Title: Ökologie und nachhaltige Entwicklung

Q: The French philosopher who developed the ground-breaking concept of the “separation of power” for governing a country was ...
A: Charles-Louis Baron de Montesquieu

Q: The first encyclopedia which had a tremendous influence for the spread of knowledge in the population was compiled by ...
A: Denis Diderot

Q: The motto of the French Revolution which became a universal principle for democratic governments was ...
A: freedom, equality, fraternity

Q: The scientist who developed the fundamental laws for chemical reactions was ...
A: Antoine Lavoisier

Q: Justus von Liebig developed in the 19th century the first ... providing the key to solve one of the biggest problems of that time
A: chemical fertilizer

Q: The key invention of the 20th century providing the basis for our modern information and communication society is the ...
A: invention of the transistor

Q: The key scientific achievement of the 20th century leading to an in-depth understanding of the biological processes is the elucidation of the structure of ...
A: the DNA

Q: Robert Schumann is considered as the most important founding father of the ...
A: European Union

Q: The important agreement for the liberalisation of global trade has been concluded in 1995 under the umbrella of the ...
A: WTO

Q: During the last three centuries the global population has grown by a factor ...
A: 10

Q: Since 1900 the global energy and resource consumption has grown by a factor ...
A: 15

Q: A combination of several atoms bound together is called ...
A: molecule

Q: Human DNA consist of 3 billion ...
A: base pairs

Q: A structure inside an eukariotic cell performing a specific function is called ...
A: organelle

Q: A structure in an organism composed of several tissues and specialised for a particular function is called ...
A: organ

Q: Proteins are formed by chains of ...
A: amino acids

Q: The whole set of genes is called ...
A: genome

Q: The building stones of proteins are ...
A: amino acids

Q: All hereditary information is contained in the ...
A: DNA

Q: Protein production is directed by the nucleic acids deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ...
A: ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Q: Regions of the DNA which perform the particular coding functions are called ...
A: genes

Q: Bacteria in respect to their cell structure belong to the group of ...
A: prokaryotes

Q: The first living things on Earth were ... which developed 3.5 billion years ago
A: prokaryotes

Q: In respect to their cell structure complex living species belong to the group of ...
A: eukariotic cells

Q: Animals, plants, fungi have ... cells
A: eukariotic

Q: Mitochondria extract ... from sugar and fat
A: energy

Q: Chloroplasts produce ... from carbon dioxide and water
A: oxygen and glucose (sugar)

Q: Ribosomes synthesise ...
A: proteins

Q: The catalyst for producing glucose from carbon dioxide and water in chloroplasts of plant cells is called ...
A: chlorophyll

Q: A ... is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms
A: biome

Q: An ecologically defined area inhabited by a particular species is called a ...
A: habitat

Q: A natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment is called an ...
A: ecosystem

Q: The biosphere comprises all the earth’s ...
A: biomes

Q: The solid outermost shell of our earth is called the ...
A: crust (lithosphere)

Q: The outer lithosphere of our earth consists mainly of these chemical compounds ...
A: magnesium-iron-silicates and soil

Q: The core of our planet consists of iron and nickel and provides for the ... of our earth
A: magnetic field

Q: The core of our earth consists mainly of ...
A: iron and nickel

Q: The gravitational field is determined by the ... of the earth
A: mass

Q: Water has its maximum density at a temperature of ...
A: 4°C

Q: ... is the first step in the oceanic food chains
A: Phytoplankton

Q: Acidity is expressed as a pH value: pH = ...
A: - log [H+]

Q: The pH scale comprises ... orders of magnitude
A: 14

Q: Acidic water has a pH value below ...
A: 7

Q: Unpolluted rain water has a pH of 5,6 since it is saturated with the acid gas ...
A: NOx (NO, NO2)

Q: Without the greenhouse effect caused by water vapour Earth's average surface temperature would be ... °C lower
A: 29 (would be -15 as opposed to +14)

Q: The last ice age ended around ... BC
A: 10 000

Q: The concentration of water in the atmosphere is ... %
A: 1

Q: In the top surface zone of the ocean the primary production of biomass by ... takes place
A: phytoplankton

Q: The zone of the ocean till about 150m deep and rich in fish is called the ...
A: pycnoclyne zone

Q: The tremendous ... of the oceans moderates the planet's climate, and its absorption of gases affects the composition of the atmosphere
A: heat capacity

Q: Sea water contains dissolved gases, like ... produced by photosynthetic processes of plants.
A: oxygen

Q: Sea water contains dissolved gases, like ... mainly from exchange processes with the atmosphere
A: carbon dioxide

Q: The thermohaline circulation in oceans is driven by global ... gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes
A: density

Q: Our weather is formed in the atmospheric layer called ...
A: troposphere

Q: The major cause for the strong vertical mixing in the troposphere creating our weather is ...
A: solar heating at the surface

Q: The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ... solar radiation
A: ultraviolet

Q: Atmospheric pressure is a direct result of the ... of the air
A: total mass (weight)

Q: ... were the first oxygen producing species
A: Cyanobacteria

Q: In respect to the energy balance respiration is an ... reaction
A: exothermic

Q: The major driving force for atmospheric circulation is ...
A: solar heating

Q: The ... is a circulation pattern that dominates the tropical atmosphere
A: Hadley cell

Q: Near the tropopause, as the air moves polewards in the Hadley cell, it is turned eastward by the ... force creating the subtropical jet streams that flow from west to east
A: Coriolis

Q: The steady winds flowing from east to west near the surface of the earth in the Northern Atlantic ocean are called ...
A: trade winds

Q: Carbon exists in the Earth's atmosphere primarily as ...
A: carbon dioxide (CO2)

Q: Organic compounds are produced from CO2 by autotroph organisms through the process of ...
A: photosynthesis

Q: The energy required for the process of photosynthesis comes from ...
A: the sun (photons)

Q: In photosynthesis ... is produced which provides the energy for the existence and proliferation of cells in plants
A: glucose

Q: Photosynthesis can be described by the summary
reaction: ...
A: 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + hv --> C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2

Q: ... is the catalyst for photosynthesis
A: Chlorophyll

Q: Photosynthesis takes place in cell organelles called ...
A: chloroplasts

Q: The Haber-Bosch-Process produces NH_3 according to this reaction: ...
A: N_2 + 3H_2 = 2NH_3

Q: NO and NO_2 in the atmosphere react with hydrocarbons to form ... which is a major component of summer smog
A: tropospheric ozone

Q: ... has caued a massive increase of the NO_x flux into the atmosphere contributiong to the increased acidity of precipitation
A: Combustion of fossil fuels

Q: The main source for N_2O is the use of ...
A: chemical fertilizers

Q: NO_x react in the presence of UV-radiation with ... in the atmosphere to form the air pollutant ozone
A: hydrocarbons

Q: The ... process now produces 100 million tons of
nitrogen fertilisers per year
A: Haber-Bosch

Q: Oversupply of waters with ... from household effluents contributes to eutrophication
A: nitrogen and phosphorus

Q: The main source of oxygen within the biosphere and atmosphere is ...
A: photosynthesis by plants and the phytoplankton of the oceans

Q: Through photosynthesis, ... are responsible for about half of the oxygen produced in the Earth's atmosphere
A: phytoplanktons

Q: The main way oxygen is lost from the atmosphere is via ...
A: respiration

Q: The reaction for respiration is: ...
A: C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2 --> 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + 2880 kJ * mol^-1

Q: In the human body oxygen is transported in the blood streams in cells called
...
A: red blood cells (erythrocytes)

Q: In the human body oxygen is transported in the blood streams being bound to a molecule called ...
A: hemoglobin

Q: A hemoglobin molecule contains four heme groups in which oxygen is bound to ... atoms
A: iron

Q: The human brain makes up typically 0,1or 2, or 5 or 10% of the body weight
A: 2%

Q: The Islamic religion was developed in Arabia in the 2^nd, 4^th, 7^th or 9^th century
A: 7^th

Q: The philosophical school of Athens, were many of the foundations of our civilization were
developed, was founded by Socrates, Archimedes, Plato or Cicero.
A: Plato

Q: During the Middle Ages important innovations were made in the Muslim empire in respect
to the production of chemical substances, the conversion of normal metals to gold, printing
books, using natural gas as an energy source.
A: the production of chemical substances

Q: In the Middle Ages the scientifically most innovative domain in Europe was the Holy
Roman-German Empire, the Islamic Empire, the Commonwealth of Nations or the Viking
Empire.
A: the Islamic Empire

Q: The age of enlightenment led to the principles of the absolutism of the French kings, the
idea to found overseas colonies, the French Revolution or Marxism.
A: French Revolution

Q: Historically the largest empire ever was the Soviet Union, the British colonial empire, the
French colonial empire or the empire of Dschinghis Khan.
A: the British colonial empire

Q: The First and the Second World War brought a massive shift of political power from
Europe to Japan, China, USA, Africa.
A: USA

Q: Robert Schuman is one of the founding fathers of modern France, the united Germany, the
European Union or the United Nations
A: European Union

Q: The prime drivers for globalization are the USA, Africa, Russia, Iran.
A: USA

Q: The invention of the World Wide Web in 1989 was made at IBM, Stanford University,
CERN or Google
A: CERN

Q: The number of internet users has increased during the last 20 years by a factor of 10, 60,
130 or 1.200.
A: 130

Q: The percentage of the global population using smart phones is roughly 10, 25, 60 or 80%.
A: 80%

Q: In the Anthopocene during the last 100 years the consumption of energy and natural
resources has increased by a factor of 5, 10, 15 or 25.
A: 15

Q: The percentage of the human genome identical with the genes of shimpanzees is 90; 99;
99,9 or 99,99%.
A: 99%

Q: The human brain contains 100.000, 100 million, 100 billion or 100 trillion cells.
A: 100 billion

Q: The human brain making up about 3% of the body mass consumes 3%, 10%, 25% or 50%
of the energy
A: 25%

Q: The first major European colony “New Spain” was founded after conquest of the Inca
empire, the Eastern Seabord of North America, the Aztec empire or the Philippines.
A: the Aztec empire

Q: The first major European colony “New Spain” was founded after conquest of the Aztec
empire in the 16th century by Christoforo Colombo, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando Cortes or
Vasco da Gama
A: Hernando Cortes

Q: The historically largest empire was China, the Soviet Union, the British Empire or the
Mongolian Empire under Genghis Kahn
A: the British Empire

Q: The invention of James Watt enabled the building of skyscrapers, telephone lines, railroads
or airplanes
A: railroads

Q: The share of world trade carried by shipping is 20, 40, 60 or 90%
A: 90%

Q: The global number of air passengers per year is in the order of 1, 3, 5 or 10 billion (figures
relate to 2019 before the corona crisis).
A: 5 billion

Q: The number of internet users globally is in the order of 1, 3, 5 or 8 billion people
A: 5 billion

Q: The human DNA contains 1 million, 100 million, 1 billion or 3 billion base pairs.
A: 3 billion

Q: The human DNA contains 1.000, 10.000 million, 23.000 or 100.000 genes.
A: 23.000

Q: The difference in the DNA sequence between various people of the human race amounts to
0,1; 1; 10 or 50%
A: 0.1%

Q: The largest number of cells in a human body belong to the liver, blood, nerves or immune
system
A: immune system

Q: The lithosphere consists mainly of iron oxides, metallic nickel, silicates or carbohydrates.
A: silicates

Q: The temperature in the core of our earth is about 2.000, 3.000, 5.000 or 10.000°C
A: 5.000

Q: The mass of the earth is responsible for the magnetic field, the ocean currents, composition
of the atmosphere or the gravitational field.
A: gravitational field

Q: According to the presently best establish theory the ocean waters of our planet originate
from outer space comets, extreme weather event in prehistoric times, water bound in
minerals of the earth, reaction of hydrogen with ogygen during the early cooling period of
our planet.
A: water bound in
minerals of the earth

Q: Since 1970 ca 150, 200, 300 or 500 pieces of EU environmental legislation have been
produced.
A: 300

Q: The temperate deciduous forest grows in a climate which has extremely cold winters, dry
summers, stable seasonal precipitation or high winter precipitation.
A: stable seasonal precipitation

Q: The savanna – typical for large areas in Africa - grows in a climate which has extremely
cold winters, wet summers, stable seasonal precipitation or high winter precipitation.
A: wet summers

Q: The tropical rain forest grows in a climate which has stable lower temperatures, dry
summers, high and stable seasonal precipitation or little winter precipitation.
A: high and stable seasonal precipitation

Q: Evolution of our biosphere began 1,5; 2,5; 3,5 or 4,5 billion years ago.
A: 3,5 billion

Q: The annual movement of the tectonic plates is in the order of some millimeters, centimeters,
meters or kilometers
A: centimeters

Q: The maximum density of water is at -10°C, 0°C, 4°C or 100°C.
A: 4°C

Q: Seawater in respect to its pH-value is neutral, slightly acidic, slightly basic or strongly
basic
A: slightly basic

Q: Unpolluted rain water in respect to its pH-value is neutral, slightly acidic, slightly basic or
strongly acidic
A: slightly acidic

Q: The large amounts of water on our earth most likely originate from bombardment by
asteroids, impact of comets, outgassing of crystalline water from minerals of the mantle, or
reactions in our atmosphere
A: outgassing of crystalline water

Q: Without the green house effect caused by water vapour in our atmosphere to average
temperature on our earth would be 5, 10, 30 or 50°C lower.
A: 30°C

Q: The last ice age ended about 1 million, 100.000, 10.000 or 1.000 years ago
A: 10.000

Q: The oxygen content of polar sea water is lower, equal or higher compared to tropical ocean
water
A: higher

Q: Approximately 60, 70, 75 or 80% of the Earth is covered by water.
A: 70%

Q: 1, 3, 5 or 10% of the global water resources is fresh water.
A: 3%

Q: During the ice ages the average global temperature was typically 1, 2, 5 or 10°C lower than
now.
A: 5°C

Q: The concentration of water in the atmosphere is highest in the polar region, the temperate
zones, the Himalayas or the tropics
A: the tropics

Q: Photosynthesis of oceanic plants produces carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen or methane
A: oxygen

Q: The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the west coast of North America, the eastern
coast of South America, south east Asia or Western Europe.
A: Western Europe

Q: The Gulf stream originated by updwelling of warmer water in the North Atlantic, the
Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean
A: North Atlantic

Q: The Gulf Stream is largely driven by: the magnetic field of the earth, the composition of the
atmosphere, the amount of precipitation, the global thermohaline circulation, the trade winds.
A: the global thermohaline circulation

Q: The average content of water in the atmosphere is 1, 2, 5 or 10%.
A: 1%

Q: The average salt content of ocean water is 1, 2, 3.5 or 10%.
A: 3.5%

Q: The ration of nitrogen to oxygen in our atmosphere is 1:4, 1:1, 2:1 or 4:1.
A: 4:1

Q: The oxygen content of the present atmosphere of the earth is 16, 21, 15, 32%.
A: 21%

Q: The carbon dioxide content of the present atmosphere of the earth is 0,01%, 0,04%, 0,1% or
0,4%
A: 0,04%

Q: The atmosphere protects life on earth by absorbing infrared, visible, UV or microwave
radiation
A: UV

Q: The average atmospheric pressure at sea level is about10, 100, 500 or 1000 kPa
A: 100 kPa

Q: Available oxygen at the peak of the Mount Everest is about 10%, 30%, 60% or 100% of
that at sea level.
A: 30%

Q: The jet stream blow from west to east, north to south, east to west or south to north.
A: west to east

Q: The trade winds blow from west to east, north to south, east to west or south to north.
A: east to west

Q: In the respiration process energy is produced, energy is consumed or no energy change of
the system is taking place.
A: energy is produced

Q: In photosynthesis energy is produced, energy is consumed or no energy change of the
system is taking place
A: energy is consumed

Q: Through photosynthesis phytoplankton is responsible for producing about 10%, 25%, 50%
or 75% of the oxygen in earth’s atmosphere
A: 50%

Q: Sunlight delivering the energy for photosynthesis belongs to the ultraviolet, visible, infrared
or microwave region of the solar spectrum.
A: visible

Q: CO_2 is dissolved in the ocean water and reacts with other elements to form bicarbonate ions, cellulosis, glucose, natural gas, calcium carbonate or various silicates.
A: bicarbonate ions

Q: Nitrates contain the chemical group –NO, -NO_2, -NO_3 or -NH_4
A: NO_3

Q: Fixing of molecular nitrogen from air is done by special fungi, bacteria, specific plant cells
or phytoplankton.
A: bacteria

Q: The largest pool of nitrogen on the earth is sea water, the atmosphere, forests or the deserts.
A: the atmosphere

Q: Plants absorb the nutrient nitrogen from soil if this element is present as nitrate, molecular
nitrogen, proteins or chlorophyll.
A: nitrate

Q: One of the most important green house gases is NO, NO_2, N_2O, NH_3 .
A: N_2O

Q: The main source of the air pollutants NO and NO2 are photosynthesis, burning of fossil fuel,
oxidation of NH3 stored in the soil or decay of organis matter.
A: burning of fossil fuel

Q: The main source of NH3 in the air are detergents, burning of fossil fuels, decomposition of
fertilisers in the soil or outgassing from permafrost zones
A: decomposition of fertilisers

Q: Which of these water bodies has the highest oxygen content: Red Sea, Wörthersee in
Austria, Bering Sea in the Arctic or the river Rhine.
A: Bering Sea

Q: The main source of oxygen in the air is decay of organic compounds, respiration,
dissolution of mineral oxides and carbonates in ocean water or photosynthesis
A: photosynthesis

Q: The energy carrier for living cells produced in mitochondria with oxygen is chlorophyll,
CO2, adenosine triphosphate or haemoglobin.
A: adenosine triphosphate

Q: Hemoglobin molecules contain the element copper, silicon, iron or nitrogen to bind oxygen
for transport into the cells.
A: iron

Q: Chemical fertilizers are responsible for sustaining 10%, 20%, 33%, 50% of the Earth's
population
A: 33%

Q: Which of the following sea regions has the highest oxygen content in its waters:
Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific near the equator, the Indian Ocean or the North Atlantic?
A: North Atlantic

Q: In the aerobic respiration following the reaction C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O +the net
energy gained is approximately 1.000, 2.000, 3.000 or 5.000kJ·mol-1.
A: 3.000 kJ

Q: The IUCN red list of endangered species contains 10, 25, 40, 75% of all 105.000 species
investigated.
A: 25%

Q: Numbers of insect species: 10.000, 100.000, 1 million or 10 million insects
A: 1 million

Q: Numbers of plant species: 100.000, 300.000, 750.000 or 1 million.
A: 300.000

Q: Presently about 1, 15, 160 or 1.000 million chemical substances have been registered by
Chemical Abstracts Service
A: 160 million

Q: Presently about 1.000, 10.000, 100.000 or 1 million chemical substances are regularly
produced and enter the environment.
A: 100.000

Q: Pollution of the environment with heavy metals mostly originates from fertilisers, industrial
waste, plant protection chemicals, or urban effluents.
A: industrial
waste

Q: The EU Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for pesticides in ground and drinking water is 1,
10, 100 or 1000 ng/L.
A: 100 ng/L

Q: Which of the following pesticides decays rapidly in the soil: DDT, atrazine, organophosphorous compounds, chlordane.
A: organophosphorous compounds

Q: The term “biocides” coined by Rachel Carson stands for dangerous fertilisers, POPs,
pesticides or certain infectious bacteria
A: pesticides

Q: The book “The Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson marks the beginning of the civil rights
initiative in the USA, of the globalization process in trade, the environmental movement or
the women’s liberation drive.
A: the environmental movement

Q: The influential book “Limits to Growth” published 1972 demands to stop economic growth,
to limit the increase of the global population, to decouple economic activity from resource
use and environmental pollution, or to reduce the global amount of money in circulation.
A: to decouple economic activity from resource
use and environmental pollution

Q: The IPCC publishes authoritative assements on global air pollution, water resources in
developing countries, global warming, or future needs in food supply.
A: global warming

Q: Erythrocytes contain as a carrier for oxygen from the lung to the cells of organisms millions of ... molecules
A: hemoglobin

Q: In the hemoglobin molecule oxygen is temporarely bound to an ... atom enabling transport to the various body cells through the blood stream
A: iron

Q: Respiration performed by animals: involves the breaking down of ... (or other organic molecules) into carbon dioxide and water
A: glucose

Q: In the absence of oxygen decay of animal and plant matter causes a break down of the the carbon compounds to ...
A: methane

Q: The lowest trophic level in an aquatic food chain is made up of ...
A: phytoplankton

Q: The supercontinent which existed on our planet 250 million years ago is called ...
A: pangea

Q: The most distinct species disappearing through the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction were the ...
A: dinosaurs

Q: The extinction of the dinosaurs in the Cretaceous-Tertiary period enabled the development of a new dominating species, the ...
A: mammals

Q: The worst accident in a nuclear power plant happened 1986 in ...
A: chernobyl

Q: The conservation of biological diversity has become a global concern and is addressed in the ..., which is an international treaty of 1992 (Rio)
A: Convention on Biological Diversity

Q: Nearly one fifth of the land in the EU is protected under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive and is commonly know as ... areas
A: Natura 2000

Q: The UN Codex Alimentarius sets maximum levels for ... residues in food
A: pesticide

Q: The persistent pesticide ... is the most effective mean to combat the spreading of malaria
A: DDT

Q: The persistent pesticide DDT is the most effective mean to combat the spreading of ... in developing countries
A: malaria

Q: Organic substances which resist degradation and thus remain in the environment for a very long time are called ...
A: persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Q: Among the most important classes of pesticides are ... for the control of weeds
A: herbicides

Q: POPs typically contain the element ...
A: chlorine

Q: Public awareness of environmental pollution was first raised massively in 1962 by ... through her battle against the uncontrolled use of pesticides in agricultural production in the USA
A: Rachel Carson

Q: The report “Our Common Future” commissioned by the UN and presented 1987 contains the universally accepted definition for ...
A: sustainable development

Q: A main activity of the ... is publishing special reports on the global state of the environment with special focus on developing countries
A: UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Q: The IPCC was established in 1988 jointly by the WMO and ...
A: UNEP

Q: A main activity of the ... is publishing scientific assessments of global warming
A: IPCC

Q: UNFCCC stands for ...
A: The Framework Convention on Climate Change

Q: The ... are eight goals that were set up in a UN Conference in 2000 to support the developing countries
A: Millennium Development Goals

Q: Emissions of air pollutants are measured as ... (tons/year)
A: amounts

Q: Air quality is measured as ... (microgram/m^3)
A: immission concentrations

Q: A significant fraction of Europe’s population suffers from summer smog, whose main chemical component is ...
A: tropospheric ozone

Q: The air pollutant ozone is formed by reaction of VOCs with ...
A: NO_x (nitrogen oxides)_ in the presence of UV radiation

Q: The ... requires all Member States to report information annually concerning emissions and projections for four main air pollutants
A: National Emissions Ceiling Directive 2016/2284 (NECD)

Q: The air pollutant ... is formed from VOCs and NOx in presence of UV radiation
A: ozone (O_3)

Q: Agricultural ... can lead to bacterial contamination of ground or surface waters
A: effluents (pesticides, herbicides)

Q: A widely-used measure of eutrophication is the determination algal and cyanobacterial biomass from the ... concentration
A: chlorophyll

Q: An ... lake is a lake with high primary productivity, the result of an excessive nutrient content
A: eutrophic

Q: An ... lake is a lake with low primary productivity, the result of low nutrient content
A: oligotrophic

Q: European water problems: There is a widespread acidification of lakes in ...
A: northern Europe

Q: Detergents are the major source for the element ... in waste water leading to eutrophication
A: phosphate

Q: The EU legislation from 2000 requiring integrated impact-based river basin management based on an ecosystem approach is called ...
A: Water Framework Directive (WFD)

Q: ... is the main source of nutrients (and other chemicals) to surface waters leading to eutrophication and groundwater pollution
A: Agriculture

Q: The ... treaty deals with aspects of overfishing and grants coastal states exclusive fishing rights for a 200 mile zone
A: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Q: The function establishing the relation between the per capita GDP of a country and the per capita primary energy consumption is called the ... curve
A: Kutznets

Q: The new technology to exploit gas reserves in deep rock formations by hydraulic cracking of the rock layers is called ...
A: induced hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

Q: The ... curve shows the increase of atmospheric concentrations of CO_2 which roughly matches the amount of fossil fuels burned per year
A: Keeling’s

Q: The Boreal region has huge carbon stocks which could emit ... under conditions of strong global warming leading to a non-linear acceleration of temperature rise
A: CO_2

Q: The world’s most spoken first language is ...
A: mandirin chinese

Q: The globally biggest economy is ... (list country or region)
A: USA

Q: Basis for the EU Development strategy towards Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) is the ... Partnership Agreement of 2000
A: Cotonou

Q: CCS stands for ...
A: Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Q: CO_2 can be used to produce methane by reaction with ...
A: hydrogen

Q: The chemical reaction to produce methane from CO_2 and hydrogen is ...
A: CO_2 + 2H_2 + E = CH_4 + O_2

Q: The first human made object to orbit our planet was called ...
A: Sputnik

Q: The first landing of people on the moon was achieved with a NASA mission
called ...
A: Apollo 11

Q: The powerful mirror telescope orbiting our earth to explore the galactic evelution of our universe was called ... Telescope
A: Hubble Space

Q: The largest infrared telescope sent to space searching for ogygen and water in galactic objects is called ... Space Observatory
A: Herschel

Q: The pioneering ESA mission to Comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko was called ...
A: Rosetta

Q: The powerful European rocket for launching spacecrafts is called ...
A: Ariane 5

Q: The newly established EU earth observation system to monitor global change is called ...
A: Copernicus

Q: The Comprehensive Global Earth Observation System established in cooperation of EU, USA, Japan etc has the acronym ...
A: GEOSS

Q: The Earth Summit held Johannesburg 2002 produced an agreement to limit the growth of
slums in the megacities of developing countries, to restore the world’s depleted fish stocks,
to eliminate coal fired power plants for environmental reasons or to stop desertification.
A: to restore the world’s depleted fish stocks

Q: The NEC-Directive applies to the EU Member States and limits the immision concentration of air pollutants, limits the emission of the green house gas CO_2, limits the emission of several air pollutants like NO_x, SO_2, or defines minimal expenditure for environmental protection measures.
A: limits the emission of several air pollutants like NO_x, SO_2

Q: The status report for emissions by the EU Member States indicates that the legal limits according to the NEC-Directive are frequently exceeded for NO_x due to lack of flue gas cleaning devices in power plants, long range transport from China, growth of road traffic, or widespread small scale household heating.
A: growth of road traffic

Q: PM_2,5, NO_x, SO_2 or ozone is the air pollutant which affects the largest number of European urban inhabitants with concentrations above immission limit values.
A: ozone (O_3)

Q: The most effective instrument for the reduction of emissions of NOx and PM from road
traffic is the NEC-Directive, the Euro Standards (…4,5,6), the Air Quality Directives, or the
Convention on Long Range Transport of Air Pollution.
A: the Euro Standards (…4,5,6)

Q: Roughly 10, 30, 50 or 75% of the European urban population suffer from exposure to
concentrations of the air pollutant ozone above immission limit values (2019).
A: 10%
(12% to be exact)

Q: The air pollutant which has been reduced most in the last decades is NO_x, NMVOC_s, SO_2/SO_3 or PM.
A: SO_2/SO_3
(95% reduction)

Q: The emission standard for small vehicles Euro6 applicable since 2018 reduces emissions of
NOx for diesel cars by 10%, 25%, 70% or 100% compared to Euro4 (introduced 2005).
A: 70%

Q: The emission standard for small vehicles Euro6 applicable since 2018 reduces emissions of
PM for diesel cars by 10%, 25%, 80% or 100% compared to Euro4 (introduced 2005).
A: 80%

Q: The Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) network of the WMO serves mainly to control
industrial emissions in the region, monitor background concentrations of air pollutants,
provide warnings from extreme weather situations or to observe changes in intercontinental
air streams.
A: monitor background concentrations of air pollutants

Q: 10, 20, 30 or 50% of the global land surface are covered with forests.
A: 30%

Q: Agriculture started 40.000, 10.000, 5.000 or 2.000 years ago.
A: 10.000 years ago

Q: When people lived on hunting and gathering 1, 10, 100 or1.000 ha of land were needed to
support 1 person.
A: 1.000ha

Q: Modernisation of agriculture has allowed the world population to grow by 20%, 50%, 100% or
200% over the last 50 years.
A: 100%

Q: Agricultural production accounts for ca 1, 5, 10, 20 percent of the gross world product.
A: 5%

Q: Area needed for production of 1 kg of vegetable 0,1; 1; 5 or 10 m2
A: 1m^2

Q: Areas needed for production of 1 kg of beef 10, 50, 250, 500 m2
A: 250m^2

Q: Meat makes up ca 5 % of the global food production and uses roughly 5, 10, 25 or 60% of
the agricultural land for this.
A: 60%

Q: Globally only 6, 12, 20 or 30 % of land surface usable for agriculture
A: 12%

Q: Agriculture accounts for 30, 50, 70 or 80% of the global consumption of freshwater water
A: 70%

Q: By 2030 one, two, three or four billion people will be affected by severe water shortage.
A: two billion

Q: The share of GM soy within the global soy harvest is 20, 40, 60 or 80%.
A: 40%
(acutally 48%)

Q: According to the European Commission’s Report of Biosafety the consumption of GMOs
poses less risks, more risks or equal risks compared to food and feed obtained with
conventional breeding techniques.
A: equal risks

Q: Global fish catches amount to 40, 60, 90 or 120 million tons (2022)
A: 90 million

Q: Global aquaculture production amounts to ca 20, 30, 80 or 90 million tons (2022).
A: 90 million

Q: Presently agricultural production uses per capita a land area 1; 0,5; 0,25 or 0,15 ha.
A: 0,25 ha

Q: Since 1850 the global production and consumption of energy has increased by a factor of 5,
10, 20 or 50
A: 20

Q: Roughly 30, 40, 60 or 80% of the present global energy production is from fossil fuels.
A: 80%

Q: Under a “business as usual” scenario global energy consumption will increase till 2050 by
10, 20, 50 or 100%
A: 100%

Q: The share of oil in global total energy production in 2018 was 12, 24, 33 or 45%
A: 33%

Q: The share of renewable (hydro, biomass, geothermal, wind and sun) in global total energy
production in 2018 was 6, 12, 25, or 40%
A: 12%

Q: The share of gas in global total energy production in 2018 was about 12, 24, 33, 50%.
A: 24%

Q: 10, 30, 50 or 75% of the global known conventional oil reserves have already been
consumed
A: 50%

Q: 10, 30, 50 or 75% of the global known conventional gas reserves have already been
consumed.
A: 30%

Q: The substitution of coal by natural gas for energy production can reduce the emissions of
CO2 by 10, 20, 50 or 90%.
A: 50%

Q: According to the IPCC the temperature increase caused by GHGs between 1850 and now is
ca 1, 2, 4 or 6°C.
A: 1°C

Q: The concentration of CO2 in the air has reached a value of ca 200, 400, 600 or 800 ppm
A: 400ppm

Q: The climate forcing factors of N2O and methane are roughly 5, 10, 25 or 50 times larger
than that of CO2.
A: 25

Q: The present global mean temperature is ca 10, 14, 20 or 25°C.
A: 14°C

Q: Total global annual CO2 emissions were 24, 36, 50 or 75 Gto/yr CO2 (2019).
A: 36 Gto/yr

Q: The annual CO2-emissions of China are about 10, 20, 30 or 50% of the total global
emissions (2019).
A: 30%

Q: The annual GHG-emissions of the EU-27 are about 2, 8, 15 or 20% of the total global
emissions (2019)
A: 8%

Q: The annual per capita CO2-emissions of China are about 3, 8, 15 or 25 tons (2019).
A: 8 tons

Q: The annual per capita CO2-emissions of the USA are about 3, 7, 15 or 20 tons (2019).
A: 20 tons

Q: The annual per capita CO2-emissions of the EU are about 3, 8, 15 or 25 tons (2019).
A: 8 tons

Q: The largest source sector for the emission of green house gases in the EU is road transport,
agriculture, electricity production or industrial processes.
A: electricity production

Q: Under the “business as usual” scenario (IPCC RCP8,5 scenario) total annual CO2 emissions
will rise by 10, 25, 50 or 100% till 2100.
A: 100%

Q: Under the optimal stabilisation scenario (IPCC RCP2,6 scenario) total annual CO2
emissions have to decrease by 10, 25, 50 or 100% till 2050.
A: 50%

Q: According to the IPCC the temperature increase caused by GHGs between 1850 and 2100
will be ca 1, 2, 4 or 6°C under the “business as usual” scenario (RCP8,5).
A: 4°C

Q: According to the IPCC the temperature increase caused by GHGs between 1850 and 2100
will be 0, 1, 2 or 4°C for the optimal stabilisation scenario (RCP2,6)
A: 1°C

Q: The EU has decided to reduce its green house gas emissions by 5, 10, 20 or 40% till 2020.
A: 20%

Q: The EU has decided to reduce its green house gas emissions by 5, 10, 30 or 55% till 2030.
A: 55%

Q: The EU emission trading system covers about 100, 1000, 10.000 or 100.000 installations.
A: 10.000

Q: The industrialised regions like Europe and North America have emitted roughly 2, 3 4, 5
times the amount of the emerging and developing economies, like China and India so far.
A: 3 times

Q: In order to limit global warming to 1,5/ 2°C a global reduction of green house gas
emissions of at least 25, 40, 60 or 80% is necessary by 2050
A: 80%

Q: The ratio of the global population between the industrial and the hunter-gathering society is
about 10:1, 100:1, 1.000:1 or 10.000:1
A: 1.000:1

Q: The global population has increased from 1750 till now by a factor of 6, 10, 15 or 20.
A: 10

Q: Global population is 6, 7, 8 or 9 billion people (2022).
A: 8 billion

Q: By 2050 the global population will have reached 8, 10, 15 or 20 billion
A: 10 billion

Q: Current annual growth rate of the global population is ca 1, 2, 3 or 4%.
A: 1%

Q: During the last 100 years life expectancy has increased by 10, 25, 50 or 100%.
A: 100%

Q: During the last 100 years agricultural productivity increased by a factor of 1,5; 2,5; 5 or3
10.
A: 5

Q: During the last 100 years labor productivity has increased by a factor of 5, 10, 50 or 200.
A: 200

Q: The European Union (EU-27) has ca 3, 6, 10 or 15% of the world population.
A: 6%

Q: Asia has ca 30, 40, 50 or 60% of the world population.
A: 60%

Q: The ratio of the fertility rate between Africa and the industrialised countries of the Northern
hemisphere is about 1: 1; 2:1; 4:1 or 10:1.
A: 4:1

Q: The population of Europe will remain stable, grow slightly, grow massively or shrink
moderately till 2050
A: shrink moderately

Q: Life expectancy in Africa is about 5, 10, 25 or 50 % lower than in Europe
A: 25%

Q: Till 2050 the population of Africa will grow from now 1,2 billion to 1,5; 2; 3 or 4 billion.
A: 2.5 billion
(k.A was der Hawara da will)

Q: Presently about 25, 50, 70 or 80% of the global population live in urban areas
A: 50%

Q: In developing countries about 10, 25, 50 or 75% of the population live in cities of 1 million
or more inhabitants.
A: 50%
(Laut Folie 36% --> Ecology and Sustainable Development S.17)

Q: The per capita GDP based on buying power (PPP) in the industrialised countries of the
Northern hemisphere is roughly 2 times, 5 times, 10 times or 25 times as high as in Africa.
A: 25

Q: The WTO treaty of 1995 created essentially a borderless world for goods and money –
covering 60, 80, 95 or 100% of the global production and financial services
A: 95%

Q: According to IMF 2021 reports the GDP of all EU member states together is ca 8.000,
16.000, 25.000 or 40.000 billion EUR.
A: 16.000

Q: According to IMF 2021 reports the (average) GDP per capita (measured as Purchasing
Power) in the EU is ca 8.000, 13.000, 30.000 or 40.000 EUR.
A: 40.000 EUR

Q: The (material) living standard in China (measured as PPP GDP per capita) is about 10, 20,
30 or 60% lower than in the EU.
A: 60%

Q: The (material) living standard in the EU (measured as PPP GDP per capita) is about 10%,
25% higher or 10%, 30% lower than in the USA
A: 30% lower than in the USA

Q: The ratio of the (material) living standard in the EU (measured as PPP GDP per capita)
between the richest (Luxemburg) and the poorest Member State (Bulgaria) is 1,5:1, 2:1, 5:1
or 10:1
A: 5:1

Q: In the EU about 10, 25, 40 or 60% of the work force is in industry.
A: 25%

Q: In the EU about 1, 5, 10 or 20% of the work force is in agriculture.
A: 5%

Q: The GDP growth rate of China was typically 8% per year, that of the EU typically 0%, 2%,
5% or 10%.
A: 2%

Q: Europe’s R&D investments are typically 1 %, 2%, 3% or 5% of the nominal GDP.
A: 2%

Q: The military expenses of the EU in relation to the biggest investor, the USA, amount to
10%, 35%, 60% or 100%
A: 35%

Q: In its trade relations with China the EU during the last decade had a stable balance, an
increase of the surplus or an increase of the deficit
A: increase of the deficit

Q: The costs for energy imports of the EU are roughly 1 million, 100 million, 1 billion or 10
billion EUR per day
A: 1 billion

Q: China’s share in the global production of computers is 20, 40, 60 or 80% (2016).
A: 80%

Q: China’s share in the global production of mobile phones is 25, 50, 75 or 90% (2016).
A: 90%

Q: China’s share in the global production of electric cars is 25, 40, 60 or 80% (2022).
A: 60%

Q: According to UNEP 100 million, 600 million, 1 billion or 2,5 billion people are without
proper sanitation services
A: 2,5 billion

Q: According to UNEP 10 million, 200 million, 800 million or more than 1 billion people are
without access to safe drinking water.
A: 800 million

Q: According to UNEP 100 million, 600 million, 1 billion or more than 2 billion people are
without access to electricity (World Bank 2018)
A: 1 billion

Q: According to UNEP 50, 100, 400 or 700 million people are undernourished (World Bank
2018).
A: 700 million

Q: The annual contribution of each EU citizen to development aid is about 25, 100, 500 or
1.000 EUR.
A: 100 EUR

Q: Africas share of the global land mass is 5, 10, 20 or 40%
A: 20%

Q: While the median age of the EU population is 45 years, that of the African population is 22,
30, 40, 50 years
A: 22 years

Q: Electricity consumption is expected to increase till 2050 by 25, 50, 100 or 200%.
A: 100%
(Steht nicht in den folion)

Q: Share of nuclear energy in global electricity production in EU is ca 10, 25, 65 or 80%
(2018).
A: 25%

Q: Share of fossil fuels in global electricity production is ca 10, 40, 65, 80% (2018)
A: 65%
(steht nicht auf dem Folien)

Q: Share of renewable energies in global electricity production is ca 12, 25, 65 or 80% (2018).
A: 25%

Q: Share of renewable energies (“carbon free” electricity) in EU electricity production is ca 30,
50, 60 or 80% (2021)
A: 60%

Q: Wind energy in EU: Share in electricity production 2021 is 3, 8, 14, 20% in EU
A: 14%

Q: Solar energy in EU: Share in electricity production 2021 is 3, 5, 6 or 10% in EU
A: 5%

Q: The share of aviation in EU Green House Gas emissions is 1, 3, 5 or 10%.
A: 3%

Q: The aim of the “Green Deal” is to reduce EU GHG emissions by
A: 90%

Q: According to the Paris Climate Agreement the national reduction goal of a country or
political entity (like the EU) is set by the United Nations, the World Metrological
Organisation, the G20 or by the country/political entity itself.
A: country/political entity itself

Q: The share of fossil fuels in total primary energy production in the EU is roughly
A: 80%

Q: The share of the sector electricity production accounts for 10, 20, 30, 40% of the EU GHG
emissions.
A: 30%

Q: The share of the sector idustry production accounts for 10, 20, 30, 40% of the EU GHG
emissions.
A: 20%

Q: The share of the sector road transport accounts for 10, 20, 30, 40% of the EU GHG
emissions.
A: 20%

Q: The share of the sector agriculture accounts for roughly 10, 20, 30, 40% of the EU GHG
emissions.
A: 10%

Q: The share of renewable energy in electricity production in the EU in 2050 should be
A: 80%

Q: To replace 1 TWh/a electricity produced now by fossil fuel 10, 50, 100 or 500 wind
turbines are necessary.
A: 10

Q: To replace 1 TWh/a electricity produced now by fossil fuel 1, 2, 10 or 100 million m2 of PV
panels need to be installed.
A: 10

Q: The Austrian roadmap to achieve 100% share of renewable energies in electricity
production foresees the installation of 100, 500, 1.000 or 3.000 new wind turbines till 2030.
A: 1000

Q: Coal fired power plants typically emit 10, 20, 100 or 800 g CO2eq per kWh electricity
produced (calculated for the full life cycle of a plant).
A: 800g

Q: Hydro power plants typically emit 10, 20, 100 or 1000 g CO2eq per kWh electricity
produced (calculated for the full life cycle of a plant).
A: 20g

Q: Nuclear power plants typically emit 10, 20, 100 or 1000 g CO2eq per kWh electricity
produced (calculated for the full life cycle of a plant).
A: 10g

Q: The average effective electricity output (yield) of an on-shore wind power plant in Europe
is 12, 26, 34 or 46% of the (theoretical) peak electricity output
A: 26%

Q: The average effective electricity output (yield) of a silicon PV-panel in Europe is 12, 26, 34
or 46% of the (theoretical) peak electricity output
A: 12%

Q: On-shore wind power plants typically emit 10, 20, 100 or 1000 g CO2eq per kWh electricity
produced (calculated for the full life cycle of a plant).
A: 10g

Q: Solar power plants typically emit 20, 40, 100 or 1000 g CO2eq per kWh electricity produced
(calculated for the full life cycle of a plant).
A: 40g

Q: Gas power plants typically emit 10, 20, 100 or 500 g CO2eq per kWh electricity produced
(calculated for the full life cycle of a plant)
A: 500g

Q: The center of our galaxy is formed by a
A: black hole

Q: The sun consists mainly of the elements
A: hydrogen, helium

Q: The first proto states developed about 6.000 years ago in
A: Mesopotamia, Indus valley, Egypt

Q: The first large empires in our history were the
A: Persian-Median Empire, Roman empire, Qin empire

Q: European seafarers who had a major impact on the colonization of the rest of the regions of
our world by European nations were
A: Christoforo Colombo, Vasco da Gama, Fernao de Magalhaes, James Cook

Q: Major ideas created in the Age of Enlightment were
A: the sovereignty of reason
evidence of senses as the primary sources of knowledge
constitutional government

Q: Major philosophers developing the ideas of the age of enlightment were
A: - Imanuel Kant
- Francois Voltaire
- Jean-Jaques Rousseau
- Charles-Louis Baron de Montesquieu
- Denis Diderot
- René Descartes

Q: The principles of the Age of Enlightenment are the basis for the constitutions of
A: USA

Q: The primary drivers for the global free trade agreement concluded 1995 under the umbrella
of the WTO are
A: USA
China

Q: According to forecasts of major ecomists the three leading economic regions in the world in
2050 will be
A: - China
- India
- USA

Q: Major macromolecules in living species are
A: - proteins
- lipids
- carbohydrates

Q: Which of the following structural elements are present in procariotic cells:
A: - cell wall
- cytoplasm
- ribosomes

Q: Which of the following structural elements are present in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells:
A: - cell wall
- cytoplasm
- ribosomes

Q: Which of the following structural elements are present only in eukaryotic cells:
A: - mitochondria
- a membrane-bound nucleus encapsulating the DNA

Q: The major biogeographic regions of Austria are
A: - Alpine
- continental

Q: Major biomes of Europe are
A: - boreal forest
- temperate deciduous forest
- chapparal

Q: Major biomes of Africa are
A: - desert
- tropical rain forest
- savanna

Q: The two most important factors influencing the type of vegetation on earth are
A: - air temperature
- precipitation

Q: The two largest biogeographic regions of Europe are
A: - Continental
- Boreal regions

Q: The core of earth contains mainly the metals
A: - Iron
- Nickel

Q: Movement of the tectonic plates leads to
A: - volcanic activities
- earthquakes
- tsunamis

Q: The water molecule has a very high dipole moment giving water special properties like
A: high heat capacity of the
oceans

Q: The ocean currents are very important for the good functioning of our ecosystems because
they transpor
A: - nutrients
- heat
- marine species

Q: The Gulf Stream influences the climate along
A: - the West coast of Europe
- the East coast of North America

Q: The huge steady ocean currents are driven by
A: density differences

Q: In the Hadley Cell?
A: - the air rises in the tropical zone
- a strong downwards flow dry air masses occurs an mid-latitudes (ca 30°)

Q: Among the most important carbon components making up the biosphere are
A: - carbohydates
- proteins

Q: In the lithosphere carbon is essentially present as
A: - coal
- inorganic carbonates
- oil
- natural gas

Q: Nitrogen is an important element of the bio-geochemical cycle because it is present (in
different chemical forms) in
A: - proteins
- chlorophyll
- chemical fertilisers

Q: Autonomous nitrogen uptake by plants is mainly in the form of
A: - ammonium ions
- nitrate ions

Q: The Haber-Bosch process has the following characteristics:
A: - It uses nitrogen form air as a raw material.
- It operates at very high temperatures
- It is the main chemical process to produce ammonium for chemical fertilisers

Q: Phosphorous occurs as an important element in?
A: - cell membranes
- inorganic phosphates and sediments
- animal excretions
- detergents

Q: The major sources for phophates in water are
A: - application of fertilizers
- use of detergents

Q: Oversupply of phosphorous in water bodies leads to
A: - algae growth
- eutrophication

Q: Free oxygen occurs in
A: - the atmosphere
- plants
- water bodies

Q: The Permian-Triassic and the Cretaceous-Triassic extinction events could have been caused
by
A: extensive volcanic eruptions

Q: Essential chemical components provided by air to living species are
A: - oxygen
- carbon dioxide
- nitrogen

Q: Biodiversity hotspots are
A: - the Atlantic forest of Brasil
- the island of Madagascar

Q: The most important chemical substances in relation to pollution of the environment are
A: - nitrogen
- fertilisers
- detergents

Q: Major suspected causes for the widespread disease of bees called “colony disorder” are
A: - the enhanced use of pesticide
- infection by the Varroa Destructor mite

Q: Chemical characteristics of POPs are
A: - high lipid solubility
- ability for bioaccumulation
- presence of halogens in the molecule
- ability to pass through biological membranes

Q: The following substances belong to the POPs:
A: - dioxins
- PAHs
- PCBs

Q: The main POPs which have been banned are
A: - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- DDT
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Q: The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (“Earth Summit”)
produced the following important documents:
A: - the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- the Convention of Biological Diversity (UNCBD)

Q: The UN Millennium Development Goals established in 2000 focus on
A: - eradication of extreme poverty and hunger
- promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women

Q: The UN Agenda for Sustainable Development 2015 sets goals and indicators for
A: - poverty
- gender equality
- clean energy
- climate action

Q: Policy Acts of the European Union, which had a major impact on the development of the
environmental and sustainability policies, are
A: - the Single European Act of 1997 (Amsterdam)
- the Gothenburg European Council Decision establishing EU Sustainable Development Policy in 2001
- the Climate and Energy Package (a series of Directives to combat climate change).

Q: Very important air pollutants are
A: - ozone
- particulate matter
- NOx

Q: Major air pollutants are:
A: - ozone (O3)
- nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- sulphur dioxide (SO2)

Q: The major health effects caused by air pollution are
A: - bronchial irritations
- asthma
- allergies

Q: Major sources for the elevated concentrations of NO2 in the ambient air of Europe are
A: - automobiles
- ships

Q: Major sources for the elevated concentrations of SO2 in the ambient air of Europe are
A: - coal fired power plants
- ships

Q: Major sources for the elevated concentrations of PM in the ambient air of Europe are
A: - small scale heating
- road traffic
- industry
- regional transport of air pollutants

Q: Major reasons for elevated concentrations of ozone in the ambient air of Europe are
A: - emissions from road vehicles
- high UV-radiation
- emissions from ships

Q: The primary air pollutants forming the secondary pollutant ozone are
A: - NOx
- SO2
- VOCs

Q: Important pieces of EU legislation to limit air pollution are
A: - the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directives
- the National Emission Ceilings Directive

Q: The major source for the emission of NOx are
A: - road traffic
- shipping

Q: The major source for the emission of PM10 are
A: - road traffic
- small scale household heating
- shipping
- industry

Q: The major source for the emission of PM2,5 are
A: - road vehicles
- regional transport
- shipping
- small scale household heating

Q: The major reason for high immission concentrations of ozone are
A: - road vehicle and ship emissions
- high UV-radiation

Q: Major mitigation measures for air pollutions from road traffic are
A: the EU Directives (EURO 5, EURO 6, ….)

Q: The massive reduction of pollution by SO2 has been achieved by
A: - elimination of sulfur from diesel and gasoline
- cleaning of the flue gas of power plants

Q: General Problems of water resources in Europe:
A: - surface water bodies threatened by pollution with nitrate
- pollution with pesticides

Q: The most important anthropogenic pressures on coastal zones in Europe are
A: - eutrophication
- growing number of tourists
- spill from oil refineries
- fish and shellfish farming

Q: Major contaminants of water are:
A: - agropharmaceuticals
- pesticides
- detergents

Q: Industrial wastewater discharges contain
A: - heavy metals
- organic toxins
- oils

Q: The major cause for eutrophication of surface waters is
A: - phosphorous
- nitrogen

Q: Important diseases caused by bacterial contamination of water are
A: - legionellosis
- cholera

Q: The most common chemicals involved in the contamination of soil are
A: - petroleum hydrocarbons
- pesticides
- heavy metals

Q: Major soil problems in Europe are
A: - erosion by water and by wind
- reduced organic carbon content

Q: Neolithic founder crops of agriculture are
A: - wheat
- peas
- lentils
- barley
- flax

Q: In terms of their production volume the three most important food products are
A: - wheat
- rice
- maize

Q: The major genetically modified agricultural products are
A: - maize
- soy
- rapeseed

Q: The most important Critical Raw Materials for the realisation of the EU Green deal are
A: - cobalt
- neodymium
- lithium

Q: Major suppliers (exporters) of crude oil are
A: - Venezuela
- Saudi Arabia
- Nigeria
- Russia

Q: Major suppliers (exporters) of natural gas are
A: - Venezuela
- Canada
- Russia

Q: The major sources for the green house gas CO2 are
A: - burning of fossil fuel
- biomass burning

Q: The major sources for the green house gas CH4 are
A: - agriculture
- gas and oil exploration

Q: The major sources for the green house gas N2O are
A: - burning of fossil fuel
- application of fertilisers

Q: These green house gases have a warming effect:
A: - halocarbons
- N2O
- tropospheric ozone
- methane

Q: These green house gases have a cooling effect:
A: - stratospheric ozone
- Aerosols
- cloud albedo

Q: Agriculture is responsible for the emission of the
A: - GHGs
- CH4

Q: The world’s most spoken first languages are
A: - English
- Mandarin Chinese
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Hindustani

Q: The three largest religions are
A: - Islam
- Hinduism
- Christianity

Q: The main technical measures foreseen in the EU to reduce its green house gas emissions by
55% till 2030 are
A: - reduction of primary energy use
- reduction of the CO2 emissions of power plants by installing carbon capture and storage technology (CCS)
- increase the production of renewable energy

Q: Major strategic goals of the EU Climate and Energy Policy are
A: - increase energy efficiency by 40% by 2030
- a goal to raise the share of electricity in total energy consumption to 80% by 2050

Q: Major results of the Paris Climate Agreement are
A: - to limit global warming to 2°C
- to establish a quota for burden sharing in reduction efforts beween industrialised and developing countries
- to implement national action plans for mitigation

Q: The three biggest economies (measured as nominal GDP) are
A: - USA
- EU
- China

Q: The basis of EU policies for shaping a global partnership for sustainable development is
provided by
A: - the Johannesburg Declaration
- the Doha Development Agenda

Q: A fuel cell uses
A: Hydrogen

Q: The “first generation” of biofuels uses the following raw materials:
A: - Sugar
- Cereals
- plant oils

Q: Second and third generation biofuels use as raw materials
A: - algae
- wood

Q: Space missions transporting people were
A: - Apollo 11
- Space Shuttle
- ISS

Q: The most important launch vehicles for satellites and space stations are called
A: - Saturn
- Sojus
- Ariane

Q: Which of the following features apply for Rosetta:
A: - launched by ESA
- detection of precursors of life on a comet

Q: Which of the following tasks are foreseen for the Parker sun probe:
A: - measurement of electrons in solar wind close to the surface of the sun
- measurement of alpha particles in solar wind

Q: Our universe began ca 14 billion years ago through the [...]
A: Big Bang

Q: The particles emitted by the sun are called [...]
A: Solar Wind

Q: The name of our galaxy is [...]
A: Milky Way

Q: 6-10 million years ago the separate evolution of [...] from the apes
started
A: hominins

Q: Homo erectus was the first hominid to control [...]
A: fire

Q: Homo sapiens developed some 200.000 years ago in[...]
A: Africa

Q: The School of Athens which developed many principal ideas for the Western society was
founded by the philosopher [...]
A: Plato

Q: The foundations of our governance system were developed in [...]
A: Rome

Q: The compass was invented in the middle ages in [...]
A: China

Q: The “Golden Age” of Europe following the Middle Ages is called the [...]
A: Renaissance

Q: The steam engine was invented by (Boulton) and [...]
A: Watt

Q: One of the groundbreaking masterpieces of scientifically based art is the Vitruvian Man with
perfect proportions created by [...]
A: Leonardo da Vinci

Q: The discovery of the heliocentric system was made by [...]
A: Galileo Galilei

Q: The key invention leading to the first industrial revolution was the [...]
A: steam engine

Q: Energy generated by fusion in the sun is emitted as
A: radiation (50% IR, 40% VIS, 10% UV)

Q: The advent of agriculture 10.000 years ago led to
A: permanent huan settlements, the domesticatin of animals and the use of metal tools

Q: Two important innovations in China in the Middle ages are the invention of
A: printing and the compass

Q: Key innovations of the second industrial revolution
A: - modern steel production --> railways
- electricity --> radio, electric lightening, telephone
- combustion engine --> automobiles
- pharmaceuticals --> modern medicine

Q: The five major global religions are:
A: - Hinduism
- Judaism
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Islam

Q: The first three large empires in human history founded about 2.500 years ago were:
A: - Persian Median Empire
- Qin Empire (China)
- Roman Empire

Q: The three countries holding the largest colonial empires were:
A: - England
- Spain
- France

Q: The two major scientific achievements after World War II leading to the Third Industrial revolution are:
A: - Invention of Transistor
- Clarification of Structure of DNA

Q: Abiotic factors making up the environment of an organism are:
A: - Insolation (Sunlight)
- Climate
- Geology

Q: The most important macromolecules in living species are:
A: - Proteins
- Nucleic acids
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids

Q: The organelles in eukariotic cells are:
A: a structure inside the cell that performs a particular function

Q: Important terrestrial biomes are:
A: temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, temperate rainforest, tropical rain (cloud) forest, tropical dry forest, savanna, desert, tundra, boreal forest, chaparral

Q: The movement of the tectonic plates of the earth's crust lead to:
A: volcanic activity, earthquakes and tsunamis

Q: The very high dipole moment of the water molecule gives water special important properties:
A: - liquid state at normal environmental temperatures due to high cohesive forces
- high solubility for nutrients and gases like oxygen due to strong interaction with other polar molecules
- reduction of temperature extremes on earth due to high heat capacity allowing water bodies to absorb huge amounts of heat
- Maximum density at 4°C --> cold water sinks to the bottom of water bodies and creates circulation and supply of nutrients and oxygen for living species, ice floats on water protecting lower layers from freezing

Q: The different layers of the atmosphere are called (from bottom to top):
A: 1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere

Q: The main classes of organic carbon compounds in living spaces are:
A: - Carbohydrates
- Celluloses
- Proteins
- Inorganic carbonates (e.g. shells of animals)

Q: In the hydrosphere carbon exists as:
A: dissolved carbon dioxide, suspended carbonates, dead organic matter

Q: The most important autotroph organisms are:
A: Trees in forests on land and phytoplankton in the oceans

Q: The major processes for release of carbon into the atmosphere are:
A: - Respiration performed by animals
- Decay of animal and plant matter
- Combustion of organic material
- Production of cement
- Outgassing from oceans
- Volcanic eruptions

Q: Volcanic eruptions primarily release the following substances in gaseous form:
A: Water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide

Q: Mechanisms of uptake of nitrogen from atmosphere and soild by plants:
A: - Uptake of gaseous nitrogen from atmosphere: Conversion of nitrogen into usable forms for living organisms is done by bacteria with nitrogenase enzyme
- Uptake from soil: In a process called Assimilation, nitrate of ammonium ions are absorbed from the soil via root hairs. In case of nitrate, it is first reduced to nitrate ions for incorporation into amino acids, nucleic acids and chlorophyll.

Q: Fertilizers typically provide the plant nutrients, the major ones being:
A: - Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Secondary plant nutrients (calcium, sulfur, magnesium)

Q: Major processes releasing nitrogen into the atmosphere:
A: - Combustion of materials
- Application of chemical fertilizers

Q: Sources of input of phosphorus to waters and soil:
A: - Main input through fertilization in agriculture
- Effluents from households (detergents), human and animal excretions and decomposition of organic compounds.

Q: The major abiotic factors determining the quality, stability and vulnerability of an ecosystem are:
A: - Water
- Air
- Soil
- Temperature
- Light

Q: Examples for present global ecological crisis are:
A: - Climate change
- Loss of biodiversity

Q: Examples for past global ecological crisis are:
A: - Permian-Triassic extinction event
- Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event

Q: Examples for present regional egolocigal crisis are:
A: - Overpopulation
- Droughts
- Deforestation
- Desertification
- Extreme pollution of air, water and soil

Q: Examples for past regional ecological crisis are:
A: - The Exxon Valdez oil dpill off the coast of Alaska
- The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl

Q: The most important radioactive elements released in the Chernobyl accident were:
A: - Caesium-137
- Strontium-90
- Iodine-131

Q: Benefits of biodiversity:
A: - Resistance of crops to catastrophes
- Resistance of crops to diseases
- Provision of food and drink
- Provision of medicines
- Provision of industrial materials

Q: Persistent threats to biodervisity:
A: - Land change activites
- Environmental pollution: atmosphere, soil and water
- Agricultural application of fertilizers, pesticides
- Climate change
- Hunting and fishing

Q: THe most important classes of chemical substances in relation to pollution of the environment are:
A: - Fertilizers
- Plant protection chemicals
- Detergents
- Waste materials
- Pharmaceuticals and agropharmaceuticals

Q: The main POPs which have been banned are:
A: - Aldrin
- Chlordane
- DDT

Q: The Club of Rome proposed as a basis for future sustainable development the decoupling of
A: - Resource use from economic growth
- Environmental impact from resource use

Q: Major EU legistlation on air pollution:
A: - Euro Emission Standards for Road Vehicles 1970
- Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directove 1996 and 2008
- National Emission Ceilings Directive 2001 and 2016
- Thermatic Strategy on Clean Air for Europe 2005
- Air Quality Directives 1996 - 2008

Q: The major primary air pollutants are
A: - SO_2
- NO_x
- Particulate Matter (PM)
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Q: The major secondary air pollutants are:
A: - O_3
- ammonium sulfate
- ammonium nitrate particles

Q: Major sources for SO_2 in ambient air of Europe:
A: - power stations (coal oil)
- transport  using sulphur-containing fuel (esp. shipping)

Q: Major reasons for elevated ozone levels in ambient air of Europe:
A: - Road vehicle and ship emissions
- high UV radiation

Q: Major sources for PM_10 in ambient air in Europe:
A: - dust from road traffic
- vehicle emissions
- small scale heating
- regional transport of air pollutants
- industrial emissions

Q: Major source for PM_2,5 in ambient air in Europe:
A: - vehicle emissions
- small scale heating
- regional transport of air pollutants

Q: The main measures for the reduction of SO_2-pollution of ambient air in Europe were:
A: - industrial abatement measures (cleaning of flue gas)
- elimination of sulfur from diesel and gasoline

Q: The main measures for the reduction of pollution of ambient air in Europe with Particulate Matter were:
A: - industrial abatemente measures (filter for smoke stacks)
- reduced emissions for diesel passenger cars
- improved road management
- reduction of small scale heating
- fuel switch in heating from coal to gas

Q: Major causes/sources for biological and chemical water pollution:
A: - Industrial waste water discharges
- Agricultural effluents
- Human waste discharge, unprocessed in sewage plants
- Oil discharges
- Excessive warming of surface waters

Q: Major inorganic contaminants of water:
A: - Nitrates and phosphates from human waste waters, manure and fertilizers
- Chemical waste as industrial byproducts
- Heavy materials including acid mine drainage

Q: Major organic contaminants of water:
A: - Various toxic organic compounds used as insecitcides and herbicides
- Detergents
- Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products
- Agropharmaceuticals
- Human medicines, like estrogens
- Petroleum hydrocarbons including fuels

Q: Key functions of soil:
A: - Supplies water, nutrients and a medium for growing for plants
- Stores, filters, buffers and transforms substances that are introduced into the environment
- Provider of raw materials
- Incredible habitat and gene pool

Q: Mitigation of soil contamination arising from waste deposition ("landfilling"):
A: - Waste reduction and recycling
- incineration and pyrolysis
- compositing and mechanical biological treatment
- banning of disposal of untreated waste in landfills (AT, DE, CH)

Q: Drivers of increased resource (and energy) use:
A: - Population numbers
- "Development" in the sense of transition from an agrarian to an industrial regime
- Rising income (GDP)

Q: Human-caused deforestation and the degradation of forest habitat is continuing primarily due to:
A: - increased demand for soybean has led to displacement of beef ranches and farms of other crops, which, in turn, move farther into the forest (Brasilian Rain Forests)
- Wildfires (Amazon)
- Replacement of native rain forest by plantations with trees for paper or biofuel production (Asia)
- Logging activities for precious tropical wood and slash-and-burn practices for gaining agricultural land (Africa)

Q: Impact of deforestation on the environment:
A: - Reduced biodiversity
- Reduced storage of organic carbon
- Enhancement of green house gas emissions
- Land degradation
- Affects the amount of water in the soil
- Reduction of the landscapes capacity to intercept, retain and transport precipitation

Q: Genetic modification of seed material allows to produce plants with new properties:
A: - Enhanced resistance against insects
- Enhanced resistance against efficient broad band pesticides
- Improved nutrient content
- Higher drought resistance
- Higher salt resistance

Q: The most important GM crops are:
A: - Soy beans
- maize
- cotton
- canola

Q: The most important modern fishing technologies leading to an overexploitation of many fish stocks are:
A: - Purse Seine: Fish swarms are detected by sonar and a net is layed up to 200m deep
- Trawling: ship drags nets up to 20.000 m^2
- Bottom trawling: lack of selectivity and physical damage to the seabed

Q: The EU has set recycling goals between 50 and 85% for:
A: - Household waste: 50%
- Construction and Demolition: 70%
- Electrical & Electronic Equipment: 50 - 75%
- End-of-Life Vehicles: 85%
- Packaging: 55 - 80%

Q: Major sinks for green house gases are uptake by:
A: - Uptake by oceans
- Uptake by plants (photosynthesis)

Q: Important Critical Raw Material for the realization of the Green Deal are:
A: - Cobalt
- Neodymium
- Lithium
- Vanadium
- Graphite
- Indium

Q: The main green house gases are:
A: - H_2O: 70%
- CO_2: 15%
- CH_4: 10%
- N_2O: Rest

Q: Major visible impacts of global warming are:
A: - Warming of Sea Surface Temperature
- Strong retreat of alpine glaciers
- Melting of Permafrost
- Number of warm days and heat waves massively increasing
- Water availability decrease by 10-30%
- Rising Sea Levels

Q: Main implementation tools of the EU Climate and Energy Policy:
A: - Mitigation: reducing & avoiding GHG emissions
- Adaption: reducing exposure & vulnerability

Q: The main reasons for the aging of populations are:
A: - Rising life expectancy
- Declining fertility (dominant factor)

Q: Major drivers of the "Third industrial revolution" are:
A: - Mitigation of global warming: new energy systems
- Sustainable production: reduced use of resources, less pollution
- Reduction of environmental pollution: "clean" technologies
- Extending frontiers of human activity: space exploration
- Sustainable management of the whole earth system: earth observation
- Cheaper and better prodcution of goods: industry 4.0

Q: Key elements of the "Third industrial Revolution" are the development and implementation of the following "sustainable" technologies:
A: - Recycling of Materials
- New efficient transport systems
- low carbon electricity generation
- new global monitoring techniques
- artificial intelligence

Q: Major green house gas emission reduction measures for road transport:
A: - EU-Directives for reduction of CO_2 Emissions by 55% by 2030
- Electric cars
- Speed limits
- Interconnected multimodal mobility ("smart mobility")

Q: Major green house gas emission reduction measures for buildings:
A: - Replacement of heating with oil or gas by heat pumps, biomass
- Increase of energy efficiency of electrical devices
- Passive houses
- Energy surplus buildings

Q: Major green house gas emission reduction measures for agriculture:
A: - Reduction of N_2O emissions: more efficient fertilisation
- Reduction of CH_4 emissions: reduced cattle farming, less meat consumption
- Production of biofuels from plants and biogas from manure
- Adapt agricultural activities to enhance carbon storage in soils
- Reforestation for binding of CO_2
- Production of biofuels to replace gasoline and diesel

Q: The three sectors with the highest Green House Gas emissions in the EU are:
A: - Electricity Production (30%)
- Transport (20%)
- Industry (20%)

Q: The major base load/back-up power plants for future electricity production will be:
A: - Hydro power plants
- Hydro storage plants
- Nuclear power plants

Q: The major means to store excess electricity from wind and solar power plants are:
A: - Hydro (Kaprun)
- Batteries
- Hydrogen

Q: First generation of biofuels (methanol/ethanol or diesel) are produced from:
A: - Cereals
- Sugars
- Plant oils

Q: The major techniques (presently under development) to produce hydrogen in very large quantities as a basis for a "hydrogen economy" are:
A: - Electrolysis: Production of hydrogen from wate
- Biomass gasification

Q: The 2 major groups of technologies for production of "low carbon" electricity already in operation:
A: - PV, wind electricity production
- hydro electricity production

Q: Landmark events in space exploration:
A: - 1957 first human-made object to orbit (Sputnik)
- 1969 first moon landing (Apollo 11)
- 1970 landing of Venera on Venus
- 1971 landing of Mars 3 on Mars
- 1971 first space station (Salyut 1)
- 1977 Voyager 2 to study outer planets
- 1982 Space shuttle programme
- 1998 ISS

Q: The operational dimension of the EU GMES (Copernikus) programme covers:
A: - Land Monitoring
- Marine Services
- Atmospheric services
- Crisis Management

Q: Our galaxy, the "Milky Way" is one out of 1 million, 1 billion 100 billion or 10.000 billion galaxies in the observeable universe.
A: 100 billion

Q: Our galaxy, the "Milky Way" contains about 200-400 thousand, million, billion or trillion stars.
A: billion

Q: One galactic year is equivalent to 1, 50, 250 or 500 million years.
A: 250

Q: Our solar system has 6, 7, 8 or 9 planets?
A: 8

Q: The diameter of our earth is 6.000, 12.000, 20.000 or 40.000 km.
A: 12.000

Q: The core temperature of our sun is 15.000, 150.000, 15 milion or 150 milion °C.
A: 15 million

Q: The surface temperature of our sun is approximately 2.000, 5.000, 10.000 or 100.000 °C.
A: 5.000

Q: Our earth has an age of 100 million, 1 billion, 5 billion or 10 billion years.
A: 5 billion

Q: Which of the following species does NOT belong to the class of homo erectus:
- yuanmouensis
- australophitecus
- neanderthalensis
- pekinensis
A: Australophitecus

Q: Our species, the homo sapiens, developed 20.000, 200.000, 1 million or 2 million years ago.
A: 200.000

Q: The appearance of homo sapiens lead to the extinction of cyanobacteria, dynosaurus rex, homo neanderthalensis and the moa birds.
A: homo neanderthalensis and the moa birds