Conserving the Environment
Conserving the Environment | Chapter 1 Preface
In 1980, Julian Simon, then a professor at the University of Illinois, placed a bet with Stanford University professor Paul Ehrlich and two of Ehrlich’s colleagues. The wager involved the future price and availability of five metals. Simon bet that the price of these metals (adjusted for inflation) would be lower in 1990 than they were in 1980, indicating that they were not scarce resources. Simon won the bet.
The wager was one of the most publicized examples of the opposing views Simon and Ehrlich had of the environment and the future of the planet. Simon had long argued that...
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- Introduction
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Chapter 1: Is There an Environmental Crisis?
- Chapter 1 Preface
- The Environment Is Deteriorating
- Capitalism Has Worsened the Environment
- Global Warming Is a Serious Problem
- Environmental Change Poses a Threat to Food Production
- Some Journalists Understate the Environmental Crisis
- The Environment Is Improving
- The Threat of Global Warming Has Been Exaggerated
- Environmental Scarcity Is a Myth
- The Media Exaggerate Environmental Crises
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Chapter 2: Should Biodiversity Be Preserved?
- Preserving Biodiversity: An Overview
- Biodiversity Should Be Preserved
- Preserving Biodiversity Is a Jewish Obligation
- Humans Should Not Be Indifferent Toward Other Species
- Efforts to Save Endangered Species Are Unfairly Criticized
- Attempting to Save Every Species Is Expensive and Impractical
- Belief in Biodiversity Is Dangerous
- Attempts to Preserve Species Endanger Human Safety and Property
- Environmentalists Overstate the Importance of Certain Species
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Chapter 3: How Can Pollution Be Reduced?
- Chapter 3 Preface
- Stronger Air-Pollution Standards Are Needed
- The Federal Government’s Air-Quality Standards Are Too Stringent
- Electric Cars Reduce Air Pollution
- Electric Cars Are Costly and May Not Reduce Pollution
- The Clean Water Act Has Improved America’s Rivers and Lakes
- Additional Government Programs Are Not the Correct Response to Water Pollution
- The Efforts of Citizens Can Reduce Water Pollution
- Natural Remedies Can Be Used to Clean Up Toxic Waste
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Chapter 4: Can Free-Market Approaches Protect the Environment?
- Chapter 4 Preface
- Free-Market Environmentalism Can Protect the Environment
- Green Marketing Can Help Conserve the Environment
- Ecotourism Will Protect the Environment
- Environmental Regulations Infringe on Property Rights
- Environmental Regulations Are Necessary
- Emissions Trading Does Not Protect the Environment
- Overreliance on Green Products Cannot Protect the Environment
- The Free-Market System Harms the Environment
- Organizations to Contact
- Bibliography
- Copyright
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