Question 1

In order to address the non-degradation dilemma,amendments to the U.S.HYPERLINK "" Clean Air Act enacted stricter technology-based emission standards for non-attainment areas than for "prevention of serious deterioration" (PSD)areas.
PSD areas have stricter regulations to maintain the higher existing air quality in these areas in order to avoid the non-degradation dilemma.

Accepted Answer

The Clean Air Act requires stricter technology-based emission standards for non-attainment areas to improve air quality, while PSD areas have regulations to maintain existing air quality, not necessarily stricter than non-attainment areas.

Question 2

The phrase "the solution to pollution is dilution" best describes the Ontario government's policy to ________.

Accepted Answer

The phrase "the solution to pollution is dilution" refers to the practice of diluting pollutants to reduce their concentration in the environment. This is exemplified by the policy of requiring Inco to lengthen the height of its smelter stack, which would disperse pollutants over a wider area, thereby diluting their concentration at ground level.

Question 3

Because the Canadian Ambient Air Quality standards are ________,they will not be efficient unless ________ in all regions.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A) uniform; MAC = MDC. This is because when standards are uniform, they are the same across all regions. For them to be efficient, the Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) must equal the Marginal Damage Cost (MDC), ensuring that the cost of reducing pollution is balanced with the benefits in terms of reduced damage from pollution.

Question 4

List the four policy issues that arise from Canada's regulation of air contaminants.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the four policy issues that arise...

Question 5

Acid rain was a challenging transboundary issue for Canada and the United States to tackle because ________.

Accepted Answer

Acid rain was a challenging transboundary issue for Canada and the United States to tackle due to a combination of factors, including scientific uncertainty and the time it took to establish the damages caused by acid rain. Additionally, the distribution of benefits and costs of reducing sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions were unequal across and within jurisdictions, making it difficult to agree on a course of action. Furthermore, many levels of government were involved, including local, state/provincial, and federal, which added complexity to the decision-making process.

Question 6

The ________ is an agreement between Canada and the United States to reduce ________.

Accepted Answer

The Ozone Annex is an agreement specifically designed to address transboundary smog issues between Canada and the United States.

Question 7

Discuss how the shortcomings of using mandatory emission testing programs like Drive Clean to reduce emissions could be improved.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss how the shortcomings of using mandatory...

Question 8

The argument that the marginal abatement costs of existing plants are higher than those of new plants used as a justification for more restrictive emission standards for the former than for the latter is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

The argument is known as "new-source bias," which suggests that newer plants are subject to less stringent emission standards than older, existing plants because it is assumed that it's more costly for existing plants to reduce emissions. This can lead to a regulatory environment that inadvertently favors the creation of new sources over the upgrading or maintenance of older ones, potentially leading to inefficiencies in how emission reductions are achieved across an industry.

Question 9

Governments may inadvertently slow up the rate of adoption of new pollution-abatement technologies through the use of new-source bias in the setting of emission standards.

Accepted Answer

New-source bias occurs when emission standards are set higher for new sources of pollution than for existing sources, making it more difficult for new and potentially cleaner technologies to compete with established technologies. This can delay the adoption of new pollution-abatement technologies and slow down progress towards cleaner air and water.

Question 10

The widespread use of technology-based emission standards to control air pollution ensures that the aggregate marginal abatement cost function is as low as is technically possible.
Because TBS are not cost-effective,the aggregate marginal abatement cost function is much higher than it need be,and society is settling for smaller improvements in ambient quality than might be achieved if control programs were incentive-based and cost-effective.

Accepted Answer

The statement is incorrect. The first sentence implies that TBS lead to lower marginal abatement costs, which is true. The second sentence contradicts this by claiming that TBS are not cost-effective and lead to higher abatement costs. This is not supported by evidence and goes against the first sentence.

Question 11

Explain how an incentive-based policy helped to phase out the use of leaded gasoline in Canada.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how an incentive-based policy helped to...

Question 12

Under the ________,________ is to design the program for managing air quality in Canada,and then turn the monitoring,enforcement,and reporting operations of the program over to the provinces and territories.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) Air Quality Management System; the CCME. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is responsible for designing the Air Quality Management System (AQMS), a comprehensive approach for managing air quality in Canada, which involves delegating monitoring, enforcement, and reporting responsibilities to the provinces and territories.

Question 13

The Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards are being gradually replaced by National Ambient Air Quality Objectives.
Canada is moving away from non-binding guidelines (NAAQOs)to Canada wide standards (CAAQSs)for air quality.

Accepted Answer

Canada is moving from the National Ambient Air Quality Objectives (NAAQOs), which were non-binding guidelines, to the more stringent and binding Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQSs) to improve air quality across the country.

Question 14

Unlike an emission tax,a fuel tax would provide a direct incentive for drivers to worry about their level of emissions thus creating an incentive to lower them.

Accepted Answer

A fuel tax primarily incentivizes reducing fuel consumption rather than directly targeting the reduction of emissions, whereas an emission tax directly incentivizes reducing emissions by making it costly to emit pollutants.

Question 15

Describe the Canada-Wide Acid Rain Strategy for Post-2000.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the Canada-Wide Acid Rain Strategy for...

Question 16

List the "Big Five" criteria air contaminants to which Canadians are exposed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the "Big Five" criteria air contaminants...

Question 17

Which of the following does the Clean Air Act give the federal government authority to do?

Accepted Answer

The Clean Air Act gives the federal government the authority to do all of the choices listed, including conducting a national program of air-pollution surveillance, establishing air-quality objectives, and establishing regulations and guidelines for air quality.

Question 18

The federal government regulates emissions from new motor vehicles under the ________ using ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The federal government regulates emissions from new...

Quiz 17: State and Local Environmental Issues

The phrase "the solution to pollution is dilution" best describes the Ontario government's policy to ________.

Because the Canadian Ambient Air Quality standards are ,they will not be efficient unless in all regions.