CHAPTER 17—ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS, POLITICS, AND
WORLDVIEWS
MULTIPLE CHOICE
3.In a market-based economic system, economic decisions about prices are made by
a.supply and demand
b.the government
c.past customs and experience
d.the banks
e.none of these answers
4. Which type of economist views economic systems as subsystems of the biosphere that depend heavily
on irreplaceable natural resources?
a.neoclassical
b.ecological
c.environmental
d.all of these answers
e.none of these answers
5.The ecological economist believes that conventional economic growth will eventually
a. Pull us out of our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
b.Lead us into a socialist economy.
c.Become unsustainable because it will deplete natural capital.
d.Lead us into a sustainable economy.
e.Collapse when oil runs out.
6.The view that natural resources are important but not indispensable is held by
a. environmental economists
b.ecological economists
c.Eastern European economists
d.neoclassical economists
e.classical economists
7.Goods and services are produced by
a.natural capital
b.human capital
c.manufactured capital
d.manufactured and human capital
e.natural, human, and manufactured capital
8.The category of economist that has taken the middle ground in the debate about economic growth, and
believes in fine-tuning economic systems and tools, is the
a.ecological economist
b.environmental economist
c.neoclassical economist
d.neoconservative economist
e.high-throughput economist
9.Which of the following is not an external cost of driving a domestic car?
a.air pollution and litter
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Abstract
This paper gives an ecologist's overview of the deteriorating environmental situation. It then describes areas where the activities of ecological economists seem appropriate (e.g., ecosystem service valuation, trade) and others requiring more attention (e.g., definitions of utility, social discounting, preserving population diversity, global toxification, the epidemiological environment, overpopulation, overconsumption, the economic impacts of nuclear explosions, and the equilibration of opportunity costs when attempting to solve global dilemmas). A general problem is the failure of ecological economists adequately to communicate their results and concerns to the general public and to decision makers. In view of the demonstrable failure of traditional economics to focus its attention on what will be the central issues of the twenty-first century, it is clear that ecological economics is in a position to become the central subdiscipline of economics. In order to do so, it is important for ecological economists to always keep the 'Big picture'
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