Enviro Test 1 Flashcards
(34 cards)
Economics
The study of decision making
The allocation of scarce resources
Positive Economics
What is
Normative Economics
What should be
Renewable Resource
Can be replenished over time
Ex. Fish
Non-renewable Resource
Cannot be replenished
Ex. Fossil fuels
Ambient Quality
Air, nebulous
Environmental Quality
World around us
Residuals
Leftovers
Emissions
Pollution, residuals
Pollutant
reduces ambient quality
Recycling
Returning something to the production process
Reusing
Damages
Negative impact – reduction in utility or surplus
Effluent
Byproduct
Cumulative vs. Non-cumulative
Mercury vs. CO2
Point source vs. Non-point source
Coal fired electric generator vs. a car
Local vs. Regional vs. Global
Sound vs. nuclear reactor leak vs. CO2
Continuous vs. Episodic
NOx vs. Bhopal India Methyl isocyanate (pesticide)
Environmental Kuznit’s Curve
Poor countries have a very clean environment because they cannot afford/don’t have resources to damage –> Middle countries have a lot of pollution –> Wealthy countries have very clean environment because they no longer want to live in dirty conditions & can afford to clean it up.
Horizontal summing used for…
Private goods
Vertical summing used for…
Public goods
Opportunity costs
What you give up to get something
Equimarginal principle
Marginal cost per unit for each firm
Efficiency always = equity?
NO!
Public good
Non-rival- use by one person does not reduce availability to others
Non-excludable- anyone/everyone can use
Ex. National parks