ABSTRACT
Environmental problems are so diverse and far-flung that no single-minded approach can be employed to evaluate and develop cures. The public perceives the environment as a concern, but solutions are elusive. Scare tactics can obscure the need to adopt a coherent framework for evaluating the natural environment. Obviously, the subject is broad, ranging from occupational safety and health issues (e.g., secondary cigarette smoke in the workplace) to habitat preservation (saving giant redwood trees) to air pollution (raising concerns about stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming). Because of the breadth of this topic, this chapter is restricted to major environmental problems. Economic models are presented to explain their occurrence and possible solutions.
