FINAL EXAM

Question 1

What market and policy failures are causing excessive forest land use conversion to agriculture?

Answer 1

Insecure tenure and open access

Question 2

What policy options would you propose to address increasing food prices and future food shortages?

Answer 2

Step 1: remove existing policy failures
Step 2: correct market failures by: establish rights to land under full range of uses, encourage sustainable farming, create market for organically produced crops, & invest in improved technology to boost production.

Question 3

How would you encourage society to move from a more pessimistic to a more optimistic path with respect to future food production?

Answer 3

In order to meet the demands of food, we must increase the production per unit of land already in use, instead of using more land

Question 4

How would you boost food productivity to meet future food needs?

Answer 4

By researching and implementing new technology

Question 5

If there are economic gains from water trade, why is it not more widespread?

Answer 5

because it requires access to canals and aqueducts, as well as rivers or streams, the costs associated with transportation, legal uncertainty surrounding water rights, and high transaction costs due to extensive regulatory oversight

Question 6

How can we ensure that ecological water demands are met with increasing water scarcity?

Answer 6

Some argue that water scarcity problems could be alleviated through the increase of water markets - markets have the potential to increase the efficiency of water use by moving water from lower valued to higher valued uses and increasing the incentive for irrigation efficiency

Question 7

will water scarcity lead to wars in the future

Answer 7

Not if we are able to remove market and policy failures

Question 8

should we raise the cost of water to reduce demand and water scarcity?

Answer 8

yes

Question 9

should we prioritize who gets access to water, such as the agricultural sector over urban and industrial developments?

Answer 9

yes , because of water scarcity continues to be a problem, being able to provide food will become a priority

Question 10

what is the role of technological change, such as desalination water treatment, to meet future water needs?

Answer 10

yes , because of water scarcity continues to be a problem, being able to provide food will become a priority Its role is very important, if a sustainable desalination treatment becomes global, it could possibly solve the water scarcity crisis

Question 11

is economic scarcity of minerals and energy a myth or reality?

Answer 11

It is a reality unless we are able to fix the market and policy failures, but if we implement more technological change and research along with resource exploration, it doesn’t have to be so. Also, as pieces for non renewables rises, it will become cheaper to switch to the backstop resource(renewable energy)

Question 12

what policy options could we use to ensure sustainable mineral and energy production?

Answer 12

conservation/improved efficiency - considered as an alternative investment option to reduce aggregate demand, and reduce peak load. Also giving higher subsidies for technology and development for renewable energy - lowering the prices.

Question 13

How does the economic approach to sustainability, in terms of non-declining capital stock, apply to our use of minerals and energy

Answer 13

Meaning that with a balance allocation of our non renewable resources, we will be able to provide the futures needs

Question 14

How can the US improve its rate of recycling?

Answer 14

By taxing the use of virgin materials, incentivizing manufacturers to use recycled materials, and investing in recycling

Question 15

the price of oil is failing. why is this and should we be concerned about energy self sufficiency?

Question 16

Will the reduction in the price of oil lead to the adoption of more renewable energy resources?

Answer 16

No the opposite, the increase of the price of oil and other non renewable will incentivize the use of more renewable resources

Question 17

How does overfishing lead to the collapse of a fish stock?

Question 18

what policy options would you propose to address over fishing in the high seas?

Question 19

does the fishing industry have an incentive to better manage open access fisheries?

Question 20

how can we address the problem of plastics in our seas?

Question 21

should we conserve (ex. marine protected areas) or use our seas (ex. open up to offshore drilling for oil)?

Question 22

how can governments intervene in the wildlife trade to encourage sustainable wildlife conservation?

Question 23

how can we deal with increasing forest/wildlife human interactions, such as forest fires, spreading of virus etc.?

Question 24

what is the role of the private sector in future forest conservation and use plans?

Question 25

how would you go about establishing a global agreement on biodiversity? what stops would you need to take to ensure its success?

Question 26

what is the difference between a carbon tax or cap and trade? which one would you advocate and why?

Question 27

what are the impacts on the poor of climate change? why should the rich be concerned?

Question 28

how can we offset equity concerns in the US about the costs of imposing a carbon tax or cap and trade policy on the poor?

Question 29

what international agreement would you propose to address climate change at the global level, and how would you get countries to sign up?

Question 30

can growth and sustainability go hand in hand?

Question 31

how can the sustainable development goals be implemented effectively?

Question 32

how could adopting the SDG benefit people at the global scale?

Question 33

what essential components would you put in a global green new deal?