BECE The Environment and Sustainability 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main environmental concern associated with plastic waste in oceans?
- It increases ocean salinity
- It harms marine life through ingestion and entanglement (Correct answer)
- It speeds up coral growth
- It reduces ocean temperature
Correct answer: It harms marine life through ingestion and entanglement
Marine animals often ingest or become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury, illness, and death.
Question 2: Which layer of the atmosphere protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation?
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere ozone layer (Correct answer)
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
Correct answer: Stratosphere ozone layer
The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs most of the sun's harmful UV-B and UV-C radiation before it reaches Earth's surface.
Question 3: What does 'biodiversity' refer to?
- The variety of life forms in a given area or on Earth as a whole (Correct answer)
- The number of plants in a forest
- The genetic makeup of a single species
- The rate of species extinction per year
Correct answer: The variety of life forms in a given area or on Earth as a whole
Biodiversity encompasses the variety of species, ecosystems, and genetic diversity found in a particular region or on the entire planet.
Question 4: Which of the following activities contributes most to water pollution?
- Planting trees along riverbanks
- Releasing untreated industrial and sewage waste into rivers (Correct answer)
- Building wetlands near factories
- Using rainwater harvesting systems
Correct answer: Releasing untreated industrial and sewage waste into rivers
Discharging untreated sewage and industrial effluents into water bodies introduces toxic chemicals and pathogens that severely pollute water.
Question 5: What is the 'three Rs' approach to waste management?
- Replace, Rebuild, Repurpose
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Correct answer)
- Remove, Restore, Renew
- Rethink, Reform, Recover
Correct answer: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The three Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—form a hierarchy of waste management strategies aimed at minimizing environmental impact.
Question 6: What happens to coral reefs when ocean temperatures rise significantly?
- They grow faster due to warmer conditions
- They undergo coral bleaching and may die (Correct answer)
- They become more resistant to disease
- They produce more oxygen for marine life
Correct answer: They undergo coral bleaching and may die
Rising ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the algae living in their tissues, leading to coral bleaching and eventual death if stress continues.
Question 7: Which of the following gases is the most significant contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- Nitrogen (N2)
- Oxygen (O2)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) (Correct answer)
- Argon (Ar)
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide, released mainly by burning fossil fuels and deforestation, is the primary driver of the enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming.
BECE The Environment and Sustainability 3
What is the main environmental concern associated with plastic waste in oceans?