Unit 4: Economic Growth and the Environment

Question 1

Thomas Malthus

Answer 1

Wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), which said that humans were too undisciplined to be able to control their ‘urges’. Populations would inevitably grow larger than available food supply and eventually collapse due to ‘overshooting’ Ecological Carrying Capacity.

Question 2

Ecological Carrying Capacity

Answer 2

The natural limit of a population set by resources in a particular environment

Question 3

Collapse Theory

Answer 3

At some point in time terrible consequences occur without a great deal of prior warning.

Question 4

Paul Ehlrich

Answer 4

Wrote “The Population Bomb” (1968), which warned of the perils of overpopulation: mass starvation, societal upheaval, environmental deterioration.

Question 5

Degrowth Movement

Answer 5

Shrinking the economy by reducing levels of production and consumption to conserve natural resources and minimize environmental damage.

Question 6

1972 Club of Rome

Answer 6

Released “Limits to Growth,” which studied the ‘‘predicament of mankind in the face of technology growing at an exponential rate” based on simulations at MIT. Concluded that sustainability required a steady state economy (an economy with zero growth)

Question 7

Decoupling

Answer 7

Allowing growth to continue without additional environmental harm by making efficiency improvements.

Question 8

Limits to Growth business as usual scenario

Answer 8

If present economic and population growth trends continued then Global Collapse would occur within 100 years.

Question 9

Limits to Growth alternative scenarios

Answer 9

Population and industrial output flatlining for ecological stability.

Question 10

Ester Boserup

Answer 10

Wrote “The Conditions of Agricultural Growth” in In 1965, which emphasized that forward projections of food supply must account for the role of innovation.

Question 11

Julian Simon

Answer 11

In 1980, wrote about humans as the ultimate resource, which said that living conditions will continue to improve but people will continue to think and say that the conditions of life are getting worse.

Question 12

Relative decoupling

Answer 12

Resource use grows less rapidly than economic output.

Question 13

Absolute decoupling

Answer 13

Resource use declines while economic output grows.

Question 14

Planetary Boundaries

Answer 14

Limits that define the actions needed to stop rapid and destructive climate change.

Question 15

Sustainable Development (Unit 4)

Answer 15

Middle ground in degrowth vs decoupling where the current trends of growth are unsustainable. Possible to continue growing the economy sustainably if actions are taken to ‘decouple’ economic growth from environmental degradation. However, this will cost some growth (Growth Reduction) and will require a massive transformational effort.

Question 16

3rd Agricultural/Green Revolution

Answer 16

Starting in the 1940s, innovations in hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and distribution systems resulted in a massive increase in food production.