Quiz 1 : Q & A Flashcards
What do we now conclude happened to the human society that flourished on Easter Island more than 1000 years ago? Why specifically did it happen?
The inhabitants cut their forests at an unsustainable rate, resulting in complete deforestation and loss of the tree/timber resource.
On what type of evidence is the conclusion of Easter Island based?
The main type of evidence was analysis of pollen cores that indicated that the island was forested and that forests included diverse tree species. Additional evidence included remains of tree roots, tree nut casings, bones of forest birds.
Why is it that those concerned with the future of the earth’s environment are interested in the past culture of Easter Island? In what way might the earth be considered similar to Easter Island?
Like Easter Island, Earth can be considered an island (in space), with finite resources. If we use our resources unsustainably, we could exhaust them and we may suffer a societal collapse similar to that experienced by the Easter Islanders.
A large body of economic theory predicts that free markets with allocate resources in a socially optimal way. That is, individuals, pursuing their own economic self interest will produce an overall pattern of resource use that is best for society as a whole. However, we have seen that this is not always the case with respect ot environmental resources because the assumptions on which free-market theory is based are not always true. One assumption that is sometimes violated is that individuals always act rationally (i.e., in their own best economic interest). Name a type of situation in which individuals often do not act in their own self interest (or in the interest of the environment) with respect to environmental resources? Explain using an example to illustrate your point.
A commons situation. When resources are not owned, or owned in common, each exploiter has incentives to increase his/her level of exploitation. Summed over all exploiters, the resulting level of exploitation exceeds the level that is sustainable, leading to destruction of the resource (in the absence of effective controls such as various policies or cultural traditions). This is known as “the tragedy of the commons.” Economically speaking the exploiters are acting irrationally (not in their own best interest), as their short-term incentives to increase harvest levels lead to a result (destruction of the resource) that is not in their long-term interest. Many examples (e.g., high seas fisheries)
Explain why hypoxia occurs in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Include a step-by-step account - a list - of all stages in the process.
- Nutrients, especially nitrogen from fertilizer running off farms in the Midwest enter the Mississippi and its tributaries and flow to the Gulf
- Nitrogen is a limiting factor for algae and phytoplankton in the Gulf, so this causes an algae and phytoplankton bloom
- As phytoplankton and algae increase, they also die, sinking to lower depths.
- Decomposers consume this dead material, consuming oxygen through respiration
- Because of the thermal stratification of the water column, the lower depths are depleted of oxygen, resulting in a very low oxygen environment (hypoxic).
- Oxygen-requiring organisms (fish, crustaceans, etc.) die or leave the area.
A large US city is running out of water, a fact that has become obvious to most of its residents. The mayor and city council decide to take action. A study is commissioned, and it indicates that, among other forms of water consumption, the average shower taken by residents is 130% longer than is needed to maintain personal hygiene. To reduce water use the council passes and mayor signs a voluntary guidelines (policy A) on maximum shower length. The new guidelines specify 15 minutes as the maximum length of shower, except for residents who are engaged in cement mixing, painting, and other designated types of employment that make it particularly difficult to get clean. Those residents can take 20 minute showers. The results of the new guidelines seem to indicate success, as the city’s water consumption declines by an amazing 10% immediately after the voluntary guidelines are passed. A year later, however, water consumption is almost exactly what it was before the guidelines were passed. The council decides to take action, and passes (and mayor signs) new regulations (policy B) on shower length, making the previous guidelines mandatory; violations will not be punishable by stiff fines.
What is the general term for the phenomenon that likely reduced the effectiveness of policy A?
free-rider problem.
A large US city is running out of water, a fact that has become obvious to most of its residents. The mayor and city council decide to take action. A study is commissioned, and it indicates that, among other forms of water consumption, the average shower taken by residents is 130% longer than is needed to maintain personal hygiene. To reduce water use the council passes and mayor signs a voluntary guidelines (policy A) on maximum shower length. The new guidelines specify 15 minutes as the maximum length of shower, except for residents who are engaged in cement mixing, painting, and other designated types of employment that make it particularly difficult to get clean. Those residents can take 20 minute showers. The results of the new guidelines seem to indicate success, as the city’s water consumption declines by an amazing 10% immediately after the voluntary guidelines are passed. A year later, however, water consumption is almost exactly what it was before the guidelines were passed. The council decides to take action, and passes (and mayor signs) new regulations (policy B) on shower length, making the previous guidelines mandatory; violations will not be punishable by stiff fines.
What is the general term for the type of policy strategy (approach) represented by policy B?
command and control policy.
Name a natural resource
Water, forests, oil, fish, many others
In addition to the amount of the resource that exists to start with, and the size of the population exploiting the resource, the continued availability of that resource - and any natural resource - will depend on what two things (generally speaking)?
resource consumption rate and resource renewal rate
After seeing a special screening of Walt Disney’s 1940’s classic, “Bambi” you would like to ban the hunting of deer because you think they are so graceful, innocent, and noble. Your attitude is an example of….
biocentrism
A law requires that in the watershed where you live all toxic chemicals must be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility. This requirement will likely apply to…
- People who live along the largest river in the area
- People who live along tributaries of the largest river in the area
- People who live on the hillside overlooking a tributary of the largest river in the area.
Carbon is one of the essential chemical elements in all living things, including humans. It is also a major constituent of fossil fuels. Because of the rapid and increasing rate at which fossil fuels are being burned to generate power, it is likely that carbon will eventually become scarce on earth, threatening life itself.
False. According to the law of conservation of matter, matter can neither be created nor destroyed, though it can change form (e.g. water). Carbon is an element, and elements remain unchanged.
Based upon the research done by Warren Gold, we can say that the Black Lily is found in….
In saltwater marshes and mountain bogs
A beef producing company maintains a large feedlot where it fattens cattle before selling them. Unfortunately, waste from the feedlot routinely escapes from the company’s containment ponds into a nearby stream. As a result, the “Right as Rain” water bottling company, located just downstream of the feedlot has had to install expensive water purification equipment. They have also had to hire a public relations firm once the situation was publicized on national TV. From an economic perspective, the beef producers impact on the water quality of the stream is called…
externality
A beef producing company maintains a large feedlot where it fattens cattle before selling them. Unfortunately, waste from the feedlot routinely escapes from the company’s containment ponds into a nearby stream. As a result, the “Right as Rain” water bottling company, located just downstream of the feedlot has had to install expensive water purification equipment. They have also had to hire a public relations firm once the situation was publicized on national TV. Give two reasons why this phenomenon contributes to environmental problems.
- Because the beef producer’s costs of production do not include the very real cost of degraded water quality, it has no incentive to reduce them.
- Furthermore, because the company’s production costs are artificially low, it tends to engage in more of the damaging activity than it would if it were paying the full costs, resulting in over-production of the damaging product (more is produced than is optimal for society).
