Question

What does Harvey mean when he says that many of the scarcities we experience do not arise out of nature but are created by human activity...?

a) Scarcities are natural occurrences
b) Human activities contribute to the creation of scarcities
c) Scarcities are solely caused by environmental factors
d) Human activity has no impact on scarcities

Answer 1

Harvey means that while resources are inherently limited, many scarcities are influenced or directly caused by human actions, not just natural limits.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Harvey mentions that many of the scarcities we experience do not arise out of nature but are created by human activity, he implies that human activities contribute to the creation of scarcities. This is in contrast to natural occurrences or environmental factors being the sole contributors to scarcity. For instance, while it is true that resources are inherently limited, factors such as overconsumption, pollution, and economic policies can exacerbate the scarcity of those resources. Hence, while some scarcities do stem from natural limits, many are influenced or directly caused by the ways in which humans use and manage resources.