SOC 220 Exam 1 Study Guide
What are two characteristics of common pool resources?
1) Non-excludable 2) Rival
Rank the following methods of irrigation in terms of their general level of efficiency in use of water with the most efficient being first.
1. Drip 2. Sprinkler 3. Flood with furrows 4. Flood
According to the article ``Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust'', how many gallons of water does a milk cow consume in one day?
12 gallons
According to the article ``Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust'', how many acre-feet of water does irrigated corn require during the growing season.
14 acre-feet
The Homestead Act and the Reclamation Act of 1902 both limited holdings to how many acres?
160 acres
Match the type of right with its definition. Question: A right not to be subjected to an action of another person or group A right to be subjected to an action or another person or group Natural right Fundamental equality All Answer Choices a. Negative right b. Positive right c. A right one is born with as a human being. d. People should be treated as equals by their government and their legal system: no special privileges, just an entitlement to respect and consideration as human beings.
A right not to be subjected to an action of another person or group a) Negative right A right to be subjected to an action or another person or group b) Positive right Natural right c) A right one is born with as a human being. Fundamental equality d) People should be treated as equals by their government and their legal system: no special privileges, just an entitlement to respect and consideration as human beings.
Match the following water types to their definition: Blue water Green water White water Grey water Black water All Answer Choices a. Moves above and below ground on its way back to the ocean. b. Soil moisture that is absorbed by plants. c. Is evaporated water in the air. d. Wastewater, usually of poor quality but usable by humans. e. Polluted water of such poor quality that it is considered unusable by humans.
Blue water a) Moves above and below ground on its way back to the ocean. Green water b) Soil moisture that is absorbed by plants. White water c) Is evaporated water in the air. Grey water d) Wastewater, usually of poor quality but usable by humans. Black water e) Polluted water of such poor quality that it is considered unusable by humans.
Match the terms with their definitions: Classical value Use value Exchange value Intrinsic value Instrumental value All Answer Choices a. The value of a thing in any given time and place, is the largestamount of exertion that anyone will render in exchange for it. b. The qualitative aspect of value, i.e., the concrete way in which a thing meets human needs: ``The utility of a thing makes it a use-value.'' c. The value of a commodity: what quantity of other commodities it will exchange for, if traded. d. That which is desirable or worthy of esteem for its own sake, valued as an `end-in-itself.' e. The value of objects, both physical objects and abstract objects, not as ends-in-themselves, but as a means to some other end or purpose.
Classical value a) The value of a thing in any given time and place, is the largestamount of exertion that anyone will render in exchange for it. Use value b) The qualitative aspect of value, i.e., the concrete way in which a thing meets human needs: ``The utility of a thing makes it a use-value.'' Exchange value c) The value of a commodity: what quantity of other commodities it will exchange for, if traded. Intrinsic value d) That which is desirable or worthy of esteem for its own sake, valued as an `end-in-itself.' Instrumental value e) The value of objects, both physical objects and abstract objects, not as ends-in-themselves, but as a means to some other end or purpose.
Match the following terms with their definitions: Complicated system Complex system Self-organization Emergence Resilience All Answer Choices a. a system that has the capacity to evolve and adapt b. the arising of novel and coherent structures, patterns and properties within a system c. the elements are highly dependent on one another and removing an element can fundamentally change the system''s behavior d. the elements maintain some independence and removing one does not change the system's fundamental nature e. the spontaneous formation of structures in systems composed of few or many components f. a set of parts that make up a whole g. the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance, undergo change and still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks
Complicated system: d) the elements maintain some independence and removing one does not change the system's fundamental nature Complex system: c) the elements are highly dependent on one another and removing an element can fundamentally change the system''s behavior Self-organization: e) the spontaneous formation of structures in systems composed of few or many components Emergence: b) the arising of novel and coherent structures, patterns and properties within a system Resilience: g) the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance, undergo change and still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks
Match the correct concept or definition with each word: Delta smelt San Joaquin RiverRestoration Settlement Act Center-pivot Texas Legislature Reason a paper was withdrawn from ``Water Quality Management'' All Answer Choices a. A form of overhead sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. b. In 2011 authorized the state's Commission on Environmental Quality to suspend water rights in emergencies like droughts. While the commission still had to allot water to rights holders in order of seniority, it also could consider ---as much as was practical how that water was being used before ordering a rights holder's pumps shut off. c. Goal was to restore fish to what had been a dry river bed. d. The authors modified Figure 1 (changing the label from "Israel'' to "Historical Palestine''). The authors did not inform the editors or the publisher of this change in their manuscript. e. Vast amounts of water from the Sierra Nevada snow pack are sent through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into the ocean each year, exacerbating hardships endured by the growers in the three-year drought in Southern California, in order to protect me.
Delta smelt e) Vast amounts of water from the Sierra Nevada snow pack are sent through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into the ocean each year, exacerbating hardships endured by the growers in the three-year drought in Southern California, in order to protect me. San Joaquin RiverRestoration Settlement Act c) Goal was to restore fish to what had been a dry river bed. Center-pivot a) A form of overhead sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. Texas Legislature b) In 2011 authorized the state's Commission on Environmental Quality to suspend water rights in emergencies like droughts. While the commission still had to allot water to rights holders in order of seniority, it also could consider ---as much as was practical how that water was being used before ordering a rights holder's pumps shut off. Reason a paper was withdrawn from ``Water Quality Management'' d) The authors modified Figure 1 (changing the label from "Israel'' to "Historical Palestine''). The authors did not inform the editors or the publisher of this change in their manuscript.
Match the type of public policy for sustainability with appropriate examples: Design standards Production quota Taxes Subsidies Fines Tradable permits Effluent permits All Answer Choices a. Economic incentives b. Regulation
Design standards b. Regulation Production quota b. Regulation Taxes a. Economic incentives Subsidies a. Economic incentives Fines a. Economic incentives Tradable permits a. Economic incentives Effluent permits b. Regulation
An adaptable solution "locks-in" existing concepts and technologies, is able to respond quickly to new challenges, and is resilient. Agree or Disagree
Disagree
In his original paper 1995 paper entitled "The Concept of Environmental Sustainability" Robert Goodland of The World Bank identified three types of sustainbility. What are those three types?
Environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability Fan open
Match the following words with their definitions: Expendable factors of production Capital factors of production Capital services Human capital Non-rival good Non-excludable good System Common property resource Bad Renewable resource All Answer Choices a. Goods or services which are rival but non-excludable b. Can replenish with the passage of time, either through biological reproduction or other naturally recurring processes c. Manufactured means of production d. The flow of productive services that can be obtained from a given capital stock during a production period e. A stock that is not used up during a single production period, provides services over time, and retains a unique identity f. Cannot be reproduced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate; once depleted there will be no more available for future use. g. Can be used or consumed by one person without reducing the amount left for others. In other words, it can be used again and again at almost no additional cost h. An object whose consumption decreases the well-being or utility of an individual i. A set of connected parts making an integrated whole j. Raw materials or other items that are completely used up or consumed during a single production period k. Impossible or extremely costly to exclude nonpayers from consumption l. The muscle-power, dexterity, abilities, skills and education embodied in a human being
Expendable factors of production j) Raw materials or other items that are completely used up or consumed during a single production period Capital factors of production: e) A stock that is not used up during a single production period, provides services over time, and retains a unique identity Capital services: d) The flow of productive services that can be obtained from a given capital stock during a production period Human capital: l) The muscle-power, dexterity, abilities, skills and education embodied in a human being Non-rival good: g) Can be used or consumed by one person without reducing the amount left for others. In other words, it can be used again and again at almost no additional cost Non-excludable good: k) Impossible or extremely costly to exclude nonpayers from consumption System: i) A set of connected parts making an integrated whole Common property resource: a) Goods or services which are rival but non-excludable Bad: h) An object whose consumption decreases the well-being or utility of an individual Renewable resource: b) Can replenish with the passage of time, either through biological reproduction or other naturally recurring processes
An open system is isolated from the outside environment. True or False.
False
Decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, and the banning of coal power plants by 2030 are all part of the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. True or false
False
Firms who maximize profit always minimize the social cost of producing the profit maximizing output level. (social) True or false.
False
If a social-ecological system is sustainable, the people in it will flourish. True or false
False
If a social-ecological system is sustainable, the people in it will flourish. True or false.
False
If production of a product creates a positive externality, the social cost of production is generally higher than the private cost. True or false.
False
If the government imposes a pollution tax, polluters know what price they will have to pay,and the government knows how much pollution the polluter y will generate. True or false
False
It is possible to optimize the overall performance of a system by optimizing each part separately. True or false.
False
It would be fairly easy to regulate access and therefore exclude users of the Ogallala aquifer. True or false
False
Like its name, the West Bank gets significant groundwater from the Western Aquifer. True or false
False
Much like the current debate about climate change, the hypothesis that ``rain follows the plow'' was initially doubted by many but was eventually accepted as a sound scientific theory of climate. True or false
False
Robert Solow has argued that what matters is leaving copious amounts of natural resources to our posterity. True or false
False
Robert Solow, a Nobel Prize winner in economics, has argued that one of the reasons we have to be so concerned about sustainability today is that our ancestors were overly greedy in using resources and have not left enough for us to live like they did. True or false
False
The Ogallala aquifer in general and in current practice is an easily excludable resource. True or false
False
The Second Principle of Justice says that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that a) they are to be of the greatest benefit to the most-advantaged members of society, consistent with the just savings principle, and; b) offices and positions must be distributed on a random basis so that everyone has an equal change of receiving them True or false
False
Tradable permits would have prevented the collpase of the orange roughy fishery if their level had been set at the average of the five highest annual catch levels. True or false.
False
Water is generally most effectively used near its source in the mountains. True or false
False
Water problems are usually not site specific. True or false
False
What are the four categories by which goods are normally differentiated?
Form, place, time, possession
Match a description of a method of estimating willingness to pay with its formal name: Observations of people acting in real-world settings, where people must live with the consequences of their choices. People's responses to hypothetical questions, of the form, what would you do if . . . ? or what would you be willing to pay for . . . ? All Answer Choices: a. Pseudo preference methods b. Stated preference methods c. Revealed preference methods
Observations of people acting in real-world settings, where people must live with the consequences of their choices. c) Revealed preference methods People's responses to hypothetical questions, of the form, what would you do if . . . ? or what would you be willing to pay for . . . ? b) Stated preference methods
Match the following concepts with their definitions or views: Offstream use Non-excludable good Social capital Rival good Resilience Non-rival good Instream use Economic capital Common property resource Public Good All Answer Choices a. Hydroelectric power generation, navigation, fish propagation and use, and recreational activities. b. Depends on the diversion or withdrawal of water from a surface- or ground-water source and conveyed to the place of use. c. Non-excludable and non-rival d. Something that can be used or consumed by one person without reducing the amount left for others. e. The aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition. f. The capacity of a system to undergo change and still reatin its basic function and structure. g. Goods or services whose size or characteristics makes it costly, but not impossible, to exclude potential beneficiaries from obtaining benefits from its use. Rival but non-excludable. h. It is impossible or extremely costly to exclude nonpayers from consumption of this item. i. Item whose consumption by one consumer prevents simultaneous consumption by other consumers. j. The amount of risk capital, assessed on a realistic basis, which a firm requires to cover the risks that it is running or collecting as a going concern, such as market risk, credit risk, and operational risk. k. Manufactured means of production.
Offstream use b) Depends on the diversion or withdrawal of water from a surface- or ground-water source and conveyed to the place of use. Non-excludable good h) It is impossible or extremely costly to exclude nonpayers from consumption of this item. Social capital e) The aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition. Rival good i) Item whose consumption by one consumer prevents simultaneous consumption by other consumers. Resilience f) The capacity of a system to undergo change and still reatin its basic function and structure. Non-rival good d) Something that can be used or consumed by one person without reducing the amount left for others. Instream use a) Hydroelectric power generation, navigation, fish propagation and use, and recreational activities. Economic capital j) The amount of risk capital, assessed on a realistic basis, which a firm requires to cover the risks that it is running or collecting as a going concern, such as market risk, credit risk, and operational risk. Common property resource g) Goods or services whose size or characteristics makes it costly, but not impossible, to exclude potential beneficiaries from obtaining benefits from its use. Rival but non-excludable. Public Good c) Non-excludable and non-rival
The three parts of the triple bottom line are a follows.
People, Planet, Profits
Match examples to each type of good or resource: Renewable Natural Resources Non-renewable Natural Resources Private goods Common-pool resources Club goods Pure public goods Man-made Capital All Answer Choices a. forests, fish, wildlife b. shoes, hamburgers, jackhammers c. housing developments with private covenants, golf courses, cable television d. fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) e. machinery, buildings, equipment f. aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, rangeland g. police protection, lighthouses, flood control systems
Renewable Natural Resources a) forests, fish, wildlife Non-renewable Natural Resources d) fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) Private goods b) shoes, hamburgers, jackhammers Common-pool resources f) aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, rangeland Club goods c) housing developments with private covenants, golf courses, cable television Pure public goods g) police protection, lighthouses, flood control systems Man-made Capital e) machinery, buildings, equipment
The opportunity cost of driving your car to work is the difference between the actual cost of driving your car and taking the bus (assuming you live far enough away that walking or biking are not practical). Right or wrong.
Right
The opportunity cost of land used for a public park is what it would have brought at auction for use in the private sector or otherwise. Right or wrong.
Right
The opportunity cost of land used for to build a freeway is what it would have brought at a public sale auction for use in the private sector or otherwise. Right or wrong.
Right
Match the following concepts with their definition: Sustaining innovation Disruptive innovation All Answer Choices a. An innovation that helps create a new market and value network. b. An innovation that does not create new markets or value networks but rather only evolves existing ones with better value.
Sustaining innovation b) An innovation that does not create new markets or value networks but rather only evolves existing ones with better value. Disruptive innovation a) An innovation that helps create a new market and value network.
A Pigouvian tax is a tax applied to a market activity that is generating negative externalities (costs for someone other than the person on whom the tax is imposed). True or false.
True
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide orgreenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset anemission made elsewhere. True or false
True
A social-ecological system may have multiple stable states. True or false.
True
An auction of permits for water use or the right to pollute will generally be efficient in allocating resources but may not be equitable if some bidders (lrich, well connected) are able to buy permits in quantities that are not optimal for society because of wealth or power or other factors. True or false.
True
As a commodity, water is generally a rival good. True or false
True
Charles Dana Wilber argued that John Wesley Powell's proposal to divide the land into parcels much larger than quarter sections (160 acres) was basically ceding them over to the aristocratic tastes of the lords of the herds, and would not make them available to the typical farmer who wanted to plant crops. True or false
True
Charles Dana Wilber said that by repeated processes of sowing and planting with diligence the desert line is driven back, notonly in Africa and Arabia, but in all regions where man has been aggressive, so that in reality there is no desert anywhere except by man's permission or neglect. True or false
True
China had the largest level of clean energy investment among all nations in 2015. True or false.
True
During 2015, fossil fuel prices were low, yet there was continued strong growth of investment in wind and solar, speaking to fact that these technologies are becoming more cost competitive. True or false.
True
Firms who maximize profit always minimize the private cost of producing the profit maximizing output level. (private) True or false
True
Garrett Hardin has argued that mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon by the majority of the people affected is the most reasonable way to solve the tragedy of the commons. True or false.
True
If another 500 megalitres of water applied to the field of Farmer Samik increases rice yields less than the same 500 megalitres applied to field of Farmer Ramesh, then the water has more value to Farmer Ramesh (everything else held constant). True or false.
True
If pollution licenses are simply handed out existing players, any revenue that would have gone to the government through a PIgouvian tax or the sale of licenses goes to those who were, are or will be polluting. True or false
True
If the government imposes a pollution cap, it knows the amount of pollution, but polluters do not know what the price of emissions will be. True or false
True
It a production of a product creates a negative externality, the social cost of production is generally higher than the private cost. True or false.
True
James C. Carter, a lawyer appointed to present the claims of the United States before the Bering Sea tribunal said the following. "The extent of dominion which, by the law of nature, is conferred upon particular nations over the things of the earth is limited in that the things themselves are not given; but only the increase or usufruct thereof." True or false
True
John Rawls has argued that meeting citizens' basic needs may be lexically prior to an adequate scheme of equal basic rights and liberties. True or false
True
John Wesley said it would be almost criminal to allow thousands and hundreds of thousands of people to establish homes where they cannot maintain themselves due to lack of water. True or false
True
One way to get at the value of water is to create an active market in which the right to withdraw so many acre feet per year is auctioned off. True or false
True
People on Easter Island were no longer to hunt for porpoises, one of their main food staples, because they cut down too many trees. True or false.
True
Places that fairly regularly experience modest disruptions tend to be more resilient that those which seldom have to deal with disruptions. True or false
True
Putting data in the hands of consumers through the the digitalization of medicine will have much the same effect that the Gutenberg Bible had in putting scriptures into the hands of the laity. True or false
True
Robert Solow has argued that our ancestors were probably excessively generous in providing for us in terms of what they provided (or left) for us in terms of opportunities to promote human flourishing. True or false
True
Social costs include both the private costs and any other external costs to society arising from the production or consumption of a good or service. True or false
True
The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 was intended to "stopinjury to the public grazing lands by preventingovergrazing and soil deterioration, to provide for theirorderly use, improvement and development, to stabilize thelivestock industry dependent upon the public range, and forother purposes". True or false
True
The government might encourage the use of a renewable resource by providing a subsidy to those who produce or consume products using that resource, or by purchasing products manufactured using that resource in preference to those produced using non-renewable resources. True or false.
True
The idea of the tyranny of small decisions is that though the individual impact of any one decision is almost negligible, when accumulated over a large number of individuals, the impact is large. True or false
True
The travel cost method is most often used to measure the benefits of recreationalresources such as parks, rivers, or beaches, whether they be used for hiking,fishing, surfing, or just hanging out. True or false
True
There are currently plans for a Red Sea to Dead Sea canal to raise the level of the Dead Sea. True or false
True
Under a carbon offset program an electric utility in Pennsylvania might be allowed to continue to burn coal if they were to purchase rainforest land in Brazil and guarantee that it would not be harvested, or buy up the right to harvest the trees from that rainforest but then not exercise that right. True or false
True
We usually say that "solutions'' in sustainable economic systems must have a rate of return (either from profits or some other other source) that is no less than the "market rate of return''. True or false.
True
Weak environmental sustainability is maintaining total capital intact without regard to the partitioning of that capital among the four kinds (Natural, Human, Human-made, Social). True or false.
True
Which of the following statements are true? a. A pollution tax imposes costs on the private sector while generating revenue for the various private firms. b. If the government imposes a cap, it knows the amount of pollution, and polluters also know what the price of emissions will be. c.If the government imposes a pollution tax, polluters know what price they will have to pay, but the government does not know how much pollution they will generate. d. If the government simply auctions off licenses or permits for pollution and collects the revenue, then it is just like a tax which imposes costs on the private sector while generating revenue for the government. e.If the licenses to pollute are given out to existing players, the potential revenue still accrues to the government.
True: c.If the government imposes a pollution tax, polluters know what price they will have to pay, but the government does not know how much pollution they will generate. d. If the government simply auctions off licenses or permits for pollution and collects the revenue, then it is just like a tax which imposes costs on the private sector while generating revenue for the government.
The opportunity cost of diesel used to transport gravel to a construction site is what it cost to produce the diesel. Right or wrong.
Wrong
Go to the website http://www.gapminder.org/world. Create a graph for 2007 with energy use, per person (log scale) on the vertical axis and GDP/capita (US$, inflation-adjusted) on the horizontal axis. Also show this in log scale. Let the size of the dots reflect total population. The country with the highest energy use per person is [Qatar] while the second highest use is in [Ice]. The country with the highest GDP/capita is [Lu].
[Qatar] = Qatar [Ice] = Iceland [Lu] = Luxembourg "Go to the website http://www.gapminder.org/world. Create a graph for 2007 with energy use, per person (log scale) on the vertical axis and GDP/capita (US$, inflation-adjusted) on the horizontal axis. Also show this in log scale. Let the size of the dots reflect total population. The country with the highest energy use per person is Qatar while the second highest use is in Iceland. The country with the highest GDP/capita is Luxembourg".
The three rules for thinking like an engineer are: 1. [S] where the [d] will be, not where it is 2. Establish a common [c] space 3. The solution must be [r] • Technologically [f] • [A] • Reasonable [cost] +1 There are no [p] solutions
[S] = Shoot [d] = duck [c] = constraint [r] = real [f] = feasible [A] = Available [cost] = cost [p] = perfect The three rules for thinking like an engineer are: 1. Shoot where the duck will be, not where it is 2. Establish a common constraint space 3. The solution must be real • Technologically feasible • Available • Reasonable cost +1 There are no perfect solutions
Edward Abbey has said that growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the [] cell.
[] = cancer "Edward Abbey has said that growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell".
To represent something as a system, we will need to identify: [a] [b] [c] [d] (inputs <=> outputs).
[a] = boundaries [b] = components [c] = interconnections [d] = behavior To represent something as a system, we will need to identify: a) boundaries b) components c) interconnections d) behavior (inputs <=> outputs)
Future persons are in no position to press [c] of [i] against us, since they will not [e] until we have all [d].
[c] = claims [i] = injustice [e] = exist [d] = died "Future persons are in no position to press claims of injustice against us, since they will not exist until we have all died".
The use of a park such as Yellowstone or Arches may or may not be a rival good depending on the level of [con].
[con] = congestion "The use of a park such as Yellowstone or Arches may or may not be a rival good depending on the level of [con]".
A Pareto optimal allocation is [e] in the sense that there is no other way to [re] society's productive facilities in order to make somebody [b] of without [ha] somebody else.
[e] = efficient [re] = [reorganize] [b] = [better] [ha] = [harming]
Aristotle said that "Yet evidently, as we said, it needs the external goods as well; for it is impossible, ornot easy, to do noble acts without the proper [e]".
[e] = equipment "Aristotle said that 'Yet evidently, as we said, it needs the external goods as well; for it is impossible, ornot easy, to do noble acts without the proper equipment'".
The equal liberty principle "guarantees that each person is to have an equal right to the most [e] [t] [sys] of basic [l] [c] with a [sim] system for all."
[e] = extensive [t] = total [sys] = system [l] = liberties [c] = compatible [sim] = similar "The equal liberty principle 'guarantees that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive total system of basic liberties compatible with a similar system for all'".
A system is resilient if its [f] is maintained when it is [p] or the elements needed to renew or [r] it can be [m] if a large perturbation radically alters its [s] and function.
[f] = functionality [p] = perturbed [r] = reorganize [m] = maintained [s] = structure "A system is resilient if its functionality is maintained when it is perturbed or the elements needed to renew or reorganize it can be maintained if a large perturbation radically alters its structure and function".
In the paper "Sustainability: Human, Social, Economic and Environmental" by Robert Goodland he provided definitions of human, social, economic and environmental sustainability. He says that human sustainability means maintaining [h] [K], social sustainability means maintaining [s] [K2], economic capital should be [m], and that humanity must learn to live within the limitations of the [b] [e].
[h] = human [K] = capital [s] = social [K2] = capital [m] = maintained [b] = physical [e] = environment "In the paper "Sustainability: Human, Social, Economic and Environmental" by Robert Goodland he provided definitions of human, social, economic and environmental sustainability. He says that human sustainability means maintaining human capital, social sustainability means maintaining social capital, economic capital should be maintained, and that humanity must learn to live within the limitations of the physical environment".
A system is a set of [i1] parts making an [i2] whole.
[i1] = interconnected [i2] = integrated "A system is a set of interconnected parts making an integrated whole".
The Brundtland Commission (1987) defined sustainability as "meeting the [n] of today without [c] the ability of [f] generations to meet their own needs''.
[n] = needs [c] = compromising [f] = future "Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
With respect to systems we say that changing the [p] changes the behavior and changing the [i] changes the behavior.
[p] = component [i] = interconnection "With respect to systems we say that changing the component changes the behavior and changing the interconnection changes the behavior".
Section 3 of the Taylor Grazing Act concerns grazing [p] issued on public lands within the grazing districts established under the Act.
[p] = permits "Section 3 of the Taylor Grazing Act concerns grazing permits issued on public lands within the grazing districts established under the Act".
Our framework for sustainability has five constraints. a. Physically [p] b. Technologically [f] c. Environmentally [s] d. [Pro] e. Socially [a]
[p] = possible [f] = feasible [s] = sound [Pro] = profitable [a] = acceptable Our framework for sustainability has five constraints. a. Physically possible b. Technologically feasible c. Environmentally sound d. Profitable e. Socially acceptable
In this course we have defined a paradigm as "A paradigm is a set of [p] that define a [d], [c] of [th], or approach to [pr] [sol] at any particular period of time."
[p] = practices [d] = discipline [c] = community [th] = thought [pr] = problem [sol] = solving "In this course we have defined a paradigm as "A paradigm is a set of practices that define a discipline, community of thought, or approach to problem solving at any particular period of time".
Human Flourishing involves the [r] use of one's individual human [p], including [t], abilities, and [v] in the pursuit of his/her [f] and rationally chosen values and [g].
[r] = rational [p] = potential [t] = talents [v] = virtues [f] = freely [g] = goals "Human flourishing involves the rational use of one's individual human potential, including talents, abilities, and virtues in the pursuit of his/her freely and rationally chosen values and goals".
We usually say that a system is sustainable if it is more or less able to [r] or [m] itself over [t] without significant [e] [i] of [x].
[r] = reproduce [m] = maintain [t] = time [e] = external [i] = injections [x] = resources "We usually say that a system is sustainable if it is more or less able to reproduce or maintain itself over time without significant external injections of resources".
Common pool resources are [r] in the sense that one person consuming the good prevents another person from consuming the good. Common pool resources are non-[e].
[r] = rival [e] = excludable "Common pool resources are rival in the sense that one person consuming the good prevents another person from consuming the good. Common pool resources are non-excludable".
When goods are measured in terms of other goods or in terms of their purchasing power, the stated value is in [real] terms. When the value is stated in terms of prices, the value is in [nom] terms.
[real] = real [nom] = nominal
In Texas, landowners own the groundwater beneath their property, but a neighbor pumping groundwater from the same aquifer can [s] it away without penalty.
[s] = siphon "In Texas, landowners own the groundwater beneath their property, but a neighbor pumping groundwater from the same aquifer can siphon it away without penalty".
Steven Chu, an American physicist who served as the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. has said "The stone age did not end because we ran out of [s]".
[s] = stones "Steven Chu, an American physicist who served as the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. has said "The stone age did not end because we ran out of stones".
Fill in the blanks. In the Rawlsian approach to justice, those in the original position are behind a [veil] of [ig].
[veil] = veil [ig] = ignorance "In the Rawlsian approach to justice, those in the original position are behind a veil of ignorance".
An externality exists whenever the [w] of some agent, either a firm or a household, depends not only on his or her [act], but also on activities under the control of some [oth] [ag].
[w] = welfare [act] = activities [oth] = other [ag] = agent "An externality exists whenever the welfare of some agent, either a firm or a household, depends not only on his or her activities, but also on activities under the control of some other agent".
Fill in the blanks in the following statement. Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a [whole] cannot [over]. For this reason justice denies that the [loss] of [free] for some is made right by a [gre] [go] shared by others.
[whole] = whole [over] = override [loss] = loss [free] = freedom [gre] = greater [go] = good "Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override. For this reason justice denies that the loss of freedom for some is made right by a greater good shared by others".
The line typically used to separate the arid portions of the United States from the semi-humid and humid ones is the
a) 100th Meridian
What percent of total global water is in the oceans?
a) 96.5%
Abraham and Isaac, respectively, fought with Abimelech over which of the following.
a) Access to a well of water
Which of the following is likely to be most effective in reducing overuse of the Ogallala aquifer?
a) Allocate use permits that limit the amount that anyone can withdraw in a given period.
Why does cap and trade give everyone an incentive to reduce pollution?
a) Because sellers can unload more licenses if they can cut back on their emissions. b) Because buyers would not have to acquire as many licenses if they can cut back on their emissions.
Which of the following are examples of common pool resources?
a) Central campus at Iowa State University b) Lake Powell, which was created by building the Glen Canyon Dam across the Colorado River.
Which of the following are usually considered basic needs?
a) Clothing b) Food c) Shelter d) Water
What are negative externalities?
a) Costs that economic actors impose on others without paying a price for their actions
Which of the following relate most prominently to intragenerational justice?
a) Exploitative social arrangements b) Sacrifice of the fundamental needs of some for the sake of less central interests or mere 'wants' of others c) weak
Which of the following are assumptions of perfect competition.
a) Firms have freedom of entry and exit b) Homogeneous goods c) No transaction costs d) No externalities e) Perfect information f) Buyers and sellers are price takers
The following are good examples of what is called the prisoner's dilemma.
a) How many cattle any one person should allow to graze on the open range. b) Whether everyone in society should lock their cars (and/or houses).
Which of the following are examples of uncertainty created by governmental environmental policy?
a) If the government imposes a pollution cap, it knows the amount of pollution, but polluters do not know what the price of emissions will be. b) With both pollution taxes and trading caps there may be measurement issues in determining the amount of harmful pollution emmitted by any particular agent, or even from which agent pollution may be coming. c) If the government imposes a pollution tax, polluters know what price they will have to pay, but the government does not know how much pollution they will generate. d) If the government imposes a pollution cap, producers will not know how much they might have to pay at an auction to buy shares of the overall pollution allocated by the cap.
What are the three main objectives of the mental model or framework we will use in this class to evaluate sustainability options.
a) Improve the human condition b) Adaptable or resillient c) Just
John Wesley argued which of the following as far as optimal water use.
a) Looking to the conservation of water, it is best to select lands as high on the streams as possible. But opposite to this the argument related to temperature, the higher the land the colder the climate, and the shorter the growing season. b) The water ought to be used as near the mountains as possible --- all of which I have said to you heretofore --- but not in the mountains, in order that the lands may be in a climate where agriculture is possible for a variety of crops. c) The water ought not to be used too far from the source --- 200, 300, 400, or 500 miles further than it ought to run, because when it gets there, there is little left.
John Wesley Powell talked about competing arguments for selecting lands for irrigation higher in the mountains versus lower in the valleys. Which of the following best describes his arguments.
a) Looking to the conservation of water, it is best to select lands as high on the streams as possible. But opposite to this the argument related to temperature, the higher the land the colder the climate, and the shorter the growing season..
The following are common causes of market failure.
a) Natural monopoly b) Public goods such as common pool resources c) Externalities d) Uncertainty or asymmetric information
Which of the following relate most prominently to intergenerational justice?
a) Obligations to future generations b) Present obligations that are based on the (future) rights of future people
What are the five constraints we have discussed that limit potential increases in human flourishing?
a) Physical possibility b) Social acceptability c) Technological feasibility d) Economic profitability e) Environmental soundness
Which of the following conditions are necessary and sufficient for competitive equilibirum?
a) Profit maximization, utility maximization, and market clearing
Consider the numerous individuals and groups who would like to have access to the Grand Canyon for a variety of activities. Which of the following are reasonable approaches to prevent damage/overuse and are also fair and just?
a) Require that all travel in the park be by foot or bicycle except for those who are physically challenged. For these individuals provide minimal cost transportation using solar powered fat tire golf carts. b) Set up up a quota system where entrance passes are allocated using a lottery. c) Use skills tests where only those who satisfy certain conditions are allowed to hike certain trails and or climb certain cliffs.
The Black Elk Wilderness is in the center of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. It is the only wilderness area in the Black Hills and is sacred to many American Indians. The area is named for the Oglala Sioux spiritual leader Black Elk and is sacred to many American Indians. It is the only Wilderness at Black Hills National Forest and currently spans over 13,426 acres. Entering or being in the Black Elk Wilderness as part of a group larger than 25 people and/or livestock combined is prohibited. Entering or being in the Black Elk Wilderness without a properly completed self-registration form (permit) is currently prohibited. Because of the high demand for use, the US Forest Service is considering a system for allocating these permits. Which of the following are reasonable approaches to prevent damage/overuse and are also fair and just?
a) Set up up a quota system where entrance passes are allocated using a lottery. b) Set up a reservation system where reservations are available for up to one year in advance on 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 January and 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 July each year and those who can sign up during the various weeks in January and June rotate by groups of last names every year. Otherwise reservations are only available three months in advance. Individuals may make no more than two reservations at any one destination during the January and June signup periods and no more than three at any one destination more than one month in advance. There is a $10 per day/night reservation fee. All reservations are uniquely tied to an individual last name, address and social security number. The Federal government sets up an electronic bulletin board system where individuals may trade reservations with any other individual. Reservations may not be bought or sold or traded for other goods (Assume this is enforcible).
Consider the numerous individuals and groups who would like to have access to National Parks, National Forests or Wilderness Areas for a variety of activities.
a) Set up up a quota system where use permits are allocated using a lottery. b) Set up a reservation system where reservations are available for up to one year in advance on 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 January and 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 July each year and those who can sign up during the various weeks in January and June rotate by groups of last names every year. Otherwise reservations are only available three months in advance. Individuals may make no more than two reservations at any one destination during the January and June signup periods and no more than three at any one destination more than one month in advance. There is a $10 per day/night reservation fee. All reservations are uniquely tied to an individual last name, address and social security number. The Federal government sets up an electronic bulletin board system where individuals may trade reservations with any other individual. Reservations may not be bought or sold or traded for other goods (Assume this is enforcible).
Suppose I want to design a hybrid car that weighs less than 3,000 pounds, gets 60 mpg and can be produced for less than $15,000. What is an appropriate constraint set?
a) The car must weigh less than 3,000 pounds, achieve at least sixty miles per gallon and have a production cost less than $15,000.
In 2013, the New England Fishery Management Council, a regional policy-making arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed that the total allowable catch for certain cod stocks be reduced 80% from the quota level at that time. What was proposed as compensation for the fisherman who were most likely to be harmed by reduction in the quota?
a) The opening of other areas off the New England coast that had previously been closed to allow them to catch more plentiful stocks of fish, such as haddock.
What is the meaning of the word usufruct?
a) The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance.
Carbon credits can be generated from various types of projects:
a) Using garbage as a fuel to create energy as compared to burying it in a landfill where it will produce methane. b) Switching the generation of electricty from coal to wind.
The National Water Carrier of Israel and the Central Valley Project are similar in which of the following ways.
a) Water is moved by means of a series of canals, aqueducts and pump plants. b) They move water from the north to the south.
Which of the following were effective for defining and enforcing property rights among cattlemen on the open range in Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas in the 1800s?
a) a. cattlemen's associations; "rent seeking" by approaching the national government to take away the range rights b) line camps
The granite monolith called the Half Dome in Yosemite National Park was probably considered a non-rival good in 1890, but is considered a rival good today because of
a) congestion
Suppose Hyundai develops a new internal combustion engine that is able to burn a variety of common fuels including gasoline, ethanol, diesel, biodiesel, and natural gas with about 20% lower C O subscript 2 emissions. The cost of production is similar to that of current engines and miles per dollar of fuel used is lower than with any current automotive technology. The engine, however, emits a strong odor that is not harmful to the environment but is nauseating if inhaled in large quantities. Which of the following characteristics of sustainable solutions are satisfied by this engine. Hyundai is planning on selling the engine all over the world, including licensing it for use by other manufacturers. Their initial plans are to subsidize the price of vehicles sold to individuals who are in the lowest 20% income quintiles in their society.
a) environmentally sound b) adaptable c) economically feasible d) improve the human condition e) physically possible
The Coasean perspective does not define environmental problems in terms of externalities, but in terms of
a) establishing property rights, bargaining over them, and enforcing them b) ill-defined property rights
What problem occurs when those who benefit from resources, goods,or services do not pay for them, which results in either an under-provision of those goods or services, or in an overuse or degradation of a common property resource.
a) free rider
What are the three elements of the mental model of sustainability that we will use in this course?
a) just, improve the human condition, adaptable
John Wesley Powell argued that land tracts in the non-irrigated portions of the arid west should be allocated in tracts larger than 160 acres because
a) rainfall was not sufficient to support traditional crop farmers and that restricting acreages to 160 acres doomed them to failure unless they had sufficient pasturage for livestock operations.
What are the two types of fish that environmental groups have filed suit to protect by diverting more water way from agriculture in California?
a) smelt b) salmon
Some of the hidden social and environmental costs of transferring production and services to low-cost countries such as China, India and Brazil are
a) the exploitation of cheap labor b) the indiscriminate of logging of the Amazon basin c) the excessive use of hydrocarbons
Which of the following are examples of common pool resources?
a) wilderness area such as the Badlands Wilderness b) a pasture open to all
