OFFLIST - private post - global warming

[Guest guest]

Hi Joe, very good post. I have a favor to ask of you. Could you repost

this with your response under Heidi's comment rather than on top? I

almost deleted what you wrote without reading it because I didn't know

what was true or not true based on your first sentence.

Again, thanks for your thoughts. I will be responding to Heidi myself a

little later.

ps. in case you deleted it I have reoriented it below

Heidi:

>> Actually until the government stepped in the environment

>> was a WORSE mess.

>

Joe:

>Hi, I think this is true and this is also not true. When I own a

>piece of property, I take care of it because its in my best interest

>to protect the value of that property. Damage to that property is

>damage to me. This is why in general those that own their own home

>take better care of it than those that don't. If someone throws

>garbage on my property, I am going to pick it up. I am also not

>going to pollute my own property.

>

>Now when it comes to parts of the environment that are not owned,

>like air and water, they are going to bear the brunt of pollution.

>Obviously, without regulation, there is no cost to me dumping as much

>of my pollution in the water or air as I can get away with. This

>goes for public lands too. So the presence of regulation gives us the

>impression that the government is doing something great for us,

>protecting us.

>

>But protecting environmental quality through regulations is a far

>inferior way than through a system of private property rights. It

>would be completely possible in today's world to establish property

>rights in the air and ocean. Owners take good care of their

>property. Government regulation is a product of who can muster the

>greater political influence in Washington, will it be a big polluting

>corporation or a wacky environmental group that believes cars should

>be illegal? Either way we lose. There is a large body of work

>called free market environmentalism, and I am sure it work much

>better than the system we have now, but I am also realistic and know

>the government is never going to want to give up control of the

>environment, too much money and power there. The EPA, etc are huge

>and powerful.

>

>So once again, the government breaks your leg, give you a crutch, and

>says " see, you can't walk without me " .

>

>best regards, Joe

>

>