30 Earth Day Quiz Google: Wildlife, Climate, Oceans, Ecosystems, Renewable Energy

Section 1: Endangered Species & Wildlife (Q1–Q6)

Q1. Which of the following animals is classified as "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List?

• A) African Elephant
• B) Amur Leopard
• C) Polar Bear
• D) Monarch Butterfly

Answer: B) Amur Leopard

Fewer than 100 Amur Leopards remain in the wild, making it one of the world's most endangered big cats.

Q2. The Giant Panda was downlisted from "Endangered" to which IUCN status in 2016?

• A) Least Concern
• B) Near Threatened
• C) Vulnerable
• D) Extinct in the Wild

Answer: C) Vulnerable

Conservation efforts in China helped increase the wild giant panda population above 1,800.

Q3. Which migratory species travels up to 3,000 miles from Canada/USA to Mexico every year?

• A) Arctic Tern
• B) Monarch Butterfly
• C) Humpback Whale
• D) Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Answer: B) Monarch Butterfly

Monarch butterfly populations have declined by over 80% in recent decades due to habitat loss and pesticide use.

Q4. How many species are estimated to go extinct every single day due to human activity?

• A) 1–5
• B) 10–20
• C) 50–150
• D) 500+

Answer: C) 50–150

Scientists estimate between 50 and 150 species are lost daily far exceeding the natural background extinction rate.

Q5. Which ocean animal is most threatened by ghost fishing gear abandoned nets and traps left in the sea?

• A) Clownfish
• B) Sea Turtle
• C) Dolphin
• D) Seahorse

Answer: B) Sea Turtle

All 7 species of sea turtle are threatened or endangered. Ghost gear is among the top causes of sea turtle injury and death.

Q6. The IUCN Red List currently tracks how many species worldwide?

• A) Around 10,000
• B) Around 50,000
• C) Over 150,000
• D) Over 1 million

Answer: C) Over 150,000

As of 2024, the IUCN Red List includes over 157,000 assessed species, of which more than 44,000 are threatened with extinction.

Section 2: Climate Change (Q7–Q12)

Q7. What is the current atmospheric concentration of CO₂ as of 2024?

• A) 280 ppm
• B) 350 ppm
• C) 420 ppm
• D) 500 ppm

Answer: C) 420 ppm

Before industrialisation, CO₂ levels were around 280 ppm. Crossing 420 ppm marks a critical milestone in climate history.

Q8. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to how many degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels?

• A) 1.0°C
• B) 1.5°C
• C) 2.5°C
• D) 3.0°C

Answer: B) 1.5°C

The 2015 Paris Agreement set 1.5°C as the safer target and 2°C as the absolute upper limit to avoid the worst climate impacts.

Q9. Which human activity is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions globally?

• A) Deforestation
• B) Agriculture
• C) Energy Production (burning fossil fuels)
• D) Industrial Manufacturing

Answer: C) Energy Production (burning fossil fuels)

Burning coal, oil, and natural gas for electricity and heat accounts for approximately 34% of global emissions.

Q10. By approximately how much has Earth's average surface temperature risen since pre-industrial times?

• A) 0.4°C
• B) 0.8°C
• C) 1.2°C
• D) 2.0°C

Answer: C) 1.2°C

Earth has already warmed by approximately 1.1–1.2°C since the late 1800s, with most of that warming occurring since 1975.

Q11. Which gas, besides CO₂, is a potent greenhouse gas produced largely by livestock and rice paddies?

• A) Nitrogen
• B) Methane (CH₄)
• C) Oxygen
• D) Argon

Answer: B) Methane (CH₄)

Methane is over 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period, though it breaks down faster in the atmosphere.

Q12. What is "ocean acidification"?

• A) The ocean becoming saltier due to melting ice
• B) A decrease in ocean pH caused by absorbed CO₂
• C) Toxic algae blooms turning ocean water acidic
• D) Rising ocean temperatures killing marine bacteria

Answer: B) A decrease in ocean pH caused by absorbed CO₂

Oceans absorb about 30% of human CO₂ emissions. This lowers pH, threatening coral reefs, shellfish, and marine food chains.

Section 3: Oceans & Marine Life (Q13–Q17)

Q13. Oceans cover what percentage of Earth's surface?

• A) 51%
• B) 61%
• C) 71%
• D) 81%

Answer: C) 71%

Despite covering nearly three-quarters of the planet, over 80% of the ocean remains unexplored.

Q14. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to be how large?

• A) The size of Texas
• B) Twice the size of Texas
• C) The size of France
• D) Twice the size of France

Answer: B) Twice the size of Texas

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers approximately 1.6 million square kilometres — making it one of the most visible signs of plastic pollution.

Q15. What percentage of Earth's oxygen is produced by ocean phytoplankton?

• A) 10%
• B) 30%
• C) 50%
• D) 70%

Answer: C) 50%

Tiny ocean phytoplankton produce roughly half of Earth's oxygen — making the ocean just as vital to breathing as land forests.

Q16. Which is the world's largest coral reef system?

• A) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
• B) Coral Triangle (Southeast Asia)
• C) Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
• D) Red Sea Coral Reef

Answer: C) Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

Stretching over 2,300 km, the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef and is visible from space though it has lost over 50% of its coral since 1995.

Q17. By 2050, if current trends continue, what could outweigh fish in the ocean by mass?

• A) Jellyfish
• B) Plastic
• C) Algae
• D) Shipping containers

Answer: B) Plastic

A widely cited Ellen MacArthur Foundation report projects that there could be more plastic than fish (by weight) in the ocean by 2050.

Section 4: Forests & Ecosystems (Q18–Q22)

Q18. The Amazon Rainforest produces approximately what fraction of the world's oxygen?

• A) 5%
• B) 10%
• C) 20%
• D) 40%

Answer: C) 20%

The Amazon is often called the "lungs of the Earth," producing around 20% of the world's oxygen and housing 10% of all species.

Q19. Which biome stores the most carbon per unit area on Earth?

• A) Tropical Rainforest
• B) Tundra
• C) Temperate Grassland
• D) Peatland / Wetland

Answer: D) Peatland / Wetland

Peatlands cover only 3% of Earth's land surface but store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined.

Q20. Deforestation accounts for approximately what percentage of global CO₂ emissions?

• A) 2–3%
• B) 5–10%
• C) 15–20%
• D) 25–30%

Answer: B) 5–10%

Land-use change including deforestation contributes roughly 10–15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions depending on the methodology used.

Q21. Which country has the highest rate of deforestation in recent years?

• A) Indonesia
• B) Brazil
• C) Democratic Republic of Congo
• D) Bolivia

Answer: B) Brazil

Brazil's Amazon accounts for the largest share of tropical forest loss globally. In 2021, deforestation reached a 15-year high before declining in 2023 under new policy.

Q22. What is the term for the process of restoring a forest to an area where it previously existed?

• A) Reforestation
• B) Afforestation
• C) Silviculture
• D) Forestation

Answer: A) Reforestation

Reforestation = restoring forests where they existed. Afforestation = planting trees in areas that were not previously forested.

Section 5: Renewable Energy & Sustainability (Q23–Q27)

Q23. As of 2024, renewables account for approximately what share of global electricity generation?

• A) 10%
• B) 20%
• C) 30%
• D) 50%

Answer: C) 30%

Renewables crossed the 30% threshold of global electricity generation in 2023, driven largely by solar and wind growth.

Q24. Which renewable energy source is currently growing the fastest worldwide?

• A) Wind
• B) Hydroelectric
• C) Solar (Photovoltaic)
• D) Geothermal

Answer: C) Solar (Photovoltaic)

Solar PV capacity additions have set new records every year since 2019 and now represent the fastest-growing energy source in history.

Q25. A standard electric vehicle (EV) produces how much direct tailpipe CO₂ compared to a petrol car?

• A) Half as much
• B) A quarter as much
• C) Zero
• D) Slightly less

Answer: C) Zero

EVs produce zero direct tailpipe emissions. Lifecycle emissions depend on how electricity is generated, but are still typically 50–70% lower than petrol vehicles.

Q26. Which country generates the highest share of its electricity from renewable sources?

• A) Germany
• B) Denmark
• C) Iceland
• D) Norway

Answer: C) Iceland

Iceland generates nearly 100% of its electricity from renewables approximately 70% from hydropower and 30% from geothermal energy.

Q27. What does "carbon neutral" mean for a company or country?

• A) Producing zero carbon emissions
• B) Balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal or offsets
• C) Using only solar and wind power
• D) Planting one tree for every ton of CO₂ emitted

Answer: B) Balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal or offsets

Carbon neutral means net zero CO₂ output — achieved by reducing emissions and offsetting the remainder through carbon credits, reforestation, or direct air capture.

Section 6: Earth Day History & Google (Q28–Q30)

Q28. Earth Day was first celebrated in which year?

• A) 1962
• B) 1970
• C) 1975
• D) 1990

Answer: B) 1970

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. It mobilised 20 million Americans and led directly to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Q29. How many people in how many countries now participate in Earth Day annually?

• A) 500 million in 100 countries
• B) 750 million in 150 countries
• C) Over 1 billion in 193 countries
• D) Over 2 billion in 200 countries

Answer: C) Over 1 billion in 193 countries

Earth Day is considered the largest secular civic event in the world, with participation from every recognised nation.

Q30. In what year did Google launch its first interactive Earth Day quiz that went massively viral famously asking "Which animal are you?"

• A) 2012
• B) 2015
• C) 2017
• D) 2019

Answer: C) 2017

Google's 2017 "Which Animal Are You?" Earth Day quiz was completed over 500 million times in a single day, making it one of the most-engaged interactive Doodles in Google's history.

Summary Score Card

How to use these 30 questions:

• Classroom quiz: Split into 5 rounds of 6 questions
• Blog quiz widget: Embed as an interactive scored quiz
• Social media: Post one Q&A per day in April leading up to Earth Day
• Lead magnet: Bundle as a downloadable "Earth Day Quiz Pack" PDF