Human Impact on the Environment

Which of the following is an example of a non-renewable resource?

• Solar Energy

• Wind Energy

• Hydro Energy

• Fossil Fuel Energy

Why is nuclear energy considered nonrenewable?

• some people do not support the use of nuclear energy as a resources

• fuels such as uranium ore, are not replaced in nature as quickly as they are used

• nuclear power plants produce waste that must be stored for long periods of time

Automobiles contribute to air pollution by

• increasing oxygen

• decreasing oxygen

• decreasing carbon dioxide

• increasing carbon dioxide

What is one effect of deforestation?

• increased nutrients

• increased erosion

• accelerated recycling of organic matter

• accelerated soil deposition

Which statement DOES NOT support the proposal? Proposal: Small pieces of land should be slowly harvested (cut down) over time.

• clear cut forest cannot be regrown because the climate of the area changes due to loss of trees

• clear cutting forests produces a large amount of timber and a large amount of money

• animals lose their home and have nowhere to go if a forest is clear cut

Which of the following is an advantage of building wind farms instead of a single wind turbine?

• a wind farm can be built close to towns that need electricity

• a wind farm can easily be built in locations away from birds

• a wind farm produces enough sound to keep birds away

• a wind farm produces a greater amount of electricity than a single wind turbine produces

A type of farming and fishing that produces food in a way that does not harm the environment

• Anthropogenic Changes

• Overexploitation

• Agriculture

• Sustainable Farming and Fishing

Removal of a forest or stand of trees, which are then used for nonforest purposes

• Reuse

• Deforestation

• Pollution

• Overpopulation

Which human activity is correctly paired with its likely future consequence?

• overfishing in the Atlantic — increase in supply of flounder and salmon as food for people 
• development of electric cars or hybrid vehicles — increased rate of global warming 
• use of fossil fuels — depletion of underground coal, oil, and natural gas supplies 
• genetically engineering animals — less food available to feed the world’s population

Which of the following historical events most likely triggered the largest increase in the human population? 

• the Black Death plague, which occurred in the mid-1300s
• the domestication of wheat crops, which began around 8000 B.C
• the fall of the Roman Empire, which occurred around A.D. 800
• the Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1700s