Exam 1 (Chps 1, 2) Flashcards
Environmentalist’s Paradox
over the past 40 years, human well-being has been steadily improving while natural ecosystems have been declining
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
UN’s goal to reduce extreme poverty and it’s effects by 2015 (failed)
environmental science
the study of how the world works
experimentation
setting up situations to make more systematic observations regarding causes and effects
stewardship
actions and programs that manage natural resources and human well-being for the common good
environmental racisism
placement of waste sites and other hazardous industries in towns and neighborhoods where most residents aren’t white
current population and growth
7.8 billion, 80 million added a year, outpacing resources
U.S. population vs. consumption
5% of world population but consumes 30% of resources
equity
needs of the present met, future generations seen as equally deserving
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
large scale assessment of ecosystems (goods & services) across the globe, 1,360 scientists from 90 countries found 2/3s degraded
Unhealthy Global Environmental Trends
population growth
decline of ecosystems
global atmospheric changes
biodiversity loss
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: UN organization assessing science, impact, response of/to climate change
ozone depletion
stratopheric air without proper levels of ozone
causes of biodiversity loss
habitat alteration
over-exploitation
pollution
invasive species
importance of biodiversity
future agriculture and medicine
maintenance of natural systems
essential goods and services
aesthetic/moral
History of US environmental movement
groups, National Parks, Teddy Roosevelt, Dust Bowl, WWII, extinctions, Cuyahoga River, Rachel Carson
famous stewards
Maathai (Green Belt trees), Yunus, Carson, Mendoza, Yanza
economics
study and social system of production, distribution, consumption and goods and services
economic systems
social and legal arrangements people in societies make to satisfy needs/wants/well-being
free-market/capitalist economy
market decides what and how goods will be exchanged
ecological economists
integrates ecological and economic concerns
economic production
converting natural world to manufactured world
ecosystem capital
sum of goods and services provided by natural and managed ecosystems, free and essential
natural capital
natural assets and their services
produced capital
stuff we made
intangible capital
human (population’s attributes), social (social and political environment), knowledge assets (knowledge fund)
external cost
effect of business process not included in profit and loss
Environmental Public Policy
regulatory (command and control, ex: EPA) market based (cap and trade, payments for ecosystem services)
Public Policy Life Cycle
1) recognition
2) formulation
3) implementation
4) control
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Environmental Policy
- small negative economic impact
- creates jobs
- regulations cost (exponentially w/ control, but often overestimated)
- benefits difficult to calculate, shadow pricing
