Consider a lake found in the village of Sturbridge, and then answer the questions that follow. The village has a boat tour whose visitors use the lake for recreation. The village also has a fish processor that dumps industrial waste into the lake. This pollutes the lake and makes it a less desirable vacation destination. That is, the fish processor's waste decreases the boat tour's economic profit.        Suppose that the fish processor could use a different production method that involves recycling water. This would reduce the pollution in the lake to levels safe for recreation, and the boat tour would no longer be affected. If the fish processor uses the recycling method, then the fish processor's economic profit is $1,300 per week, and the boat tour's economic profit is $1,900 per week. If the fish processor does not use the recycling method, then the fish processor's economic profit is $1,600 per week, and the boat tour's economic profit is $1,100 per week. These figures are summarized in the following table. Complete the following table by computing the total profit (the fish processor's economic profit and the boat tour's economic profit combined) with and without recycling. Action Profit Fish Processor  Boat Tour Total (Dollars) (Dollars) (Dollars) No Recycling 1,600 1,100   Recycling 1,300 1,900     Total economic profit is highest when the recycling production method is    .   When the fish processor uses the recycling method, the boat tour earns $1,900−$1,100=$800$1,900−$1,100=$800 more per week than it does with no recycling. Therefore, the boat tour should be willing to pay up to $800 per week for the fish processor to recycle water. However, the recycling method decreases the fish processor's economic profit by $1,600−$1,300=$300$1,600−$1,300=$300 per week. Therefore, the fish processor should be willing to use the recycling method if it is compensated with at least $300 per week. Suppose the boat tour has the property rights to the lake. That is, the boat tour has the right to a clean (unpolluted) lake. In this case, assuming the two firms can bargain at no cost, the fish processor will    the recycling method and will pay the boat tour    per week.   Now, suppose the fish processor has the property rights to the lake, including the right to pollute it. In this case, assuming the two firms can bargain at no cost, the fish processor will    the recycling method, and the boat tour will pay the fish processor    per week.   The boat tour will make the most economic profit when    .   True or False: The lake will remain polluted, regardless of who has the property rights. True   False

Principles of Microeconomics
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Chapter11: Public Goods And Common Resources
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8. The effects of property rights on achieving efficiency

Consider a lake found in the village of Sturbridge, and then answer the questions that follow.
The village has a boat tour whose visitors use the lake for recreation. The village also has a fish processor that dumps industrial waste into the lake. This pollutes the lake and makes it a less desirable vacation destination. That is, the fish processor's waste decreases the boat tour's economic profit.
  
 
 
Suppose that the fish processor could use a different production method that involves recycling water. This would reduce the pollution in the lake to levels safe for recreation, and the boat tour would no longer be affected. If the fish processor uses the recycling method, then the fish processor's economic profit is $1,300 per week, and the boat tour's economic profit is $1,900 per week. If the fish processor does not use the recycling method, then the fish processor's economic profit is $1,600 per week, and the boat tour's economic profit is $1,100 per week. These figures are summarized in the following table.
Complete the following table by computing the total profit (the fish processor's economic profit and the boat tour's economic profit combined) with and without recycling.
Action
Profit
Fish Processor
 Boat Tour
Total
(Dollars)
(Dollars)
(Dollars)
No Recycling 1,600 1,100
 
Recycling 1,300 1,900
 
 
Total economic profit is highest when the recycling production method is    .
 
When the fish processor uses the recycling method, the boat tour earns $1,900−$1,100=$800$1,900−$1,100=$800 more per week than it does with no recycling. Therefore, the boat tour should be willing to pay up to $800 per week for the fish processor to recycle water. However, the recycling method decreases the fish processor's economic profit by $1,600−$1,300=$300$1,600−$1,300=$300 per week. Therefore, the fish processor should be willing to use the recycling method if it is compensated with at least $300 per week.
Suppose the boat tour has the property rights to the lake. That is, the boat tour has the right to a clean (unpolluted) lake. In this case, assuming the two firms can bargain at no cost, the fish processor will    the recycling method and will pay the boat tour    per week.
 
Now, suppose the fish processor has the property rights to the lake, including the right to pollute it. In this case, assuming the two firms can bargain at no cost, the fish processor will    the recycling method, and the boat tour will pay the fish processor    per week.
 
The boat tour will make the most economic profit when    .
 
True or False: The lake will remain polluted, regardless of who has the property rights.
True
 
False
 
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