ch19: poverty, population, and the environment

Question 1

traditional economic development

Answer 1

development is achieved by productively absorbing the labor freed up in the agrarian transition

Question 2

the agrarian transition

Answer 2

When farming becomes more efficient, goods can be exported and millions of people can be employed elsewhere such as in factories. If jobs are not made there is often mass poverty

Question 3

wealthy countries can improve environmental quality by…

Answer 3

sacrificing material consumption

–> in IPAT, reduce A in wealthy countries

Question 4

poor countries can improve environmental quality through

Answer 4

broad based growth in income

–> reduce P in poor countries

Question 5

4 connections between poverty and environmental quality

Answer 5

1. For poor people, many environmental problems are problems of poverty
2. Poor people degrade local resources because they cannot afford to conserve them
3. Richer people demand more pollution control
4. Wealthier people tend to have lower rates of population growth

Question 6

environmental kuznets curve hypothesis

Answer 6

as economic growth proceeds, certain types of pollution problems first get worse and then get better

some regulated pollutants display an inverted U shaped function of income
- as income rises, pollution increases and then falls
- Estimated $15,000 gdp per person threshold level where environmental damage falls

ex small-scale farming –> industrial farming –> organic farming

Question 7

4 explanations for the EKC hypothesis

Answer 7

1. Education:
   as income rises, so do levels of awareness regarding environmental threats.
2. political demand for pollution control:
   as income rises, political democracy and citizen participation tend to increase
3. a shift in industrial composition:
   Wealthier countries rely more on services and other relatively “clean” industries, while less-developed countries have more basic manufacturing and mining
4. relative risk considerations
   shorter lifespans (due to inadequate nutrition, lack of health care) –> decreased concerns about long-term pollution-related illnesses

Question 8

issue w ekc hypothesis

Answer 8

some pollution increases with income
ie co2 emissions and solid waste

Question 9

why do high income ppl have few children?

Answer 9

MB decreases for each kid had and with wealth
- more kids have, the less benefit each additional one brings
- don’t require kids for extra hands or for help in old age

MC increases w each kid had and with wealth
- ratio of parent to child decreases so need to start working less or hire help
- high income ppl consume more so cost of having child increase

Question 10

Demographic transition

Answer 10

Argued that poor countries are passing through a high-population-growth phase which resulted from a decline in death rates, due to the introduction of modern medicine in 40s and 50s

As average incomes rise, birth rates will fall and a natural demographic transition to low population growth will ocur

Question 11

a vicious cycle of population + poverty

Answer 11

a vicious cycle, in which population growth leads to poverty that sustains high population growth, remains a concern in some developing countries

Economic growth alone may not break this cycle - need aggressive measures to control population growth

Question 12

Poverty-fertility relationship

Answer 12

an economic model in which all parents seek economic insurance (provide car in old age + poor health) and an income supplement (employed to provide money to parents) from children

children are an economic investment. parents invest time and money w hopes of future productivity of their children.

an effective route to population control: changing parents economic family plan from low to high investment strategy

Question 13

Low vs high investment parenting strategies

Answer 13

low investment (quantity)
- lots of children provide small benefit to family income and insurance
- because of lack of resources and high risk of child mortality, poor parents choose low investment strategy

high investment (quality)
- a small number of children are more likey to succeed in gaining a high earning job and substantially increase the family income
- limited resources make this difficult for poor parents to choose high investment strategy

Question 14

4 ways to control population growth

Answer 14

1. Balanced economic growth and/or redistribution of income 2. Reduced infant and childhood mortality
2. Access to education
3. Comprehensive family planning

Question 15

land reform

Answer 15

an example of redistribution of wealth that involves breaking up of huge, underutilized estates into smaller units, made accessible to landless farmers
- if people have property rights, will have incentive to manage resources sustainably

Question 16

2 strategies for family planning

Answer 16

1. voluntary program: services that reduce obstacles to high investment strategy. ie affordable birth control
2. coercive policies
   ie chinas one child policy

Question 17

two elements to the consumption-pollution link

Answer 17

1. Because rich countries consume most of the world’s resources, we are responsible for most of the world’s global pollution problems
2. Rich-country demand can lead to an unsustainable drawdown in natural capital in poor countries
   - colonial governments drained resource-generated wealth from colonies, investing little in human capital or infrastructure

Question 18

the bundtland report

Answer 18

Aka Our common future

publication by Un which popularized the term sustainable development

Called for urgent national and international action to support sustainable development

Question 19

The Millenium development goals (MDGs)

Answer 19

2000 - Un established 8 mdgs

Un had no authority to enforce these goals but they were adopted as guidelines for action by gov, business, and civil society

Question 20

The sustainable development goals (SDGs)

Answer 20

goal to achieve environmental goals, but also help ensure a prosperpous future for the people who depend on these resources

Question 21

what is the role of Un leadership on sustainable development

Answer 21

provide concrete, nonbinding metrics for a series of interlocking social and environmental goals, to assess progress toward sustainability