Microeconomics
10th Edition
ISBN: 9781259655500
Author: David C Colander
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
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Textbook Question
Chapter 8, Problem 3QE
How would an economist likely respond to the statement “There is no such thing as an acceptable level of pollution”?
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It’s common to think that reducing pollution is necessarily costly because to reduce pollution we need to tax firms who will then produce less. But can you think of one example in which pollution might not only be unpleasant but might actually reduce production?
Economists Kenneth Chay and Michael Greenstone found that in the two years following the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the sharp reduction in air pollution also led to a decline in infant deaths. Although this and other studies provide compelling evidence of the link between pollution and infant health, it is not clear that reductions from the much lower levels of ambient pollution today would have the same effect. Which of the following reasons could explain this?
A.
Today, the level of pollution is much higher. Therefore, it will take a much larger reduction in air pollution to reap benefits similar to those in 1970.
B.
When levels of pollution are high, the marginal benefit of reducing pollution also is high. It follows therefore that the benefit of reducing air pollution in 1970 would be much higher than the benefit from a proportional reduction in air pollution today when the level of pollution is much lower.
C.
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Chapter 8 Solutions
Microeconomics
Ch. 8.1 - Prob. 1QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 2QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 3QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 4QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 5QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 6QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 7QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 8QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 9QCh. 8.1 - Prob. 10Q
Ch. 8.W - Prob. 1QECh. 8.W - Prob. 2QECh. 8.W - Prob. 3QECh. 8.W - Prob. 4QECh. 8.W - Prob. 5QECh. 8.W - Prob. 6QECh. 8.W - Prob. 7QECh. 8.W - Prob. 8QECh. 8.W - Prob. 9QECh. 8.W - Prob. 10QECh. 8.W - Prob. 11QECh. 8.W - Prob. 12QECh. 8.W - Prob. 13QECh. 8.W - Prob. 14QECh. 8.W - Prob. 1QAPCh. 8.W - Prob. 2QAPCh. 8.W - Prob. 3QAPCh. 8.W - Prob. 4QAPCh. 8.W - Prob. 5QAPCh. 8.W - Prob. 1IPCh. 8.W - Prob. 2IPCh. 8.W - Prob. 3IPCh. 8.W - Prob. 4IPCh. 8.W - Prob. 5IPCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 1QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 2QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 3QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 4QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 5QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 6QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 7QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 8QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 9QCh. 8.W1 - Prob. 10QCh. 8 - Prob. 1QECh. 8 - Prob. 2QECh. 8 - How would an economist likely respond to the...Ch. 8 - Prob. 4QECh. 8 - Prob. 5QECh. 8 - Prob. 6QECh. 8 - Prob. 7QECh. 8 - Prob. 8QECh. 8 - Prob. 9QECh. 8 - Prob. 10QECh. 8 - Prob. 11QECh. 8 - Prob. 12QECh. 8 - Prob. 13QECh. 8 - Prob. 14QECh. 8 - Prob. 15QECh. 8 - Prob. 16QECh. 8 - Prob. 17QECh. 8 - Prob. 18QECh. 8 - Prob. 19QECh. 8 - Prob. 20QECh. 8 - Prob. 21QECh. 8 - Prob. 22QECh. 8 - Prob. 23QECh. 8 - Prob. 24QECh. 8 - Prob. 1QAPCh. 8 - Prob. 2QAPCh. 8 - Prob. 3QAPCh. 8 - Prob. 4QAPCh. 8 - Prob. 5QAPCh. 8 - Prob. 1IPCh. 8 - Prob. 2IPCh. 8 - Prob. 3IPCh. 8 - Prob. 4IPCh. 8 - Prob. 5IPCh. 8 - Prob. 6IPCh. 8 - Prob. 7IPCh. 8 - Prob. 8IPCh. 8 - Prob. 9IPCh. 8 - Prob. 10IP
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