Economic Faults in Environmental Public Policy
The gloomy gray cloud of our environmental issues is rapidly expanding and will eventually engulf our beloved planet Earth in an inevitable state of decay. Leaders and public figures must use their podium to light beacons of hope and raise a general awareness surrounding environmental sustainability; however, the government must balance both economic and environmental needs properly. To set the stage of this worldwide epidemic, we must carefully and concisely contextualize the current attitudes and actions of countries around the globe. Taxes are a major energy conserving measure adopted by the Singaporean government, in particular car drivers pay an annual tax that specifically punishes high-powered, gas guzzling engines. Many policy makers have advised that the U.S. adopt similar policies. The policy itself is a textbook example of a government correcting a negative externality. However, there is an issue with these attempts that s...