GEOGRAPHY 2152 MIDTERM 2026 FULL STUDY
SCRIPT HUMAN AND ECONOMIC
GEOGRAPHY QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
◉ Even though the amount of plastic produced has increased
exponentially in recent decades, what was the suggested reason for
why the amount of plastic in oceans and beaches doesn't appear to
be rising as fast?
Answer: The missing plastic is actually getting broken down into
pieces so small that they are hard to see. [cite: 79]
[cite_start]Additionally, scientists observed in lab tests that tiny
crustaceans can devour plastic bags and shred them into
microscopic fragments. [cite: 82]
◉ What is more worrisome to scientists than eating fish that may
have consumed microplastics?
Answer: Scientists worry more about the chemicals added to
plastics to give them desirable properties, such as malleability. [cite:
103] [cite_start]They are also concerned about even tinier
nanoplastics that microplastics presumably degrade into, as these
might pass directly into the tissues of fish and humans. [cite: 103,
105]
◉ What is the largest market for plastics today?
,Answer: The largest market for plastics today is for packaging
materials. [cite: 157]
◉ More than one quarter of the world's plastic is produced in which
country?
Answer: China is the largest producer of plastic, accounting for more
than a quarter of the global total. [cite: 174]
◉ How has the use of plastic saved wildlife in the past?
Answer: In the mid-1800s, items like piano keys and billiard balls
were made from scarce elephant ivory, putting the elephant
population at risk. [cite: 191] [cite_start]The invention of a new
plastic material called celluloid provided an alternative to ivory,
which spared some elephants and eliminated the need to ransack
the Earth for scarce natural substances. [cite: 194, 195, 196]
◉ How is the recycling shop in Manila that is operated by the Plastic
Bank trying to improve the situation?
Answer: The shop pays a premium to waste pickers for bottles and
hard plastic they collect. [cite: 274] [cite_start]It then sells that
collected plastic at a higher price to multinational companies, who
market their recycled products as socially responsible. [cite: 275]
◉ What is a sachet and how do they contribute to the issue?
, Answer: Sachets are tear-off packets that hold a single serving of
products like shampoo, toothpaste, coffee, or condiments. [cite: 280]
[cite_start]They contribute to the pollution issue because they are
sold by the millions to people who cannot afford larger sizes, they
easily blow around the environment, and they are not recyclable.
[cite: 281, 282] [cite_start]Because they are not recyclable, waste
pickers will not retrieve them, making them a major challenge for
solid waste management. [cite: 282, 283]
◉ What have PepsiCo and Coca-Cola pledged to do by 2030?
Answer: Coca-Cola has announced a goal to collect and recycle the
equivalent of 100 percent of its packaging by 2030. [cite: 321]
[cite_start]Additionally, Coca-Cola and other multinationals,
including PepsiCo, have pledged to convert to 100 percent reusable,
recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025. [cite: 321]
◉ Explain the concept of a global fund and how it could help in
tackling the problem.
Answer: An economist proposed creating a global fund through a
worldwide tax of a penny on every pound of plastic resin
manufactured. [cite: 357] [cite_start]This tax would raise roughly six
billion dollars a year, which could then be used to finance and build
proper garbage collection systems in developing nations. [cite: 358]
◉ Millions of sea creatures died along the B.C. coast from the
combination of low tide and an extreme heat wave. If they are
SCRIPT HUMAN AND ECONOMIC
GEOGRAPHY QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
◉ Even though the amount of plastic produced has increased
exponentially in recent decades, what was the suggested reason for
why the amount of plastic in oceans and beaches doesn't appear to
be rising as fast?
Answer: The missing plastic is actually getting broken down into
pieces so small that they are hard to see. [cite: 79]
[cite_start]Additionally, scientists observed in lab tests that tiny
crustaceans can devour plastic bags and shred them into
microscopic fragments. [cite: 82]
◉ What is more worrisome to scientists than eating fish that may
have consumed microplastics?
Answer: Scientists worry more about the chemicals added to
plastics to give them desirable properties, such as malleability. [cite:
103] [cite_start]They are also concerned about even tinier
nanoplastics that microplastics presumably degrade into, as these
might pass directly into the tissues of fish and humans. [cite: 103,
105]
◉ What is the largest market for plastics today?
,Answer: The largest market for plastics today is for packaging
materials. [cite: 157]
◉ More than one quarter of the world's plastic is produced in which
country?
Answer: China is the largest producer of plastic, accounting for more
than a quarter of the global total. [cite: 174]
◉ How has the use of plastic saved wildlife in the past?
Answer: In the mid-1800s, items like piano keys and billiard balls
were made from scarce elephant ivory, putting the elephant
population at risk. [cite: 191] [cite_start]The invention of a new
plastic material called celluloid provided an alternative to ivory,
which spared some elephants and eliminated the need to ransack
the Earth for scarce natural substances. [cite: 194, 195, 196]
◉ How is the recycling shop in Manila that is operated by the Plastic
Bank trying to improve the situation?
Answer: The shop pays a premium to waste pickers for bottles and
hard plastic they collect. [cite: 274] [cite_start]It then sells that
collected plastic at a higher price to multinational companies, who
market their recycled products as socially responsible. [cite: 275]
◉ What is a sachet and how do they contribute to the issue?
, Answer: Sachets are tear-off packets that hold a single serving of
products like shampoo, toothpaste, coffee, or condiments. [cite: 280]
[cite_start]They contribute to the pollution issue because they are
sold by the millions to people who cannot afford larger sizes, they
easily blow around the environment, and they are not recyclable.
[cite: 281, 282] [cite_start]Because they are not recyclable, waste
pickers will not retrieve them, making them a major challenge for
solid waste management. [cite: 282, 283]
◉ What have PepsiCo and Coca-Cola pledged to do by 2030?
Answer: Coca-Cola has announced a goal to collect and recycle the
equivalent of 100 percent of its packaging by 2030. [cite: 321]
[cite_start]Additionally, Coca-Cola and other multinationals,
including PepsiCo, have pledged to convert to 100 percent reusable,
recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025. [cite: 321]
◉ Explain the concept of a global fund and how it could help in
tackling the problem.
Answer: An economist proposed creating a global fund through a
worldwide tax of a penny on every pound of plastic resin
manufactured. [cite: 357] [cite_start]This tax would raise roughly six
billion dollars a year, which could then be used to finance and build
proper garbage collection systems in developing nations. [cite: 358]
◉ Millions of sea creatures died along the B.C. coast from the
combination of low tide and an extreme heat wave. If they are
