Deck 17: Environmental Economics Poitics,and World Views

Question 1

Explain why you agree or disagree with the following ideas: (a) everyone has the right to have as many children as they want; (b) all people have a right to use as many resources as they want; (c) individuals should have the right to do whatever they want with land they own, regardless of whether such actions harm the environment, their neighbors, or the local community; (d) other species exist to be used by humans; (e) all forms of life have an intrinsic value and therefore have a right to exist. Are your responses to each of these ideas consistent with the beliefs that make up your environmental worldview, which you described in answering question 6 If not, explain.

Answer 1

a)
I disagree with the statement that everyone has the right to have as many children as they want. The reproductive capacity of an organism is enormous during the reproductive phase of life humans can produce many children. But they cannot take care of all children properly. Poverty will grip the society.
Children will remain illiterate and unaware of the harmful effect of over use of resources or pollution leading to degradation of environment and poor health.
b)
People have the right to use resources. But they should be environmentally literate. The knowledge on environment will help them to understand that they should reduce their use of resources from nature.
c)
The land owned by individual can be used by the individual as per their wish. But we should ensure that our activity does not harm the environment. The person himself also will suffer along with other members of the society.
So, even if the land belongs to you, activities should be thoughtfully planned, so that the land is protected, health of self and others are protected. Our activities should be environmentally sustainable.
d)
There is interring dependence in nature. All organisms are important. They contribute to nature in some way or other. Human beings cannot develop the thinking that he is superior to all animals and other species are for his use.
e)
There should be environmental justice for every organism on earth. All organisms form a net work through their activities. No single species can exist done on earth.
Every organism forms a part of nature and has the right to live. All responses are consistent with the belief of earth- centered world view.

Question 2

What are four major U.S. environmental laws Describe the anti-environmental movement in the United States. Describe the roles of grassroots and mainstream environmental organizations and give an example of each type of organization. Give two examples of successful roles that students have played in improving environmental quality. Explain the importance of environmental security, relative to economic and military security. Describe efforts to develop international environmental policies.

Answer 2

Four environmental laws in the United States (US): - There are many environmental laws aiming at protection of nature in US. Four among them are:
1. Clean air Act
2. Safe drinking water Act
3. Soil and water conservation Act
4. National energy Act.
Anti-environmental movement in US: - US environmental laws have been highly effective in protecting environment. But, three groups opposed the implementation of environmental laws.
The corporate leaders, owners and other powerful people see these laws as a threat to their profit, wealth and power. The people who oppose the laws are very few.
Role of grass root and mainstream organization and examples: - Local people organize to improve the environment. The initiatives at the grass root level become more effective. These grass root level groups form NGOs (non-government organizations) working for environmental protection.
Now a network of grass root NGOs started global sustainability movement. The grass root environmental groups undertake protest march, tree sitting, law suits and other methods to inform the public on environmental issues.
The publicity creates awareness among the people who will prevent practices of businessmen that is harmful to environment. Two examples of successful role students have played to improve environment: -
Student environmental groups perform environmental audit of the campus. They could collect data on harmful practices and its effects and suggest solutions. 80%, of the US colleges and universities have implemented recycling program based on environmental audit and suggestions by student groups.
They directly help in reducing water waste. Energy waste and prepare environmentally sustainable designs for compost, buildings etc. For example:
1. Oberlin College in Ohio students helped to design an environmentally sustainable building for environmental studies powered by solar power. A living machine in the lobby purifies Waste water, and half of electricity is from green sources. School has car sharing program.
2. Another example is North Land College in Ashland. Students helped to designed green living and learning centre with solar panel cells, furniture made of recycled materials and composting. Students also voted for 40 Rupees, per semester to help finance college sustainability program.
Environmental security and relation to military and economic security: - Countries concentrate on military security and economic security. Both these are supported by natural resources of earth as per ecologists. Most of the threat to economic and military security today the world is facing is climate change poverty, population, water shortage and environmental degradation.
According to environmental expert Norman Myers if a nation's environmental foundation is degraded economy will decline. Political structure will get destabilized. So, national security is not fighting forces or weapons.
It is concerned with protection and security of coop lands, forests, climate and other factors. Efforts to develop international environmental policies: - A number of international organizations like UNEP ( united nations environment programme ), WHO (world health organization), UNDP ( United Nations Development Programme ) and FAO (food and agricultural organization of United Nations) tried to shape a global environmental policy.
The policy include Expanding global understanding of environmental issues, gathering and evaluating environmental dates, developing and monitoring international environmental treaties, providing loans and grants for sustainable economic development and reducing poverty and Helping nations to develop environmental laws.

Question 3

If you could use television or YouTube to speak to everyone in the world today about our environmental problems, what are the three most important pieces of environmental wisdom that you would give in your speech What beliefs from your environmental worldview influenced your selection of these three items Compare your choices with those of your classmates.

Answer 3

Expressing in public can create awareness among individuals. So, if communication like TV, You Tube etc. are available to speak to public the following messages will be dissipated.
1. We exist because of the natural wealth. The airs we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume, without which we cannot exist and come from earth.
2. Many of the natural resources are non renewable. For example fossil fuel. The indiscriminate use of these may lead to depletion of these resources. So, use only for necessity, as minimum as possible. Find out alternate form to use, like solar energy, wind energy etc. whenever possible.
3. More use generates more waste. Waste will pollute the air, land and water in use. It will be hazardous to health and also environment. So reduce the use and simplify the life. Opt for reusable and recyclable items to reduce pollution. So, it is every individual's responsibility to prevent depletion of natural resources and protect earth from degradation. These are influenced by earth- centered world view.

Question 4

Use the model of the U.S. city of Chattanooga, Tennessee ( Core Case Study ) to suggest three ways to make the area where you live more sustainable.

Question 5

What is the key concept for this section What is an environmental worldview What are environmental ethics Distinguish among the following environmental worldviews: planetary management , stewardship , and environmental wisdom. Summarize the debate over whether we can effectively manage the earth. Summarize the ecological lessons learned from the failure of the Biosphere 2 project.

Question 6

Working with classmates, conduct an ecological footprint analysis of your campus. Work with a partner, or in small groups, to research and investigate an aspect of your school such as recycling and/or composting; water use; food service practices; energy use; building management and energy conservation; transportation for both on- and off-campus trips; grounds maintenance; and institutional environmental awareness and education. Depending on your school and its location you may be able to add more areas to the investigation. You may decide to study the campus as a whole, or you may decide to break down the campus into smaller research areas such as dorms, administrative buildings, classrooms and classroom buildings, buildings, grounds, and other areas. To accomplish this, take the following steps:
After deciding on your group's research area, conduct your analysis. As part of your analysis, develop a list of questions that will help to determine the ecological impact related to your chosen topic. Each question item in this questionnaire could have a range of responses on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent).

Question 7

What is the key concept for this section What three important ideas make up the foundation of environmental literacy List eight goals for a person seeking environmental literacy. Describe three ways in which we can learn from the earth. List six guidelines for achieving more sustainable and compassionate societies. What is voluntary simplicity List eight important steps that individuals can take to help make the transition to more sustainable societies. What are the four categories of human activities that have the highest environmental impacts

Question 8

CORE CASE STUDY
Describe the efforts of citizens in the U.S. city of Chattanooga, Tennessee ( Core Case Study ), to make their city more sustainable and livable, and summarize the major lessons learned from this successful effort.

Question 9

List five cultural shifts involved in making the transition to a more environmentally sustainable society. Describe the power of exponential growth in making such a transition. What are three social science-based principles of sustainability What are this chapter's three big ideas Describe how the citizens of Chattanooga, Tennessee, have developed a more environmentally sustainable city by applying the three principles of sustainability.

Question 10

Should we attempt to maximize economic growth by producing and consuming more and more economic goods and services Explain. What are the alternatives

Question 11

What is the key concept for this section What is economics Distinguish among natural capital, human capital ( human resources ), and manufactured capital ( manufactured resources ). Distinguish between economic growth and economic development. What is a high-throughput economy Compare how neoclassical economists and ecological and environmental economists view economic systems. What are three major assumptions that ecological economists use to build their economic models

Question 12

Suppose that over the next 20 years, the harmful environmental and health costs of goods and services will be gradually added to the market prices of these goods and services to more closely reflect their full costs. What harmful effects and what beneficial effects might such full-cost pricing have on your lifestyle

Question 13

What is the key concept for this section Why do products and services actually cost more than most people think What is full-cost pricing and what are some benefits of using it to determine the market values of goods and services Give two reasons why it is not widely used. Define and distinguish between gross domestic product ( GDP ) and per capita GDP. What is the genuine progress indicator (GPI) and how does it differ from the GDP economic indicator Describe the benefits of shifting from environmentally unsustainable to more environmentally sustainable government subsidies and tax breaks. Give two reasons why making this subsidy shift is difficult. Discuss whether we should tax pollution and wastes instead of wages and profits. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of green taxes What are three requirements for the successful implementation of green taxes

Question 14

Explain why you agree or disagree with (a) each of the major strategies for shifting to a more environmentally sustainable economy listed in Figure 17-11 and (b) each of the six principles listed on pp. 447-448, which some analysts have proposed for use in making environmental policy decisions.

Question 15

Distinguish between command-and-control and incentive-based government regulations and describe the advantages of the second approach. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using the cap-and-trade approach to implementing environmental regulations for controlling pollution and resource use What are some environmental benefits of selling services instead of goods Give two examples of this approach. What is poverty and how is it related to population growth and environmental degradation List six ways in which governments and businesses can help to reduce poverty. What are the benefits of making microloans to the poor What is a low-throughput (low-waste) economy Describe Ray Anderson's attempts to develop a more environmentally sustainable carpet business. List six ways to shift to more environmentally sustainable economies. Name five new green businesses or careers that would be important in such eco-economies.

Question 16

Explain why you agree or disagree with (a) each of the four principles that biologists and some economists have suggested for using public lands in the United States (p. 449), and (b) each of the five suggestions made by developers and resource extractors for managing and using U.S. public lands (p.450).

Question 17

What is the key concept for this section Define politics , environmental policy , and representative democracy. List six principles that decision makers can use in making environmental policy. What are four major types of public lands in the United States Describe the political controversy over managing these lands.

Question 18

This chapter summarized several different environmental worldviews. Go through these worldviews (Figure 17-19) and find the beliefs you agree with, and then describe your own environmental worldview. Which, if any, of your beliefs were changed as a result of taking this course Compare your answer with those of your classmates.

Question 19

List six ways in which individuals in democracies can help to influence environmental policy. What does it mean to say that we should think globally and act locally What are four ways to provide environmental leadership Summarize the story of environmental leader Denis Hayes.