Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by fauigerzigerk 3912 days ago
Regulating or taxing emissions is simply a form of collective demand for clean air, a scarce resource. I don't see how it is any more artificial than demand for land that drives up the prices for coal mines or the demand for labor that determines salaries of coal miners.

In other words, producing energy by burning coal consumes clean air. Clean air is owned by the public and the public is charging for its use.