lOMoAR cPSD| 48011787
,UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
Oct/Nov 2024
ECS2606
Environmental Economics
100 Marks
Duration: 2.5 Hours
First Examiner: Ms. L. Nesongozhe
Second Examiner: Dr I. Maloma
CONFIDENTIAL
This paper consists of 4 pages.
Instructions:
1. Submit your answers as a single document in PDF format. It is
preferable for you to type your answers (Font: Arial 12) and then
convert your document to PDF format for submission. However, if
this is not possible, you may also write your answers down and scan
them to a PDF file. Please write legibly.
2. Start with a cover page stating the module code, ECS2606, and your
student number.
3. Make sure that each question is clearly numbered.
4. While you are not required to cite your sources, this does not mean
that you can simply copy information from any source. You need to
answer the questions in your own words. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated and may result in disciplinary action if detected.
5. Please ensure that you submitted a declaration of honesty on myUnisa.
, 6. Please ensure that your PDF document is NOT encrypted to a
“secured” mode and that it is NOT password protected as these files
cannot be marked. Virus infected files will also not be marked.
7. Submit your answers in one PDF document by using the Assessment
Info tool on myUnisa.
Answer ALL the
Questions
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
“This rising demand for motorised boating activities at many South
African estuaries is causing problems for the visitor as well as for the
environment. These issues have led to calls for action by certain
interested parties to regulate access (Lee et al., 2015)”
1. Mention three different types of impact analysis and briefly describe
the type of impact analysis that applies to the passage above.
[5]
2. Describe the concept of an externality and distinguish between a
positive and a negative externality. Are rising motorised boating
activities in South African estuaries a negative or a positive
externality? Explain briefly. [10]
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
, In 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic per year.
By 2015, this annual production swelled to 419 million tons and
exacerbating plastic waste in the environment. Shockingly, National
Geographic found that 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is not
recycled, representing not only one of the biggest environmental problems
of our lifetime, but another massive market failure. Considering that
plastic takes 400 years to decompose, it will be many generations until it
ceases to exist. There’s no telling what the irreversible effects of plastic
pollution will have on the environment in the long run.
https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/
3. Distinguish between cumulative and non-cumulative pollutants and
give an example of each.
Is plastic a cumulative or non-cumulative pollutant? Explain.
[6]
4. Discuss market failure in the context of the passage above.
[4]
5. Differentiate between the concepts that follow:
[10]
(a) Normative and a positive economics.
(b) Cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency
(c) Weak sustainability and strong sustainability
(d) Revealed preference methods and stated preference methods
(e) Environmental economics and natural resource economics
6. Define the concept of sustainability and explain with the aid of
production possibility curves how your country could limit the
production and consumption of future generations by current
irresponsible consumption and production.
[13]
,UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
Oct/Nov 2024
ECS2606
Environmental Economics
100 Marks
Duration: 2.5 Hours
First Examiner: Ms. L. Nesongozhe
Second Examiner: Dr I. Maloma
CONFIDENTIAL
This paper consists of 4 pages.
Instructions:
1. Submit your answers as a single document in PDF format. It is
preferable for you to type your answers (Font: Arial 12) and then
convert your document to PDF format for submission. However, if
this is not possible, you may also write your answers down and scan
them to a PDF file. Please write legibly.
2. Start with a cover page stating the module code, ECS2606, and your
student number.
3. Make sure that each question is clearly numbered.
4. While you are not required to cite your sources, this does not mean
that you can simply copy information from any source. You need to
answer the questions in your own words. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated and may result in disciplinary action if detected.
5. Please ensure that you submitted a declaration of honesty on myUnisa.
, 6. Please ensure that your PDF document is NOT encrypted to a
“secured” mode and that it is NOT password protected as these files
cannot be marked. Virus infected files will also not be marked.
7. Submit your answers in one PDF document by using the Assessment
Info tool on myUnisa.
Answer ALL the
Questions
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
“This rising demand for motorised boating activities at many South
African estuaries is causing problems for the visitor as well as for the
environment. These issues have led to calls for action by certain
interested parties to regulate access (Lee et al., 2015)”
1. Mention three different types of impact analysis and briefly describe
the type of impact analysis that applies to the passage above.
[5]
2. Describe the concept of an externality and distinguish between a
positive and a negative externality. Are rising motorised boating
activities in South African estuaries a negative or a positive
externality? Explain briefly. [10]
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
, In 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic per year.
By 2015, this annual production swelled to 419 million tons and
exacerbating plastic waste in the environment. Shockingly, National
Geographic found that 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is not
recycled, representing not only one of the biggest environmental problems
of our lifetime, but another massive market failure. Considering that
plastic takes 400 years to decompose, it will be many generations until it
ceases to exist. There’s no telling what the irreversible effects of plastic
pollution will have on the environment in the long run.
https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/
3. Distinguish between cumulative and non-cumulative pollutants and
give an example of each.
Is plastic a cumulative or non-cumulative pollutant? Explain.
[6]
4. Discuss market failure in the context of the passage above.
[4]
5. Differentiate between the concepts that follow:
[10]
(a) Normative and a positive economics.
(b) Cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency
(c) Weak sustainability and strong sustainability
(d) Revealed preference methods and stated preference methods
(e) Environmental economics and natural resource economics
6. Define the concept of sustainability and explain with the aid of
production possibility curves how your country could limit the
production and consumption of future generations by current
irresponsible consumption and production.
[13]
