APEX APES 9.1.7 Read Raven 9th Edition: The Global Community

marginal cost of pollution

The cost in environmental damage of a unit of pollution emitted into the environment.

ecosystem services

Important environmental benefits that ecosystems provide to people, including clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, food to eat, and fertile soil in which to grow crops.

marginal cost of abatement

The cost to reduce a unit of pollution.

command and control regulation

Pollution-control laws that require specific technologies or limits.

incentive-based regulation

Pollution-control laws that work by establishing emission targets and providing industries with incentives to reduce emissions.

emission charge

A government policy that controls pollution by charging the polluter for each given unit of emissions — that is, by establishing a tax on pollution.

tradable permit

A permit issued for an allowable amount of wastes. The permit allows the owner to either emit the wastes or sell the right to emit to another party. These are also called marketable waste-discharge permits.

cost-effectiveness analysis

An economic tool that assesses and places a monetary value on the combined costs and benefits of a particular decision or activity.

national income account

A measure of the total income of a country for a given year. Examples include the gross domestic product and the net domestic product.

natural capital

All of Earth's resources and processes that sustain living organisms, including humans.

environmental performance index (EPI)

An index developed at Yale University as an indicator of a country's commitment to environmental and natural resource management.

environmental justice

The right of every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class, or other factors, to adequate protection from environmental hazards.

ethics

The branch of philosophy that deals with human values.

values

The principles that an individual or society considers important or worthwhile.

environmental ethics

A field of applied ethics that considers the moral basis of environmental responsibility and how far this responsibility extends.

worldview

One of many perspectives based on a collection of our basic values.

environmental worldview

A worldview that helps us make sense of how the environment works, our place in the environment, and right and wrong environmental behaviors.

Western worldview

The idea that our place in the world is based on human superiority and dominance over nature, the unrestricted use of natural resources, and increased economic growth to manage an expanding industrial base.

deep ecological worldview

The idea that our place in the world is based on harmony with nature, a spiritual respect for life, and the belief that humans and all other species have equal worth.

biocentric

Focusing on all life-forms as equally important.

stewardship

Shared responsibility for the sustainable care of our planet.

sustainable development

Economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

A collection of goals that make up a plan of action launched by the United Nations to try to meet the needs of the world's poor.

economics

The study of how entities (such as individuals, businesses, or countries) use their limited resources to fulfill their needs and wants.

externality

In economics, the effect (usually negative) of a firm that does not have to pay all the costs associated with its production.

optimal amount of pollution

In economics, the amount of pollution that is most economically efficient.

What happened at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000?R

epresentatives from 189 countries met and developed goals known as the Millennium Development Goals.

What is the World Bank and what does it do?

The World Bank is an organization that gives loans to developing countries and invests billions of dollars in sustainable development projects around the world.

List the eight Millennium Development Goals.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2. Achieve universal primary education. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women. 4. Reduce child mortality. 5. Improve maternal health. 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. 7. Ensure environmental sustainability. 8. Develop a global partnership for development.

How is economics related to the environment?

Economics involves goods (such as natural resources) and services (such as ecosystem services) that come from the environment.

how does the marginal cost of pollution relate to ecosystem services?

pollution can reduce ecosystem services, the marginal cost of pollution can be difficult to determine

How do command and control regulations differ from incentive-based regulations?

Command and control regulations involve pollution-control laws that require specific technologies or limits, while incentive-based regulations involve pollution-control laws that work by establishing emission targets and providing industries with incentives to reduce emissions.

How can global climate change be seen as an environmental justice issue?

Only a small but very wealthy percentage of the world's population uses fossil fuels, but a large and very poor percentage of the world suffers the adverse effects of using fossil fuels.