Environmental protection programs are frequently designed to require all polluters to cut back emissions by a certain percentage. What are the perverse incentives built into this type of program?
> Another way of increasing the use of recycled material by industry is to subsidize its purchase of materials taken from the waste stream. How would you analyze this in terms of Figure 17.2? Figure 17.2 Demand for material S, S2 P2 Pv 92 Quantity of
> Environmental pollution is, for the most part, reversible, in the sense that it can be decreased if the appropriate steps are taken. What are the pros and cons, therefore, of using sustainability as a criterion for evaluating environmental policies?
> Consider the example of the three homeowners around the lake (the ones depicted in Table 4.2). Suppose the lake was cleaned up to the efficient level of 2 ppm and that the total costs of the cleanup were shared equally among the homeowners (stick to inte
> What is the relationship between economic growth, population growth, and environmental quality in developing countries?
> What is the usual meaning that economists give to the expression “the value of a human life”? What are the different ways of estimating this value?
> The Chinese government has elected to close high polluting power plants and some factories. Compare and contrast how the Chinese government would evaluate the benefits versus how an individual Chinese worker would evaluate the benefits.
> Suppose you were hired by the homeowners located around a lake to determine the benefits of improving the water quality in the lake. How might you go about doing it?
> In the early 1990s, the United States attempted to put restrictions on the importation of tuna from Mexico because Mexican fishers used methods that destroyed relatively large numbers of dolphin when catching the tuna. These fishing methods are illegal f
> Which of the many aspects of globalization do you think will have the greatest long-run impact on environmental quality around the world?
> Somebody invents a small machine that electrostatically is able to remove dust from rooms very quickly. What does this do to the marginal cost curve depicted in question 6? Question 6: Consider the marginal cost curve associated with cleaning your dorm
> When CFCs were first introduced 50 years ago, their benefits were obvious, and nobody appreciated the long-run impacts they might have. How do we guard ourselves against unforeseen long-run effects such as this?
> “International environmental agreements are very much shaped by the fact that enforcement on the international level is difficult, if not impossible.” Discuss.
> What is free-riding in the context of international agreements and what might be some ways of overcoming it?
> Considering the definition of public goods introduced in the chapter, is a bus a public good? Is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? Is a public park? Is a library?
> In the absence of a worldwide agreement to reduce CO2 through a carbon tax, how effective might it be if just one country, or a small number of countries, instituted a tax unilaterally?
> Following are illustrative numbers indicating benefits and costs to Country A of taking specific actions on an international treaty to reduce CO2 emissions. The choice is either to adhere to the CO2 emissions cutbacks called for by the treaty or to disre
> How many different formulas can you think of for allocating a reduction in global CO2 among the nations of the world? Compare and contrast these in terms of efficiency and equity. Consider the equiproportionate and equimarginal principles, population, in
> Global warming is predicted to affect countries differently, which is one reason it is difficult to get all countries to agree on a global CO2 treaty. Do you think it will be easier to get agreement after the results start showing up in different countri
> Rather than placing a tax on fuels or the carbon content of fuels, taxes might be put on fuel-using items, such as “gas-guzzling” cars, less efficient appliances, or houses with poor insulation. Which type of tax would be more efficient?
> Many countries are adopting a “wait-and-see” strategy toward CO2 emissions and atmospheric warming. What would a rational “wait-and-see” strategy look like?
> Investigate the rules for recycling and solid waste disposal for a local community with which you are familiar. What are the incentives that increase the rate of reuse (r)?
> What are the factors, both economic and environmental, that make a problem more properly a local issue rather than a state issue?
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the doctrine of strict, joint, and several liability for Superfund sites?
> How might a system of transferable permits be designed to achieve an aggregate recycling target cost-effectively?
> Following are portions of the demand curves of three individuals for the water quality in a small pond. The water quality is expressed in terms of the parts per million (ppm) of dissolved oxygen (DO). Water quality improves at higher DO levels. The deman
> Handlers of hazardous wastes, that is, firms that accept hazardous materials and transport them for disposal, sometimes dispose of the materials illegally or in unapproved landfills. How might a deposit-refund system be designed to provide incentives to
> In conducting a “balancing” analysis for a particular chemical or pesticide, what role is played by people’s attitudes toward risk?
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of a “new-source” bias in stationary-source air-pollution control? Consider especially its impacts on the incentives of the operators of existing sources.
> “The EPA has estimated that the chemical residues on a certain food most likely contribute to 14 excess deaths in the U.S. population each year. Thus, if use of the chemical is banned, we can expect the number of excess deaths to decrease by this number.
> If people ordinarily will invest in items that save money in the long run, why is the CAFE program necessary at all?
> The federal mobile-source air-pollution program means that new cars sold in rural regions meet the same emissions standards as cars sold in urban areas. Because there are fewer cars in rural areas, this means that air quality will be a lot better there t
> Suppose that engineers invented an accurate and reliable means of monitoring and measuring the emissions from individual automobiles throughout the year. What possibilities would this open up for new types of mobile source emission control programs?
> Discuss the importance of the question of whether air-pollution damage functions have thresholds for establishing ambient air quality standards.
> Most of the carbon offsets traded globally are being bought by corporations, many of which are not currently subject to emission restrictions. Why do you think this is the case?
> What are the pros and cons of letting anybody (banks, private citizens, environmental groups, government agencies, etc.) buy and sell transferable discharge permits, in addition to emission sources themselves?
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of using willingness to pay as a measure of value? What are some alternatives?
> Following are the marginal abatement costs of two sources. They currently emit 10 tons each. a. What would the total abatement costs be for an equiproportional cutback to a total of 10 tons? b. Suppose we print up 10 transferable discharge permits, eac
> In order to meet TMDL limits in a cost-effective manner, what is the appropriate role of the equimarginal principle? What about the economic efficiency principle?
> Distinguish between a “technology-based” water pollution–control program and an “ambient-based” program.
> In order to protect the quality of its nearby water resources, a community places a restriction on any housing development closer than 100 feet to a wetland. How might you estimate the social costs of this regulation?
> How might you design a transferable discharge permit system for solid waste? For phasing out of use a certain type of plastic? For phasing in a program for using recycled newsprint in newspapers?
> It is sometimes suggested that the most equitable way to resolve issues in international trade agreements would be for all countries to adopt the same emission standards. What are the pros and cons of this from an economic standpoint?
> When emission charges are put into effect, who ultimately ends up paying for them? Is this fair?
> Opponents of emission tax policies sometimes assert that they are simply a way of letting firms buy the right to pollute. Is this a reasonable criticism?
> How might an emission charge program be designed to reduce automobile emissions?
> Use the logic of willingness to pay to interpret the statement “I like clean air more than you do.”
> Below are the marginal willingness-to-pay schedules for organic apples for two individuals. Construct the aggregate marginal willingness-to-pay (the demand) curve for this group of two people. Marginal WTP Consumption Level (apples per week, Ibs.)
> Consider the example of Figure 11.3. Suppose we define as fair a cutback in which the two sources have the same total costs. Would an equiproportionate reduction be fair in this sense? A reduction meeting the equimarginal principle? Is this a reasonable
> In Figure 11.2, show the social cost of setting a uniform national standard, applicable to both rural and urban areas (to do this, you can assume that the national standard is set at either eu or er). Figure 11.2: MDu МАС MD, e, eu Ambient levels o
> Catalytic converters are required on all new cars to reduce tailpipe emissions. Explain how this technology could have a beneficial impact in the short run but a less beneficial impact in the long run.
> Is there ever a justification for adopting an environmental regulation that cannot be, or will not be, enforced?
> Do you think that the impacts of the program to control automobile pollution are progressively or regressively distributed? How about the program to ensure the quality of public water supply systems?
> “Efficiency implies cost-effectiveness, but cost-effectiveness does not imply efficiency.” Explain this statement.
> Most industries are composed of firms that, though perhaps producing roughly the same thing, are very different; some are large and some small; some are profitable and others not; some are located in one part of the country and some in others; some perha
> A tax on gasoline is proposed in order to raise money for the pollution-control activities of several public agencies. The tax will be 10¢ per gallon, and last year 10.3 million gallons of gasoline were used by motorists (this is strictly an illustrative
> “The costs of achieving emission reductions in the future will depend greatly on the types of policies used to reduce emissions today.” Explain.
> What do we mean by “race to the bottom” in environmental regulation? As countries discuss climate change mitigation options, how does race-to the bottom relate to establishing CO2 emissions or GHG reductions among countries?
> Over the last two years, emission abatement costs in industry X have been about $1 million per year. A new regulation will lead to abatement costs of $1.8 million per year. Does this mean that the regulation will cause increased abatement costs of $800,0
> Suppose a new law is put into effect requiring oil tankers to use certain types of navigation rules in coastal waters of the United States. Suppose that the very next year there is a large tanker accident and oil spill in these waters. Does this mean tha
> Following are the marginal abatement costs of three firms, related to the quantity of emissions. Each firm is now emitting 10 tons/week, so total emissions are 30 tons/week. Suppose we wish to reduce total emissions by 50 percent, to 15 tons per week. Co
> Suppose there is a suburban community where domestic septic tanks are responsible for contaminating a local lake. What is the effect on actual and efficient levels of water quality in the lake of an increase in the number of homes in the community?
> 1. Use the logic of willingness to pay to interpret the statement “I like clean air more than you do.” 2. Below is the marginal willingness to pay of a consumer for organic apples. a. What is this individualâ&#
> Suppose that the following discrete numbers show the integer values of MWTP and MC as depicted in Figure 4.1. Determine the socially efficient rate of output. Show that at any other output level, the net benefits to society will be lower than they are at
> Suppose there is a technological change that allows firms to produce goods and services with less pollution. How would this affect the production possibilities curves of Figure 2.2, and where might society choose to locate itself on this curve? Figure 2
> What considerations come into play when considering whether a country or any other political entity is spending the right amount for environmental quality improvements?
> Consider the production and use of single-use, plastic shopping bags, and examine their flows along all parts of Figure 2.1. Do the same for paper shopping bags. Figure 2.1: Natural Environment Recycled (R6) | Raw Materials (M) Residuals (R,) Disch
> How might globalization and the growth of multinational corporations in the envirotech industry be a positive force for environmental protection in the countries of the world?
> Suppose we introduce a new criterion, “administrative feasibility,” for evaluating environmental policies in developing countries. How might this affect choices among different types of policies?
> When a multinational business firm from the developed world opens operations in a developing nation, should it be held to the environmental standards of its country of origin or to those of the country in which it is operating?
> If all countries adopted the same emission standards in similar industries, would this tend to equalize production costs and put each country on the same footing with respect to environmental matters?
> Suppose Country A imports a product from Country B, and that Country B lacks environmental laws governing the production of the item. Under what conditions might Country A be justified in putting a tariff on the imported item?
> Why are long-lived, cumulative pollutants so much harder to manage than short-lived, noncumulative pollutants?
> Refer to Figure 12.1. Suppose the emissions tax is $95/ton/month. Find the efficient level of emissions for the firm. Explain why the firm would not reduce its emissions to 1 ton/month. Figure 12.1: Marginal Abatement Total Total Tax Bill at $120/T
> Draw each of the following using condensed formulas and line formulas: a. β-Methyl butyraldehyde b. α-Hydroxy propionaldehyde c. α, β-Dimethyl valeraldehyde d. γ-Chlorovaleraldehyde
> Draw the structure of the open-chain form of d-fructose, and show how it cyclizes to form a- and β-d-fructose.
> Draw the structure of each of the following carboxylic acids: a. β-Chlorobutyric acid b. α, β -Dibromovaleric acid c. β, γ-Dihydroxybutyric acid d. δ-Bromo- γ-chloro-β-methylcaproic acid
> Write the condensed formula for each of the following compounds. a. 3-Methylnonanal b. β-Bromovaleraldehyde c. 4-Fluorohexanal d. α, β-Dimethyl butyraldehyde
> Would you expect that intensive properties or extensive properties would be more useful in distinguishing among plant varieties by inspecting their leaves?
> How many significant figures are contained in each of the following numbers? a. 0.042 b. 4.20 c. 24.0 d. 240 e. 204 f. 2.04
> What is the role of VLDL in triglyceride metabolism?
> Label each property as intensive or extensive: a. the shape of leaves on a tree b. the number of leaves on a tree
> What chemical group is part of coenzyme A and acyl carrier protein and allows both molecules to form thioester bonds to fatty acids?
> Classify each of the following as either a chemical property or a physical property: a. odor b. taste c. temperature
> What is the cause of the characteristic “acetone breath” that is associated with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus?
> Cloudy urine can be a symptom of a bladder infection. Classify this urine as a pure substance, a homogeneous mixture, or a heterogeneous mixture.
> Why must dietary lipids be processed before enzymatic digestion can be effective?
> What is the energy source used for the urea cycle?
> What is hyperammonemia? How are mild forms of this disease treated?
> How are enzymes used in medical treatment? Provide an example.
> What is the role of vitamin B6 in transamination?
> What is the difference between denaturation and coagulation?
> What biochemical reaction is catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase?
> Write a chemical equation for the transfer of an amino group from alanine to a-ketoglutarate, catalyzed by a transaminase.
> At which steps in the citric acid cycle do oxidation reduction reactions occur?
> What does the term aerobic respiration mean?
> What is the cellular location of the electron transport systems?
> What is the name of the enzyme that catalyzes ATP synthesis in mitochondria?
> How many molecules of ATP are produced when one molecule of FADH2 is oxidized by oxidative phosphorylation?
> What is the terminal electron acceptor in aerobic respiration?
> Tire pressure is measured in units of lb/in2. Convert 32 lb/in2 to g/cm2 (use the proper number of significant figures).
