Virginia Commonwealth University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

1. 
   

   Which of the following is not one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals?

• 
  

  Good Health and Well-being

• 
  

  Zero Waste 

• 
  

  Responsible Consumption and Production

• 
  

  Reduced Inequalities

Source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

2. 
   

   Which of the following creates the most greenhouse gas emissions in the United States?

• 
  

  Industry

• 
  

  Agriculture

• 
  

  Electricity Production

• 
  

  Transportation

Source: https://climatechange.chicago.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=The%20largest%20source%20of%20greenhouse,Greenhouse%20Gas%20Emissions%20and%20Sinks.

3. 
   

   On average, how much have temperatures in Virginia increased since the beginning of the 20th century?

• 
  

  3 degrees fahrenheit

• 
  

  0 degrees fahrenheit

• 
  

  2.5 degrees fahrenheit

• 
  

  1.5 degrees fahrenheit

Source: https://thejamesriver.org/about-the-james-river/state-of-the-james/

4. 
   

   How many people in Virginia rely on the James River for their drinking water?

• 
  

  80 thousand

• 
  

  4.8 million

• 
  

  2.7 million

• 
  

  1.5 million

Source: https://thejamesriver.org/about-the-james-river/state-of-the-james/

5. 
   

   Which of the following makes up the largest portion of landfilled waste in the United States?

• 
  

  Food

• 
  

  Plastic

• 
  

  Textiles

• 
  

  Glass

Source: https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials#recycling

6. 
   

   Which resource is the largest source of electrical energy in Virginia?

- Coal

- Natural Gas

- Solar

- Nuclear

Source: https://www.epa.gov/egrid/power-profiler#/SRVC

7. 
   

   What is the number one reason that current global extinction rates are higher than natural extinction rates? 

• 
  

  Pollution

• 
  

  Competition from invasive species

• 
  

  Commercial exploitation

• 
  

  Habitat Loss

Source: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-do-animals-and-plants-become-endangered#:~:text=Habitat%20loss%20is%20the%20primary,and%20the%20spread%20of%20diseases.

8. 
   

   The United States National Climate Task Force has set a goal of reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by what year?

• 
  

  2035

• 
  

  2025

• 
  

  2050

• 
  

  2040

Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/climate/#:~:text=Reducing%20U.S.%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions,zero%20 emissions%20economy%20 by%202050

9. 
   

   What species of fish, native to the James River and Chesapeake Bay, was found to have a 0% abundance as of 2021, despite once being one of the largest commercial fisheries on the Atlantic Coast?

• 
  

  American Shad

• 
  

  Atlantic Sturgeon

• 
  

  Rainbow Trout

• 
  

  Blue Catfish

Source: https://thejamesriver.org/about-the-james-river/saving-american-shad/

10. 
    

    Which of the following is a climate change impact expected to affect the City of Richmond?

• 
  

  Extreme heat

• 
  

  Increased precipitation

• 
  

  Increased Flooding

• 
  

  All of the above are expected to impact Richmond

Source: https://www.rva.gov/index.php/sustainability/climate-change

This assessment was developed by reviewing other university assessments and reviewing STARS guidance on successful assessments. The literacy assessment was specific to relevant regional sustainability issues along with global issues and general sustainability knowledge questions to gauge student understanding of a broad array of sustainability challenges.

The literacy assessment was conducted through VCU's online surveying tool and was included in a daily email to all students. It was an opt-in survey, so although we did not receive enough responses to be a representative sample, we did get a broad array of responses from students in different schools and colleges across the university.

The summary of percent of students who got questions correct is below: