Pollution Problems and Economics

The use of oil based products provides cheap and plentiful sources of power, albeit environmentally hazardous. There is no doubt that pollution from these sources have been noted all along, but doing something about it is another matter altogether (Tietenberg, 1994, 125). After all, if the use of electrical power allows a manufacturer to produce much more of a given product in a shorter period of time using fewer man-hours, what is to be done? At the time when automobile and electrical power use were expanding throughout the United States, pollution was not a key issue. Improving the economy was the key issue (Portney, 1995, 27-28).

Of course as economies around the globe strive to emulate capitalism in Western terms, the same problems will occur. Trying to limit pollutants in developing economies usually engenders a hands-off attitude. Developing economies may not see or care about the pollution problems endemic to electric u

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sites. Additional pollution controls are possible. After 10 million tons of sulfur dioxides have been removed from ongoing industrial processes, the costs or additional removal begin to soar. The cost of reducing a ton of sulfur dioxide rises from $270 a ton to $360 for a ten million ton reduction. The cost rises to $779 per ton for a 12 million ton reduction (Tietenberg, 1994, 259). The costs associated with at least a 10 billion ton per year reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions in on the order of $3 to $6 billion annually. Such a cost would increase electricity rates about 3 percent on average, but in some locations the increases could be as much as 10 to 15 percent (Portney, 1995, 86). This kind of solution is waiting for better technology. A second means of attacking sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions is to vary the method of costing the solution. Acid-rain is a reality, so ignoring the problem is not an option. Emission charges would be more cost effective than the command and control strategy suggested above. Whereas the command and control strategy could secure a 10 million ton reduction at about $360 a ton, the use of emissions charges could do the same job for $327 a ton. The superiority of the emissions
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Control CAC, Recovery Act, , Air Act, P1 PVNBij, TSCA FIFRA, California's Proposition, California Michigan, tietenberg 1994, portney 1995, air pollution, environmental controls, Portney PR, pollution control, water pollution, solid waste, economic development, Press Tietenberg, environmental improvements, ton reduction, solid waste disposal, tietenberg 1994 259, urban economic activity, tietenberg 1994 374-375, solid waste management,
Approximate Word count = 4140
Approximate Pages = 17 (250 words per page)