by Sandy Ikeda
I’d wager that many of us who’ve lectured to our classes on environmental economics have at some point suggested that one way to eliminate pollution is to stop all forms of energy-consuming and pollution-generating production. That would kill most of the human (and a lot of the non-human) inhabitants on earth, but it would probably preserve the natural environment (in the long-run, that is, after all those nasty carcasses get washed away). The point being, of course, that there’s such a thing as having too little pollution, and that there are better and worse ways to lower pollution.
Next time, you might want to use this article from the latest (November 22, 2008) The Economist. Thanks to skyrocketing gas prices (at least until lately), the housing collapse, and the impending recession, Californians may actually come close to hitting the ambitious targets for renewable energy and greenhouse-gas emissions mandated by Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger for 2020.
It also mentions the greening effects of redirecting home construction from the hot interior of the state to the coasts, where cooling costs – and thus energy consumption – is significantly lower.
The drift to energy-intensive regions now seems to have abruptly slowed. Inland housing markets that were booming a few years ago are now so awash with foreclosed homes that building has become futile. Housing starts in the Inland Empire have fallen by 82% in the past three years, compared with 47% in Los Angeles. Builders in foggy San Francisco are actually busier than they were.
There may, of course, be a conflict between conservationists, who yearn to preserve undeveloped coastline, and environmentalists who want to reduce the use of fossil fuels. An article that appeared in the May 29, 2008 The Economist pointed out that “there is plenty of room for more concrete on the coast. Between Orange county and the city of San Diego, for example, lies little besides tomato farms and a military base. To save the planet, fire up the bulldozers.”
Anyway, Governor Schwartzenegger, aggressive environmental hero, wanted to reduce California’s pollution in the worst way. He seems to have gotten his wish.