Duplicate
Export
Register
THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.pdf Flashcards
1 Flashcard Deck
THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.pdf Flashcards
Study
Environmental economics has a major role to play in the design of public policies for environmental quality improvement.
True
According to this approach, environmental degradation is the result of human behavior that is unethical or immoral.
Moral Approach
According to this view, in private enterprise economies such as the Western industrialized nations, people are rewarded for maximizing profits, the difference between the value of what is produced and the value of what is used up in the production process.
Profit Motive
Why do people pollute?
People pollute because it is the cheapest way they have of solving a certain, very practical problem. Note: That problem is the disposal of the waste products remaining after consumers have finished using something, or after business firms have finished producing something.
the application of the principles of economics to the study of how environmental resources are managed. Economics
Environmental Economics
the study of how and why individuals and groups make decisions about the use and distribution of valuable human and nonhuman resources.
Economics
What is the impact of economic activity on the natural environment?
It can lead to pollution or degradation of the natural environment
Why is plastic considered a cumulative pollutant?
Plastic decays very slowly by human standards, so what is disposed of will remain in the environment permanently
How do underground hydrological processes affect the transportation of materials disposed of in landfills?
They influence the transportation of materials disposed of in landfills
What determines how residuals translate into particular ambient quality levels in the natural system?
Physical, chemical, biological, meteorological processes
What is the central role of recycling in the context of production residuals?
To replace a portion of the original flow of virgin materials by substituting recycled materials for virgin materials.
What are the intertemporal trade-offs involved in using nonrenewable resources?
The intertemporal trade-offs in using nonrenewable resources involve balancing current extraction rates with future availability, considering the economic value and sustainability implications of depletion.
What is the main focus of early environmental concern mentioned in the text?
End flows of discharged residuals by producers and consumers
Why are point source pollutants easier to manage compared to nonpoint source pollutants?
Point source pollutants are easier to identify, measure, monitor, and study in terms of connections between emissions and impacts, making it easier to develop control policies for them
What is sustainability in the context of environmental decisions?
Making decisions in the short run that do not have serious negative impacts in the long run.
What are the appropriate rates for extracting underground petroleum deposits in energy economics?
The appropriate rates for extracting underground petroleum deposits should consider factors such as resource availability, market demand, technological capabilities, and environmental impact.
What is the difference between point source pollutants and nonpoint source pollutants?
Point source pollutants have identifiable discharge points, while nonpoint source pollutants do not have well-defined points of discharge
What are the three ways mentioned in the text to reduce the quantity of raw materials and residuals discharged into the natural environment?
Reduce goods and services produced, reduce production residuals produced, increase recycling
In a situation with multiple sources, who bears a greater responsibility for deteriorating air quality in a city?
The closer plant or source
What are some examples of nonrenewable resources in natural resource economics?
Examples of nonrenewable resources in natural resource economics include petroleum reservoirs, non-energy mineral deposits, and certain groundwater aquifers with low replenishment rates.
What determines how emissions translate into ambient quality levels in the environment?
Physical, chemical, biological, meteorological processes of the natural system
What is the policy problem related to continuous emissions?
The policy problem is to manage the rate of these discharges.
What does sustainability mean in terms of natural resources?
Sustainability means that resources must be used in a way that does not impair the ability of the natural resource base to support future generations.
What are examples of pollutants that accumulate in the environment over time?
Radioactive waste, plastics, many chemicals
What are continuous emissions?
Emissions from electric power plants or municipal waste treatment plants that are more or less continuous.
What is the third possibility to reduce the amount of production residuals produced for a given quantity of output produced?
Increase recycling by recycling production and consumption residuals back into the production process.
What concept has become popular as a criterion for evaluating decisions with environmental implications?
Sustainability.
Provide an example of a point source pollutant.
Sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants, municipal waste treatment plant outfalls
What are some examples of meteorological conditions that can affect how emissions affect ambient quality levels?
Wind and temperature conditions
What happens when one medium receives reduced residuals?
The amounts going into other media must increase
Give an example of a regional/global pollutant.
Acid rain, ozone-depleting effects of chlorofluorocarbon emissions
According to the law of conservation of matter from physics, what must be equal in the long run?
Flows of raw materials extracted and residuals discharged into the environment
What problem do pollution control programs face in situations with multiple sources of emissions?
Designing and enforcing control measures becomes challenging
What happens when emissions from multiple sources mix together?
Responsibilities for controlling emissions become less clear
How can the environment be viewed as an asset in terms of producing services for humans and nonhuman organisms?
As an asset that produces important services for both humans and nonhuman organisms.
What does production refer to in the context of the economy?
All activities that determine the quantities of goods and services produced and the means by which production is carried out
How do farmers make decisions about using conservation practices in cultivating their land in agricultural economics?
Farmers make decisions about using conservation practices based on factors such as soil health, erosion prevention, water conservation, biodiversity preservation, and compliance with government programs and incentives.
What is Natural Resource Economics?
The application of economic principles to the study of extraction and utilization of natural resources
What is the policy problem related to episodic emissions?
The policy problem is to design and manage a system to reduce the probability of accidental discharges.
How does the natural world support economic systems?
By providing raw materials and energy inputs necessary for production and consumption
What is the central role of recycling according to the text?
To replace a portion of the original flow of virgin materials and reduce the quantity of residuals discharged while maintaining the rate of output of goods and services
What are episodic emissions?
Many pollutants are emitted on an episodic basis.
What rules need to be established for managing fisheries in marine economics?
Rules for managing fisheries in marine economics should include regulations on fishing quotas, gear types, fishing seasons, and protected areas to ensure sustainable fish stock levels.
How can the quantity of residuals discharged be reduced while maintaining the rate of output of goods and services?
By substituting recycled materials for virgin materials.
What are some examples of renewable resources in natural resource economics?
Examples of renewable resources in natural resource economics include living resources like fisheries, timber, and solar energy that can regenerate through natural processes.
What questions does Land Economics address?
Decisions about land use in the private sector, impact of property rights and land use regulations on space utilization
What is one major objective of any society regarding the PPC?
To change the PPC so that the trade-off between economic output and environmental quality is more favorable, allowing for higher levels of environmental quality with a given economic output.
Why is plastic considered a cumulative pollutant?
Plastic decays very slowly and remains in the environment for a long time
What is smog the result of?
Complex chemical reactions involving sunlight and quantities of various pollutants
What can turn continuous emissions into uncertain damages?
Meteorological and hydrological events.
What does the horizontal axis represent in a PPC?
Environmental quality derived from data on different dimensions of the ambient environment, such as airborne sulfur dioxide concentrations, urban noise levels, and water quality data.
What is the difference between continuous emissions and episodic emissions?
Continuous emissions are more or less continuous from operations like power plants, while episodic emissions occur intermittently or in short bursts
What are the sources of emissions?
Private firms, government agencies, consumers
What questions does Marine Economics address?
Rules for managing fisheries, effects of harvest rates on fish stock
Provide an example of a nonpoint source pollutant.
Agricultural chemicals that run off land in a dispersed pattern, urban storm water runoff
How is acid rain produced?
Through chemical processes acting primarily on sulfur dioxide emissions emitted far upwind
What determines the shape and location of the PPC?
The technical capacities in the economy and ecological facts, including meteorology and hydrology, of the natural system where the society is situated.
What does the vertical axis represent in a PPC?
The aggregate output of an economy, which is the total market value of conventional economic goods traded in the economy in a year.
How do government programs affect the choices farmers make regarding crops and production methods in agricultural economics?
Government programs can influence farmers' choices regarding crop selection, production methods, land use practices, and adoption of sustainable agriculture through subsidies, grants, regulations, and extension services.
What makes radioactive waste a strictly cumulative type of pollutant?
It decays over time, but at a slow rate in relation to human life spans, making it essentially permanent in the environment
What does it mean when the PPC shows a trade-off between economic output and environmental quality?
It means that an increase in economic output can only be obtained at the cost of a decrease in environmental quality, and vice versa.
What influences where a society chooses to locate itself on the PPC?
Social choice influenced by the values that people in that society place on economic output and environmental quality.
How can the relationship between conventional economic output and environmental quality be described?
As a trade-off between conventional goods and services and environmental quality.
What produces changes in ambient levels of environmental quality?
Emissions
What do damages in the context of environmental pollutants refer to?
Particular exposure patterns for living and nonliving systems resulting from ambient conditions and human choices
What does a Production Possibility Curve (PPC) show?
A curve showing the different combinations of two things a society may produce at any time given its resources and technological capabilities.
What are residuals in the context of production and consumption activities?
Leftover waste products that must find their way back into the natural world
How sensitive is energy use to changes in energy prices in energy economics?
Energy use can be sensitive to changes in energy prices, with fluctuations in prices affecting consumer behavior, industry investments, and energy conservation efforts.
How do mineral prices affect the addition to reserves in forest economics?
Mineral prices can impact the addition to reserves in forest economics by influencing the profitability of harvesting and conservation decisions.
What is sustainability in natural resource economics?
Sustainability in natural resource economics refers to the ability to maintain resource use at levels that do not compromise the natural resource base's capacity to support future generations, balancing present needs with long-term environmental and economic health.
What is the study of nature as the provider of raw materials called?
Natural resource economics
How do government policies affect the harvest rates pursued by timber companies?
Government policies can influence the harvest rates pursued by timber companies through regulations, incentives, and conservation measures that impact land use and harvesting practices.
How are pollutants classified based on their economic characteristics?
Into broad types of emissions according to factors that critically affect their economic characteristics
What questions does Forest Economics address?
Appropriate timber harvest rates, effects of government policies on timber companies
How should nonrenewable resources be used to ensure sustainability?
Nonrenewable resources should be used in a way that contributes to the long-term economic and social health of the population.
What is an example of a strictly cumulative pollutant?
Radioactive waste, which decays slowly over time and remains in the environment for extended periods
How do different harvest rates affect the stock of fish in marine economics?
Different harvest rates in marine economics can impact the stock of fish by either depleting or replenishing the population, affecting the overall sustainability of the fishery.
How do different water laws affect the utilization of water by different people in water economics?
Different water laws can impact the utilization of water by regulating water rights, allocation systems, pricing mechanisms, and access to water resources for various users.
What are some examples of pollutants that are considered strictly cumulative?
Radioactive waste, plastics, many chemicals
What distinguishes cumulative pollutants from noncumulative pollutants?
Cumulative pollutants tend to accumulate over time, while noncumulative pollutants dissipate soon after being emitted
What does environmental economics aim to determine in relation to damages from environmental outcomes?
The relative values that people place on different environmental outcomes
What do the two panels in the PPC diagram represent?
Panel a shows the trade-offs facing the current generation, while Panel b shows the PPCs for future generations, such as great grandchildren.
What are some important production residuals mentioned in the text?
Domestic sewage and automobile emissions
What is the fundamental goal of environmental studies in relation to emissions and ambient quality levels?
To determine how emissions patterns are translated into corresponding ambient quality level patterns
What is the fundamental distinction in natural resource economics between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
The fundamental distinction in natural resource economics is between renewable resources (such as fisheries and timber) that can regenerate over time and nonrenewable resources (like petroleum and mineral deposits) that do not replenish once depleted.
What are the primary inputs from the natural environment to the producing sector?
Materials in the form of fuels, nonfuel minerals, wood, water, petroleum, and gases like natural gas and oxygen are the primary inputs from the natural environment to the producing sector.
What are the two elementary economic functions pursued by society?
Production and distribution
What is assimilative capacity in relation to environmental pollution?
Assimilative capacity is the ability of the natural system to accept certain pollutants and render them benign or inoffensive, similar to a natural resource.
What is the difference between local pollutants and regional/global pollutants?
Local pollutants have impacts limited to small groups in a specific region, while regional/global pollutants have impacts over larger regions or globally
Give an example of a noncumulative pollutant.
Noise, which stops once the emitting source is shut down
What does sustainability mean for renewable resources?
For renewable resources, sustainability means establishing rates of use that are coordinated with the natural productivity rates affecting the way the resources grow and decline.
How can choices made by the present generation affect future possibilities according to the PPC?
Choices made today can affect future possibilities by depleting resources, causing irreversible damage, or shifting the future PPC back from where it would be otherwise.
What does distribution refer to in the context of the economy?
The way goods and services are divided up among individuals and groups in society
What does the link 'b' in the schematic represent?
The impact of economic activity on the quality of the natural environment
Give an example of a local pollutant.
Noise pollution and the degradation of the visual environment
What consequences can future generations face if the environment is degraded today according to the PPC?
Future generations could face a reduced set of possibilities, with lower levels of environmental quality or marketed output compared to the choices available today.
What is consumption in the context of the economy?
The final utilization of goods and services by individuals, households, and organizations
What are the intertemporal trade-offs involved in using renewable resources?
The intertemporal trade-offs in using renewable resources include determining optimal harvesting rates to ensure future growth and availability, considering ecological impacts and sustainability of resource stocks.
What are some examples of subdivisions in Natural Resource Economics?
Mineral Economics, Forest Economics, Marine Economics, Land Economics
Where do emissions go into?
Environmental media such as land, air, water
What happens to residuals in the production and consumption processes?
Some may be recovered, recycled, or put through treatment processes to render them more benign when emitted
How do laws of property rights and public land use regulations affect the allocation of space in land economics?
Laws of property rights and public land use regulations influence the allocation of space by determining permissible land uses, development restrictions, and conservation measures for different types of land.
What is shown in the figure mentioned in the text?
The figure shows raw materials and energy being extracted from the natural environment, and residuals being discharged back into the environment.
What is the focus of environmental economics apart from pollution control?
Understanding and managing various human impacts on the environment, including habitat disruption and scenic degradation
What do emissions cause to humans and nonhumans?
Damages
What questions does Mineral Economics address?
Appropriate extraction rates from mines, response of exploration to mineral prices
What are the primary types of residuals mentioned in the text?
Sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, toxic solvents, animal manure, pesticides, particulate matter, waste building materials, heavy metals, waste energy in the form of heat and noise, and radioactivity.
What kinds of regulations should govern the allocation of water from agriculture to urban users in water economics?
Regulations governing the allocation of water from agriculture to urban users should consider factors like water rights, efficiency measures, conservation practices, and equitable distribution to ensure sustainable water management.
What does the link 'a' in the schematic represent?
Raw materials flowing into production and consumption processes
What are some examples of residuals produced by consumers?
Domestic sewage, automobile emissions, solid waste, hazardous materials like toxic chemicals, and used oil are examples of residuals produced by consumers.
What are residuals in the context of production and consumption?
Residuals are leftovers that include all types of material residuals emitted into the air or water, disposed of on land, waste energy in the form of heat and noise, and radioactivity. Consumers also produce residuals such as domestic sewage and automobile emissions.
How do people in the private sector, builders, and home purchasers make decisions about the use of land in land economics?
People in the private sector, builders, and home purchasers make decisions about land use based on factors such as market demand, zoning laws, property rights, and public land use regulations.
What is the appropriate rate at which timber should be harvested?
The appropriate rate at which timber should be harvested is determined based on sustainable forestry practices and balancing current demand with future growth.
Scholarly Assistant's Insights
Flashcards for understanding the link between economy and environment, covering topics like environmental economics and pollution causes.
Environmental Economics
Economic Activity
Economic Impact
Sustainability
Pollution
+39 more
Ask Scholarly Assistant
Similar Pages
Login to Leave a Comment
Give your feedback, or leave a comment on a page to share your thoughts with the community.
Login