The Environment

Question 1

Why is the situation today with the global natural environment so much worse than centuries previous?

Answer 1

• Man’s impact on the environment is a matter of almost universal concern:
  
  • huge human population
  • technological means of shaping and changing the environment in significant ways (e.g. damming, crop dusting, chemical propellants, timber cultivation)

Question 2

Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 2

• Issue with Adam Smith’s invisible hand is that pursuit of individual self interest does not contribute to the common good but rather to making everyone worse off
• E.g. common piece of land that everyone is allowed to graze their animals on becomes overgrazed and is of no use to anyone.
• Arrow and externalities: companies don’t factor the cost of pollution into the prices of their products

Question 3

Lack of Consensus

Answer 3

• Issue in formulating environmental protection policies is deciding what standards are to be enforced:
• there is little consensus across communities regarding which standards are appropriate
• e.g. retaining wilderness areas is of concern to everyone but what if it is at the cost of higher unemployment?

Question 4

Future generations

Answer 4

-Do we have an obligation to preserve the environment for future generations?
-Do generations as yet unborn have a moral claim upon us?
most think yes, but a small minority think no

Question 5

What is the argument for us not having an obligation to future generations?

Answer 5

• Argued that knowledge and technology will have increase and so future generations may have the solutions to problems we have no answers to
• BUT, we have not assurance that they will have such answers, so we are not justified in creating problems for future generations

Question 6

What is economically sustainable development?

Answer 6

According to the Brundtland Report, it is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
-Gives proper weighting to the requirements of future generations while paying attention to the demands of equity for those living now

Question 7

Why does a general lack of consensus exist regarding specific laws to tackle environmental issues?

Answer 7

1. Different views concerning the BEST MEANS of achieving the end
2. Different views about what individuals are PREPARED TO SACRIFICE to achieve that end

Question 8

The equity perspective

Answer 8

• The developed nations over-utilise the world’s natural resources
• At the same time, the developed nations demand that poor third world nations not use their natural resources in any but environmentally sustainable ways. Is this fair?

Question 9

The regulatory perspective

Answer 9

• A nation’s regulatory framework is effectively in competition with the regulatory framework of other nations
• Insisting Aus trade-exposed emissions intensive industries meet standards higher than their competitors will put those businesses out of business
• Regulators and governments (and businesses) are caught in prisoners dilemma or assurance problem situation

Question 10

Game Theory and global warming

Answer 10

• Axelrod argues that where a game is repeated if cheaters are punished, non-cheating may be the norm
• So if a critical mass of nations agree to impose and enforce emissions targets and punish other nations for not doing so, we may achieve internationally recognised standards
• US and China in agreement may lead to this