PodCrash010: Green Pieces, an Interview with Dr. Patrick Moore

PodCrash010: Green Pieces, an Interview with Dr. Patrick Moore (

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Submitted by Jason on Sat, 2007/05/05 - 15:22.

I'm a fan of Patrick Moore. Good interview Xaq. I've debated statists in the streets with him and I agree with him on many issues. I must strongly disagree with him in response to your question about free-market environmental solutions. He cited a cap and trade system. This isn't a free-market solution. It's a license for rent-seeking companies to print money. It allows the government to pick winners and losers in the energy industry instead of consumers. Regardless - respect on the good interview.

Submitted by XaqFixx on Sun, 2007/05/06 - 09:39.

Thanks, I'f I hadn't already been stretched for time, I would have liked to counter that response, but I promised an interview, not a debate. I think that eviromental abuses shold be treated as property rights issues, this also deals with the problem of the commons. For Example, I factory is up the river from you, it pollutes the water, thereby damagingthe water supply on your property, killing your fields, making your family sick, you are able to go after him for that property damage. One could even argue for the privatization of the river, air above your land, etc. Once privatized, the owner of the waterways, or the owner of the air property sorrounding the factory could sue for damages. This is not a new concept at all, Murray N. Rothbard wrote about it in the early 70's and he references cases dating back to the Industrial Revolution as before both in the US and England.

PodCrash: Audio Activism from BureauCrash.com