Location of the factor 'production resources'

Question 1

Tension of population/resources

Answer 1

Neo-Malthusians: world will end up in stationary state with maximal population that can survive given the resources

Optimists: technology will save the world (also: secure supply of basic goods diminishes need for large agricultural families)

Question 2

Tragedy of the commons

Answer 2

public goods can become exhausted by isolated actions of individuals

Question 3

Resources vs. reserves vs. projected reserves

Answer 3

Resources: everything available
Reserves: what can be exploited now
Projected reserves: what can be exploited in future

Question 4

Food production

Answer 4

• globally: food production larger than population growth, but large geographic variations
• problems e.g. through: corruption, distribution; government policies
• increase through: more cropland, higher productivity, new sources of supply

Question 5

Increase of food production through…

Answer 5

• more cropland
• higher productivity of existing cropland
• new sources of food supply (e.g. fish farming, crops with higher protein levels)

Question 6

Non-renewable minerals

Answer 6

• non metals not a real problem (e.g. sand, clay)
• resources often not concentrated enough to mine + unequally divided
• > more efficient use, mining; re-using, minerals from oceans
• > transmaterialisation (replace natural resources by technologically more advanced materials)

Question 7

Energy

Answer 7

• disequilibria of producers/consumers lead to large oil trade

Alternatives for existing energy sources:

• more efficient usage
• nuclear energy
• geothermal power/ hydropower/ solar energy/ wind power/ biomass