Economics of Public Issues (20th Edition) (The Pearson Series in Economics)
Economics of Public Issues (20th Edition) (The Pearson Series in Economics)
20th Edition
ISBN: 9780134531984
Author: Roger LeRoy Miller, Daniel K. Benjamin, Douglass C. North
Publisher: PEARSON
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Chapter 25, Problem 1DQ
To determine

The reason for which the voluntary actions undertaken at the individual level are unlikely to bring any significant reductions in greenhouse gases such as CO2. Whether this means that individuals are powerless over greenhouse gases?

Expert Solution & Answer
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Explanation of Solution

  • The reason due to which people cannot bring significant reduction in the level of greenhouse effect is that they are not concerned to reduce the level of greenhouse gas, so eventually they end up releasing more gas than expected.
  • Consider a situation in which a refrigerator is bought. The use of the refrigerator will emit greenhouse gas but there is no cost associated with its emission. As a result, the owner of the refrigerator would not care about the harmful gas it releases which has a negative effect on the whole society.
  • The marginal benefit derived from such a thing is more than the private marginal cost. However, in many instances the marginal benefit is less than the marginal social cost which is the total cost of using that good. Since, the marginal social cost is not considered by the people they do not have any reason to limit the use of such things that emit greenhouse gases.
  • No, this does not mean that people are powerless over the effects of greenhouse gas. This means that since there is no cost associated at the personal level, people are not concerned. They can make changes in the levels of greenhouse gases in the environment, only if one starts to consider a marginal social cost with it.
Economics Concept Introduction

Concept introduction:

Greenhouse effect:

Greenhouse effect is a phenomenon in which the greenhouse gases form a layer in the upper region of the atmosphere. As a result, it becomes impossible for the radiations generating on earth to escape the atmosphere. This results in effects like global warming, depletion of ozone layer, and so on.

Voluntary actions:

All those actions that are under one’s control are known as voluntary actions.

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