ENVIRON 102 Lecture 4: 1.22.15 (L) Environmental Economics, Genuine Progress Indicator
4 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
January 22, 2015 Lecture Notes
Environmental Economics
Discussion
Is it cheaper to damage the environment using cheap resources & then go back to fix it, or should
we be wary of the environment in the first place?
Are all environmental issues global? Who bears the responsibility? Developed countries or
developing countries?
There is still the element of ignorance in many issue today
Much more difficult to seeing the depletion of natural resources as an economic concept as
compared to other issues such as homelessness
Developed worlds are critiquing developing countries for disregarding environmental issues
o As a developing country, do we postpone being green until we become more economically
developed?
o It might be harder in the future shifts in technology vs. starting out green
o Hard to measure (economically) the costs of being green vs. not green
RECAP from 1.20.15:
Clean Air Act (Amendment) of 1970
Set stricter standards than previous laws; federal law authority established
Imposed emissions limits
Provided research funds
Command and control
Clean Air Act (Amendment) of 1990
Strengthened previous regulations
Introduced emissions trading for sulfur dioxide
Cap and trade
Criteria air pollutants vs. hazardous air pollutants
Criteria regulated based on the level in the air
(azardous regulated at the level of emissions
On average, there emissions have come down, but there are still regions where the concentrations
are still quite high
What approaches best to reduce air pollution?
Health concerns
Economic concerns (what best stimulated innovation and costs least?)
Philosophical concerns (does trade legitimize pollution? who owns the air?)
Transparency and verification?
I. The Commons
Public resources not a lot of incentive for individuals to protect that resource, but there is a lot
of incentive to use it to the maximum
Possible responses/solutions
o Privatization of that public resource
o Keep it as a commons but set regulations
o Make it sustainable
o Appeal to conscience
Ex: cod and lobsters (same waters) ground fish gone up, lobsters gone down
o Historically, smaller communities were pretty good at regulating their resources
o Management differences
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
There is still the element of ignorance in many issue today. Much more difficult to seeing the depletion of natural resources as an economic concept as compared to other issues such as homelessness. Set stricter standards than previous laws; federal law authority established. (cid:498)cap and trade(cid:499) (cid:498)criteria air pollutants(cid:499) vs. (cid:498)hazardous air pollutants(cid:499) (cid:498)criteria(cid:499) regulated based on the level in the air. (cid:498)(azardous(cid:499) regulated at the level of emissions. On average, there emissions have come down, but there are still regions where the concentrations are still quite high. Economic concerns (what best stimulated innovation and costs least?) Philosophical concerns (does trade legitimize pollution? who owns the air?) Public resources not a lot of incentive for individuals to protect that resource, but there is a lot of incentive to use it to the maximum. Possible responses/solutions: privatization of that public resource, keep it as a commons but set regulations, make it sustainable, appeal to conscience.
