Explain how the opportunity costs of neg | Class 11 Economics - Indian Economic Development Chapter Environment and Sustainable Development, Environment and Sustainable Development NCERT Solutions

Question:

Explain how the opportunity costs of negative environmental impact are high.

Answer:

Opportunity cost is the cost that is foregone when we make a choice or a decision. If a piece of land is to be used for wheat production then the production of say, rice, is to be sacrificed. The loss of rice production is the opportunity cost of producing wheat. In the similar way, the cost of a negative environment is the opportunity cost of huge expenditure incurred on health and searching for new alternatives. This is explained elaborately in the following paragraph; When the resources are extracted at a more rapid pace than its regeneration, then we say that the carrying capacity of the environment reduces. In such a situation, the environment fails to perform its function of sustaining life, thereby, resulting in environmental crises. In other words, environmental crises are an aggregate outcome of excessive exploitation of natural resources and excessive generation of wastes. Therefore, there arises a need for exploration of new alternative eco-friendly resources to avoid an environmental crisis. Moreover, environmental crises lead to greater incidence of respiratory and water borne diseases, necessitating higher health expenditures and investments. The costs involved in searching new alternative resources together with the greater health expenditures constitute the opportunity costs of negative environmental impact. Such opportunity costs are very high and require voluminous financial commitments by the government. Therefore, the opportunity costs of negative environmental impact are high.


Study Tips for Answering NCERT Questions:

NCERT questions are designed to test your understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in the chapter. Here are some tips to help you answer NCERT questions effectively:

  • Read the question carefully and focus on the core concept being asked.
  • Reference examples and data from the chapter when answering questions about Environment and Sustainable Development.
  • Review previous year question papers to get an idea of how such questions may be framed in exams.
  • Practice answering questions within the time limit to improve your speed and accuracy.
  • Discuss your answers with your teachers or peers to get feedback and improve your understanding.

Comments

Comment(s) on this Question

Welcome to the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Economics - Indian Economic Development - Chapter . This page offers a step-by-step solution to the specific question from Excercise 1 , Question 8: Explain how the opportunity costs of negative environmental impact are high.....