quizzes
institutional agreements
property rights, regulations
The SES framework in Matson et al:
-Is conceptual rather than quantitative -Can help us diagnose how sustainable a system is -shows us how wellbeing is a function of many factors
Compared to our EN-ROADS simulation, reductions of GHG emission in the real world might be even more challenging to achieve because
-Real-world actors involved will be less likely to take actions that have high short-term costs associated with them -Negotiations between real-world actors are likely to produce conflicts between short-term economic interests -Stakes are lower in an in-class simulation compared to the real world, which makes proposed actions less controversial and much less consequential. -Young and college-educated students in an environmental policy class will have a stronger motivation to achieve drastic GHG reductions compared to real world country leaders.
Social capital is:
-The glue that holds societies together -The collective capacity of the members of society to work together -The institutions and trust that shape human interactions
One of the advantages of the behavioral interventions that target household to reduce GHG interventions is that... ....they don't necessarily require lengthy legislative processes ...they typically don't require public funding ....they eliminate the need for monitoring All of the above None of the above
....they don't necessarily require lengthy legislative processes
The target date for the UN Sustainable Development Goals is
2030
According to Dietz et al, the behavioral interventions that they identify would reduce annual GHG emissions in the United States by 0-1% 1-2% 2-4% 5-10% 10-20%
5-10%
According to a system analysis by FAO (2013) if the global population stopped eating beef, greenhouse gas emissions would likely decrease by ____________.
< 6%
collective action problem
A situation in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
What is missing in this figure? Patterns of interaction Evaluation Commons Action None of the above
Action
According to Matson et al (2016), an effective way for scientists to produce knowledge that is salient for the pursuit of sustainability is to
Adjust research questions after talking with knowledge users
According to Matson et al (2016), an effective way for scientists to produce knowledge that is salient for the pursuit of sustainability is to Publish their research in famous, peer-reviewed journals Adjust research questions after talking with knowledge users Do applied research that is based on statistical significance Innovate new technology that can reduce the ecological footprint Evaluate public policy with counterfactual research designs
Adjust research questions after talking with knowledge users
Agricultural systems in the Western US are different from systems in the Eastern US in that Western systems rely to a greater degree on Snowmelt Groundwater Irrigation canals All of the above
All of the above
An externality is: A spillover effect When a third party is affected by a transaction Either positive or negative All of the above None of the above
All of the above
Which Nobel laureate said the role of science in promoting sustainable development is to develop "informed agitation".
Amartya Sen
According to Ostrom, E. (2008), the main problem with Hardin (1968) is his discussion of: Decision traps Appropriate solutions Individual self-interest Population data None of the above
Appropriate solutions
capital assets
Assets of a permanent nature used in the production of an income, such as land, buildings, machinery and equipment, etc. Under income tax law, it is usually distinguishable from "inventory" which comprises assets held for sale to customers in ordinary course of the taxpayer's trade or business.
One of the things that are similar between command and control and market-based environmental policies is Both provide positive incentives for protecting the environment Both are voluntary Both are quite inefficient when it comes to protecting the environment Both rely on the enforcement of government-defined standards
Both rely on the enforcement of government-defined standards
An example of a boundary organization here in Colorado is CSU's agricultural extension service CU's physics department the "Black Lives Matter" movement the Rotary Club all of the above
CSU's agricultural extension service
One of the strengths of Prior Appropriation Doctrine is that it provides: Holistic and integrated approach to water management Clear usage rights based on priority Collaborative water management An integrated, basin-wide approach All of the above
Clear usage rights based on priority
Interstate compacts regulate water allocations from shared rivers between states. The interstate compact for the Colorado River has been criticized for hampering the development potential for California Colorado Nevada Wyoming Kansas
Colorado
The Clean Air Act represents mainly which type of environmental policy instrument? Command and control Market-based Voluntary Involuntary initiative None of the above
Command and control
The Clean Water Act represents mainly which type of environmental policy instrument? Command and control Market-based Voluntary Involuntary initiative None of the above
Command and control
Feedbacks, invisibilities, lag times, tipping points and regime shifts are key characteristics of
Complex adaptive systems
According to Matson et al, effective sustainability leaders share which set of qualities? Resourceful, altruist lovers of nature Creative, adaptive, and self-critical system thinkers Charisma to motivate others Willingness to sacrifice self interest for the greater good
Creative, adaptive, and self-critical system thinkers
According to Kenney (2005), "use it or lose it" - one of the centerpieces of the Prior Appropriation doctrine - has what effect on the likelihood of improving the ecological conditions of Colorado's major river basins? Increased likelihood Decreased likelihood No effect on likelihood
Decreased likelihood
According to Hardin (1968), overcoming the tragedy of the commons requires which of the following? Government regulation Privatization Hardin argues that there is no solution to the tragedy of the commons. Either government regulation or privatization
Either government regulation or privatization
Practicing sustainability science only requires natural scientists such as physicists, chemists, and biologists to work together to improve human well being.
False
T or F According to Matson et al (2016), a global consensus on climate change is absolutely necessary in order for any effective responses to be implemented.
False
True of False Elinor Ostrom (2008) argues that advocacy for one-size-fits-all policies to regulate the commons is key to developing effective solutions.
False
When there is inertia in a system it means that the system is on the verge of changing its characteristics very quickly.
False
Which of the following is an example of environmental policy?
Federal government rules about environmental protection International treaties that lay down rules and principles about natural resource use University rules and regulations about how we ought to interact with the natural environment Land-use ordinances issued by the City of Boulder to limit urban sprawl
The following example illustrates one of the defining characteristics of Complex Adaptive Systems. Which one? "New fishing technologies put in place by commercial fisheries have been incredibly successful in improving catch per fishing effort, thus temporarily improving fishers' economic well-being, but at the same time have contributed to dramatic levels of overfishing that have caused some fish stocks to crash and have ultimately put some fishermen and fisherwomen out of business"
Feedback loops
Hardin (1968) argues that individuals are compelled to pursue their narrow self-interest in a society that values the ________ of the commons. Tragedy Freedom Control
Freedom
Which of the following is not one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Fund research to end climate change
The primary purpose of the SES framework in Matson et al (2016) is to
Help us gain a better understanding of the basic elements and processes that may help or hinder sustainable development
The actors/agency category in the SES framework is important to consider because
Human choices about production, consumption, and governance would otherwise be invisible in the framework
Conventional policy analysis examines correlation between a policy change and policy outcomes. The main limitation with this approach is that
It is hard to attribute changes in outcomes to changes in policy
Why is a systems approach productive in analyzing environmental policy?
It is more holistic and more realistic in its assessing policy outcomes
From a sustainability perspective, a weakness of the Prior Appropriation Doctrine is that it Stifles economic growth Reduces certainty of property rights Its narrow focus on economic purpose of water Encourages speculation in water rights All of the above
Its narrow focus on economic purpose of water
Elinor Ostrom's research shows that Local resource users can govern shared resources, but only when the government regulates them Local resource users can, under some circumstances, self-govern their shared resources Local government is more effective than central government because they are closer to the resource users Common property is the best answer to overexploitation of common pool resources
Local resource users can, under some circumstances, self-govern their shared resources
Which of the following 19th century scientists motivated the notion of use-inspired research, which defines the field of sustainability science? Charles Darwin Louis Pasteur Marie Curie Michel Foucault Karl Marx
Louis Pasteur
Sustainability science is a field that focuses on
Mobilizing different kinds of knowledge to promote sustainability
The US National Academy of Sciences concluded that fracking is ______________ than conventional oil drilling. Less profitable More damaging to the environment More beneficial to local communities All of the above
More damaging to the environment
In which of the four case studies (in Matson et al, 2016) did scientific knowledge promote interventions that ultimately led to a breakdown in cooperation and governance?
Nepali irrigation
In which of the following cases in Matson et al did scientific knowledge help improve sustainability?
Nepali irrigation Ozone hole Yaqui Valley London
According to Rosenbaum (2013), in the last 30 years we have seen a lack of progress when it comes to reducing air pollution related to Airborne lead Carbon monoxide Nitrogen oxides All of the above None of the above
Nitrogen oxides
A policy analysis that takes into account the plasticity of behavioral change assumes that Most people use too much petroleum-based plastic Behavioral change is a cost-effective way to reduce GHG emissions GHG emissions will increase as long as no fossil-fuel substitute exist Not everyone will change their behavior as a result of the policy
Not everyone will change their behavior as a result of the policy
Elinor Ostrom's eight design principles Show that Hardin was wrong Show that Smith was wrong Outline the conditions that are associated with effective self-governance of CPRs Increase the chances of successful self-governance All of the above
Outline the conditions that are associated with effective self-governance of CPRs
The Montreal Protocol is hailed as an effective policy intervention in which case study?
Ozone hole
Kenney (2005) attributes several environmental problems related to water management in Colorado, including fish species extinctions and elimination of wetlands, to: Federal environmental policy Unrestrained farming practices Urban sprawl on the Front Range Prior Appropriation Doctrine Non-point source of pollution
Prior Appropriation Doctrine
In the farmer-managed irrigation system in Nepal, external organizations helped the performance of these systems by doing what?
Providing scientific knowledge to farmers.
The 2015 UN's sustainable development goals contribute to the overall objective of
Reducing consumption throughout the world
Matson et al (2016) define _______________ as "large, persistent, and often abrupt changes in the dynamics of a system that occur because of substantial changes in interactions and forcings in the system."
Regime shifts
Matson et al use the term "committed research" to reflect Researchers' commitment to further private sector interests through research Researchers' interest in pursuing external funding for their environmental research program Researchers' commitment to the ethics of research conduct Researchers' interest in promoting sustainability through research
Researchers' interest in promoting sustainability through research
On which of the following points do Ostrom's and Hardin's discussions of the commons diverge? Definition of the problem arising from people sharing CPRs The existence of common pool resources The temptation to free-ride Resource users' agency All of the above
Resource users' agency
According to Matson et al (2016), the depletion of the ozone layer represents what kind of a problem?
Social environmental system problem
A common pool resource is any resource that is Owned collectively by a group of individuals A finite resource owned by a group of individuals Subtractable and costly to exclude others from Shared by many but owned by nobody Open for all to access
Subtractable and costly to exclude others from
SDG stands for
Sustainable Development Goals
Which of the following best describes Stewart Brand's overall argument?
Technological innovations exist which can be used to limit the effects of climate change. This might require environmentalists to embrace some technologies the movement has typically distrusted.
According to Rosenbaum (2013) one of the most serious issues when it comes to addressing environmental problems in the United States today is: Overconsumption Climate change Inequality Toxic waste The need for better and more scientific data
The need for better and more scientific data
Command and control approaches to environmental policy are often a better choice than market-based approaches when: When efficiency is important There is imminent danger to human life When industrial pollutants are involved All of the above
There is imminent danger to human life
T or F The condition of capital assets is unlikely to improve in the absence of a critical mass of actors working together to change rules regarding how an asset base is accessed and used.
True
T or F The main difference between a common pool resource and common property is that the former is a mere description of the biophysical attributes of a resource while the latter is a form of property rights.
True
T or F Top-down interventions (such as the mandatory use of masks) to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, may be justified because of the high stakes and potentially disastrously consequences of widespread infections
True
What is the Prior Appropriation system? Legal provisions that give eminent domain over water to federal agencies Water rights defined by "First in time, first in right." Rules that govern budget appropriations within water associations A system that allocates water rights based on prior farming experience All of the above
Water rights defined by "First in time, first in right."
What insights can we glean from comparing our in-class experiment with the Ostrom and Hardin readings and Chapter 4 in Matson et al? Hardin predicted the outcome of our experiment perfectly Ostrom predicted the outcomes of our experiment perfectly When group incentives were offered, cooperation converged towards the Pareto optimal Individual incentives produced higher cooperation across rounds of the game
When group incentives were offered, cooperation converged towards the Pareto optimal
Governance is:
a decision making process
In order for scientists and their scientific evidence to be able to shape policies on an issue, the political actors must first agree on the most basic scientific facts and findings about the issue promote centralized solutions rewrite existing laws be selfless and humble All of the above
agree on the most basic scientific facts and findings about the issue
Antecedent strategies aim to alter factors that precede behavior. Steg and Vlek argue that they... can raise awareness of problems provide information about choices provide information about consequences all of the above none of the above
all of the above
New knowledge is most likely to be trusted and acted upon by users when the processes that produced it are perceived as being salient credible legitimate all of the above
all of the above
An organization that has one foot in research and the other in the policy world is called a
boundary organization
An organization that has one foot in research and the other in the policy world is called a government agency think tank non-governmental organization grassroots organization boundary organization
boundary organization
The main idea of _____________________ is that in order to produce useful knowledge for the pursuit of sustainability, researchers need to have one foot in the policy world and the other in the academic world. linking knowledge social capital boundary work adaptive enterprises
boundary work
Bjorn Lomborg argues that ____________________________________________________.
climate change solutions are relatively inefficient
According to Matson et al (2016), the best way(s) to overcome divergence and separation between knowledge users and producers is through ________.
co-production of knowledge
According to Matson et al (2016), the best way(s) to overcome divergence and separation between knowledge users and producers is through ________. basic research publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals debates co-production of knowledge
co-production of knowledge
A system is defined as a bounded area with a set of components that are...
connected and are interacting with each other
According to the SES framework, human well-being results from _______________ processes that are made possible by the goods and services produced from the capital assets.
consumption
To address global environmental problems, the combination of first ______ , then protocol, which was first proposed for the control of CFCs, has become the norm in international environmental treaties.
convention
Working with knowledge users to produce what they judge to be adequate evidence and arguments has proven to be effective in improving the perceived __________ of the new knowledge. salience credibility legitimacy relevance reliability
credibility
agency
degree to which individual actors have the capacity to act independently and to make their own decisions
According to Lomborg, which discipline is particularly well-positioned to analyze which type of solutions ought to be prioritized?
economics
Rewarding scientists for _________________________ is rare for universities but might be a way to motivate more researchers to conduct research that is relevant for policy and practice. the number of sustainability-related publications they have engagement with sustainability knowledge users getting sustainability research funds none of the above
engagement with sustainability knowledge users
free riding
enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs
According to Matson et al (2016) there is a tradeoff between doing "committed research" and "excellent research".
false
CU - Boulder has its own version of the UN's sustainable development goals, and is monitoring the university's progress on 17 different quantifiable targets of sustainability.
false
CU Boulder's Environmental Policy emphasizes the role of nongovernmental actors in creating environmental solutions on campus.
false
One of the downsides of behavioral interventions is that their positive impact on the environment is smaller than that of recycling or or reusing available materials.
false
Steg and Vlek argue that an integrative approach to encouraging pro-environmental behavior is necessary because frameworks using existing approaches have not demonstrated any predictive power.
false
T or F n both the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, the lack of clear scientific evidence is the main reason that scientists have not had much influence on the policymaking process in the US.
false
T or F According to Kenney (2005), the declining profitability of agriculture in the Western United States has produced decreasing competition for water between agricultural and urban interests.
false
The anthropocentric perspective on sustainability, adopted by Matson et al (2016), implies that the protection of animal rights and biological diversity should not form part of efforts to pursue sustainability.
false
The main focus of the field of Environmental Justice is on the judicial processes that lead to sustainable development.
false
The vast majority of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals focus on environmental protection.
false
True or False According to Hardin (1968), if a herdsman adds an additional animal to his herd, the impacts of additional grazing affect only the herdsman himself.
false
Using the En-ROADS simulator, we saw that changing a single policy such as reducing deforestation or developing a clean thorium nuclear reactor would be enough to lower global temperature increase to under the 1.5C goal.
false
In the irrigation systems of Nepal, the ________ has/have the knowledge of how past interventions performed.
farmers
Social-environmental systems are complex and characterized by ________________.
feedback loops trade-offs non-linearities
Stewart Brand's four environmental heresies are about urbanization, nuclear power, GMOs, and
geoengineering
common pool resources
goods that are available to everyone, such as open ocean fisheries; it is difficult to exclude anyone from using the common pool, but one user's consumption reduces the amount available for others
According to Matson et al, what is the process that creates and enforces rules (policy) which can motivate individuals to address collective action problems and externalities? social-environmental system design governance institutional arrangements politics All of the above
governance
According to the Matson et al (2016), effective environmental policy is not likely without realistic goals, adequate resources, and ________.
governance
According to Stewart Brand, one of the reasons urbanization is a good thing is that it
helps to diffuse the population bomb
monitoring sustainability indicators overtime is essential because
it is part of a learning process that is never completely finished
What characteristics define whether a given resource is a CPR? the characteristics of its users its biophysical characteristics The number of user groups who use the resource The value of the resource the property rights associated with the resource
its biophysical characteristics
An extension agent receives a 10 % kick-back for each bottle of Weibull's insecticide sold in the agent's district. When this agent recommends farmers to use this particular brand, this advice risks being perceived by farmers as lacking in which ingredient of trusted knowledge (according to Matson et al 2016)? sincerity scientific bias salience credibility legitimacy
legitimacy
Which of the following factors is related primarily to how knowledge users perceive the intentions of the researchers?
legitimacy
Which of the following factors is related primarily to how knowledge users perceive the intentions of the researchers? legitimacy relevance salience credibility
legitimacy
Sustainability leaders that are system thinkers are more effective because a system approach is more holistic and realistic simpler and cheaper messy and complex full of unintended consequences all of the above
more holistic and realistic
CU-Boulder's initiatives to support sustainability on campus, tend to emphasize
mostly environmental issues and outcomes
Protection of the environment is ________________ for achieving the goal of improving inclusive wellbeing
necessary
According to Steg and Vlek, individuals are motivated to engage in environmental behavior because they make rational choices individuals can be expected to behave the same way, regardless of context people do not make environmental choices based on habit all of the above none of the above
none of the above
Matson et al (2016) discuss the results of a behavioral experiment with Colombian villagers using common-pool resources. The results of the experiment show that the effectiveness of monetary incentives: is unrelated to social norms and values matter more than extrinsic motivations work regardless of actor autonomy all of the above none of the above
none of the above
________is a constituent of wellbeing that has implications for experiencing real freedom or the capacity to pursue an unrestricted range of choices in life given one's personal capabilities.
opportunities
In the article by Steg and Vlek (2009), which of the following threats to environmental sustainability do they focus on? overconsumption biodiversity loss outdated infrastructure all of the above
overconsumption
The Tanzania cook stove case was used by Matson et al (2016) to illustrate what happens when knowledge producers do not take into account what knowledge users consider to be
salient
The Tanzania cook stove case was used by Matson et al (2016) to illustrate what happens when knowledge producers do not take into account what knowledge users consider to be sustainable salient true economical there was no case about cookstoves in the book
salient
New knowledge is most likely to be trusted and acted upon by users when the processes that produced it are perceived as being
salient credible legitimate
The US Federal Reserve is an institution that would be most appropriately classified as __________ capital in the SES framework?
social
According to Dietz et al, the most effective interventions to alter behavior use what? appeals and information financial incentives informal social influences waus of reducing transaction costs some combination of the above approaches
some combination of the above approaches
As fertilize use in the Yaqui Valley increased from 1981-1997, crop yields __________________.
stayed about the same
Dietz et al argue that _______________ make cap-and-trade programs insufficient for addressing emissions reduction targets. time lags between policy creation and implementation program costs the lack of monitoring none of the above
time lags between policy creation and implementation
A complex adaptive system is a system that is more complex and organized than would be predicted by the behavior of its individual parts.
true
According to Matson et al., if inclusive well-being does not decline over generations, development is considered sustainable.
true
Assessing the sustainability of a process requires you to take into account social, economic, and environmental indicators.
true
Command and control is normally enforced by using "sticks", while market-based approaches are normally enforced by using "carrots"
true
Compared to coal, "fracked" shale gas produces less GHG emissions when burned.
true
In Matson et al., the authors' perspective on sustainability is exclusively focused on environmental conservation.
true
Non-point source pollution is the most important cause of surface water pollution in the United States today.
true
One of the key factors in the success of the Montreal Protocol was the role scientists played in helping policy makers create the protocol.
true
Steg and Vlek (2009) argue that sustainability requires behavioral change because technical efficiency gains tend to not keep up with consumption.
true
Stek and Vleg argue that most evaluative studies of environmental policy interventions are expensive and take a lot of time to complete.
true
Sustainability is the ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same
true
T or F An advantage of the Prior appropriation doctrine is that it provides for stable and predictable water use
true
The difference between human capital and knowledge capital is that human capital is about the characteristics of the population while knowledge capital is about what the population knows.
true
True or False One way for scientists to increase the policy impact of their research is to engage with and work more directly with decision makers.
true
Research that facilitates interaction between new knowledge and problem solving is: basic research applied research use-inspired research "soaking and poking
use-inspired research
Stewart Brand argues that
we should use more nuclear power generation.
collective action
when 2 or more individuals cooperate to accomplish a goal they cannot achieve individually
asymmetries of power
when some actors are more powerful than others
In our class debates, we ask you to practice critical thinking, which we define as _____________________.
Deconstructing the other side's argument(s) Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent's argument(s) Suggesting ways the opposing side's argument(s) can be improved
Sustainability science is a field that focuses on:
Mobilizing different kinds of knowledge to promote sustainability
Research that facilitates interaction between new knowledge and problem solving is:
use-inspired research
In which decade were most of current federal environmental policies established? 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
1970s
True or False According to Rosenbaum 2013, the public health impact of fracking remains unproven.
True
