Pollution from Asia increasingly is being detected in the western United States. That was the gist of a widely circulated Associated Press story a week ago. The lesson is that pollution freely crosses political and geographical borders. Even so, we need to remember it flows out of our country, too.
While some pollution moves long distances or affects the world as a whole, the effects of other emissions are quite localized. The fact that damage from some pollutants disperses widely does not imply all nations should adopt identical environmental policies. Indeed, such uniformity would hurt the poor of the world more than help them.
The headline, “We have our pollution; now we have Asia’s too,” had a whining tone. Yes, we are getting particulates from Asia that include dust, sulfur, soot and trace metals. But U.S. emissions have blown into other nations for decades.
As the world’s largest economy and one with abundant fossil fuels, the U.S. has emitted more greenhouse gases than any other country. It also discharged the lion’s share of chemicals that depleted the ozone layer.
Economic theory shows that whenever people can produce something that benefits themselves while others bear part of the cost, too much of that particular good will be produced. That is as true for nations as for individuals or companies.
Society as a whole will suffer unless government action or some sort of “mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon” limits such external costs. Human nature is such that appeals to voluntarism never are sufficient.
That said, it is important to recognize there are many different forms of pollution. Some pollutants, such as those that could change Earth’s climate, really are global in nature. Effective responses inherently must involve many, if not all, nations. Other emissions, including some very toxic ones, might affect only the people within a mile or two of a particular factory.
Some argue that all environmental standards need to apply worldwide. One hears the argument that imports from India, Mexico or China should be restricted unless pollution regulations in those countries match those of the U.S. or Europe.
Resources are limited, however, particularly in poor countries. Requiring these countries to apply exactly the same anti-pollution measures inevitably means that people in those countries could be poorer and less healthy than if those nations weighed the benefits and costs of alternative policies themselves.
Emissions reduction equipment adds greatly to the cost of new power plants in the United States. While this equipment reduces emissions that harm the environment and human health, the cost per life saved by cleaner air is many millions of dollars.
Some pollution crosses borders. That does not mean all nations should control pollution in the same way or to the same degree.
© 2006 Edward Lotterman
Chanarambie Consulting, Inc.