ISU Fossil Fuels Energy and Diseases Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1 of 343 Points

All of the following are features of passive solar design except

A. adobe walls and flagstone floor used for heat storage.
B. large windows on the north side of the house.
C. large windows on the south side of the house.
D. a roof overhang to block the midday sun in summer.

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Question 2 of 343 Points

What is a hybrid car?

A. an SUV that can be converted into a pickup truck.
B. a car that runs only on electricity
C. a car that has both an electric engine and a gas engine
D. a car that is powered by nuclear energy.

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Question 3 of 343 Points

Fossil fuels currently supply about ____ percent of all commercial energy supplies.

A. 95
B. 85
C. 55
D. 35

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Question 4 of 343 Points

Improvements in energy efficiency could be encouraged by all of the following except:

A. buying high-efficiency appliances.
B. rebates for building energy-efficient buildings.
C. buying more SUV motor vehicles.
D. tax credits for insulating and putting double pane windows in existing building.

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Question 5 of 343 Points

Which of the following statements about wind power is false?

A. Wind power is an unlimited source of energy at favorable sites.
B. Wind power generation is compatible with agricultural operations.
C. Wind power has a moderate to high net useful energy yield.
D. Energy from wind power is more costly than nuclear power.

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Question 6 of 343 Points

The current plan(s) for disposal of nuclear waste from US power plants is (are) to:

A. place it in deep mines in Carlsbad, New Mexico
B. place it in deep mines in Yucca Mountain, Nevada
C. reprocess spent fuel rods for reuse
D. all of the above

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Question 7 of 343 Points

Which of the following statements about passive solar space heating is true?

A. It is cheap to install and has little or no maintenance.
B. Once constructed, it is an expensive energy source.
C. Passive solar designs are not well developed.
D. No carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere.

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Question 8 of 343 Points

In the US, the most abundant fossil fuel is (in other words which is the largest supply):

A. crude oil.
B. natural gas.
C. uranium.
D. coal.

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Question 9 of 343 Points

The source of energy for nuclear power is:

A. nuclear fusion.
B. breeder reactions.
C. nuclear fission.
D. nuclear confusion.

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Question 10 of 343 Points

Black lung disease results from

A. the radioactivity in coal.
B. the radioactivity around coal-fired power plants.
C. coal dust causing inflammation and fibrosis in lungs.
D. There is no such thing as black lung disease.

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Question 11 of 343 Points

Photovoltaic cells

A. produce more carbon dioxide than burning fossil fuels.
B. are a dangerous type of cancer cell
C. have high air and water pollution during operation.
D. produce electricity at a higher cost than coal or wind, but the cost is dropping.

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Question 12 of 343 Points

Which statement regarding the use of dams for hydroelectric power is true?

A. Hydroelectric power contributes to global warming.
B. Large damns can interfere with migration patterns of fish.
C. Construction of large dams can be accomplished in an environmentally friendly manner.
D. All of the above are correct.

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Question 13 of 343 Points

For much of the past decade, battles have been going on over oil and gas drilling in

A. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
B. Buffalo Commons Wildlife Refuge.
C. Yellowstone National Park.
D. All of the above are correct

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Question 14 of 343 Points

Renewable energy includes all of the following except:

A. the sun.
B. the wind.
C. natural gas.
D. Earth’s internal heat.

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Question 15 of 343 Points

A notable factor in the Chernobyl disaster was that Soviet authorities

A. failed to respond immediately, unnecessarily endangering many lives.
B. failed to respond at all.
C. immediately notified all citizens and neighboring countries of events at the plant.
D. shared the details of the accident so other countries could learn from the errors.

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Question 16 of 343 Points

Electricity can be produced by which of the following methods?

A. steam turbines (boil water using nuclear radiation, coal or oil)
B. air or gas turbines
C. water turbines
D. all of the above

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Question 17 of 343 Points

Examples of environmental racism include following except:

A. Export of toxic wastes to developing countries
B. Construction of hazardous waste incinerators in poor communities in the US.
C. Use of Indian lands for hazardous waste sites.
D. Transfer technology that improves environmental quality to developing countries

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Question 18 of 343 Points

Keeping energy prices artificially low:

A. encourages waste and rapid depletion of energy resources getting government subsidies.
B. has no effect on the amount of air pollution in the U.S.
C. will reduce inflation.
D. all of these answers.

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Question 19 of 343 Points

The primary energy source that is most used in the U.S. for production of electricity is:

A. water power.
B. nuclear power.
C. coal.
D. none of the above.

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Question 20 of 343 Points

The following example best describes the concept of demand management.

A. a system that forces consumers to use alternate energy sources
B. a system that gives consumers reduced rates for allowing their power to be turned off during peak hours
C. a government sponsored program that demands greater conservation efforts by the electrical power generating companies
D. a government sponsored program that requires industries to reduce power consumption during peak hours

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Question 21 of 343 Points

As an individual, you may contribute to the goal of sustainability by:

A. individual lifestyle change
B. political involvement
C. membership and participation in environmental organizations(s)
D. all of the above

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Question 22 of 343 Points

Digesting manure anaerobically (without air) will yield mainly:

A. formaldehyde
B. methane
C. chlorofluorocarbons
D. ammonia

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Question 23 of 343 Points

The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant involved all of the following except:

A. a series of mechanical failures
B. a loss of reactor core coolant
C. a complete core meltdown
D. loss of unknown amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere

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Question 24 of 343 Points

Which of the following best describes the precautionary principle?

A. Scientists must be able to prove that a substance causes harm before it can be banned.
B. Consumers must prove that a substance is harmful before it can be banned.
C. Scientists must prove that a substance is safe before it can be marketed.
D. Assume a chemical is dangerous until proven safe.

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Question 25 of 343 Points

Typically, the largest source of human induced exposure to ionizing radiation comes from:

A. microwave ovens and television sets.
B. the operation of nuclear power plants.
C. radioactive wastes.
D. dental and medical x-rays.

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Question 26 of 343 Points

The world’s worst nuclear power plant disaster to date occurred at:

A. Three-Mile Island, PA.
B. Grenoble, France.
C. Chernobyl, Ukraine.
D. Hanford, WA.

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Question 27 of 343 Points

Which of the following offers the most potential in terms of reducing our energy problems?

A. geothermal power
B. wave power
C. nuclear power
D. energy conservation through efficiency

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Question 28 of 343 Points

Energy consumption can be reduced by all of the following except:

A. buying a more energy efficient furnace for your home.
B. using your car instead of mass transit.
C. turning off unused lights.
D. purchasing only needed products.

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Question 29 of 343 Points

Compared to conventional oil deposits, shale oil and tar sands are:

A. easier to extract and refine
B. lower in net useful energy yield
C. less damaging to the environment when mined
D. all of the above are correct

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Question 30 of 343 Points

A building is considered green from an environmental standpoint for all the following reasons except:

A. It was painted using a volatile organic compounds (VOC) -based green paint.
B. It is more energy efficient than conventional homes.
C. It minimizes the release of toxic substances
D. It is constructed with mostly recyclable materials

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Question 31 of 343 Points

Fossil fuels are best described as a ______ energy source.

A. renewable
B. nonrenewable
C. clean
D. efficient

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Question 32 of 343 Points

Life-cycle cost of an appliance means

A. the initial cost of purchasing an appliance and final disposal cost of the item.
B. the social cost of manufacturing an appliance.
C. the initial cost of purchasing an appliance plus the life-time operating costs of an appliance.
D. the internal and external cost of manufacturing an appliance.