Practise Questions
MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT A COMMAND WORD IS ASKING YOU TO DO. LOOK AT SECTION D IN THE HOME PART OF THE WEBSITE.
1) Compare and contrast the environmental value systems of two named societies. (10)
2) Outline the factors which influence your personal viewpoint on environmental issues and suggest how your worldview affects how you respond to environmental issues.
3) The environmental philosophy of an individual, as with that of a community, will inevitably be shaped by cultural, economic and socio-political context. Explain why others may have equally valid viewpoints.
4) Design a questionnaire to assess the environmental viewpoints of members of your family, class and community.
5) 'Protecting the environment is a luxury that only the most economically developed countries of the world can afford'.
(a) State whether an ecocentrist or a technocentrist is more likely to agree with the statement above. Justify your answer. (2)
(b) Discuss the arguments for and against the statement above. In your answer you should refer to examples from both more economically developed countries and less economically developed countries. (10)
(c) Explain, using a named farming system, how
(i) a technocentric approach can aid soil conservation (3)
(ii) an ecocentric approach can aid soil conservation (3)
6) Here is an ancient Chinese proverb:
If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed.
If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree.
If you are thinking a hundred years ahead, educate the people.
Kuan Tzu, 500BC
(a) The poet Kuan Tzu could be seen as an ecocentric or a technocentric. Justify whether you think his views are ecocentric or technocentric. (4)
(b) Outline two factors which may affect someone's environmental philosophy (2)
7) (a) Distinguish between the terms point source pollution and non-point source pollution. (2) (May 2013 P2)
(b) Discuss the environmental problems caused by a named human activity and suggest possible solutions. (10) (adapted from May 2013 P2)
Suggested plan: Name the human activity: e.g. Festivals such as Christmas
(c) Outline the concept of an ecological footprint and evaluate its use as a model for assessing the sustainability of the human activity named above. (6) (adapted from May 2013 P2)
Suggested plan: Outline what an ecological footprint is.... (use notes and links on 1.4 to help you)
8) Discuss the view that the environment can have its own intrinsic value.
9) Evaluate the implications of two contrasting EVSs in the context of given environmental issues.
10) Justify, using examples and evidence, how historical influences have shaped the development of the modern environmental movement.
11) Construct a system diagram or a model from a given set of information.
12) Evaluate the use of models as a tool in a given situation, for example, climate change predictions.
13) Explain the implications of the laws of thermodynamics to ecological systems.
14) Discuss resilience in a variety of systems.
15) Evaluate the possible consequences of tipping points.
16) Explain the relationship between natural capital, natural income and sustainability.
17) Discuss the value of ecosystem services to a society.
18) Discuss how environmental indicators such as MA can be used to evaluate the progress of a project to increase sustainability.
19) Evaluate the use of EIAs.
20) Explain the relationship between EFs and sustainability.
21) Construct systems diagrams to show the impact of pollutants.
22) Evaluate the effectiveness of each of the three different levels of intervention, with reference to figure 3.
23) Evaluate the uses of DDT.