While the efficiency of the free market is very often accepted in the realm of industry, the environment is often used as an example of the government’s necessary role in the economy. Public goods are used as an example of the problems with market allocation. Short-sighted business owners are apparently unable to see or account for the full effects of their actions, and they end up damaging the environment irreparably. Much more often, government programs are both improperly motivated and ineffective at preventing pollution. However, strong and transparent private property rights may be the most effective safeguard of the environment.
