—–Original Message—–
From: CW
Sent: Thu 8/11/2016 9:47 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Natural Rights and Climate Change
Dear Professor Block,
I am working on an article analyzing whether climate change does or does not violate private property rights and have come across a stumbling block. It is easy to see that the pollution of the atmosphere is legal on a natural rights basis because the atmosphere is unowned, but the effects of this pollution (I am assuming climate change is real for arguments sake) do harm certain people. The issue is whether this harm constitutes a violation of the victims rights in any way, or whether it is just a harm. Do secondary effects of an action represent a causal connection and therefore strict liability in your opinion? and is there any resources you would recommend me to study to solve my confusion? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, CW
Dear CW:
The article below written by Rothbard is the single best essay ever written about environmentalism in general, and pollution in particular. I offer several other publications on that topic. If none of this solves your problem, please get back to me and I’ll take another hack at it.
Block, 1994, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2012; DiLorenzo, 1990; Horwitz, 1977; Lewin, 1982; McGee and Block, 1994; Rockwell, 2000; Rothbard, 1982
Block, Walter E. 1994. “Pollution,” Cliches of Politics, Mark Spengler, ed., Irvington on Hudson, New York: Foundation for Economic Education, pp. 267-270
Block, Walter. 1998. “Environmentalism and Economic Freedom: The Case for Private Property Rights,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 17, No. 6, December, pp. 1887-1899; http://www.mises.org/etexts/environfreedom.pdf;
http://141.164.133.3/faculty/Block/Blockarticles/environmentalism.htm; Romanian translation: www.antiteze.com; http://mises.org/Etexts/Environfreedom.Pdf
Block, Walter E. 2009. “Contra Watermelons.” Ethics, Place & Environment, Vol. 12, Issue 3, October, pp. 305 – 308; http://mises.org/daily/4209; http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a916452684&fulltext=713240928
Block, Walter E. 2011. “Ron Paul and the Environment.” December 13;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/block/block189.html
Block, Walter E. 2012. “Global Warming, Air Pollution and Libertarianism.” January 18;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/block/block195.html
DiLorenzo, Thomas. 1990. “Does Capitalism Cause Pollution?,” St. Louis, Washington University: Center for the Study of American Business, Contemporary Issues Series 38.
Horwitz, Morton J. 1977. The Transformation of American Law: 1780-1860, Cambridge: Harvard University Press
Lewin, Peter. 1982. “Pollution Externalities: Social Cost and Strict Liability.” Cato Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, Spring, pp. 205-229.
McGee, Robert W. and Walter E. Block. 1994. “Pollution Trading Permits as a Form of Market Socialism and the Search for a Real Market Solution to Environmental Pollution,” Fordham University Law and Environmental Journal, Vol. VI, No. 1, Fall, pp. 51-77; http://www.walterblock.com/publications/pollution_trading_permits.pdf. Translated into Russian, and published in № 3б, 2007 of “Ekonomicheskaya Politika” (Economic Policy) Journal; http://tinyurl.com/263787; http://141.164.133.3/exchange/walterblock/Inbox/Fwd:.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_2_m%D1%81gee-block.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/m%D1%81gee-block.pdf?attach=1; http://www.walterblock.com/translations.php;
http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1374&context=elr
Rockwell, Jr. Llewellyn. 2000. “The Enviro-Skeptic’s Manifesto.” May 1;
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/anti-enviro.html
Rothbard, Murray N. 1982. “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution,” Cato Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring; reprinted in Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Walter E. Block , ed., Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1990, pp. 233-279. http://www.mises.org/rothbard/lawproperty.pdf; http://mises.org/story/2120
11:07 pm on August 11, 2016
