18. Ecological Economics & Footprints Flashcards
What are traditional economics?
voluntary economic interactions occur because of mutual self-interest, society benefits by becoming more prosperous
assumes that the costs and benefits are borne by the participants
What are hidden costs?
they’re called externalities, and consist of environmental damage and human rights violations (it’s really hard to account for the latter economically)
How does Braiding Sweetgrass see commodity exchange?
there are no relationships built between the vendor and buyer (unlike gift-giving)
prof disagrees, saying relationships can be built with local vendors
What are hidden environmental costs of buying fresh produce?
shipping emissions, monotonous GMOs, fertilizers & pesticides, C02 emissions, use of water
What are the goals of ecological economics?
expose the hidden costs of consumption
internalize the external environmental costs in the price of goods (ex. carbon tax)
ultimately making shopping choices environmentally neutral (achieved by green taxes)
Where does the money go from the carbon tax (fuel charge)?
90% goes back to the people who pay it
10% goes to environmental incentive subsidies
people in rural areas get a bigger rebate than those in cities
Is the carbon tax designed to be equitable?
it’s estimated that the majority of households receive more in rebates than they pay in taxes
it’s designed to benefit lower income families more than the wealthy (since the latter consume and consequently burn more)
Why are people against the carbon tax?
it’s not a recognized benefit for citizens, we think it all goes to the government
51% of people think they don’t receive it
Does the carbon tax work?
Yes! It’s backed by the majority of economists and proven to minimize carbon emissions
we need it coupled with other federal policies to reach the net-zero emissions pathway
Should we tax producers?
yes, but they’re typically passed onto consumers
caps on big producers may be more effective
Why do we need green taxes on consumers?
consumers choose what to consume, should be enticed to live greener (by making the environmentally worse products more expensive)
billionaire consumers should be taxed extra for their detrimental activities - and increase the rebate for non-billionaires
What is an ecological footprint?
a way to calculate one’s personal consumption ‘costs’, taking one’s lifestyle into account
