If Air Pollution from a Coal Mine Imposes External Costs

question 140

Multiple Choice

If air pollution from a coal mine imposes external costs on people who live near the mine and the victims of the pollution could not legally enforce the right of their property not to be damaged, which of the following would be true concerning the amount of pollution reduction?

• A)It would be significantly less than if the owners of the smelter were legally liable for damages.
• B)It would be less than the amount at which the marginal benefit of pollution reduction equaled the marginal cost.
• C)It would be the same as if it would be if the owners of the smelter were legally liable.
• D)It would be too small; the government would have to intervene to bring about an efficient outcome.

---

Definitions:

Repeated Stimulation

The process of continuously or frequently exposing someone or something to a particular stimulus to induce a reaction or to study changes over time.

Reflex

An automatic and involuntary response to a specific stimulus without conscious thought.

Sensory Stimulus

Any object or event that is perceived by the senses, producing a response in the sensory organs and nervous system.

Zygote

The initial cell formed when two gamete cells are joined by means of sexual reproduction, marking the beginning of a new organism's development.