Earthday Economics

Economy and Ecology are alike in more ways than their letters. This Earthday, I would like to point out that it is impossible to support both a completely free market and a healthy environment. I am taking no radical Sandersian position in saying this, but speaking out of basic economic principles recognized by such intelligent conservatives as George Will and Ayn Rand.

The free market does an excellent job with "stuff," such as toilet paper. Stores are full of toilet paper, the toilet paper does its job, and the price is at least payable. The free market works for two reasons: 1) if you don't pay for toilet paper, you don't get it, and 2) if you do pay for toilet paper, you do get it. If stores gave away toilet paper for free, and any money paid for toilet paper was only used to support toilet-paper making in general, it's easy to see what would happen. Some people would get free toilet paper, some would pay for it and get nothing, and, ultimately, the supply of toilet paper would be  flushed.

This ridiculous way to distribute toilet paper is the only way to "buy" a clean environment. Neither of the things true about toilet paper are true about the environment: 1) if you don't pay for clean air technology, you still get to breathe any air cleaned by it; 2) if you do pay for clean air technology, you could still breathe someone else's pollution. In business-speak, clean air just isn't marketable.

Voluntary efforts are likewise pointless. It only takes one non-conformist to poison the well. Everyone must participate to protect the environment, and the only means we have to make that happen is called Government. We need to decide together what to do, and pass laws requiring it. The free market will do what it does best: find a way to sell stuff, whatever the situation requires.

The only problem with this solution is that the free market is doing a much better job of buying laws than it does buying a healthy planet.