CEP Conservation & Sustainability 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Precautionary Principle in environmental planning states that:
- Action should only be taken when scientific certainty is established
- Lack of full scientific certainty should not prevent protective action when threats are serious (Correct answer)
- Economic cost-benefit analysis must precede any environmental regulation
- Precaution applies only to nuclear and chemical hazards
Correct answer: Lack of full scientific certainty should not prevent protective action when threats are serious
The Precautionary Principle holds that the absence of complete scientific certainty is not a reason to postpone protective measures for potentially serious threats.
Question 2: In the context of urban sustainability, 'urban heat island effect' is best mitigated by:
- Expanding parking lots with light-colored asphalt
- Increasing building density without green space
- Adding tree canopy cover and green roofs (Correct answer)
- Installing more street lighting at night
Correct answer: Adding tree canopy cover and green roofs
Tree canopy and green roofs provide evapotranspiration cooling and reduce solar heat absorption by hard surfaces.
Question 3: Which type of wetland is most effective at removing nitrogen from agricultural runoff?
- Tidal salt marsh
- Inland freshwater marsh receiving subsurface flow (Correct answer)
- Coastal mangrove forest
- High-elevation alpine fen
Correct answer: Inland freshwater marsh receiving subsurface flow
Constructed or natural freshwater marshes receiving subsurface flow promote denitrification, effectively reducing nitrogen in agricultural runoff.
Question 4: The term 'ecological footprint' measures:
- The geographic area disturbed by construction activities
- The biologically productive area required to support a population's consumption and absorb its waste (Correct answer)
- Carbon emissions per square kilometer of developed land
- The number of species displaced per development project
Correct answer: The biologically productive area required to support a population's consumption and absorb its waste
Ecological footprint quantifies the biocapacity needed to sustain a given population's resource use and waste absorption.
Question 5: Which U.S. law requires federal agencies to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service when actions may affect listed species?
- Clean Water Act Section 404
- Endangered Species Act Section 7 (Correct answer)
- National Forest Management Act
- Federal Land Policy and Management Act
Correct answer: Endangered Species Act Section 7
ESA Section 7 mandates interagency consultation to ensure federal actions do not jeopardize listed species or destroy critical habitat.
Question 6: Brownfield redevelopment primarily addresses which sustainability challenge?
- Protecting prime agricultural land from urban sprawl
- Remediating previously contaminated sites for productive reuse (Correct answer)
- Expanding protected natural areas within cities
- Converting suburban residential areas to mixed use
Correct answer: Remediating previously contaminated sites for productive reuse
Brownfield redevelopment cleans up and repurposes formerly contaminated industrial or commercial sites, reducing pressure on greenfields.
Question 7: The 'triple bottom line' framework in sustainability planning accounts for:
- Federal, state, and local regulatory requirements
- Economic, social, and environmental performance (Correct answer)
- Short-term, medium-term, and long-term planning horizons
- Capital costs, operating costs, and maintenance costs
Correct answer: Economic, social, and environmental performance
Triple bottom line measures organizational or project performance across economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental stewardship.
CEP Conservation & Sustainability 3
The Precautionary Principle in environmental planning states that: