4 ~ Sunday, December 17, 1989 — North Shore News THE FRASER Institute has decided that the solution to the environmental crisis is for ecologists to embrace the market system. All those who are astonished by this turn of events please stand up. In a just-published study titled Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Dr. Walter Block argues that ‘‘instead of call- ing for more.public sector in- volvement, we have found that a government limited to clearly defining and assiduously protec- ting private property rights is best able to accompiish the ecological task. “In our analysis it is not cor- porate ‘greed’ that is responsible for despoilation of the planet; on the contrary, it is too little perestroika in the west.’’ Itis Dr. Block’s thesis that the apparent contradictions between environmentalism and economics can be reconciled by harnessing the incentives of the market system, including freely fluctuating prices, profit and loss, and private prop- erty rights to attain the goal of preserving the global eco-system. Ecological disasters, according to Dr. Block, stem not from the operation of free enterprise but from its absence. He recommends that ‘‘some minimal pollution levels be politi- cally determined, but that auction markets in ‘pollution rights’ be or- ganized, so as to ensure that these permissible levels of pollution are used in a way that is best for socie- ty.”” AT Relax in our comfortable exchange privilege on ail gifts. . .Gift Certificates Available. Pappas offers you complimentary: —GIFT WRAPPING —CHRISTMAS PARCEL DELIVERY —LIMOUSINE SERVICE —CHOCOLATES —VALET PARKING —CHRISTMAS CHEER! Pappas F to say Merry Christmas! SHOPPING ITS FINEST! surroundings and allow our professional sales staff and models to co-ordinate that Special Christmas Gift. Full urs... There Isn't a More Lovely Way He cites Environment Probe, Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy as examples of en- vironmental groups that have em- braced market-oriented techniques to realize the goal of protecting rare species by the private purchase of wildlife habitat. The touching notion that cor- porate greed is not to blame in the environmental crisis will come as news to many. Dr. Block is perhaps exaggerating his case in order to draw media attention. The reality is, of course, that “‘corporate greed”’ is just greed multiplied, sometimes exponential- ly, depending on the size of the corporation. Surely Dr. Block isn’t arguing that Exxon was in Alaska because of some humanitarian impulse, or that our forests are clear-cut in response to an esthetic urge. Greed is part of human nature, invigorated by the invention of the bottom line. The interventionist argument in favor of government- imposed restrictions on pollution is as simple as the need for criminal laws. As long as there are people with violent tendencies, we will need protection. Likewise, so long as there is money to be made from raping the environment, the earth will need to be shielded. a OVER 2,000 GARMENTS TO CHOOSE FROM HOURS: SATURDAY—9 AM-6 PM SUNDAY—12NOON-5S PM MONDAY-WEDNESDAY—9 AM-6 Pit TUHRSDAY-FRIDAY—S AM-8 PM The need to reconcile economics and ecology is legitimate, however, and there is much that Dr. Block says that makes sense. He is not the first thinker to attempt such a reconciliation. Harvard University economist Julian Simon has complained, for instance, that ecologists perpetuate a myth of dwindling resources and scarcity. He expressed a deeply- held belief system shared by many right-wing economists, including, I am sure, Dr. Block, when he wrote: “There is no reason why human resourcefulness and enterprise cannot forever continue to respond to impending shortages and ex- isting problems with new expe- dients that, after an adjustment period, leave us better off than be- fore the problem arose.”’ The answer to that was best put by Worldwatch Institute president Lester Brown, who notes that the key elements of the global economy are grassland, croplands, forests and fisheries. “The condition of the economy and these biological systems can- not be separated. As the global economy expands, pressures on the earth’s biological systems are mounting. In large areas of the world, human claims on these systems are reaching an unsus- tainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired. ‘*When that happens,’’ Brown writes, ‘fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are con- verted into barren wastelands and croplands deteriorate along with quality of air, water and other life-support systems.”* . Nevertheless, there is some merit in Dr. Block’s thesis. Government intervention, as everybody must know by now, is a Damociean sword at best. On the plus side, environmental legislation forces irresponsible en- trepreneurs to clean up their act, but as often as not it shores up untenable industries by bending the rules of the market to suit its own political goals. A case in point is the Canadian nuclear industry, which is sub- sidized to the tune of billions of dollars by the taxpayer, while at the same time being exempt from liability in the event of an accident. Without the subsidies or exemp- tions, the industry would never have got beyond the stage of a demonstration model. Similarly, if it weren’t for sub- sidies, oil megaprojects like Hibernia would never even have reached the planning stage, since there is no apparent market-driven reason for bringing them on stream for generations to come. Obviously there is much to be said for the free market perspec- tive. But to simply deregulate the environment, if that’s what Dr. Block is talking about, would be to move us back further into a Dark Age from which we have barely begun to emerge @ JJ WES WISH JJ YOU A MERRY J CHRISTMAS. . . WE WISH YOU AJZ FURRY JCHRISTMAS. .. ‘J WE WISH. YOU A PAPPAS CHRISTMAS. ...J mye Sse. ADVERTISING CORRECTION EATON'S CHRISTMAS 1989 - BOOK #5 Page 10 — Iter A -— Eaton Link Knit Cardigan. Delivery has been delayed, will not be available until December 15. Nem B -— Long Sleeve Turtle Neck Pullover tte C — Long Sleeve Crew Neck Pullover Item D — Pull-on Pant wiside pocket and single back pocket. Quantities of Hunter Green and Burgundy will be limited untit December 15, 1989. Page E10 — Item A, Acrylic Link Cardigans. The delivery on these sweaters will be delayed. They will net be available ‘til Friday, December 15th. Page E10 — Items B, C and D — quantities of Hunter Green and Burgundy will be limited until the next detivery on December 15th. Pace E10 — Item D — Birkdale Fleeced Casual Pants $19.99 — Price is incorrect, should read $21.99. Page 13 — Item JJ — 2 Square Shelves item KK — 4 Adjustable Round Shelves. Should read JJ 2 Round Shelves $22.99, KK 3 Round Shelves $29.99 Page E20 — Item B — Tefal Card- free Kettle — #3913 not as il- lustrated, incorrect model shown. Due to supplier delivery problems, the following items will not be available. Page E19 — Item BB — 20 Pce Glass Dinnerware Set from Fisher Trading will not be available. inadvertentiy, the errors listed above appeared in our advertising. We sincerely regret any inconve- nience or confusion to our customers. EATON'S Foca the Orginal Body Shep NORTH VANCOUVER 986-0388 WEST VANCOUVER 926-5541 a CHRISTMAS LEATHER AND FUR COMBINATION COATS AND JACKETS 12 99-$7,200! SALE PRICED CS Guan wie COMPLETE MEN’S FUR COLLECTION Shido $525--$8,000! ees <4 = = yo = QUALITY JACKETS & COATS ASSORTED COLOURS QUALITY SHEARED BEAVER COATS AND JACKETS $1,800-$6,000! E QUALITY aN . "SABLE, LYNX, CHINCHILLA Fe S & BROADTAIL CREATIONS