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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e

William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Ecological Economics

Practice Quizzing


1	The words ecology and economics are
		A)	both concerned with the “household”, meaning the whole world.
		B)	both concerned with resource use, although from different perspectives.
		C)	concerned with understanding how the household works and resource availability, respectively.
		D)	all of the above.


2	Endless growth in material wellbeing is not possible and not desirable was the view of
		A)	Adam Smith.
		B)	Thomas Malthus.
		C)	David Ricardo.
		D)	John Stuart Mill.


3	Neoclassical economics views
		A)	natural resources as the primary factor determining economic success.
		B)	nature as a source of raw materials and a sink for wastes.
		C)	a steady-state as the ultimate economic goal.
		D)	the relationship between supply and demand as having minor importance.


4	Ecological economics
		A)	sees nature as worthy of protection.
		B)	advocates the concept of a steady-state economy.
		C)	believes we are dependent on nature to provide various life support services.
		D)	incorporates all of the above.


5	Examples of ecological services provided by nature include
		A)	production of oxygen, food, and fresh water.
		B)	recycling of organic wastes.
		C)	maintenance of a rich diversity of life forms.
		D)	all of the above.


6	Examples of nonrenewable resources include
		A)	copper.
		B)	lead.
		C)	fossil fuels.
		D)	all of these.


7	An example of an intangible resource is
		A)	beauty.
		B)	iron.
		C)	sunlight.
		D)	a biogeochemical cycle.


8	Resources most likely to be increased by use or multiplied by being shared are called
		A)	nonrenewable resources.
		B)	renewable resources.
		C)	intangible resources.
		D)	tangible resources.


9	Resources that are obtainable from earth but can not necessarily be done so economically are called
		A)	proven reserves.
		B)	known resources.
		C)	recoverable resources.
		D)	intangible resources.


10	Communally owned resources
		A)	are in danger of being destroyed if operated as open access systems.
		B)	are protectable from ultimate destruction only by being privatized.
		C)	can be sustained through a cooperative systems approach.
		D)	are characterized by more than one of the above.


11	Predicting the available supply of a resource is difficult because
		A)	technology can increase the efficiency of extraction methods.
		B)	technology can improve success finding new supplies.
		C)	substitute materials can come on line making availability of the original resource irrelevant.
		D)	of all of the above.


12	______ is/are measures of the economic output occurring within a nation's borders.
		A)	GNP
		B)	GDP
		C)	Both GNP and GDP
		D)	Neither GNP nor GDP


13	The application of cost/benefit ratio analysis to many proposed actions has been criticized because of the inability to assign a monetary value to
		A)	a healthy human life.
		B)	the collective loss of biological diversity.
		C)	a lost opportunity to see wildlife.
		D)	all of the above.


14	Among ecological services performed free by nature but highly valuable to humans is/are
		A)	flood and storm protection.
		B)	soil formation.
		C)	nutrient cycling.
		D)	all of the above.


15	Using natural resources so as to be sustainable indefinitely requires
		A)	harvesting natural products at rates not faster than the materials can be naturally replaced.
		B)	release of waste materials no faster than the natural world can process them.
		C)	both of the above.


16	Attempts at using market-based mechanisms to reduce pollution
		A)	include charging a fee per unit of pollutant released.
		B)	include using tradable pollution permits.
		C)	are whole-heartedly embraced by ecologists.
		D)	are described by two of the above.


17	An object's external costs are the
		A)	price the consumer pays for a product less sales tax.
		B)	price the consumer pays plus sales tax.
		C)	costs borne by groups or individuals other than those using the product.
		D)	actual costs incurred in producing a product.


18	Steps businesses can take to reduce negative environmental impacts include
		A)	using renewable materials.
		B)	becoming energy efficient.
		C)	production of durable and reusable products that are easily dismantled for repair.
		D)	all of the above.


19	Bill McDonough's principles for reducing impacts on earth in the design and manufacture of products includes
		A)	elimination of the concept of waste in industrial design.
		B)	reliance on current solar energy.
		C)	considering impact on plant, animal, and human life in designing products and processes.
		D)	all of the above.


20	Responsible consumerism includes
		A)	trying to live more simply.
		B)	buying products that will last.
		C)	choosing locally grown or made products.
		D)	all of the above.


21	Goals for an efficient economy from an ecological perspective include all of the following EXCEPT
		A)	maximizing growth.
		B)	measuring progress by the percent of industries releasing no nasty pollutants.
		C)	measuring productivity by the number of people meaningfully employed.
		D)	valuing biological and cultural diversity.


22	Price elasticity refers to situations where increasing the price of an item does not reduce demand for the item.
		A)	True
		B)	False


23	In general as supply increases so too does demand.
		A)	True
		B)	False


24	Wealth that can be used to produce more wealth is called capital.
		A)	True
		B)	False


25	Renewable resources are those that can be continuously replenished.
		A)	True
		B)	False


26	Privatization of the resource is about the only proven way to avoid destruction of resources held or owned in common.
		A)	True
		B)	False


27	The updated model of the limits to growth suggests that changed public policies actually could produce a sustainable future.
		A)	True
		B)	False


28	GNP/GDP are criticized because they do not distinguish between economic activity that is harmful from that that is beneficial.
		A)	True
		B)	False


29	One criticism of cost/benefit analysis is the subjectivity in deciding who should judge the value of a project's costs and benefits.
		A)	True
		B)	False


30	An internal cost associated with car use would be health care costs attributable to illness caused by auto exhaust.
		A)	True
		B)	False

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