrated by the success of this movement?

A)the importance of global media
B)the importance of political pressure
C)the importance of rapid change
D)the importance of collective goals

Question 37

The Bomqvist Factory emits a variety of toxic chemicals into the water and soil surrounding the plant.What is this process called?

A)industrial pollution
B)industrial toxicity
C)industrial wastage
D)industrial contamination

Question 38

According to Ulrich Beck, which of the following is more worrisome than the fact that technologies are likely to fail sometimes?

A)technological determinism
B)environmental threats
C)technological imperialism
D)food shortages

Question 39

Who was the sociologist who developed the risk society thesis?

A)Nikolai Kondratiev
B)Charles Perrow
C)Ulrich Beck
D)J.Robert Oppenheimer

Question 40

What term does the textbook use to refer to the period of time when the majority of people believed that scientific and technological advances would produce only benefits?

A)the era of naïve optimism
B)the acumen era
C)the scientific era
D)the era of recklessness

Question 41

According to the textbook, which of the following has been increasingly influencing technological development throughout the twentieth century?

A)creative genius
B)multinational corporations
C)big government
D)consumer interests

Question 42

What drove the discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton?

A)military requirements
B)explorers' needs
C)political concerns
D)economic success

Question 43

Josh lives in a province in Canada where the Sydney Steel Company dumped tonnes of toxic waste for a century.Which province does he live in?

A)Alberta
B)British Columbia
C)Nova Scotia
D)Ontario

Question 44

Which of the following was a major contributor to Thomas Edison's inventions?

A)the creation of mass public education
B)the support of large corporations such as General Electric
C)vast investments of money
D)federal government support

Question 45

Which of the following terms expresses the idea that technology is bound to fail due to its sheer complexity?

A)technological determinism
B)risk society
C)normal accidents
D)technological imperative

Question 46

An enormous variety of plant and animal species inhabit the planet.What is this variety called?

A)evolution
B)natural selection
C)species differentiation
D)biodiversity

Question 47

Which of the following events created uncertainty about the beneficial effects of technological advances for many people?

A)the outbreak of malaria in the Southern United States
B)the leakage of gas at a pesticide plant in India
C)the Five Mile Island nuclear accident
D)the Columbian oil spill

Question 48

If technology transforms society, in what way is it under human control?

A)Humans build safeguards into new technologies so disasters are averted.
B)Humans shape technological growth according to their needs.
C)Social interests are weighed by economic interests.
D)Humans use rational rather than emotional understandings of nature.

Question 49

According to the textbook, what is a likely outcome of the ability to genetically program fetal development in humans?

A)decreased inequality
B)increased inequality
C)degradation of the process of natural selection
D)upgrading of the process of natural selection

Question 50

What do Canadian surveys on environmental issues demonstrate about the Canadian public?

A)They are clearly cognizant of the issues.
B)They feel hopeless in the face of environmental problems.
C)They believe that governments should pass more protectionist laws.
D)They are willing to pay significantly higher taxes to protect the environment.

Question 51

Provincial governments give cheques to consumers who trade in their old refrigerators for new ones and see to the safe disposal of their old refrigerators.What are these governments trying to protect with such initiatives?

A)the average surface air temperature
B)the ozone layer
C)biodiversity
D)cultivatable land

Question 52

Environmental problems can be amplified by advocates and minimized by opponents.What does this phenomenon demonstrate about environmental problems?

A)They are largely imaginary.
B)They are socially constructed.
C)They are subject to whim.
D)They are a political battlefield.

Question 53

What is the umbrella term used to refer to global warming, industrial and genetic pollution, and the decline of biodiversity?

A)environmental toxicity level
B)environmental diversification
C)environmental degradation
D)environmental social constructionism

Question 54

What is suggested by the fact that environmental issues can be defined as problematic or benign?

A)They are contested phenomena.
B)They are social problems.
C)They are socially diverse.
D)They are complex phenomena.

Question 55

According to some analysts, what will enable environmental problems to self-correct?

A)governmental forces
B)ecological forces
C)technological forces
D)social engineering forces

Question 56

Sabina is investigating the claim that 20 000 plant species, 1350 vertebrate species, and millions of insects all live in the Atlantic forest in Brazil.What is she investigating?

A)evolution
B)biodiversity
C)species differentiation
D)natural selection

Question 57

While somewhat upset about the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska, Miriam realizes that this event is sometimes just the cost of progress.Based on this information, how does Miriam most likely feel about the less positive outcomes that accompany technological advances?

A)That they are normal accidents.
B)That they are the risks of genius.
C)That they are acceptable perils.
D)That they are a modern menace.

Question 58

David is excited because he has suddenly realized the potential of science to create a better life for people all over the world.What is David excited about?

A)biodiversity
B)evolution
C)technology
D)social constructionism

Question 59

In which of the following nations are people most likely to be concerned about environmental dangers?

A)Australia
B)Canada
C)Japan
D)India

Question 60

Shannon believes that all modern technological advances are harming the entire planet and she is starting a new Facebook group to organize resistance to them.What does Shannon feel that humans today live in?

A)a Frankenstein world
B)a technopoly
C)a multinational disaster zone
D)a risk society

Question 61

Danger to society does not only result from technological accidents such as gas leaks and reactor explosions.According to Ulrich Beck, which of the following also poses major dangers?

A)environmental threats
B)biofood hazards
C)the second genesis
D)technopolies

Question 62

According to the textbook, which of the following groups is most likely to experience disproportionately more environmental risk?

A)poor people
B)the elderly
C)people with disabilities
D)urban dwellers

Question 63

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, what have humans been doing that has contributed the most to global warming?

A)building larger urban environments
B)eroding more soil
C)consuming more fossil fuel
D)expanding arable land

Question 64

Scientists have been experimenting with uniting the genes of different animals together to create whole new animals.What do we call the potential threat posed by such scientific inquiry?

A)environmental peril
B)technological imperative
C)genetic pollution
D)catastrophic DNA

Question 65

According to the textbook, which of the following do some claim may pose the biggest technological threat so far to human well-being and survival?

A)biotechnology
B)environmental technology
C)military technology
D)recombinant technology

Question 66

For at least how long must waste from nuclear reactors be kept away from human beings in order to not contaminate them?

A)1000 years
B)5000 years
C)10 000 years
D)15 000 years

Question 67

Due to environmental degradation, many species are becoming extinct.According to the textbook, what is the rate of extinction today?

A)10 times the natural rate
B)100 times the natural rate
C)1000 times the natural rate
D)10 000 times the natural rate

Question 68

Monique is a theoretical mathematician at a large university.Which of the following is most likely to motivate her research work at the university?

A)personal interest in the development of the field
B)personal profit
C)increased fame
D)political connections

Question 69

What is the main underlying point made by the 2008 documentary film Food, Inc.?

A)Food production has changed in North America.
B)Food production has increased in ways that will mainly benefit people in non-industrialized countries.
C)Food production has increased in ways that will mainly benefit people in industrialized countries.
D)Food production should be examined using the sociological imagination.

Question 70

According to the textbook, when was the steam engine first invented?

A)between 10 and 70 CE
B)between 800 and 900 CE
C)between 1100 and 1200 CE
D)between 1700 and 1800 CE

Question 71

Monsanto, the American-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, has scoured the earth in a quest to patent plants that have been used for centuries by Indigenous people as medication and turn them into commercially viable medicines.What do Indigenous people call this practice?

A)DNA theft
B)intellectual property protection
C)biopiracy
D)gene fraud

Question 72

What type of waste is produced by nuclear power facilities?

A)radioactive waste
B)chemical waste
C)solid waste
D)liquid waste

Question 73

What does the gradual increase in the average surface temperature of the earth reflect?

A)population growth
B)increased CO₂ levels
C)the decline of biodiversity
D)increased urbanization

Question 74

Monsanto, the American-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, has scoured the earth in a quest to patent plants that have been used for centuries by Indigenous people as medication and turn them into commercially viable medicines.What does Monsanto call this practice?

A)DNA theft
B)intellectual property protection
C)biopiracy
D)gene fraud

Question 75

Which of the following counties in Nova Scotia was the most polluted in the 1990s?

A)Halifax
B)Cape Breton
C)Kings
D)Pictou

Question 76

According to the textbook's discussion regarding who most opposes the information about the dangers of global warming, which of the following is a reasonable conclusion?

A)Those who stand to profit from the causes of global warming want the information discredited.
B)Those who stand to profit the most from the causes of global warming want the information widely known.
C)Ordinary citizens stand to benefit the most from global warming.
D)Ordinary citizens stand to benefit the least from global warming.

Question 77

Uranium ore was manually carried out of Port Radium in the Northwest Territories by Dene men who were paid minimally and were not warned the dangers of handling the materials.What does this example illustrate?

A)toxic prejudice
B)eco-racial discrimination
C)environmental racism
D)ecological insensitivity

Question 78

Which of the following nations is most likely to be responsible for global environmental damage?

A)Canada
B)India
C)Indonesia
D)Mexico

Question 79

Clearly, as the textbook demonstrates, market forces have assisted in dealing with environmental problems.However, markets alone cannot do it all.Why is this so?

A)because of inadequate financial resources
B)because of regulations regarding commodity costs
C)because the pace of change is slow
D)because of multinational mobilization

Question 80

In the United States, heavy industrial polluters are often located near African-American communities.What does this example illustrate?

A)toxic prejudice
B)eco-racial discrimination
C)ecological insensitivity
D)environmental racism