Comments on: Environmentalism - The Good http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/ Liberalism and general burblings Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:59:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Tinter http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25866 Tinter Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:55:37 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25866 Well, the deterence from suing isn't as high as from more direct intervention, and for more minor acts its quite possible the company could still come out ahead. I guess you can have punitive settlements inflicted in court, but thats just regulation under another guise. Environmental issues are one of the areas where it just won't fly without government intervention of some sort. Well, the deterence from suing isn’t as high as from more direct intervention, and for more minor acts its quite possible the company could still come out ahead. I guess you can have punitive settlements inflicted in court, but thats just regulation under another guise.
Environmental issues are one of the areas where it just won’t fly without government intervention of some sort.

]]> By: tristan http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25861 tristan Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:50:42 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25861 Yes. I probably should have made more of the Green Taxation as a means to internalise any negative externalities. For many environmental problems it looks like firm property rights can help, I don't see how that will work for things like climate change though... Yes.
I probably should have made more of the Green Taxation as a means to internalise any negative externalities.

For many environmental problems it looks like firm property rights can help, I don’t see how that will work for things like climate change though…

]]> By: tinter http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25858 tinter Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:24:14 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/02/14/environmentalism-the-good/#comment-25858 The problem is its a negative externality we need to deal with. It may be that in many cases the advantages to individuals and companies do not outweight the benefits of polluting. However, there is a clear, large overall net problem- a classic collective action problem. The real problem is media darlings and spokespeople picking out this or that specific thing as what must be tackled right now. In many cases they are right, but they are also often wrong and a penny packet approach won't solve an issue of this scale anyway. A firm tax policy will add further benefits to not polluting and will result in the market finding the most efficent way to cut carbon emmissions. The problem is its a negative externality we need to deal with. It may be that in many cases the advantages to individuals and companies do not outweight the benefits of polluting. However, there is a clear, large overall net problem- a classic collective action problem.

The real problem is media darlings and spokespeople picking out this or that specific thing as what must be tackled right now. In many cases they are right, but they are also often wrong and a penny packet approach won’t solve an issue of this scale anyway.

A firm tax policy will add further benefits to not polluting and will result in the market finding the most efficent way to cut carbon emmissions.

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