Subject: Re: [LPNY DISCUSS] Pollution
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:50:43 -0400
To:        <lpny_discuss@yahoogroups.com>
From:     Bob Armstrong <bob@cosy.com>
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 00:48:42 -0400, Gary Popkin wrote:
>
>=A0The well known free-market solution to pollution is for the=
 government to
>=A0auction marketable pollution rights. =A0The government decides=
 how much
>=A0pollution is tolerable and auctions rights for that much=
 pollution. =A0The
>=A0rights are freely tradable in the market place, so people with=
 old polluting
>=A0cars will find it cheaper to buy rights than to fix their=
 pollution, while
>=A0people with cars whose pollution can easily be reduced will do=
 so and sell
>=A0their rights. =A0Pollution will be reduced to the desired level=
 at the least
>=A0cost to society as a whole.

 I'd call it at best "quasi-free-market" . The extreme recent=
 extension of
 the idea was the aborted notion of making a market in terrorist=
 target
 futures .

 It is also the notion behind air rights in NYC and other urban=
 areas .
 Given a total volume for building in the city landlords can buy=
 building
 height rights from neighbors to build skyscrapers while=
 maintaining 
 financial viablity of century old 5 story building like here at=
 the
 fish market .

--=A0
=A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864
Return our Right to Relax :
=A0http://ny.lp.org/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?Against_the_Smoking_Ban
Computing Environment : =A0http://CoSy/CoSy/
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=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02003/09/16 4:44:06 PM