Virginia's Natural Bridge Navigation Blogroll
Search

Archives Credits

Powered by
Movable Type 3.2

Site design by
Sekimori

Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More
 
The Commons
Faux Market Environmentalism
Posted by Jonathan H. Adler  ·  25 August 2005  ·  Property Rights

I recently re-read the Economist's take on markets and the environment, "Economic Man, Cleaner Planet." In the article, I'm quoted disparaging "market mechanisms" as "faux market environmetnalism." As I recall, the author of the article was particularly intrigued with a book review I wrote with that title, available here. There I argued that replacing command-and-control regulations with taxes and tradable quotas is not much of an advance. It takes more than economic incentives to create a market. What's required are 3-D property rights -- that is, property rights that are definable, defendable, and divestible.