International environmental issues

Veröffentlicht 2023-05-05 20:07:53

12KB

Key points

Certain global environmental issues, such as global warming and biodiversity, spill over national borders and will need to be addressed with some form of international agreement.
Biodiversity is the spectrum of animal and plant genetic material.
International externalities are externalities that cross national borders and that cannot be resolved by a single nation acting alone.

An international perspective on environmental issues

Many countries around the world have become more aware of the benefits of environmental protection. Unfortunately, even if most nations took steps individually to address their environmental issues, it would still not solve certain environmental problems which spill over national borders.

Take global warming, for example—no one nation by itself can reduce carbon dioxide and other gas emissions enough to solve the problem. The problem is so big, nations must cooperate to effectively address it.

Another example is the challenge of preserving biodiversity—the spectrum of animal and plant genetic material. Although a single nation can protect biodiversity within its own borders, no nation acting alone can protect biodiversity around the world.

Global warming and biodiversity both are examples of international externalities—externalities that cross national borders and cannot be resolved by a single nation acting alone.

What should international environmental regulations look like?

Bringing the nations of the world together to address environmental issues requires a difficult set of negotiations between countries with different income levels and different sets of priorities. If nations such as China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and others are developing their economies by burning vast amounts of fossil fuels or by stripping their forest and wildlife habitats, then the world’s high-income countries acting alone will not be able to reduce greenhouse gases.

However, low-income countries, with some understandable exasperation, point out that high-income countries do not have much moral standing to lecture them on the necessities of putting environmental protection ahead of economic growth. After all, high-income countries historically have been—and are still today—the primary contributors to greenhouse warming through the burning of fossil fuels. It is hard to tell people who are living in a low-income country—where adequate diet, health care, and education are lacking—that they should sacrifice an improved quality of life for a cleaner environment.

If high-income countries want low-income countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, then the high-income countries may need to pay some of the costs. Perhaps some of these payments will happen through the private market—for example, some tourists from rich countries will pay handsomely to vacation near the natural treasures of low-income countries. Or perhaps some of the transfer of resources will happen through making modern pollution-control technology available to poorer countries.

The practical details of what such an international system might look like and how it would operate across international borders are forbiddingly complex. It seems highly unlikely that some form of world government will impose a detailed system of environmental command-and-control regulation around the world. As a result, a decentralized and market-oriented approach may be the only practical way to address international issues such as global warming and biodiversity.

Summary

Certain global environmental issues, such as global warming and biodiversity, spill over national borders and will need to be addressed with some form of international agreement.
Biodiversity is the spectrum of animal and plant genetic material.
International externalities are externalities that cross national borders and that cannot be resolved by a single nation acting alone.

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um liken, teilen und zu kommentieren!

Supercomputing

How Studying The Brain Helps Build A Neuromorphic Supercomputer

How Studying The Brain Helps Build A Neuromorphic Supercomputer Australian scientists are...

Von 2024-03-29 22:16:37 0 24KB

Другое

Рождество на двоих. Last Christmas. (2019)

Кейт работает в магазине рождественских товаров, злоупотребляет выпивкой и давно бросила...

Von 2022-09-11 23:04:49 0 27KB

Financial Services

Your 401(k): 10 things to find out

1. When can I start contributing? Not every 401(k) plan allows new employees to begin...

Von 2023-05-25 18:45:54 0 10KB

Business

What Legal Considerations Should I Be Aware of When Starting a Business?

Starting a business is an exciting and rewarding venture, but it also comes with important legal...

Von 2025-03-03 14:43:44 0 10KB

Телевидение

Kavkaz Music TV. Прямой эфир.

KAVKAZ Music - этнический лейбл, представляющий национальную музыку народов Большого Кавказа....

Von 2022-11-04 17:40:32 0 32KB