AP ENVIRO QUESTIONS PLS HELP!

Question

1. You purchase a television at a substantial discount from a large chain store. Explain how the price would have changed if the store had priced the television at full cost. Describe three different external costs that would need to be factored in the price of the television. 
2. As populations of many fish species decline, it becomes more and more difficult for fishers to make a living. In some regions, people are asking governments to provide fishers with subsidies to help them buy more modern fishing equipment, including technologies that allow fishers to exploit the remaining populations more efficiently.

Analyze such proposed subsidies in the context of the "tragedy of the commons."

Answer 1

The "tragedy" in the Tragedy of the Commons is that since people generally act in their own self-interest, common resources are used in an unsustainable way and ultimately depleted to such low levels that no one has access to the resources any longer. Environmental solutions to this problem often require regulations that prohibit people from overexploiting a renewable resource so there can be enough time for that resource to be replenished. Thus, these two scenarios should be considered with a long-term goal of sustainability in mind.

For scenario 1: consider what may allow a large chain store to sell TVs at a cheaper price than another store. Often to offer consumers lower prices, corners are cut that can harm the environment and workers within the supply chain. Some good points of discussion here might relate to the quality of the materials that the TV is made out of (Will the TV break in a short period of time and need replacement sooner than a better quality TV?) and where/how were the materials in the TV made (did the production of the materials exploit workers or pollute the environment?).

For scenario 2: Consider fish a renewable resource. If left alone, fish will reproduce and their population will naturally grow. A larger fish population will provide enough fish for the fishermen to catch sustainably. Consider if the fishermen are given technology that better exploit the fish: What if they are so effective at catching the fish that they do not leave enough fish in the ocean to reproduce and restore their population? The short-term solution of providing better equipment to the fishermen would result in the long-term major problem of having no more fish to catch in a short period of time. The better strategy is actually to catch FEWER fish for many years to allow the animals to repopulate.