Cal Poly NR 314 Yi Wen Midterm Exam
Questions with correct Answers 2025/2026
A+ Graded.
Products - ANS --Satisfying the basis of our material welfare
-Fulfilling our daily needs
-Related to our lives: purchase (acquire), use,
consume, and disposal
Sustainability - ANS -Quantity (time)
Quality (water, soil, air)
How to quantify "development?" - ANS -1)Socio-economic indicators
-population
-water use
-real GDP
-primary energy use
-transportation
-telecommunications
-internal tourism
2)Environmental Pressure and Impact
-marine fish capture
-tropical forest loss
-domesticated land
-terrestrial biosphere degredation
-carbon dioxide
-nitrous oxide
-methane
I=PAT - ANS -Impacts = Population (# people) X Affluence
(consumption per capita) X Technology (Impact per
consumption)
Example:
Today's global warming impact =
Population (#) X
Average consumption per each ($ / capita) X
Global warming impact per $ consumption (CO2-eq / $)
, Achieving a sustainable society - ANS -● Impact down
● Functionality up
Industrial ecology - ANS -There is no official definition but it is
Transforming perspectives on optimizing
production and minimizing environmental impact
Main direction: Life Cycle Analysis/Industrial path/money input and output/envm design/life cycle
design/biotic and abiotic factors/consumers or producers
Life Cycle Design - ANS -see Life cycle design image on first pp slide
Water Footprint Concept (Lab 1) - ANS -Water footprint was first introduced as "virtual water" in
1993, and was further provided with a more precise definition in 2002 for accounting life-cycle
water consumption of a product or service.
This can not only quantify water embedded in a production system, but also provide
geographical implication of consuming goods at places different from where they are produced.
Water footprint composes of three types of water: green, blue and grey water.
Blue water - ANS -the volume of consumptive water in a
production system made up by artificially delivered water
Green water - ANS -the volume of consumptive water in a
production system made up by naturally occurred water, a.k.a. precipitation, made available
without acquiring additional energy.
Grey water - ANS -represents the water volume required to assimilate the load of pollutants.
Compute water footprint - ANS -
What is the purpose of X to calculate emission? - ANS -used to scale up or down the amount of
commodities in order to produce
the desired amount of final product (functional unit). Therefore, the x vector also serves the
purpose to connect the production system and the functional unit
x=A-1 x Y
Always Question - ANS -• Contribution of an environmental action or event
• Consequence
• Impacts
Services provided by the earth - ANS -- Provider: mass (natural resources), energy
• Sink: wastes and pollutants
Carrying Capacity - ANS -The rates at which these two services (provision,
Questions with correct Answers 2025/2026
A+ Graded.
Products - ANS --Satisfying the basis of our material welfare
-Fulfilling our daily needs
-Related to our lives: purchase (acquire), use,
consume, and disposal
Sustainability - ANS -Quantity (time)
Quality (water, soil, air)
How to quantify "development?" - ANS -1)Socio-economic indicators
-population
-water use
-real GDP
-primary energy use
-transportation
-telecommunications
-internal tourism
2)Environmental Pressure and Impact
-marine fish capture
-tropical forest loss
-domesticated land
-terrestrial biosphere degredation
-carbon dioxide
-nitrous oxide
-methane
I=PAT - ANS -Impacts = Population (# people) X Affluence
(consumption per capita) X Technology (Impact per
consumption)
Example:
Today's global warming impact =
Population (#) X
Average consumption per each ($ / capita) X
Global warming impact per $ consumption (CO2-eq / $)
, Achieving a sustainable society - ANS -● Impact down
● Functionality up
Industrial ecology - ANS -There is no official definition but it is
Transforming perspectives on optimizing
production and minimizing environmental impact
Main direction: Life Cycle Analysis/Industrial path/money input and output/envm design/life cycle
design/biotic and abiotic factors/consumers or producers
Life Cycle Design - ANS -see Life cycle design image on first pp slide
Water Footprint Concept (Lab 1) - ANS -Water footprint was first introduced as "virtual water" in
1993, and was further provided with a more precise definition in 2002 for accounting life-cycle
water consumption of a product or service.
This can not only quantify water embedded in a production system, but also provide
geographical implication of consuming goods at places different from where they are produced.
Water footprint composes of three types of water: green, blue and grey water.
Blue water - ANS -the volume of consumptive water in a
production system made up by artificially delivered water
Green water - ANS -the volume of consumptive water in a
production system made up by naturally occurred water, a.k.a. precipitation, made available
without acquiring additional energy.
Grey water - ANS -represents the water volume required to assimilate the load of pollutants.
Compute water footprint - ANS -
What is the purpose of X to calculate emission? - ANS -used to scale up or down the amount of
commodities in order to produce
the desired amount of final product (functional unit). Therefore, the x vector also serves the
purpose to connect the production system and the functional unit
x=A-1 x Y
Always Question - ANS -• Contribution of an environmental action or event
• Consequence
• Impacts
Services provided by the earth - ANS -- Provider: mass (natural resources), energy
• Sink: wastes and pollutants
Carrying Capacity - ANS -The rates at which these two services (provision,
