Suppose Erie Textiles Can Dispose of Its Waste "For Free

question 28

Multiple Choice

Suppose Erie Textiles can dispose of its waste "for free" by dumping it into a nearby river. While the firm benefits from dumping waste into the river, the waste reduces fish and bird reproduction. This causes damage to local fishermen and bird watchers. At a cost, Erie Textiles can filter out the toxins, in which case local fishermen and bird watchers will not suffer any damage. The relevant gains and losses (in thousands of dollars) for the three parties are listed below. $$\begin{array} { | l | c | c | } \hline & \text { With Filter } & \text { Without Filter } \\\hline \text { Gains to Erie } & \$ 200 & \$ 400 \\\hline \text { Fisherman } & \$ 180 & \$ 50 \\\hline \text { Bird Watchers } & \$ 130 & \$ 25 \\\hline\end{array}$$ Suppose you observe that Erie has not added a filter. You could conclude that the Coase Theorem failed to solve the externality problem because:

• A)Erie's benefits to operating without a filter are greater than the benefits of a filter to the fishermen and bird watchers.
• B)negotiation with many individual fishermen and bird watchers was too costly.
• C)Erie has a property right to the river.
• D)regulators prevent application of the Coase Theorem when the environment is at stake.

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Definitions:

Price Elasticity

A measure of how much the quantity demanded of a good responds to a change in the price of that good, expressed as a percentage.

Electricity Consumption

The amount of electrical energy used by households, businesses, and industries over a certain period, typically measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Price Elasticity

A gauge of the extent to which the demand for a certain item is affected by fluctuations in its cost.

Electricity Consumption

The total amount of electric power used by consumers within a specific period.