Drivers Of Environmental Change Flashcards

1
Q

List 3 primary factors affecting environmental change.

A

Population, standard of living, & technology.

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2
Q

Standard of living is usually measured in economic terms, such as?

A

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

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3
Q

Assessing environmental impacts is done using what 2 things?

A

Mathematical models and data.

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4
Q

Mathematical models used to assess environmental impacts are based on principles of what 3 areas of study?

A

Physics, biology, and chemistry.

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5
Q

Science-based models of environmental processes are also dynamic, meaning they can predict what?

A

How factors like pollutant concentrations will change over time in response to a specified input or stimulus.

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6
Q

Assuming a constant annual growth rate r, what formula gives the population after t years?

A

P = P0 (1 + r)^t

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7
Q

What factors play a role in population growth estimation?

A

Fertility age, age structure and age-specific birth/death rates.

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8
Q

The GDP of a country is the monetary value of what?

A

All final goods and services produced during a year.

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9
Q

When normalized on the country’s population, the GDP per capita offers a measure of what?

A

The average affluence of the population.

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10
Q

Name a major indicator of overall economic growth?

A

Change in GDP per capita.

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11
Q

Year-to-year GDP changes is larger for what types of countries?

A

Developing countries, as opposed to industrialized countries.

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12
Q

GDP growth indicates improved standards of living.

A

False - not if the population grows as fast or faster than the GDP.

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13
Q

GDP per capita growth indicates improved standards of living.

A

True.

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14
Q

What model is used to capture the interactions between economic sectors?

A

Input-output models.

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15
Q

The economic input-output model quantifies the value of what?

A

Goods and services that each economic sector requires from other sectors.

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16
Q

Any increase in economic activity also increases environmental emissions.

A

True.

17
Q

Environmental emissions are quantified relative to what when considering the relationship between economic growth and emission rates?

A

We quantify the environmental emissions per unit of production.

18
Q

An input-output model accounts for the direct impacts of an activity.

A

False - indirect impacts along the supply chain are accounted for as well.

19
Q

What is a major limitation of the input-output framework?

A

Economic and environmental parameters of the model reflect historical data for a particular year.

20
Q

When are the assumptions of the input-output framework reasonable?

A

When considering short time periods and small growth increments.

21
Q

For long-term analysis, the input-output model can be used to assess the overall environmental implications of economic growth.

A

False - input-output models are effective for near-term analysis.