The Environment

We should thank our lucky stars for air conditioning — and hope that that government won’t destroy it, writes Mark Thornton.

Many in Congress were troubled by the question of whether the Constitution authorized them to pass such legislation.

NotHaus made it easy for the government to prosecute him, but the message is still clear: no competition with the dollar.

Alan Blinder listed numerous alleged benefits of a phased-in carbon tax. Out of his entire column, he devoted a single sentence to the possible downside of his plan when he wrote, "No one likes to pay higher taxes."

As with most regulations, the CFC ban hit the poor with a vengeance. Millions of perfectly functioning refrigerators could no longer be recharged with Freon, so everyone was forced to purchase new CFC-free appliances. This, of course, was especially difficult for those with low incomes.

This tuna episode is just another demonstration of the conflict that arises whenever government regulation tries to solve a problem caused by a lack of property rights. If people owned portions of the oceans.

The environment determines the situation but not the response. To the same situation different modes of reacting are thinkable and feasible.

The environment determines the situation but not the response. To the same situation different modes of reacting are thinkable and feasible. Which one the actors choose depends on their individuality.