The Reader’s Digest Earth Day Quiz
Just how well do you know our planet? To mark Earth Day on April 22, put your knowledge of our natural environment to the test.
Earth Day Quiz
1. Approximately how many people participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the world’s largest secular observance?
A: 500 million
B: One billion
C: Three billion
2. Immersing yourself mindfully in nature is known in Japan as “Shinrin-Yoku.” What does this literally mean?
A: “Forest bathing”
B: “Going green”
C: “Returning to your roots”
3. It’s hard to recycle plastic that’s dirty, low-value or mis-sorted. So, even though many of us put our plastic waste in the blue bin, what percentage of it actually gets recycled?
A: Around 50%
B: Around 22%
C: Around 9%
Answer:
C – Around 9%. Reducing single-use plastics would be more effective.
Find out how you can green-up your daily grooming routine.
4. Globally, 2020 was the hottest year so far on record.
True or false?
Answer:
True—2020 tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record.
Did you know that Canada is heating up twice as fast as the world’s average? Find out how climate change is making you sick.
5. The adorable sea slug known as the leaf sheep is unusual for an animal because it can get energy how?
A: By desalinating sea water.
B: From photosynthesis.
C: By dissolving plastic.
Answer:
B – From photosynthesis.
Find out what Canada’s ban on single-use plastics means for Canadians—and the environment.
6. In 2015, which country became the first to outlaw planned obsolescence?
A: Rwanda
B: The Netherlands
C: France
7. What animal’s population plunged from roughly 60 million in 1800 to less than 1,000 in 1889?
A: The plains bison
B: The western lowland gorilla
C: The Asian elephant
Answer:
A – The plains bison.
Read up on the organization that’s preserving Canada’s botanical heritage.
8. What weather event happens when moonlight is refracted through water droplets in the air?
A: A worm moon
B: A moonbow
C: Spectral fog
Answer:
B – A moonbow, also known as a lunar rainbow.
Find out the best places for stargazing across Canada.
9. Most old-growth forests on Canada’s West Coast are protected from logging.
True or false?
10. In what year did the first Earth Day take place?
A: 1966
B: 1970
C: 1974
11. Around what proportion of the world’s fisheries are currently pushed beyond their biological limits?
A: One third
B: One fifth
C: 10%
Answer:
A – One third.
Get to know Canada’s electric car targets, and what they mean for the average Canadian.
12. Who wrote, “We forget that we don’t need everything… material things satisfy human beings only so much”?
A: David Attenborough
B: Greta Thunberg and Francisco Vera
C: David Suzuki and Holly Dressel
Answer:
C – David Suzuki and Holly Dressel.
Don’t miss these green cleaning tips for the bathroom.
13. So far, how many mass extinction events have there been in earth’s history?
A: None
B: One
C: Five
14. In which country could you visit the Whanganui River, which has been granted legal personhood and rights?
A: South Africa
B: New Zealand
C: China
15. Who described earth as “a brilliant jewel in the black velvet sky”?
A: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin
B: Environmentalist Jane Goodall
C: Musician Sting
Answer:
A – Astronaut Buzz Aldrin
If you enjoyed this Earth Day quiz, see how well you fare on our Canadian trivia challenge.
