Global Issues (not so) Trivia Questions

1

What is the current human population of the world?

a)3.5 billionb)7 billionc) 10.5 billiond)18.5 billion

2

• What was the world’s human population in 1960?

a)0.5 billionb)1 billionc) 3 billiond)5 billion

3

What is the world population projected to be in 2050?

a)8 billionb)9 billionc) 11 billiond)14 billion

4

Q: What are the first, second, third and fourth most populous countries in the world?

A: 1. China,2. India, 3. United States, 4. IndonesiaThen…Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan

5

By about how many people per year is world population growing?

a)25 millionb)55 millionc) 80 milliond)95 million

6

• What percentage of the world’s people today live in cities?

a)10%b)25%c) 50%d)80%

7

What city in the world has the largest population?a)Tokyob)Mexico Cityc)Cairod)New York Citye)Los AngelesA:Tokyo, with 37 million!Then

Largest cities• 2. Jakarta, Indonesia (26,063,000) • 3. Seoul, South Korea (22,547,000) • 4. Delhi, India (22,242,000) • 5. Shanghai, China (20,860,000) • 6. Manila, Philippines (20,767,000) • 7. Karachi, Pakistan (20,711,000) • 8. New York, USA (20,464,000) • 9. Sao Paulo, Brazil (20,186,000) • 10. Mexico City, Mexico (19,463,000) • 11. Cairo, Egypt (17,816,000) • 12. Beijing, China (17,311,000) • 13. Osaka, Japan (17,011,000) • 14. Mumbai (Bombay), India (16,910,000) • 15. Guangzhou, China (16,827,000) • 16. Moscow, Russia (15,512,000) • 17. Los Angeles, USA (14,900,000)

8

Because of urban sprawl in the United States, an area the size of which state is paved over each year?a)Texasb)Delawarec)Rhode Islandd)KansasA:Delaware

9

In 1950, average life expectancy worldwide was:a)36b)49c)56d)66A:49

10

In 2000, the average life expectancy worldwide was:a)46b)56c)65d)76A:65

11

What is the measurement tool called that is used to describe the area of the earth’s surface necessary to support a given human lifestyle?A:Ecological Footprint

12

What country has the largest Ecological Footprint per person?a)United Statesb)Chinac)Japand)AfghanistanA:USA

13

What is the single greatest cause of species extinction?a)Poachingb)Hunting for foodc)Capture for exotic pet traded)Habitat destructionA:Habitat destruction

14

The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by experts to be between _____ and _______ times higher than the natural extinction rate.* (The rate that would exist if humans weren’t around)a)5 and 10b)10 and 100c)100 and 1,000d)1,000 and 10,000A:1,000 and 10,000 (source wwf)

15

What percentage of global coral reefs are estimated to have been lost in the last century?a)12%b)27%c)50%d)58%A:27%

16

• Roughly what percentage of the world’s people live on $2/day or less?

a)15%b)30%c) 40%d)65%A:40% !

17

What is the most widely spoken language on the earth?A:Mandarin Chinese

18

Roughly how many people in the world today are chronically hungry?a)1 millionb)58 millionc)870 milliond)2 billionA: 870 million (about 12.5% or 1 in 8!)

19

Roughly what percentage of the world’s people lack access to safe water supply?a)10%b)15%c)20%d)50%A:20% (1 out of every 5 people!)

20

Approximately what percentage of global energy do hydrocarbon fuels (fossil fuels) generate?a)20%b)40%c)60%d)80%A:80%

21

• What activity accounts for the highest water use world wide – agriculture, industry or domestic (household)? (rank them)

A:Agriculture: 65-70% of waterIndustry: 20-25%Household/domestic: 13%

22

How much has the sea level risen over the last 100 years, according to NOAA?a)About 1 inchb)about 3 inchesc)about 7.5 inchesd)About 12 inches

A: About 7.5 inches

23

How much is sea level predicted to rise by 2100?a)Up to 10 inchesb)Up to 15 inchesc)Up to 20 inchesd)Up to 27 inchesA:Up to 27 inches

24

What element (from the periodic table) do many scientists believe can provide an unlimited source of clean energy?A:hydrogen