In: Economics
The formula I=PAT is one way of thinking about the effects of society on the environment. According to this formula, which country will have the biggest effect on the natural world?
a) Singapore
b) Ghana
c) China
d) Mauritius
e) Switzerland
I = PAT is an equation that represents environmental impact (I) as a product of three factors: population (P), affluence (A), and technology (T). This equation was first proposed \in the early 1970s as a way to calculate the impact of humans on the environment.
According to this formula, affluent countries with large populations and technological advancements will have a greater effect on the environment. Taking GDP density as an approximation for population times affluence, and given the technological advancement in nations, of the given choices, China will have the biggest effect on the natural world.
Ans. (C) China