Social Science 3

Earth System Science (ESS) is unique in that it

• is an approach to studying the natural world

• studies the earth’s different parts in isolation

• is a complicated framework for understanding climate

• is focused on the interactions between the different subsystems of earth

• has been a scientific approach used for over a century

All of the following are true regarding early agrarian societies EXCEPT

• they remained stationary over long periods of time

• they constructed large, multi-functional structures

• they were marked by economic stratification

• they established weather tracking instrumentation

• they developed advanced systems of writing

All of the following are true of the global human population EXCEPT

• the human population in 1780 was less than a billion

• the human population was around 2 billion by 1930

• the human population today is roughly 8 billion

• the human population began rapidly increasing around 1950

• the human population was around 4 billion in 1960

All of the following are examples of a subsystem discussed in the Social Science Resource Guide EXCEPT

• geosphere

• hydrosphere

• atmosphere

• heliosphere

• biosphere

Which of the following was a direct result of the recognition of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels paired with the understanding of carbon dioxide’s global warming potential?

• the creation of the Keeling Curve

• the formation of the NASA program

• the Cold War

• the emergence of new scientific organizations, such as GARP

• the Space Race

Archives of nature are different from archives of society in that archives of nature

• were produced by humans

• are more reliable

• include instrumental records

• contain older records

• include narrative records

The oldest instrumental records to record weather patterns date back to the

• 1500s

• 1600s

• 1700s

• 1800s

• 1900s

Opposers to climate action often argue that

• climate action is negative for the economy

• climate action is an easy initiative to undertake

• mitigating greenhouse gas emissions can produce new jobs and industries

• climate action is positive for the economy

• climate action is not a costly endeavor

Which of the following most accurately describes the main argument of Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway’s book, Merchants of Doubt?

• The United States government played an important role in funding the scientific research efforts surrounding global warming.

• A small group of scientists associated with the interests of business and government, worked to intentionally discredit scientific knowledge regarding topics such as climate change.

• The scientific community intentionally worked to obscure the truth about global warming.

• Big businesses played an important role in funding scientific research surrounding climate change.

• Government officials hired corrupt scientists to present alternative information regarding global warming to the public.

One of the main factors that contributed to the United States government’s formal opposition to the Kyoto Protocol was the opinion that

• actions to address climate change could improve the U.S. economy

• the U.S. did not have enough funding to participate

• Democratic and Republican parties could not agree on a course of action

• developing countries needed to commit to action before the U.S. would commit

• U.S. businesses would need to first invest in climate change initiatives