About this Study Set
This study set covers Environmental Science through
20 practice questions.
A collection of historical breakthroughs, inventions, and foundational discoveries in environmental science. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Milestones in Environmental Science study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
Who is credited with coining the term 'ecology' in 1866?
-
A
Charles Darwin
-
B
Ernst Haeckel
-
C
Gregor Mendel
-
D
Alexander von Humboldt
2
Which 1962 book is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement by documenting the adverse effects of indiscriminate pesticide use?
-
A
Silent Spring
-
B
The Population Bomb
-
C
A Sand County Almanac
-
D
Our Common Future
3
In 1970, which country became the first to establish a national Environmental Protection Agency?
-
A
Canada
-
B
United Kingdom
-
C
United States
-
D
Australia
4
What was the primary purpose of the 1987 Montreal Protocol?
-
A
To reduce global carbon emissions
-
B
To protect the ozone layer
-
C
To regulate international water rights
-
D
To establish protected marine zones
5
Which scientist is known for developing the 'Gaia hypothesis', which proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings to form a synergistic self-regulating system?
-
A
James Lovelock
-
B
Rachel Carson
-
C
E.O. Wilson
-
D
Jane Goodall
6
The first successful large-scale industrial use of wind power for electricity occurred in which decade?
-
A
1880s
-
B
1920s
-
C
1950s
-
D
1970s
7
Which international summit in 1992 resulted in the adoption of Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action for sustainable development?
-
A
Kyoto Protocol
-
B
Paris Agreement
-
C
Earth Summit in Rio
-
D
Stockholm Conference
8
What did Charles Keeling first demonstrate through his measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory beginning in 1958?
-
A
The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
-
B
The thinning of the ozone layer
-
C
The increase in global rainfall
-
D
The decline in ocean pH
9
The first practical solar cell capable of powering an electrical device was invented in 1954 at which laboratory?
-
A
Los Alamos National Laboratory
-
B
Bell Labs
-
C
CERN
-
D
NASA
10
Svante Arrhenius made a landmark discovery in 1896 regarding which environmental process?
-
A
The greenhouse effect
-
B
Acid rain formation
-
C
Eutrophication
-
D
Biodiversity loss
11
Which international agreement, signed in 1997, was the first to mandate legally binding emission reduction targets for developed nations?
-
A
Paris Agreement
-
B
Kyoto Protocol
-
C
Copenhagen Accord
-
D
Bonn Convention
12
What environmental problem did the 1979 'discovery' of the ozone hole over Antarctica reveal?
-
A
Ocean plastic accumulation
-
B
Severe stratospheric ozone depletion
-
C
Increased methane release from permafrost
-
D
Rapid desertification
13
Who published 'Man and Nature' in 1864, one of the first books to argue that human activity causes environmental change?
-
A
George Perkins Marsh
-
B
Henry David Thoreau
-
C
John Muir
-
D
Aldo Leopold
14
What was the significance of the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm?
-
A
It was the first global conference to make the environment a major issue
-
B
It established the first carbon tax
-
C
It banned whaling worldwide
-
D
It created the first global seed bank
15
The 'Great Smog of London' in 1952 led to the passage of which landmark environmental legislation in 1956?
-
A
The Clean Air Act
-
B
The Water Quality Act
-
C
The Environmental Protection Act
-
D
The Toxic Substances Control Act
16
Which scientist is credited with discovering the link between chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone layer depletion?
-
A
Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland
-
B
Carl Sagan
-
C
Neil deGrasse Tyson
-
D
Stephen Hawking
17
What was the main outcome of the 1973 CITES agreement?
-
A
Regulation of international trade in endangered species
-
B
Establishment of international fishing quotas
-
C
Global ban on chemical weapons
-
D
Creation of the first global park system
18
In 1913, the first modern national park service was created. Which country established it?
-
A
United States
-
B
New Zealand
-
C
South Africa
-
D
Norway
19
Which invention in the 1970s allowed for the mass monitoring of deforestation from space?
-
A
Landsat satellite program
-
B
Global Positioning System
-
C
Weather radar
-
D
Sonar mapping
20
What did the 1963 Clean Air Act in the United States first authorize the government to do?
-
A
Provide grants for air pollution control research
-
B
Ban all coal-fired power plants
-
C
Tax carbon emissions
-
D
Regulate household car exhaust
