ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES FINAL
EXAM
Gaia Answer- 1. James Lovelock
2. Suggests that Earth is a self-regulating, self-sustaining entity, which continually
adjusts its environment in order to support life
3. Connecting humans to the Earth and having them identify with it by giving it an
approachable name and a life-like persona
Who is James Lovelock? Answer- James Lovelock was an individual atmospheric
chemist who briefly worked for NASA on The Viking Project
Who is Lynn Margulis Answer- Idea of Endosymbiosis; the microbiologist that worked
alongside James Lovelock to develop book
Biosphere Answer- 1. James Lovelock
2. Regions of the Earth occupied by living organisms
3. Making the Earth a living being that we feel guilty for not protecting -- more
approachable
Planned Obsolescence Answer- 1. David Suzuki
2. A policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require
replacing; items made that aren't built to last
3. Apple products slow down after 2 years
Economics Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. The study of given ends and scarce means (how are we gonna work things?); eco-
oikos ("house"), nomics- noms ("law"); "rules of the house"
3. --
Progress has come to be defined as ______________. Answer- Economic growth
Cowboy economics Answer- belief of endless supply of resources on Earth
Spaceship economics Answer- you're stuck with what you've got; resources are finite
GNP, Gross National Product Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. A measurement used by most people of economic growth; everything that is
produced in a country and everything that is sold, happens in exchange, all of it
3. air pollution, cig advertising, amount of ambulances dispatched
Give three factors that are included in GNP. Answer- 1. air pollution
, 2. cigarette advertising
3. amount of ambulances sent to collect dead bodies
Who said, "GNP measures everything short, except that which makes life worthwhile."
Answer- Senator Robert Kennedy, 1968
Green Growth Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. Promoting economic growth while reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,
minimizing waste and inefficient use of natural resources, and maintaining biodiversity
3. Making humans more mindful of our consumption and where/who we buy form
Decoupling Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. Redesigning process so economic output is less dependent on material throughput;
you grow but making less pollution (away from damage to environment)
3. Recognition of ways that we can make economic growth better for the environment.
Efficiency Answer- Getting more output with less input (i.e: firing people, making bad
Apple products)
Rebound Effect Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. "Well that was easy, let's do it more!"; making a less environmentally harmful tactic
that, in turn, gets used more because its environmentally friendly and therefore, is
equally if not more harmful than the initial tactic
3. Not all efforts are good for the env; too much of anything is bad.
Name the 2 types of decoupling. Answer- 1. Relative
2. Absolute
Relative Decoupling Answer- the relevant environmental pressure is stable or
decreasing while the economic driving force is growing; "we're almost there!"
Absolute Decoupling Answer- zero emissions
Give an example of decoupling and the rebound effect. Answer- "Harmony of the Seas"
cruise ships are 20% more efficient than the sister ships in its decrease in damage to
the environment BUT more people wanted to go on it so more ships were made =
more/equally dangerous to initial cruise ships
Desirable growth Answer- well-being, literacy, life expectancy, security, environmental
equality, etc.
Undesirable growth Answer- material/energy throughput and related emissions,
degradation of air, land and water, human population, etc.
GPI, Genuine Progress Indicator Answer- measurement of progress (i.e: crime rate
decrease, amount of volunteer work, equal income distribution, etc.)
EXAM
Gaia Answer- 1. James Lovelock
2. Suggests that Earth is a self-regulating, self-sustaining entity, which continually
adjusts its environment in order to support life
3. Connecting humans to the Earth and having them identify with it by giving it an
approachable name and a life-like persona
Who is James Lovelock? Answer- James Lovelock was an individual atmospheric
chemist who briefly worked for NASA on The Viking Project
Who is Lynn Margulis Answer- Idea of Endosymbiosis; the microbiologist that worked
alongside James Lovelock to develop book
Biosphere Answer- 1. James Lovelock
2. Regions of the Earth occupied by living organisms
3. Making the Earth a living being that we feel guilty for not protecting -- more
approachable
Planned Obsolescence Answer- 1. David Suzuki
2. A policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require
replacing; items made that aren't built to last
3. Apple products slow down after 2 years
Economics Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. The study of given ends and scarce means (how are we gonna work things?); eco-
oikos ("house"), nomics- noms ("law"); "rules of the house"
3. --
Progress has come to be defined as ______________. Answer- Economic growth
Cowboy economics Answer- belief of endless supply of resources on Earth
Spaceship economics Answer- you're stuck with what you've got; resources are finite
GNP, Gross National Product Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. A measurement used by most people of economic growth; everything that is
produced in a country and everything that is sold, happens in exchange, all of it
3. air pollution, cig advertising, amount of ambulances dispatched
Give three factors that are included in GNP. Answer- 1. air pollution
, 2. cigarette advertising
3. amount of ambulances sent to collect dead bodies
Who said, "GNP measures everything short, except that which makes life worthwhile."
Answer- Senator Robert Kennedy, 1968
Green Growth Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. Promoting economic growth while reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,
minimizing waste and inefficient use of natural resources, and maintaining biodiversity
3. Making humans more mindful of our consumption and where/who we buy form
Decoupling Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. Redesigning process so economic output is less dependent on material throughput;
you grow but making less pollution (away from damage to environment)
3. Recognition of ways that we can make economic growth better for the environment.
Efficiency Answer- Getting more output with less input (i.e: firing people, making bad
Apple products)
Rebound Effect Answer- 1. Peter Victor
2. "Well that was easy, let's do it more!"; making a less environmentally harmful tactic
that, in turn, gets used more because its environmentally friendly and therefore, is
equally if not more harmful than the initial tactic
3. Not all efforts are good for the env; too much of anything is bad.
Name the 2 types of decoupling. Answer- 1. Relative
2. Absolute
Relative Decoupling Answer- the relevant environmental pressure is stable or
decreasing while the economic driving force is growing; "we're almost there!"
Absolute Decoupling Answer- zero emissions
Give an example of decoupling and the rebound effect. Answer- "Harmony of the Seas"
cruise ships are 20% more efficient than the sister ships in its decrease in damage to
the environment BUT more people wanted to go on it so more ships were made =
more/equally dangerous to initial cruise ships
Desirable growth Answer- well-being, literacy, life expectancy, security, environmental
equality, etc.
Undesirable growth Answer- material/energy throughput and related emissions,
degradation of air, land and water, human population, etc.
GPI, Genuine Progress Indicator Answer- measurement of progress (i.e: crime rate
decrease, amount of volunteer work, equal income distribution, etc.)
