Philosophy 346: Study
questions for the first test
The first test is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15. It will consist of brief essay and/or short answer questions. The questions will cover a selection of the material indicated by the questions below, but they may not be in the same form as these questions. You may find the index of What Have We Done? helpful in looking up answers to some of these questions if you can't find them otherwise, though some questions also require material presented only in class. The test will count as 16% of your final grade.
What is environmental ethics?
Explain the difference between objectivity and neutrality. Why is it relevant to this course?
Why is there no such thing as a value-free description? What values are presupposed in the book What Have We Done? (See pp. 5-6) What are the book’s conclusions? What recommendations does the book make for the future direction of environmentalism? (see pp. 243-248) Do you agree or disagree with the book’s recommendations? Explain why.
What is acid deposition? What are the main sources our region? What damage is being done by acid deposition?
What are the main sources of surface water pollution in our region? What are the main sources of groundwater pollution? Toxic chemicals are trapped in the silt of many regional reservoirs. Where did they come from and why is this a matter of concern?
What are the main sources of siltation? What damage is done by siltation itself?
Why are many of the area’s reservoirs and streams low in dissolved oxygen? What effects does this have on their ability to support aquatic life?
What is thermal pollution? What are its sources and effects?
Why have most of Tennessee’s wetlands been destroyed? What problems are associated with destruction of wetlands?
What chemicals are responsible for haze or smog that often obscures the Smokies and pales the sky? Where do they come from? What are the health effects and environmental effects of ground-level (tropospheric) ozone pollution? What chemicals and chemical reactions are responsible for the ozone? Where do they come from?
What is PM2.5? What are its causes and effects? [Note: this is not covered in the book, but I will cover it in class.]
What are the chemicals that cause stratospheric ozone depletion? What are their sources? What problems does ozone depletion cause for humans and the environment?
What substances cause global warming? Where do they come from? What are the potential effects in our region of global climate change?
What are the most important forms of indoor air pollution? How do their health effects compare with the effects of outdoor air pollution?
Is industrial air pollution getting worse or getting better? Why? What are some of the potential health effects of industrial air pollution?
What is biodiversity? What are the main causes of biodiversity loss in the Upper Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachian Mountains? What sorts of plants and animals have been most heavily impacted? Why?
What is clearcutting? What are its main environmental effects? Why is it increasing in the Southern Appalachian region? Besides logging, what other human activities fragment or destroy habitat? What are pine plantations? Why is the area of pine plantations rapidly increasing in the Southeast? Why is this an environmental issue?
What is meant by the phrase "the homogenization of nature"? Give some examples.
In what ways does our food production and supply system affect the environment? Why has agriculture in our region recently suffered steep declines? What are the environmental advantages of organic over chemical agriculture? What is meant by "eating with the seasons"? What are its advantages?
What use accounts for the largest percentage of commercial electricity consumption? What are the most energy-consuming uses of electricity in the typical home?
Why is TVA deeply in debt? How has this changed the goals and actions of the agency?
Roughly what percentage of TVA electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants, by coal-fired power plants, and by nuclear power plants? What risks and environmental impacts are associated with each of these forms of power generation? (In answering this question, consider not only effects of the generation itself, but other activities, such as mining, transportation, and waste disposal, that are made necessary by the power production.)
What is TVA's Green Power program? How does it work? What is it intended to accomplish? Approximately how much of TVA's power is generated by this program?
What sustainable energy sources are available? What are their advantages and disadvantages?
How might we conserve energy, both individually and as a society?
What is municipal solid waste? How is it disposed of in Knoxville and Knox County?
Which forms of waste are most easily recycled? What are the advantages and disadvantages of recycling? What are the advantages and disadvantages of landfilling and incineration?
What are the region’s most notable examples of contamination by industrial waste?
What are the environmental and health effects of road-building and automotive transportation? (Consider not only immediate effects, but also effects of the infrastructure needed to support this transportation system -- e.g., to supply petroleum and other automotive chemicals.) Are the environmental effects of rail transportation less or more destructive than the environmental effects of automotive transportation? Explain. How might we move toward a healthier transportation system?
Describe recent and projected population trends in our region. What are the environmental effects of population increases?
What are the most important things that individuals can do to reduce their personal environmental impact?
Be able to define or explain the meaning of the following words: philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, environmental ethics, biodiversity, bioregionalism, narrative ethics.