Question 1

Baxter views the problem of optimizing pollution as primarily

Accepted Answer

Baxter views the problem of optimizing pollution as primarily an economic issue, focusing on the efficient allocation of resources to balance environmental concerns with economic benefits.

Question 2

Examples of commons include:

Accepted Answer

Commons are resources that are accessible to all members of a society, such as the air that surrounds the earth, which is not owned by anyone and is shared by everyone.

Question 3

The view that nonhumans also have intrinsic value is that of:

Accepted Answer

Ecocentrism is the view that recognizes the intrinsic value of all living organisms and their natural environment, regardless of their utility to humans.

Question 4

Baxter would address the tragedy of the commons by

Accepted Answer

Baxter would likely support imposing market incentives to encourage better care for the commons, as this aligns with economic principles that can help manage shared resources efficiently.

Question 5

Externalities are

Accepted Answer

Externalities are costs or benefits that affect third parties who did not choose to incur those costs or benefits. In the context of a commons, they are effects that a user does not pay for, such as pollution.

Question 6

In discussing climate change, adaptation refers to the

Accepted Answer

Adaptation in the context of climate change refers to efforts, often at local and regional levels, to adjust human and natural systems to minimize harm and take advantage of potential benefits from climate trends.

Question 7

The view that only humans have intrinsic moral value is called

Accepted Answer

Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe and that only humans have intrinsic moral value.

Question 8

Zoonotic diseases are

Accepted Answer

Zoonotic diseases are infections that are transmitted from animals to humans.

Question 9

Mitigation refers to

Accepted Answer

Mitigation involves efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases, thereby lessening their overall quantity in the atmosphere.

Question 10

Conflicts may arise between

Accepted Answer

Conflicts can arise from competing resource uses, balancing human interests with environmental concerns, and differing group interests, making all options valid.

Question 11

The tragedy of the commons is essentially that people have incentives to use the commons as much as they can, but little incentive to care for it.

Accepted Answer

The tragedy of the commons describes a situation where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, overuse and deplete shared resources, leading to negative outcomes for the entire group.

Question 12

As climate changes continue to take place, anthropocentrism and mild ecocentrism can be expected to yield increasingly different results, especially for cases in which larger expanses of nature are at stake.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As climate changes continue to take place,...

Question 13

Baxter thinks that appropriately managing the natural environment is part of the overall task of fully addressing human needs and interests.

Accepted Answer

Baxter's view aligns with the anthropocentric perspective, which holds that environmental management should be considered in the context of human needs and interests.

Question 14

A mild ecocentric account can yield several results similar to anthropocentrism, though the views will not agree on everything.

Accepted Answer

A mild ecocentric account may prioritize ecological systems but can still align with anthropocentric outcomes, such as conservation efforts, due to overlapping interests in preserving the environment for human benefit.

Question 15

"Climate change" is simply another way of naming its equivalent: global warming.

Accepted Answer

Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions, while global warming specifically refers to the increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities.

Quiz 18: Environmental Ethics Pollution and Resource Use