tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590586963527058601.post8164833962424461672..comments2023-04-01T16:31:54.668+02:00Comments on sustainable options: Environmental economic soul searchingMartin de Withttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16750080245346504969noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590586963527058601.post-22354360497124017892009-03-27T12:37:00.000+02:002009-03-27T12:37:00.000+02:00I am not an economist, but I hold the view that we...I am not an economist, but I hold the view that we should be looking at improved sustainability performance as an overarching objective, and environmental concerns are just a subset of that. By implication, there can be projects or actions that appear at first glance to be "good" because they preserve the environment, but using broader sustainability criteria the correct decision may not be so obvious. It's not just about the costs, either - it's about social, resource and other impacts.<BR/><BR/>On the related issue of choices, it's interesting to consider that an individual might claim, for example, to support the idea of fuel-efficient cars while driving a Hummer. This seems to be a contradiction, but I think it's related to the issue of comparative advantage: the person perceives some advantage over others (prestige, safety etc.) but if everyone was forced to drive a Prius, then this person would be happy to do so too. I think this is something that also needs to be considered in assessing the demand for a product or service, and in how we formulate policy and regulations for a more responsible management of Earth.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps that's obvious to an economist, but I was struck by it when I was reading an article recently. It's particularly interesting for me as a transport planner, since a lot of the objections I hear about people not wanting to walk or cycle are, I think, related to the comparative advantages in cars and how we plan our transport systems. The fact that people don't cycle much right now doesn't mean they won't if given the right conditions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com