Global Issues (not so) Trivia Questions

1 What is the current human population of the world? a)3.5 billion b)7 billion c)10.5 billion d)18.5 billion

2 What was the world’s human population in 1960? a)0.5 billion b)1 billion c)3 billion d)5 billion

3 What is the world population projected to be in 2050? a)8 billion b)9 billion c)11 billion d)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.Indonesia Then… Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan

5 By about how many people per year is world population growing? a)25 million b)55 million c)80 million d)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)Tokyo b)Mexico City c)Cairo d)New York City e)Los Angeles A: Tokyo, with 37 million! Then

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

8 Because of urban sprawl in the United States, an area the size of which state is paved over each year? a)Texas b)Delaware c)Rhode Island d)Kansas A: Delaware

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

10 In 2000, the average life expectancy worldwide was: a)46 b)56 c)65 d)76 A: 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 States b)China c)Japan d)Afghanistan A: USA

13 What is the single greatest cause of species extinction? a)Poaching b)Hunting for food c)Capture for exotic pet trade d)Habitat destruction A: 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 10 b)10 and 100 c)100 and 1,000 d)1,000 and 10,000 A: 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 million b)58 million c)870 million d)2 billion A: 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 water Industry: 20-25% Household/domestic: 13%

22 How much has the sea level risen over the last 100 years, according to NOAA? a)About 1 inch b)about 3 inches c)about 7.5 inches d)About 12 inches A: About 7.5 inches

23 How much is sea level predicted to rise by 2100? a)Up to 10 inches b)Up to 15 inches c)Up to 20 inches d)Up to 27 inches A: 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