In the below clip, Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics Radio talks to Harvard economist Ed Glaeser about various "environmental measures" that really aren't so environmentally sound. Dubner and Glaeser seem to buy into the advantages of environmentalism overall, which is a problem for me, and I would have liked to have heard Gleaser discuss more how price signals help us make choices (for example, in the discussion of paper or styrofoam cups versus reusable ceramic), but still there is enough here that I consider it a must listen.
When they discussed the great difficulty in evaluating and combining all of the factors, I was surprised that an economics show wouldn't mention how prices solve the problem through market calculation - prices derived from the division of labor and free trade. In contrast, environmentalists commonly advocate government solutions that fall prey to the Misesean/Hayekian calculation problem.
ReplyDeleteWhile this podcast was a bit disappointing, the interview of Dr. Flo Lilly on recycling (Tom Woods Show) was not. She was clear and to the point.
http://youtu.be/nKEvqMjescA?t=5m30s