ation designed to safeguard our resources has proven that dirty technologies do not have to dominate economic development (Tietenberg, 1994, 124).
The use of water resources, such as the power generated by falling water in the form of turbines creates electricity that is virtually pollution free. But the generation of electricity is still more cheaply derived by the burning of fossil fuels than from any other sources (Portney, 1995, 87). Again, technology has found ways to scrub the pollutants from smokestack industries. But it is an expensive proposition, and lesser economies can not stand the cost (Portney, 1995, 78-81).
While it has been true that economic development and air pollution have been tied together for decades, this represents only the beginning stages of economic development for manufacturing economies. The considered application of environmental laws tied in with advances in technology to change polluting utilities and modes of transportation are the key.
Without a doubt there has been a positive correlation between electric utilities, automobiles, air pollution, and economic development. In order to maintain the correlation between economic development and pollution-free sources of power and transportation, environmental controls must be exercised. There is no escaping this (Portney, 1995, 282).
The main difficulty in discussing the costs associated with air pollution is in placement of dollar value, in terms of damage and remediation. Finding fair and effective ways of evaluating pollution damage, coupled with economic counter-measures to drive the cost of polluting up to mobile and stationary producers, is a neat trick.
In terms of air pollution, as with other kinds of pollution, the methodologies for establishing costs deal with benefit/costs analysis, driven by local and federal legislation. In other words, elements of the Clean Air Act define air pollution in specific ppm terms. Fines are ...