[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/agd/wpaper/24-017.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Intelligence and its Effects on Environmental Decline: A Worldwide Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Kazeem B. Ajide

    (University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria)

  • Olorunfemi Y. Alimi

    (Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria)

  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (Yaoundé, Cameroon)

Abstract
The research investigates the relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) and environmental degradation, aiming to understand how cognitive abilities influence environmental outcomes across different nations and time periods. The objective is to examine the impact of intelligence quotient (IQ) on environmental indicators such as carbon emissions, ecological demand, and the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), seeking insights to inform environmental policy and stewardship. The study utilizes statistical techniques including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS), and Iteratively Weighted Least Squares (IWLS) to analyze data from 147 nations over the years 2000 to 2017. These methods are applied to explore the relationship between IQ and environmental metrics while considering other relevant variables. The findings reveal unexpected positive associations between human intelligence quotient and carbon emissions, as well as ecological demand, challenging conventional notions of "delay discounting." Additionally, variations in the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis are identified across different pollutants, highlighting the roles of governance and international commitments in mitigating emissions. The study concludes by advocating for the adoption of a "delay discounting culture" to address environmental challenges effectively. It underscores the complex interactions between intelligence, governance, and population dynamics in shaping environmental outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted policies to achieve sustainability objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazeem B. Ajide & Olorunfemi Y. Alimi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2024. "Intelligence and its Effects on Environmental Decline: A Worldwide Analysis," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 24/017, African Governance and Development Institute..
    • Handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:24/017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.afridev.org/RePEc/agd/agd-wpaper/Intelligence-and-its-Effects-on-Environmental-Decline-A-Worldwide-Analysis.pdf
    File Function: Revised version, 2024
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eric Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2012. "Do better schools lead to more growth? Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 267-321, December.
    2. Vanessa Simen Tchamyou, 2020. "Education, lifelong learning, inequality and financial access: evidence from African countries," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 7-25, January.
    3. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Asongu, Simplice, 2015. "The Effect of Intelligence on Financial Development: A Cross-Country Comparison," MPRA Paper 67295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Asongu, Simplice A. & Le Roux, Sara & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2017. "Environmental degradation, ICT and inclusive development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 353-361.
    5. Gary S. Becker & Kevin M. Murphy & Robert Tamura, 1994. "Human Capital, Fertility, and Economic Growth," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 323-350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Stafford, Tess M., 2015. "Indoor air quality and academic performance," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 34-50.
    7. Vanessa Simen Tchamyou, 2017. "The Role of Knowledge Economy in African Business," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(4), pages 1189-1228, December.
    8. Paul Conal Winters & Vera Chiodi, 2011. "Human Capital Investment And Long‐Term Poverty Reduction In Rural Mexico," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(4), pages 515-538, May.
    9. Isaac Kalonda-Kanyama & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2012. "Quality of Institutions: Does Intelligence Matter?," Working Papers 308, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    10. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Introduction to "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings"," NBER Chapters, in: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings, pages 1-4, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Potrafke, Niklas, 2012. "Intelligence and corruption," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 114(1), pages 109-112.
    12. David Lin & Laurel Hanscom & Adeline Murthy & Alessandro Galli & Mikel Evans & Evan Neill & Maria Serena Mancini & Jon Martindill & Fatime-Zahra Medouar & Shiyu Huang & Mathis Wackernagel, 2018. "Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018," Resources, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-22, September.
    13. Kenkel, Donald S, 1991. "Health Behavior, Health Knowledge, and Schooling," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(2), pages 287-305, April.
    14. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2015. "Intelligence and Shadow Economy: a Cross-Country Empirical Assessment," MPRA Paper 61976, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Prashant Bharadwaj & Matthew Gibson & Joshua Graff Zivin & Christopher Neilson, 2017. "Gray Matters: Fetal Pollution Exposure and Human Capital Formation," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(2), pages 505-542.
    16. Caselli, Francesco & Esquivel, Gerardo & Lefort, Fernando, 1996. "Reopening the Convergence Debate: A New Look at Cross-Country Growth Empirics," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 363-389, September.
    17. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    18. Nicholas J. Sanders, 2012. "What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Weaker: Prenatal Pollution Exposure and Educational Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(3), pages 826-850.
    19. Garett Jones & W. Schneider, 2006. "Intelligence, Human Capital, and Economic Growth: A Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) Approach," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 71-93, March.
    20. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2008. "The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 607-668, September.
    21. Erich Weede & Sebastian Kämpf, 2002. "The Impact of Intelligence and Institutional Improvements on Economic Growth," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 361-380, August.
    22. Benhabib, Jess & Spiegel, Mark M., 1994. "The role of human capital in economic development evidence from aggregate cross-country data," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 143-173, October.
    23. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "Intelligence, Human Capital and HIV/AIDS: Fresh Exploration," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/027, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    24. Blomquist, Glenn C. & Whitehead, John C., 1998. "Resource quality information and validity of willingness to pay in contingent valuation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 179-196, June.
    25. Minh Quang Dao, 2008. "Human capital, poverty, and income distribution in developing countries," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(4), pages 294-303, September.
    26. repec:bla:kyklos:v:55:y:2002:i:3:p:361-80 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number minc74-1.
    28. Joshua Graff Zivin & Matthew Neidell, 2013. "Environment, Health, and Human Capital," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 51(3), pages 689-730, September.
    29. Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2014. "Governance and Intelligence: Empirical Analysis from African Data," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 16(1), pages 83-97.
    30. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and deforestation: International data," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 20-27.
    31. Shanshan Wang & Tianhao Zhao & Haitao Zheng & Jie Hu, 2017. "The STIRPAT Analysis on Carbon Emission in Chinese Cities: An Asymmetric Laplace Distribution Mixture Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-13, December.
    32. Jerik Hanushek & Dennis Kimko, 2006. "Schooling, Labor-force Quality, and the Growth of Nations," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 1, pages 154-193.
    33. Ram, Rati, 2007. "IQ and economic growth: Further augmentation of Mankiw-Romer-Weil model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 7-11, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Oasis Kodila†Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2018. "Does Intelligence Affect Economic Diversification?," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 19(1), pages 74-93, February.
    2. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Asongu, Simplice, 2015. "Intelligence, Human Capital and HIV/AIDS: Fresh Exploration," MPRA Paper 68320, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "The Effect of Intelligence on Financial Development: A Cross-Country Comparison," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/002, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    4. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "“This One Is 400 Libyan Dinars, This One Is 500”: Insights from Cognitive Human Capital and Slave Trade," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 291-306, April.
    5. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice Asongu & Florentin Azia-Dimbu, 2015. "Statistics and IQ in Developing Countries: A Note," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/030, African Governance and Development Institute..
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "“This one is 400 Libyan dinars, this one is 500†: Insights from Cognitive Human Capital and Slave Trade," AFEA Working Papers 18/014, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA).
    7. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice Asongu & Florentin Azia-Dimbu, 2016. "The Sensitive Nature of Social Trust to Intelligence," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 16/005, African Governance and Development Institute..
    8. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Che Razak, Razli & Rosli, Muhamad Ridhwan & Selamat, Muhamad Rosli, 2017. "The Bell Curve of Intelligence, Economic Growth and Technological Achievement: How Robust is the Cross-Country Evidence?," MPRA Paper 77469, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Kurniawan, Yohan & Sidek, Abdul Halim & Mohamad, Mohd Rosli, 2014. "Crimes and the Bell Curve: The Role of People with High, Average, and Low Intelligence," MPRA Paper 77314, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Garett Jones & Niklas Potrafke, 2014. "Human Capital and National Institutional Quality: Are TIMSS, PISA, and National Average IQ Robust Predictors?," CESifo Working Paper Series 4790, CESifo.
    11. Eric A. Hanushek, 2017. "Education and the Growth-Equity Trade-Off," NBER Chapters, in: Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future US GDP Growth, pages 293-312, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Lim, Jamus Jerome & Adams-Kane, Jonathon, 2008. "Institutions, Education, and Economic Performance," MPRA Paper 11800, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Jones, Garett, 2012. "Cognitive skill and technology diffusion: An empirical test," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 444-460.
    14. Solieva, Mastura, 2017. "Cognitive abilities and sustainable development: a global analysis," MPRA Paper 77055, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Michael S. Delgado & Daniel J. Henderson & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2014. "Does Education Matter for Economic Growth?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 76(3), pages 334-359, June.
    16. Altinok, Nadir & Aydemir, Abdurrahman, 2017. "Does one size fit all? The impact of cognitive skills on economic growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 176-190.
    17. Isaac Kalonda-Kanyama & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2012. "Quality of Institutions: Does Intelligence Matter?," Working Papers 308, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    18. Ralph Hippe & Roger Fouquet, 2024. "The Human Capital Transition and the Role of Policy," Springer Books, in: Claude Diebolt & Michael Haupert (ed.), Handbook of Cliometrics, edition 3, pages 411-457, Springer.
    19. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2017. "Government size, intelligence and life satisfaction," MPRA Paper 76902, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and deforestation: International data," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 20-27.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; intelligence quotient; population; output; carbon emission; EKC; World;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:24/017. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Asongu Simplice (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/agdiycm.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.