What are “market externalities,” including “positive externalities” and “negative externalities? Give two examples of positive externalities and two of negative externalities.

Discuss negative externalities in view of “The story of stuff.” 

What is “Karl Polanyi’s Paradox” (not his brother “Michael Polanyi’s Paradox”)? Give an example.

What is the “Malthusian” theory of population, and what is its underlying ideology? What are the general arguments against Malthusian theory?

What is the concept of “the carrying capacity of the Earth”? What is problematic about this concept?

What is the “demographic transition” theory and the “wealth flows” theory of population? How do they specifically argue against the Malthusian theory? 

How does the article “Too many Africans?” critique mainstream ideas about overpopulation (especially Malthusian and neo-Malthusian ideas) and coincide with wealth flows theory? How does the critique also coincide with the documentary video “King Leopold’s Ghost”?

In summary, does the textbook author regard overpopulation as a principal cause of global poverty, environmental degradation, and social/political conflict? Why or why not?

Post to Canvas (ASSIGNMENTS or DISCUSSIONS) by next Sunday, 11:59 pm. 250 word minimum; no maximum word count. Display the word count at the end of your post.

Part 1

1. “The story of stuff” (Links to an external site.) (review: video, 21 minutes)
2. “The litter myth” (Links to an external site.) (review: audio, 33 minutes) (Links to an external site.)
3. “Negative externalities” (Links to an external site.) (read the first two paragraphs) and “positive externalities” (Links to an external site.) (read the first two paragraphs)
4. “Deserted oil wells haunt Los Angeles with toxic fumes and enormous cleanup costs” https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-03-05/deserted-oil-wells-los-angeles-toxic-fumes-cleanup-costs (Links to an external site.)

Part 2

1. “Population, sustainability, and Malthus: Crash course in world history 215” (Links to an external site.) (video, 12:50 minutes)
2. “Too many Africans?” (Links to an external site.)
3. GPCC, Part two, “The global impact of the culture of capitalism: Introduction”; and chapter 5, “The problem of population growth”