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Environmental Science and Policy > Exam One > Flashcards

Exam One Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What are the Laws of Ecology?

A
  1. Nature Knows Best
  2. Everything is Connected
  3. Everything Must Go Somewhere
  4. Everything Costs Something
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2
Q

What is Public Policy?

A

Public Policy is the laws, regulations, actions, and funding decisions made by government.

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3
Q

What are public policies a sign of?

A

social norms

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4
Q

What is a Dominant Social Paradigm?

A

the beliefs and values that influence the feelings about society, government, and individual responsibility

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5
Q

What is the Dominant Social Paradigm of Western society?

A
  • individualism
  • Laissez Faire Capitalism that is growth orientated
  • separation of nature
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6
Q

How does the DSP vary in time and space?

A

in the western world we have more individual freedom and the ability to own private property

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7
Q

What is the role of the US government?

A

to provide public goods that private markets cannot adequately provide

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8
Q

How is sustainability achieved?

A
  1. triple bottom line accounting

2. sustainable development

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9
Q

Triple Bottom Accounting

A

an accounting framework with three parts:

  1. environment
  2. society
  3. economy
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10
Q

Sustainable Development

A

meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability of natural systems to produce the resources and services that we depend on (economically and socially)

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11
Q

Why are common pool resources difficult to manage?

A

no one owns them.

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12
Q

Why are cigarettes so expensive?

A

the large taxes create a pool of resources to pay for the negative effects of tobacco

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13
Q

What does it mean when there is a commodity?

A

there is a limited supply

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14
Q

What makes commodities a lose lose situation?

A

they are priced based of supply and demand, which means that the environmental and financial costs increase over time

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15
Q

What makes environmentally friendly technology a win-win situation?

A

you cut on costs both environmentally and financially over time

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16
Q

what are ethics?

A

moral principles that govern behavior

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17
Q

What is the I/We lens?

A

whether you consider how I or WE are affected

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18
Q

What is Present Bias?

A

suggests that we bias the present and discount the future

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19
Q

What factors into how people answer the question; “Do we owe anything to the future generations?”

A
  1. the I/We lens

2. present bias

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20
Q

What was the Colonist Philosophy?

A

They had a Manifest Destiny, which was the belief that it was part of their destiny to conquer the western WORLD and mend it to our will and standards of society

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21
Q

What are the eras of US Environmental Protection movements?

A
  1. Colonist Philosophy
  2. The Early US Conservation Movement (1860s to 1910s)
  3. The Reawakening (1940s to 1970s)
  4. The Ebb and Flow (1980s to Present)
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22
Q

During the Early US Conservation Movement, what two groups of people arise and what did they believe?

A
  1. Preservationists (nature is sanctity)

2. Conservationists (nature is property)

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23
Q

Who emerged as the first American environmentalist?

A

George Perkins Marsh

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24
Q

What did George Perkins Marsh believe?

A

nations rise and fall based on their use or misuse of natural resources

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25
Q

Who was an original preservationist?

A

John Muir

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26
Q

Who was an original Conservationist?

A

Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot.

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27
Q

Conservationists believed in the….

A

management of natural resources

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28
Q

Conservationists believed that natural forests are…

A

primarily used to fuel the timber industry

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29
Q

The environment is only focused on when…

A

the economy is good and we are not at war

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30
Q

What era was Aldo Leopold from and what did he believe?

A

The reawakening. He believed in environmental ethics and that the environment has intrinsic value

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31
Q

What era was William Vogt from and what did he believe?

A

The Reawakening. He believed in “apocalyptic environmentalism” - that we need to stop doing things that we know are producing bad stuff. for example having kids when we know overpopulation is a problem

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32
Q

William Vogt was the first…

A

director of Planned Parenthood because he believed overpopulation is an issue

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33
Q

Gaylord Nelson

A

Created Earth Day, which was the first time there was an environmental agenda at the federal level

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34
Q

Under Richard Nixons presidency…

A
  1. The formation of the EPA
  2. The Clean Air and Water Act
  3. The National Environmental Act (LIPPA)
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35
Q

Carrying Capacity

A

population sizes vs. Resources available to support them

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36
Q

More developed countries use ____ of the worlds resources even though they only make up _____ of the population

A

70% and 17%

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37
Q

Humans have impacted ____ of the Earth

A

83%

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38
Q

What are Ecosystem Services?

A

the benefits that we get from other organisms simply due to the way they live their lives

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39
Q

Example of Ecosystem Services

A

Mangroves prevent flooding and reduce storms

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40
Q

How do we know that we are in the sixth mass extinction?

A

how many organisms should be here (based on the background population) vs. how many there are

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41
Q

Define Ecological Footprint

A

the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply a population with renewable resources and to recycle its waste

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42
Q

What is the world average ecological footprint?

A

3.2 hectares per person

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43
Q

The ecological footprint increases per person in…

A

the western world

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44
Q

In the US, the average ecological footprint is…

A

7.2 hectares per person

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45
Q

Ecological Debtors vs. Creditors

A
  • debtors use more than 50% of what they have available to them
  • creditors use 50% less than what they have available to them
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46
Q

We can measure our impact using the IPAT model which is…

A

impact = population * affluence * technology

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47
Q

Which part of the country has the highest density of EPA Superfund sites?

A

Silicon Valley has the highest concentration

48
Q

What is the superfund program?

A

A federally funded program where the EPA steps in to address the most toxic spots in the country

49
Q

What is the Human Population Growth Rate?

A

1.2%

50
Q

How many people are their predicted to be in 2050?

A

10 billion

51
Q

In 2050, we will need _____ more energy and _____ more water for our agriculture

A

50% more energy and 100% more water

52
Q

What is the Rule of 70?

A

the time that it takes for something to double

53
Q

Rule of 70 equation

A

doubling time = 70/annual growth rate

54
Q

The human population will double in ___ years. Why is this significant?

A

58 years. This is significant because it took us 300,000 years to get here and will only take 58 to double that

55
Q

What ratio of people live in poverty?

A

1/3

56
Q

how is poverty defined?

A

living on less than or equal to $2.25 a day

57
Q

living in poverty reduces an individuals lifespan by…

A

7-10 years

58
Q

What ration of people live in extreme poverty?

A

1/7

59
Q

How is extreme poverty defined?

A

living on less than or equal to $1.25 a day

60
Q

What is the best indicator of live expectancy?

A

Poverty

61
Q

The percent of humans in extreme poverty has decreased from ____ to _____ today.

A

52% to 14%

62
Q

What are the reasons for exponential population growth?

A
  1. better medical care (decline in infant mortality rate and a longer life expectancy)
  2. agricultural revolution
  3. industrial revolution
63
Q

How does urban density affect sustainability?

A

Easier to deal out resources

64
Q

What percent of pop growth is happening in less developed countries?

A

98%

65
Q

Fertility Rate

A

the average number of children born to women of child bearing age

66
Q

The fertility rate has declined from ____ to ____ since the 1950s

A

5% to 2.5%

67
Q

Why has the fertility rate declined?

A
  1. access to birth control
  2. transition from agriculture to industrial economies (need less children to do work)
  3. Economic opportunities for women
68
Q

To halt population growth, fertility rate would need to become

A

2.1%

69
Q

The Demographic Transition Model states that…

A

as industrialization increases, there is an increase in per capita income, and a decrease in poverty and population growth rate

70
Q

What is the result of the Demographic Transition Model?

A

population growth rates decline further than death rates

71
Q

Why are opportunities for women important?

A

When female labor force increases, overall education rates increase and fertility rates decrease

72
Q

Labor force restrictions result in…

A

limitations to economic growth

73
Q

What are the types of world views?

A
  1. Life centered
  2. Earth Centered
  3. Human centered
74
Q

Define the life centered world view

A

all species have intrinsic value regardless of their usage value to humans

75
Q

Define the earth centered world view

A

planet/ecosystem have intrinsic value regardless of their usage value to humans

76
Q

Define the human centered world view

A

planet viewed as a support system for human life and we should manage the earth to our benefit

77
Q

Under the human centered world view, stewardship states that…

A

we should help the future generations

78
Q

Under the human centered world view, planetary management states that…

A

we should be focused on the needs and wants of current generations

79
Q

Under planetary management, a free market is the best way to…

A

manage the planet is through free market economy

80
Q

The downfall of civilizations throughout history were caused by…

A
  1. gridlock

2. when we substitute beliefs for facts

81
Q

Define Environmental Justice

A

the belief that every person is entitled to protection from environmental hazard regardless of race, gender, age, national origin, income, social class, or any political factor

82
Q

Economics

A

the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

83
Q

Unless price accurately reflects the cost of goods and services…

A

we cant expect much economic stimulation

84
Q

Types of economies

A
  1. centrally planned economy (communism)
  2. free market (capitalism)
  3. mixed economy
85
Q

centrally planned economy

A

the gov. determines production and distribution

86
Q

free market economy

A

private entities determine production and distribution

87
Q

mixed economy

A

some combo of gov and private control

88
Q

How does public policy affect markets?

A

Public policy creates the markets that operate within a free-market economy
Example: no price for a baby because society thinks its wrong

89
Q

What does the market equilibrium represent?

A

The suppliers price at which the seller is willing to pay

90
Q

Free market assumes that…

A

economic growth is unlimited

91
Q

supply

A

the amount of a good or service available

92
Q

demand

A

the amount of a good/service that people want

93
Q

price is determined by…

A

supply and demand and what people are willing to pay

94
Q

why would price not reflect cost?

A
  1. access to information
  2. extranalities
  3. subsidies
95
Q

TWO WAYS TO ESTIMATE VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

A
  1. avoidance costs

2. replacement costs

96
Q

What does the cost benefit analysis do?

A

monetizes and compares costs and benefits

97
Q

Marginal Cost vs Marginal Benefit of resource use

A

Marginal Cost: effect of resource depletion on cost

Marginal Benefit: effect of resource depletion on benefit

98
Q

Optimum level resource use is…

A

the Intersection of marginal cost and marginal benefit curves.

It represents point at which costs are minimized and benefits are maximized

99
Q

Maximum Sustainable Yield

A

Max amount of a renewable resource that can be consumed without affecting natures ability to replenish that resource
(Ex. amount you can fish before overfishing)

100
Q

the life cycle assessment reflects…

A

cost of production, operation, and disposal of goods or services

101
Q

What are the economic consequences of “full cost pricing” based on Triple Bottom Line accounting?

A

Affects lower class more

Drives price up (consumer pays instead of society)

102
Q

“Full cost pricing” based on Triple Bottom Accounting

A

taking into account economic, environmental, and social costs associated with a good or service and reflecting that cost in the price

103
Q

regressive tax

A

tax is imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases

104
Q

pigouvian taxes

A

Corrective Taxes! Thay are taxes that address externalities of generate revenues to deal with those externalities

105
Q

Ways to use economic tools to solve environmental problems

A
  1. taxation
  2. profit sharing
  3. shifting from Perverse to Positive Subsidies
  4. Market-Based Approaches
106
Q

Laws vs Regulation

A

Laws: rules that govern everyone equally
Regulation: agency interpretation of what a law applies to and has to enforce

107
Q

Majoritarian vs Biased groups

A

Majoritarian groups: represent that of the general public

Biased groups: represent the interests of private groups

108
Q

What is the Policy Life Cycle?

A
  1. problem recognition
  2. policy formulation
  3. policy implementation
  4. policy adjustment
109
Q

Holistic principle

A

problems are connected and need long term solutions that address root causes

110
Q

triple bottom line principle

A

environment/society/economy

111
Q

precautionary principle

A

when in doubt, reduce risk

112
Q

reversibility principle

A

dont do anything that cant be undone

113
Q

net energy principle

A

(energy yielded during use)/(energy consumed in production)

114
Q

polluter pays principle

A

quantity based pollution fees

115
Q

Environmental Justice principle

A

no unequal effects

Environmental Science and Policy (1 decks)

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