What Do Economists Call Clean Air & Water? (No, It’s Not a Joke)

Golden Retrievers & Economists

Every time I start to think our family Golden Retriever, Raffy, is an actual person, he predictably does something to remind us that he’s  . . . very much not.

Like catch (and eat) a frog he found in our backyard, or — more horrifyingly the other week — killing a baby bunny rabbit (Raffy was actually quite proud of that accomplishment — and completely oblivious to his blood-streaked muzzle).

Somewhat similarly, every time I think economists are, umm, normal people . . . they do something like refer to clean air and water as “un-priced shared goods.”

As opposed to, say, “the key(s) to life on earth,” or “the essential building blocks for human civilization.” 🙂

See, “Silicon Valley Needs Regulation“; The NYT (9/11/2018).



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