Env Economics & Policy
What is the study of how people use resources to provide goods and services in demand?
Economics
What are the 3 levels of biodiversity?
Genetic, species, ecosystem
Explain mitigation versus adaptation.
Mitigation attempts to reduce the severity of climate change, whereas adaptation seeks to cushion ourselves from, and adjust to, the impacts of it.
Name 3 examples of services provided by the environment.
Air purification, water purification, soil formation, nutrient cycling, climate regulation, pollination, waste recycling, and more.
What is species richness?
The number of species found in a region.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate describes an area’s long-term atmospheric conditions, while weather describes conditions over a period of hours or days.
What does 'tragedy of the commons' refer to?
The concept that individuals acting in their own interest will overconsume/overexploit resources.
What is the goal of environmental economics?
To attain sustainability within our economic system.
What are 3 major causes of biodiversity loss?
Habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species, climate change, poaching,
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the re-warming of the lower atmosphere by the emitting of infrared energy by greenhouse gases
What is an external cost in environmental economics? Provide an example.
A cost that affects others besides the buyer and seller, such as health impacts, depletion of resources, aesthetic damage, or financial loss.
What are nonmarket values? Provide an example.
Nonmarket values are non-monetary values not part of the price of a good or service. Examples include aesthetic value, scientific value, cultural value, educational value.
Explain the difference between extinction and extirpation.
Extinction occurs when the last member of a species dies and the entire species ceases to exist, while extirpation is the loss of a species from one area but not the entire world.
Which greenhouse gas is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide?
Methane
26% of _____ species are threatened with extinction globally.
A) Insect
B) Mammal
C) Freshwater fish
D) Bird
B) Mammal
How is customary law different from conventional law?
Customary law arises from long-standing practices of traditions held in common by most cultures whereas conventional law arises from conventions or treaties.
Why is there a greater distribution of species near the equator?
Greater geographic area, more solar energy and heat (greater productivity), stability of tropical climates, lack of disruptive glaciation events.
How does climate change affect human health?
Climate change exposes us to potential health hazards such as more frequent heat waves, respiratory ailments, expansion of tropical diseases, sanitation problems, and injuries from worsened storms.