Environmental Science Chapter 12
A cost-benefit analysis works in part by trying to find the optimal efficiency point; this is the point at which marginal costs of pollution ______ the marginal benefits.
equal
Worldwide, large cities are _____ at a rapid rate.
expanding
The value of degraded groundwater quality due to infiltration of unused fertilizer is an _____ cost.
external
3M and Microsoft are just two examples of companies that have saved millions of dollars by ______.
following green business practices
Identify important ecological services. (Select all that apply.)
Oxygen production Groundwater recharge Provide recreational and spiritual opportunities
Criticisms of international trade organizations include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
Producers of raw materials see little of the income generated from them; Lax environmental and labor conditions tend to be rewarded in free trade agreements; They are largely run by wealthy nations controlling their own interests
Which of the following is a measure of an eco-efficient economy?
Productivity is measured in the number of people gainfully and meaningfully employed.
Identify the ecologically responsible consumer choices you can make. (Select all that apply.)
Reducing the amount of material goods you consume; Recycling and reusing materials; Buying locally grown and made products;
Which of the following is a condition the International Monetary Fund (IMF) frequently puts on debtor nations and that is commonly criticized?
Slashing welfare programs
True or false: An important ecological service is the regulated global energy balance and climate.
True
True or false: Estimates indicate less than 40% of residents in developing nations have satisfactory sewage treatment, which leads to water pollution.
True
True or false: In developing nations, traffic congestion often leads to air quality problems.
True
True or false: The growth of organic food into a billion dollar market is a good example of the economic benefits of being a green business.
True
How is a cost-benefit analysis done?
Value is assigned to both resources and effects of carrying and not carrying out an undertaking.
Smart growth aims to make land-use planning democratic by ______.
including public discussions and input
Developing countries tend to see an explosion in the number of vehicles that road construction cannot keep up with. Heavy traffic congestion of old poorly maintained vehicles therefore leads to air _____ issues.
pollution
Renewable resources are those in which the rate we use them does not exceed the rate at which they can _______.
regenerate
The High Line in New York City, and a portion of Lower Downtown in Denver, represent cities that are ______ by following the principles of smart growth.
reinvating
A natural resource that we use at a rate slower than it is renewed is known as a _____ resource.
renewable
Individuals taking more than their fair share of communal property _____ is known as the "free rider" problem.
resources
The High Line in New York City, and a portion of Lower Downtown in Denver, represent cities that are ______ by following the principles of smart growth.
revitalizing their downtowns
Some of the principles behind smart growth include limiting city _____, and locating shopping and services nearby to reduce automobile dependence for everyday needs.
size/growth
Inadequate multifamily legal dwellings are called ______.
slums
_____ growth describes strategies and planning in developments that incorporate existing infrastructure and natural resources efficiently.
smart
Having a walkable neighborhood is better for our health because we ______ (Choose all that apply.)
spend less time in traffic exercise more spend more time outside have more social contact
Urban _____ occurs when compact cities begin to spread over the landscape, consuming open space and wasting resources.
sprawl
John Stuart Mill described a(n) _____-_____ economy as one in which an equilibrium of resource use and production exists but intellectual and moral development can continue.
steady; state
The goal of ecological economics is to understand the relationship between our economy and ______.
supporting ecological systems
The effect of mechanizing much of the work done on farms is ______.
that people are pushed towards the cities in search of work
In classical economic theory, the price of a commodity is determined by _____ and _____.
Supply Demand
Wealth used to create even more wealth is known as ______
disgusting capitalism
Natural resources are a source of _____ materials and serve as _____ sinks in the natural resources economics viewpoint.
raw; waste
More than _____% of earth's human population lives in cities. (Select the best answer.)
50
Which statement best describes how natural resources are viewed under the neoclassical model?
As one natural resource becomes scarce, a substitute will be found.
Select the statement that explains the relationship between supply and demand in classical economics.
As supply increases, prices decrease.
How can market forces work to reduce pollution via a pollution tax? (Select all that apply.)
Companies are free to determine how they reduce pollution; The less a company pollutes, the more it saves
Identify the design principles of smart growth. (Select all that apply.)
Determine in advance where development will take place. Encourage walking and biking.
What is the general term for the services and resources provided by the natural environment?
Ecological services
Which of the following list of reasons has the smallest effect on job loss?
Environmental and safety factors
True or false: Environmental and safety regulations are within the top ten reasons for job loss in the United States.
False
True or false: Since fossil fuels are regenerated over geologic time, they are considered to be renewable resources.
False
Why does resource scarcity often lead to innovation?
Increases in the price of the resource make it cost-effective to spend money on research and development of new sources.
What word best describes how natural resources are used in a neoclassical economics model?
Interchangeable
What types of goods currently come from green businesses?
Just about every type of good currently has a green option.
The goals of an eco-efficient economy include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
Make regulation of toxic materials unnecessary. Produce nothing requiring constant vigilance from future generations. Introduce no hazardous materials in the environment.
What is the recent trend of green business?
Markets are growing both in number and monetary worth.
From the list below of internal and external costs to a coal-mining operation, select all the external costs. (Select all that apply.)
Methane emissions; Groundwater pollution; Carbon emissions from trucks used to transport coal;
Natural resource economics views natural resources as ______ human-made capital.
cheaper and more abundant than
Over half of the human population lives in ______.
cities
Green roofs can provide many benefits including ______. (Select all that apply.)
conservation of energy improved air quality reduced urban heat island effects
In a steady-state economy as described by John Stuart Mill, an equilibrium of resource use and production exists but intellectual and moral development ______.
continues
As a resource becomes scarce, the price of recovery and production increases. This makes it ______ to explore for new resources and find ways to use available ones more efficiently.
cost-effective
The branch of economics that tries to understand the relationship between the economy and supporting ecological systems is known as ______ economics.
ecological
It is important to ______ the costs of ecological services in sustainable resource accounting.
internalized
When costs are _____, they are included in the accounting process. This may not be easy to do for ecological services, but it is a important step in sustainability.
internalized
In classical economics, the relationship between supply and demand is ______ in a free market.
inverse
One advantage in enacting a carbon tax for each ton of carbon emitted is that ______.
it reduces pollution with fewer rules and regulations
Slums are multifamily housing areas that are inadequate but are ______ in the eyes of the government.
legal
Urban populations grow in two major ways: by natural increase (such as births) and by _____.
migration
The Detroit project that is using abandoned properties and residential yards to create an urban tree farm is an example of the smart growth principle of ______.
mixed use
Materials like minerals, metals, and fossil fuels are present in fixed amounts on earth over human time spans. These materials are known as _______ resources.
nonrenewable
Sprawl is the process where a compact city begins to grow outward and consumes ______ space, which may waste resources.
open
Ecological services is the general term for ______.
the resources and services provided by the natural environment
Efficiently planned transportation in a city can reduce the _____ drivers spend behind the wheel and thus also reduce air pollution and increase efficiency.
time
_____ is an important aspect of city planning and development since housing and employment areas tend to be located in different areas.
transportation
In addition to initial cost, a green consumer should consider ______. (Choose all that apply.)
transportation distance of goods; environmental impacts of production; energy requirements for use;
Urban design principles that decrease our dependence on cars is better for our health in many ways, but the most observational is that people _____ more to get places that are easily accessible. (Use just one word for your answer.)
walk/bike
As cities grow rapidly, many lack sufficient _____ treatment systems to deal with quickly and poorly built housing. Water pollution is often the result.
waste
Capital can be defined as wealth that can be used to produce more ______.
wealth
