1 / 20

The Driving Forces of Environmental Change

The Driving Forces of Environmental Change. 11. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. After reading this chapter, students will be able to. Explain the terms that comprise the IPAT equation.

eliza
Download Presentation

The Driving Forces of Environmental Change

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Driving Forces of Environmental Change 11

  2. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading this chapter, students will be able to • Explain the terms that comprise the IPAT equation. • Identify examples that illustrate how technology can reduce or increase environmental impact. • Describe the net effect that population growth, affluence, and technological change has had on gasoline use in the United States. • Cite the reasons why firms prefer market-based incentives in environmental policy to command-and-control approaches. • Explain how personal and cultural beliefs affect environmental change. Figure CO11

  3. The Smiths New Year’s Resolution • Inventoried all the energy and materials they used and waste they produced • More income = more consumerism • Technology also has impact • Growing income, family size, and technology choices determine consumerism • So do attitudes, values, and beliefs

  4. I = People x Economic Activity x Environmental Impact People Economic Activity The Root Causes of Environmental Impact Impact (I) = Population (P) x Affluence (A) x Technology (T)

  5. Land Conversion for Food Production

  6. Solid Waste Generation • Population size • Population density • NYC fills 6,000 garbage trucks/day • 67% exported to other states!

  7. Population and Gasoline Use

  8. Population and Water Quality

  9. Affluence and Solid Waste

  10. Poverty and Environmental HealthEnvironmental Justice?

  11. Technology • Determines the types and quantities of resources extracted • Determines nature of waste generated • A double-edged sword. Why? Technology Recipe Capital Labor Energy Materials Information

  12. Technology and Fuel Economy • Rising gasoline prices in 1970s and Japanese competition decreased engine size • But in the 1980s the rise of light trucks, minivans, and SUVs increased engine size!

  13. Feedlots and Land Use

  14. Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology Gallons consumed = # vehicles x miles driven x gallons consumed vehicle miles driven The IPAT for Gasoline Use

  15. How Societies Choose Technologies Figure 11.17 • Most nations use the market • Firms maximize profits by minimizing cost of production • But what about “wrong prices” and what causes them? • externalities • subsidies

  16. Market Failures and the Environment • In 2005, gas was $2-4 • Included price to pump oil, refine it to gasoline, ship it to filling stations, and pay attendants • Also taxes paid to government • Cost did not include environmental impact • Loss of barrier islands • Pipeline leaks • Air pollution • Global climate change

  17. Cultural Attitudes

  18. Cultural Beliefs • Judeo-Christian tradition has led to Anthropocentric perspectiveof the environment. • Seeks to control nature for the purpose of satisfying human needs. • Has shaped technology for the past 200 years. • No limit to levels of human population and affluence. • Biocentric perspective holds that all living things have the right to exist. • Ecocentric view holds that entire ecosystems have a right to exist.

  19. Environmental Policy

  20. Market-Based Incentives?An alternative to command and control Figure 11.20 • Pollution Taxes • Tradable Permits • Cap and Trade System

More Related