Certified in Public Health (CPH) Practice Exam

What is a significant environmental concern associated with carbon dioxide emissions?

1. Ozone layer depletion

2. Global warming and climate change

3. Acidification of oceans

4. Groundwater contamination

The correct answer is: Global warming and climate change

Global warming and climate change are significant environmental concerns primarily associated with carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning it has the ability to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. As human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation, release increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere rises. This leads to an enhanced greenhouse effect, resulting in higher global temperatures. As the planet warms, various climatic changes occur, including shifts in weather patterns, more frequent and severe extreme weather events, rising sea levels due to melting ice caps, and alterations in ecosystems and biodiversity. These changes can have profound impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, and overall societal stability, making the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change a critical area of focus in environmental science and public health. While the other options present important environmental issues—such as ozone depletion related to different pollutants, ocean acidification linked to increased carbon dioxide absorption in marine environments, and groundwater contamination from various sources—they are not directly caused by carbon dioxide emissions in the same significant way that global warming and climate change are.