Population Perspectives and Environmental Economics

Thomas Malthus

Economist known for population theories.

Malthusian Theory

Population growth outpaces food supply.

Positive Checks

Factors like war and famine reduce population.

Preventative Checks

Moral restraint to limit population growth.

IPAT Model

Impact equals population, affluence, and technology.

Neo-Malthusianism

Focus on population growth causing environmental issues.

Demographic Transition Model

Describes population change over time.

Ethiopian Famines

Political factors exacerbated severe famine conditions.

Paul Ehrlich

Author of 'The Population Bomb' (1968).

Environmental Degradation

Deterioration of the environment due to human activity.

Human Progress Limitations

Malthus believed progress limited by population growth.

Malthusian Morality

Linked poverty with moral failings of the poor.

Technological Innovations

Advancements that can alter population dynamics.

Female Literacy

Higher literacy correlates with lower fertility rates.

Critique of DTM

Model seen as ethnocentric and not universal.

Julian Simon

Challenged Ehrlich's views on population growth.

Consumption Rates

Wealthy consumption patterns ignored by Malthus.

Agricultural Production

Malthus prioritized agriculture over industrialization.

Political Solutions

Malthus's ideas influenced policies on poverty.

Pessimistic View

Malthus held a negative view of human nature.

Malthusian Blame

Women and poor blamed for population issues.

Green Revolution

Technological advancements in agriculture to increase yield.

Hunger Persistence

Despite advancements, hunger remains a global issue.

Affluence in IPAT

Refers to consumption levels affecting environmental impact.

Malthusian Assumptions

Linear resource growth versus exponential population growth.

Political and Economic Structures

Factors influencing population growth and resource distribution.

Distribution Matters

Access to resources affects famine severity.

Innovation in Population Solutions

New ideas can mitigate population-related challenges.

Demand for Clean Resources

Increased need for clean air and water.

The Wager

Bet on price changes of five metals.

Metals in The Wager

Copper, chrome, nickel, tin, tungsten.

Simon's Bet

Predicted metal prices would fall.

Ehrlich's Bet

Predicted metal prices would rise.

Outcome of The Wager

Ehrlich lost; prices fell dramatically.

New Sources and Technology

Discovery of new resources and innovations.

Population and Scarcity

Counterargument against Malthusian scarcity.

Nature and Society Relationship

Different view emphasizing human creativity.

Role of Prices

Prices create new worlds and opportunities.

Scarcity as an Engine

Scarcity drives interaction between people and environment.

Supply and Demand Laws

Relieve scarcity through market mechanisms.

Market Response Model

Price influences production and consumer activities.

Commodity Replacement Example

Whale oil replaced by carbon-based fuels.

Coase Theorem

Externalities managed through contracts and bargaining.

Environmental Externalities

Costs of economic activity affecting others.

Examples of Externalities

Pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss.

Coase Approach Requirements

Private property and low negotiation costs.

Challenges of Coase Approach

Difficulties in enforcing property rights.

Government Role

Assigning rights to pollute, not air.

Market Functionality

Markets can manage environmental goods.

Market Failures

Mismatch between market assumptions and reality.

Transaction Costs

Costs associated with reaching agreements.

Perfect Information

Not all parties have complete knowledge.

Marketizing the Environment

Placing prices on natural processes and resources.

Historical Context of Nature

Nature was not scarce during early capitalism.

Endangered Species Value

Entities harming species must pay for habitat.

Ecosystem Services

Capital produced by nature's processes.

Incorporating Nature into Markets

Pricing nature helps protect and value it.

Political Economy

Study of economic systems and power relationships.

Fossil Fuel Companies

Entities contributing to climate crisis despite awareness.

Uneven Development

Disparities in economic growth and resource distribution.

Capitalist Economy

Economic system prone to ecological crises.

Surplus Value

Profit capitalists extract from labor after costs.

Relations of Production

Interactions between workers and capitalists in economy.

Overaccumulation

Excess capital concentrated among few, destabilizing system.

First Contradiction of Capitalism

Capitalism undermines its own survival conditions.

Spatial Fix

Temporary solutions to crises through new markets.

Commodification of Nature

Selling nature to preserve it, paradoxically.

Second Contradiction of Capitalism

Environmental degradation undermines survival conditions.

James O'Connor

Scholar linking capitalism with environmental degradation.

Environmental Vulnerability

Capitalism's inherent instability leads to ecological crises.

Labor

Human effort in production, central to economy.

Accumulation

Process of gathering capital and resources.

Crisis

Period of economic instability and disruption.

Capitalists

Owners of production means, extracting surplus value.

Market Approach

Views economics as technical, separate from politics.

Nature and Society

Interconnectedness of ecological and social systems.

Extraction of Resources

Removing natural materials for production purposes.

Globalization

Expansion of capitalism across global markets.

Scientific Knowledge Production

Social and political processes shaping scientific advancements.

Anthropocentric Perspective

Focus on human interests over environmental concerns.

Economic Conditions

Factors influencing the functioning of capitalism.

Health of Workers

Impact of capitalism on laborers' well-being.

Scarcity Production

Creating unavailability of resources despite abundance.

Technology Development

Advancements shaped by social and political contexts.

Captured carbon

Carbon that is removed from the atmosphere.

Economic lives

The lifespan of economic systems affecting technology.

Carbon removal

Process of eliminating carbon from the atmosphere.

Carbon capture

Technology that traps carbon emissions at the source.

Carbon markets

Trading systems for carbon credits and offsets.

Utilitarian ethic

Nature valued for its utility to humans.

Conservation ethic

Sustainable management of natural resources over time.

Preservation ethic

Protecting nature for its intrinsic value.

Ecocentric

Ethical stance prioritizing ecological concerns over human needs.

Gifford Pinchot

Advocate for conservation and resource management.

John Muir

Founder of the Sierra Club, preservation advocate.

Wilderness areas

Protected lands free from human interference.

National parks

Protected areas for conservation and public enjoyment.

Land ethic

Aldo Leopold's philosophy on human-nature relationships.

Ecology

Study of interactions among organisms and their environment.

Animal rights movement

Advocacy for the rights of individual animals.