FoundationIB Environmental Systems and Societies SL: Topic test

1. 1
   In 2016 the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, USA, opposed a crude oil pipeline planned to cross the Missouri River just upstream of their reservation. The tribe said the river is their source of drinking water, that the route crossed sacred sites, and that the river deserves respect in its own right. The pipeline company said modern engineering would make the pipeline safe, that it would create jobs, and that it would be safer than moving oil by rail. Thousands of people joined protests, which spread widely through social media.

   (a)

   Which environmental perspective is shown by the company's belief that engineering can make the pipeline safe?

   [1 mark]

   • AEcocentric
   • BTechnocentric
   • CDeep ecology
   • DPreservationist

   (b)

   Which statement best describes a worldview?

   [1 mark]

   • AA lens shared by a group of people through which they perceive and act within their environment
   • BA scientific law that predicts human behaviour
   • CA personal opinion that cannot be influenced by others
   • DA government policy on environmental protection

   (c)

   Explain how the tribe's perspective on the river differs from the company's perspective.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   Biosphere 2 is a large sealed glass and steel structure in Arizona, USA, built to test whether a small human-made ecosystem could support people. In 1991 eight people lived inside it for two years, growing their own food. Sunlight entered and heat left through the glass, but no air, water or food was supposed to cross the boundary. After about 16 months the oxygen concentration inside had fallen from 21% to about 14%, because soil microorganisms were respiring faster than expected, and oxygen had to be pumped in from outside.

   (a)

   Which type of system was Biosphere 2 designed to be?

   [1 mark]

   • AAn open system, exchanging energy and matter
   • BAn isolated system, exchanging neither energy nor matter
   • CA system with no storages
   • DA closed system, exchanging energy but not matter

   (b)

   In a systems diagram of Biosphere 2, how would the movement of oxygen from the air to the soil microorganisms be shown?

   [1 mark]

   • AAs a rectangular box
   • BAs a circle
   • CAs an arrow
   • DAs a shaded region

   (c)

   Explain one limitation of using Biosphere 2 as a model of the Earth system.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   Country K had a population of 30 million in 2000 and 36 million in 2020. Its mean carbon footprint was 5.0 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per person in 2000 and 4.5 tonnes per person in 2020. Over the same period its gross domestic product (GDP) per person rose by 40%, and the government announced that the country was now developing sustainably.

   (a)

   Calculate the percentage change in Country K's total carbon emissions between 2000 and 2020.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Discuss whether the evidence supports the government's claim that Country K is developing sustainably.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   Bhutan is a small Himalayan country whose constitution requires at least 60% of its land to stay under forest. Its government measures progress with a Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, which includes psychological well-being, health, education, community vitality, ecological diversity and living standards, alongside income. Most of its electricity comes from hydropower, part of which is exported, and the country absorbs more carbon dioxide in its forests than it emits. Free health care and education are provided, while tourism is limited by a daily fee.

   (a)

   Explain how Bhutan's approach reflects the three pillars of sustainability.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   Evaluate the use of a Gross National Happiness index rather than GDP as an indicator of development.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

5. 5
   In August 2018 a 15-year-old Swedish student, Greta Thunberg, began sitting outside the Swedish parliament on school days to demand action on climate change. Within months students in many countries held school strikes under the name Fridays for Future. In September 2019 an estimated several million people joined a global climate strike. Opinion polls in several countries reported a rise in the share of people who ranked climate change as a major concern over the same period.

   (a)

   Which influence on the development of the environmental movement is best shown by Greta Thunberg's actions?

   [1 mark]

   • AA major environmental disaster
   • BAn international agreement
   • CA new technology
   • DAn individual

   (b)

   An environmental value system is best described as which of the following?

   [1 mark]

   • AA list of environmental laws in a country
   • BA model showing the inputs that affect our perspectives and the outputs resulting from them
   • CThe total number of species in an ecosystem
   • DA survey of people's income and education

   (c)

   Explain how social media could change the perspectives of people over time.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 5: 4 marks

6. 6
   Mountain pine beetles live under the bark of pine trees in British Columbia, Canada. Cold winters used to kill many of the beetles. Since the 1990s winters have been milder, the beetles have survived in larger numbers, and they have killed millions of hectares of pine forest. The dead trees stop absorbing carbon dioxide, and as they decay they release it. This adds to global warming, which makes winters milder still. Forests with many tree species have been affected less than pine monocultures.

   (a)

   Which statement describes a positive feedback loop?

   [1 mark]

   • AA change leads to a response that amplifies the original change
   • BA change leads to a response that reduces the original change
   • CA change has no effect on the rest of the system
   • DA change is always reversed within one year

   (b)

   Which statement defines a tipping point?

   [1 mark]

   • AThe point at which a population reaches its carrying capacity
   • BThe time when a system returns to its original state
   • CA point at which a small change in one component causes a large shift of the whole system to a new state
   • DThe moment when energy flows into a system stop

   (c)

   Explain why a forest with many tree species is likely to be more resilient than a pine monoculture.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 6: 4 marks

7. 7
   A clothing factory in Bangladesh makes 50,000 cotton T-shirts each month. Growing the cotton, dyeing the cloth and finishing each T-shirt gives it a water footprint of about 2,700 litres. The factory releases wastewater containing dye into a local river. The company is considering using recycled cotton and recycling the water used in its factory. (1 cubic metre = 1,000 litres.)

   (a)

   Calculate the factory's annual water footprint for T-shirts in cubic metres.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Discuss how the water footprint can be used to improve the sustainability of the factory, and one limitation of the water footprint.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 7: 7 marks

8. 8
   In August 2017 Kenya introduced one of the strictest bans on plastic bags in the world, with penalties of fines of up to about US$40,000 or up to four years in prison for producing, selling or using them. Plastic bags had been blocking drains, harming livestock that eat them and littering rivers and the coast. Supporters called the ban a victory for the environment. Plastic bag manufacturers warned that thousands of jobs would be lost, and some small traders said alternatives were too expensive. Many shoppers have since turned to reusable cloth and woven bags.

   (a)

   Explain how different environmental perspectives could lead people to respond differently to the ban.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   Evaluate the ban as a measure to improve sustainability.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 8: 12 marks

End of questions