Exam 5: Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development

Environmental policy aims to _______________.

Read the following scenario and answer the question(s) below. Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one -third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nationʹs wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade. The overall goal is to have no more net loss of wetlands. In the past 5 years, money for flood control projects in Louisiana has been cut dramatically. During that time, two simulations, one of a category 4 hurricane and one of a category 5 hurricane, indicated catastrophic damage and loss of life along the Gulf Coast. The levees were predicted to break, and massive flooding to occur, in part due to the loss of the sheltering wetlands. -If you were a resident of southern Louisiana in 2009-2012, your most effective political response, to try to lessen future hurricane damage, might be to _______________.

Legislation passed by Congress is known as _______________.

Differentiate between a green tax and marketable emission permits. Which is superior for U.S. markets?

To control pollution, industry has been given limits and been threatened with punishment if these limits are violated. This approach is called _______________.

The World Bank was established in 1944 to _______________.

Read the following scenario and answer the question(s) below. Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic, and social benefits. They provide habitat for many organisms and are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish. Wetlands also hold and slowly release floodwater and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as cleansing filters, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation. As of 2000, the contiguous United States was estimated to have about 105 million acres of wetlands remaining. Over the past 60 years, it has lost over 16 million acres of wetlands, and the loss continues at about 58,000 acres annually. Nearly one -third of the loss is due to urban development, with the rest being nearly equally divided between rural development, agriculture, and silviculture (predominantly logging). The southeastern United States is experiencing the greatest losses. The Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct status and trend studies of the nationʹs wetlands and to report the results to Congress each decade. The overall goal is to have no more net loss of wetlands. In the past 5 years, money for flood control projects in Louisiana has been cut dramatically. During that time, two simulations, one of a category 4 hurricane and one of a category 5 hurricane, indicated catastrophic damage and loss of life along the Gulf Coast. The levees were predicted to break, and massive flooding to occur, in part due to the loss of the sheltering wetlands. -Part of the reason for the lack of good flood control in the United States is that _______________.

Enumerate the steps of developing environmental policy and explain how each is achieved.

What is an environmental impact statement (EIS)? What is the role of an environmental impact statement, and who is required to prepare it?

The entire environmental policy process _______________.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) _______________.

The first national park in the world was _______________.

Use the figure above to answer the following question. -In recent decades a great deal of scientific research and observation has been funded and published by commercial and corporate interests. Since this science may not have to pass the peer review process and may have motives for biased reporting, it could be included in the diagram as _____________.

ʺIf domestic gas prices rise to $5 per gallon, conservation will increase, alternative fuels will be developed, and energy efficiency and our quality of life will improve.ʺ This view is consistent with _______________ economics.

What is the significance of the National Environmental Policy Act?

The World Bank _______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Agreements with foreign countries

Discuss the environmental economic research of Robert Constanza.

A distinguishing feature of ecological economics is the concept of _______________.

What is the main goal of environmental policy? Describe the tragedy of the commons and externalities, and explain why environmental policy would focus on these problems.