ENV 121 NVCC EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 – PRACTICE QUESTIONS, EXAM
REVIEW & TEST PREP
Environmental science is - correct answer ✔✔The study of how the natural world works, how the
environment affects humans and vice versa. Scientists try to remain objective.
Environment - correct answer ✔✔All the things around us with which we interact including living things
(biotic), nonliving things (abiotic), our built environment, social relationships, and institutions.
Natural resources - correct answer ✔✔Substances and energy sources needed for survival. Includes
renewable resources and nonrenewable resources.
Renewable natural resources (including perpetually renewed) know examples of each Sunlight - correct
answer ✔✔Wind energy, Wave energy, Geothermal energy
Perpetually Renewed - correct answer ✔✔it renews itself like wind and solar.
Nonrenewable natural resources (know examples of these also) - correct answer ✔✔Crude oil, Natural
gas, Coal, Copper, Aluminum, and other metals.
Sustainability - correct answer ✔✔The idea that we must live within our planet's means so the Earth and
its resources can sustain us and all life for the future.
Sustainability involves - correct answer ✔✔conserving resources, developing long-term solutions, and
keeping fully functioning ecosystems
Ecosystem services are - correct answer ✔✔the processes by which life supporting resources such as
clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced.
There are 4 categories of ecosystem services - correct answer ✔✔Provisioning services. Regulating
services. Support systems. Cultural services
Provisioning services - correct answer ✔✔Food Production
Regulating services - correct answer ✔✔Climate Regulation, Flood Regulation, Water Purification
Support systems - correct answer ✔✔Nutrient Cycling, Soil Formation, Primary Production, Habitat
Provision
Cultural services - correct answer ✔✔Spiritual, Aesthetic, Educational, Recreational
What are some factors that shape our worldview in regards to the environment? - correct answer
✔✔Depends on assessments of costs and benefits. Culture and Worldview specifically.
•Culture - correct answer ✔✔knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of
people
, •Worldview - correct answer ✔✔a person's or group's beliefs about the meaning, purpose, operation,
and essence of the world
How has our view of the environment changed over time? - correct answer ✔✔We can divide our
conservation history and environmental activism into 4 stages.
Stage 1 - correct answer ✔✔Pragmatic resource conservation. Utilitarian conservation is a belief that the
environment should be preserved not because it is beautiful but because of its usefulness.
Stage 2 - correct answer ✔✔Moral & aesthetic nature preservation. Biocentric preservation - emphasizes
the fundamental right of other organisms to exist
Stage 3 - correct answer ✔✔Growing concern about health and ecological damage from pollution. This
stage was the beginning of modern environmentalism
An ecological footprint - correct answer ✔✔is the environmental impact of a person or population
Be able to discuss the problem of the size of per capita ecological footprints of industrialized versus
developing countries. - correct answer ✔✔Amount of biologically productive land + water for raw
materials and to dispose/recycle waste. The ecological footprints of countries vary greatly. The U.S.
footprint is almost 4 times greater than the world's average. Developing countries have much smaller
footprints than developed countries
Explain how problems affecting the environment require multiple disciplines like political science -
correct answer ✔✔Environmental Studies is concerned with a variety of issues. To solve these complex
environmental issues, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary
Culture - correct answer ✔✔knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of
people
Worldview - correct answer ✔✔a person's or group's beliefs about the meaning, purpose, operation,
and essence of the world. Many factors shape worldviews
Vested interest - correct answer ✔✔an individual with strong interests in the outcome of a decision that
results in gain or loss for that individual
What is meant by "the tragedy of the commons"? - correct answer ✔✔Unregulated exploitation leads to
resource depletion. Soil, air, water. Resource users are tempted to increase use until the resource is
gone.
**Be able to list AND describe the three solutions to the tragedy of the commons - correct answer
✔✔Solutions: Private ownership. Governmental regulations. Voluntary enforcement.
responsible use. Governmental regulations - correct answer ✔✔
Know the steps in the scientific method - correct answer ✔✔Observation, questions, hypothesis,
predictions, test, results
REVIEW & TEST PREP
Environmental science is - correct answer ✔✔The study of how the natural world works, how the
environment affects humans and vice versa. Scientists try to remain objective.
Environment - correct answer ✔✔All the things around us with which we interact including living things
(biotic), nonliving things (abiotic), our built environment, social relationships, and institutions.
Natural resources - correct answer ✔✔Substances and energy sources needed for survival. Includes
renewable resources and nonrenewable resources.
Renewable natural resources (including perpetually renewed) know examples of each Sunlight - correct
answer ✔✔Wind energy, Wave energy, Geothermal energy
Perpetually Renewed - correct answer ✔✔it renews itself like wind and solar.
Nonrenewable natural resources (know examples of these also) - correct answer ✔✔Crude oil, Natural
gas, Coal, Copper, Aluminum, and other metals.
Sustainability - correct answer ✔✔The idea that we must live within our planet's means so the Earth and
its resources can sustain us and all life for the future.
Sustainability involves - correct answer ✔✔conserving resources, developing long-term solutions, and
keeping fully functioning ecosystems
Ecosystem services are - correct answer ✔✔the processes by which life supporting resources such as
clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced.
There are 4 categories of ecosystem services - correct answer ✔✔Provisioning services. Regulating
services. Support systems. Cultural services
Provisioning services - correct answer ✔✔Food Production
Regulating services - correct answer ✔✔Climate Regulation, Flood Regulation, Water Purification
Support systems - correct answer ✔✔Nutrient Cycling, Soil Formation, Primary Production, Habitat
Provision
Cultural services - correct answer ✔✔Spiritual, Aesthetic, Educational, Recreational
What are some factors that shape our worldview in regards to the environment? - correct answer
✔✔Depends on assessments of costs and benefits. Culture and Worldview specifically.
•Culture - correct answer ✔✔knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of
people
, •Worldview - correct answer ✔✔a person's or group's beliefs about the meaning, purpose, operation,
and essence of the world
How has our view of the environment changed over time? - correct answer ✔✔We can divide our
conservation history and environmental activism into 4 stages.
Stage 1 - correct answer ✔✔Pragmatic resource conservation. Utilitarian conservation is a belief that the
environment should be preserved not because it is beautiful but because of its usefulness.
Stage 2 - correct answer ✔✔Moral & aesthetic nature preservation. Biocentric preservation - emphasizes
the fundamental right of other organisms to exist
Stage 3 - correct answer ✔✔Growing concern about health and ecological damage from pollution. This
stage was the beginning of modern environmentalism
An ecological footprint - correct answer ✔✔is the environmental impact of a person or population
Be able to discuss the problem of the size of per capita ecological footprints of industrialized versus
developing countries. - correct answer ✔✔Amount of biologically productive land + water for raw
materials and to dispose/recycle waste. The ecological footprints of countries vary greatly. The U.S.
footprint is almost 4 times greater than the world's average. Developing countries have much smaller
footprints than developed countries
Explain how problems affecting the environment require multiple disciplines like political science -
correct answer ✔✔Environmental Studies is concerned with a variety of issues. To solve these complex
environmental issues, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary
Culture - correct answer ✔✔knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of
people
Worldview - correct answer ✔✔a person's or group's beliefs about the meaning, purpose, operation,
and essence of the world. Many factors shape worldviews
Vested interest - correct answer ✔✔an individual with strong interests in the outcome of a decision that
results in gain or loss for that individual
What is meant by "the tragedy of the commons"? - correct answer ✔✔Unregulated exploitation leads to
resource depletion. Soil, air, water. Resource users are tempted to increase use until the resource is
gone.
**Be able to list AND describe the three solutions to the tragedy of the commons - correct answer
✔✔Solutions: Private ownership. Governmental regulations. Voluntary enforcement.
responsible use. Governmental regulations - correct answer ✔✔
Know the steps in the scientific method - correct answer ✔✔Observation, questions, hypothesis,
predictions, test, results
