ECS2606 Assignment 1
(COMPLETE ANSWERS)
Semester 1 2025 (253465 ) -
DUE 24 March 2025
NO PLAGIARISM
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Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Materials Balance Principle
1. Introduction to the Materials Balance Principle
The Materials Balance Principle states that matter is neither created nor destroyed in economic
processes; instead, it is transformed into products, emissions, or waste. This principle highlights
the input-output relationship in production, where raw materials enter the economy and
eventually become either useful goods or waste/disposal materials.
When economic activities were severely restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic
(2020/21), global supply chains, production, and consumption patterns were disrupted. These
disruptions altered material flows in significant ways.
,
, Exam (elaborations)
ECS2606 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 (253465 ) - DUE
24 March 2025
Course
Environmental Economics (ECS2606)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Book
Environmental Economics
ECS2606 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 (253465 ) -
DUE 24 March 2025; 100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and
explanations. Ensure your success with us. ..
1. Explain and diagrammatically illustrate the impact that the Covid-19 -
pandemic induced restrictions on economic activities imposed in many
countries across the world in 2020/21 had on the materials balance principle.
ECS2601 [10] 2. 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. ECS2602
[10] 3. Make use of appropriate examples to explain and distinguish between
opportunity costs and external costs. ECS2603 ECS2604 [10] 4. Explain the
difference between positive and normative economics and provide two
examples in each case. [10] 5. Draw two graphs to explain how the impact of
inelastic and elastic demand curves will differ if environmental policies are
enforced. [10 ECS2605
1. Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Materials Balance Principle
(ECS2601)
Explanation:
The materials balance principle states that all materials used in production must either become
part of the final product, accumulate as waste, or be recycled. The COVID-19 restrictions in
2020/21 disrupted global supply chains, reduced industrial production, and altered consumption
patterns. These effects had the following impacts: