"A leading environmental group recently published a report contending that humans are running a "resource deficit" because we are using natural resources faster than they can be regenerated. The group claims that this means that economic growth will eventually stop, and will even be reversed. An economist would":

a. agree with the report, and would point to rising natural resource prices as evidence.
b. agree with the report, but wouldn't think it was important because growth will not slow down for several centuries.
c. disagree with the report, in part because it ignores the mitigating effects of technological change.
d. disagree with the report because labor and capital are the primary determinants of growth, and since they are plentiful, growth will not slow down.

Fanning company is considering the addition of a new product to its cosmetics line. the company has three distinctly different options: a skin cream, a bath oil, or a hair coloring gel. relevant information and budgeted annual income statements for each of the products follow. skin cream bath oil color gel budgeted sales in units (a) 110,000 190,000 70,000 expected sales price (b) $8 $4 $11 variable costs per unit (c) $2 $2 $7 income statements sales revenue (a × b) $880,000 $760,000 $770,000 variable costs (a × c) (220,000) (380,000) (490,000) contribution margin 660,000 380,000 280,000 fixed costs (432,000) (240,000) (76,000) net income $228,000 $140,000 $204,000 required: (a) determine the margin of safety as a percentage for each product. (b) prepare revised income statements for each product, assuming a 20 percent increase in the budgeted sales volume. (c) for each product, determine the percentage change in net income that results from the 20 percent increase in sales. (d) assuming that management is pessimistic and risk averse, which product should the company add to its cosmetics line? (e) assuming that management is optimistic and risk aggressive, which product should the company add to its cosmetics line?