Quiz - Clean Energy

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* 1. Which of these countries have NOT vowed to use only 100% renewable energy by 2050?

Afghanistan

Guatemala

Vietnam

Canada

Hint: At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (2016) in Marrakesh, Morocco, 48 countries, who are members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, pledged to use only renewable energy by 2050. These countries are often those who are and will be affected by climate change the most. Some of the countries who committed include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Guatemala, and Vietnam.

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* 2. Which country has not run completely on renewable energy?

The USA

Denmark

Portugal

Costa Rica

Hint: While some places in the United States have run on 100% renewable energy, such as Burlington, Vermont, the entirety of the country has not. Some countries that have include Denmark, who ran entirely on wind for a day, Portugal, who ran on wind, solar, and hydropower for four days, and Costa Rica, who was powered by renewable energy for more than 100 days.

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* 3. True or False: Across the globe, the coal industry is declining, while renewable energy industries are on the rise.

True

False

Hint: In 2016, world coal production fell by 6.2%, which was considered to be a record amount. A decrease in coal consumption in the United States and China led to a decreased amount of coal production. 2016 was the second year in a row that coal saw a decline. Alternatively, electricity from renewable energy increased by 12% last year, which was the fastest growing source. Renewable energy “now accounts for 4 percent of primary energy production worldwide.”

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* 4. Which of the following is not considered to be a source of renewable energy?

Hydropower

Wind

Natural gas

Solar

Hint: According to the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy sources, which re-generate, consist of biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar.

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* 5. Which of the following are negative impacts of burning fossil fuels?

They contribute to environmental degradation and pollution

They harm local communities

They contribute to human health problems

All of the above

Hint: Fossil fuels and the fossil fuel industry have many negative impacts. Some are direct and easily visible, such as pollution and land degradation. Others may not be so obvious. For example, human health can be at risk. Coal miners may develop black lung disease, or communities near transportation routes may be exposed to coal dust. Local communities may be at risk in terms of health, but extraction techniques such as surface mining can also increase the amount of mudslides, landslides, and flash floods.

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* 6. True or False: Using more renewable energy sources would increase the overall amount of land needed for energy production.

True

False

Hint: Renewable energy sources actually require less land. About 1.15-1.2% of the world’s land is needed for renewable energy production, whereas oil and gas take up 1-2%. This 1-2% does not include refineries, pipelines, or coal/nuclear infrastructure. Renewable sources like solar don’t run out, so the same land can be used indefinitely. Similarly, new solar panels could be installed on the same land if they wear out.

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* 7. In 2016, about how much of the United State’s energy consumption derived from renewable sources?

10%

40%

70%

Hint: In 2016, 10% of total energy consumption in the United States came from renewable sources. The United States also generated about 15% of its electricity from renewable sources.

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* 8. In the United States, which is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sectors?

Solar

Biomass

Geothermal

None of the above

Hint: In 2016, more than half of electricity generation capacity that was added to the grid in the United States came from renewable sources. 60% of this came from solar and wind. According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the US solar market is expected to triple in size over the next five years.

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* 9. According to scientists, how many countries could run entirely on wind, solar, and water power by 2050?

140

Hint: According to a roadmap created by scientists, by 2050, nearly 140 countries could run on energy created solely from wind, solar, water power. This is more than 70% of the world’s countries. Doing so could help avoid more dangerous global warming, while also preventing millions of premature deaths and generating jobs.

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* 10. Which US state has proposed to commit to 100% renewable energy electricity?

Hawaii

California

Both a and b

None of the above

Hint: While both states have different models, California and Hawaii have committed to “a future of renewable electricity.” Hawaii aims to get there by 2045, while California has an approach that would require that 60% of their electricity energy is from renewables by 2030 and the other 40% “under a “zero-carbon” requirement” by 2045.