Question 1

Malthus has, so far, been proven wrong because he ________.

Accepted Answer

Malthus's predictions did not account for the significant increases in food production and resource availability due to technological advancements, which have allowed supplies to keep pace with or exceed population growth.

Question 2

Why has generating solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels not been successful so far?

Accepted Answer

Massive subsidies to solar projects have indeed led to oversupply in some markets, causing financial difficulties for firms. This has been a challenge in the solar industry, affecting its success in certain areas.

Question 3

Which of the following is the most likely scenario pertaining to the energy problem facing the United States?

Accepted Answer

Renewable energy is often pursued more aggressively when fossil fuel prices are high, as it becomes more economically competitive. If fossil fuel prices are reasonable, there may be less incentive to invest in renewable energy.

Question 4

One way to cut individuals' consumption of oil is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Increasing gasoline taxes makes gasoline more expensive, which can discourage consumption and encourage individuals to seek alternative modes of transportation or more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Question 5

Which of the following is a claim made by oil experts?

Accepted Answer

Experts often mention that while there is a significant amount of oil remaining, the cost of extraction is increasing due to the need to access more challenging reserves.

Question 6

Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is true?
...

Question 7

What causes water scarcity?

Accepted Answer

Water scarcity is primarily caused by a shift in the distribution and cleanliness of fresh water, not by changes in the total volume of water on Earth or increases in desalinated water or the volume of water. Decreases in the number of dams can impact local water availability but do not directly cause global water scarcity.

Question 8

______ refers to the system that incentivizes energy producers to watch their carbon output by imposing a limit on carbon dioxide emissions, where energy producers would have to buy unused carbon emissions from other energy producers once they exceeded the limit.

Accepted Answer

Cap and trade is a system where a limit (cap) is set on carbon emissions, and companies can trade (buy or sell) emission allowances to stay within their limits. This incentivizes reducing carbon output to avoid purchasing additional allowances.

Question 9

Which of the following closely reflects most economists' perception of water?

Accepted Answer

Most economists believe that water is often underpriced, leading to inefficient allocation and overuse. Pricing water more accurately could help in its rational allocation.

Question 10

What gives oil many oil exporters an undue advantage over U.S. and European economic and foreign policies?

Accepted Answer

Sovereign wealth funds, which are state-owned investment funds or entities, give oil exporters significant financial resources. These funds often derive from countries' surpluses of foreign exchange reserves, which can be heavily influenced by oil revenues. With these vast financial resources, oil-exporting countries can invest in various sectors globally, potentially influencing economic and foreign policies of other nations, including those in the U.S. and Europe, by becoming significant stakeholders in key industries or by providing substantial loans and financial aid.

Question 11

What is a collective goods problem? How does this relate to the tragedy of the commons? Why are environmental issues prone to fall into these traps?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a collective goods problem? How...

Question 12

Provide a brief summation of the causes of the food problem, as discussed in this chapter. What are the consequences of this problem? Are there any solutions to address this problem? If so, are they without consequences of their own? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Provide a brief summation of the causes...

Question 13

What is the energy problem and what are its causes and consequences?. Which potential solution do you find most promising? Discuss at least three alternative solutions and why they are not as good as the one you are advocating.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the energy problem and what...

Question 14

Provide a brief summation of the water problem. What are the various sources of this problem? What are the consequences? Is there hope for solving this problem or not? Utilize examples in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Provide a brief summation of the water...

Question 15

How are the problems of food, energy, and water related? In other words, how does one problem increase or decrease the other problems? Explain the underlying logic of these intricate relationships. How are all of these problems related to climate change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How are the problems of food, energy,...

Question 16

Of the three problems discussed in the chapter (food, energy, and water), which do you think is the most difficult to solve? Why is this particular problem harder to solve than the others? Will solving this problem help address the other two? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of the three problems discussed in the...

Quiz 21: Finite Few Foodenergywater