IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/revaec/v35y2022i3d10.1007_s11138-022-00581-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Statogenic climate change? Julian Simon and Institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Vincent Geloso

    (George Mason University)

Abstract

Outside of economics (and even within), Julian Simon is mostly remembered for his famous bet on resource prices against biologist Paul Ehrlich. The bet is frequently used to illustrate how some environmental scares are exaggerated. In the rare instances when more details are added, the emphasis is always on how the role of innovation in promoting socio-economic progress which, directly or indirectly, solves environmental problems. However, Simon had a rich and complex view of the role of institutions in modulating the pace of socio-economic progress (broadly defined) and the extent of environmental problems. In this paper, I highlight the unappreciated institutional conditions that Simon placed in his work. Institutions that foiled or distorted the market process had, in Simon’s view, the dual effect of reducing living standards and amplifying environmental problems. I show, using the case of climate change, that Simon’s forgotten nuances can help explain modern environmental problems such as climate change. Most notably, it allows a subtle shift from claiming that climate change is anthropogenic (i.e. man-made) to claiming that climate change is “statogenic” (i.e. government-made). This emphasis on government-made pollution can be extended to numerous environmental problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Geloso, 2022. "Statogenic climate change? Julian Simon and Institutions," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 343-358, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revaec:v:35:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11138-022-00581-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11138-022-00581-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11138-022-00581-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11138-022-00581-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:cii:cepiie:2014-q4-140-50 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Vincent Geloso & Germain Belzile, 2018. "Electricity in Quebec before Nationalization, 1919 to 1939," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 46(1), pages 101-119, March.
    3. Don Fullerton & Thomas C. Kinnaman, 2002. "Household Responses to Pricing Garbage by the Bag," Chapters, in: Don Fullerton & Thomas C. Kinnaman (ed.), The Economics of Household Garbage and Recycling Behavior, chapter 4, pages 88-101, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Calmette, Marie-Francoise & Pechoux, Isabelle, 2007. "Are environmental policies counterproductive?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 186-191, May.
    5. Oded Galor, 2011. "Unified Growth Theory and Comparative Development," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, issue 2, pages 9-21, April-Jun.
    6. McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2006. "The Bourgeois Virtues," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226556635, June.
    7. Lucas W. Davis, 2014. "The Economic Cost of Global Fuel Subsidies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(5), pages 581-585, May.
    8. North, Douglass C. & Weingast, Barry R., 1989. "Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(4), pages 803-832, December.
    9. Kiel, Katherine & Matheson, Victor & Golembiewski, Kevin, 2010. "Luck or skill? An examination of the Ehrlich-Simon bet," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 1365-1367, May.
    10. Pierre Desrochers & Vincent Geloso & Joanna Szurmak, 2021. "Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 2: Critical Analysis," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(2), pages 808-829, March.
    11. Desrochers, Pierre, 2009. "Victorian Pioneers of Corporate Sustainability," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(4), pages 703-729, January.
    12. Pierre Desrochers & Vincent Geloso & Joanna Szurmak, 2021. "Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 1: Outcomes," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(2), pages 786-807, March.
    13. North,Douglass C. & Wallis,John Joseph & Weingast,Barry R., 2013. "Violence and Social Orders," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107646995, November.
    14. Barzel, Yoram, 1971. "Investment, Scale, and Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 79(2), pages 214-231, March-Apr.
    15. Davis, Lewis S., 2008. "Scale effects in growth: A role for institutions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 403-419, May.
    16. Taylor, Rebecca L.C., 2019. "Bag leakage: The effect of disposable carryout bag regulations on unregulated bags," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 254-271.
    17. Mr. David Coady & Ian W.H. Parry & Nghia-Piotr Le & Baoping Shang, 2019. "Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies Remain Large: An Update Based on Country-Level Estimates," IMF Working Papers 2019/089, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Coady, David & Parry, Ian & Sears, Louis & Shang, Baoping, 2017. "How Large Are Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 11-27.
    19. Yuan, Mei & Tapia-Ahumada, Karen & Reilly, John, 2021. "The role of cross-border electricity trade in transition to a low-carbon economy in the Northeastern U.S," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Leach,John, 2004. "A Course in Public Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521535670, January.
    21. Arze del Granado, Francisco Javier & Coady, David & Gillingham, Robert, 2012. "The Unequal Benefits of Fuel Subsidies: A Review of Evidence for Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 2234-2248.
    22. Desrochers, Pierre, 2007. "How did the Invisible Hand Handle Industrial Waste? By-product Development before the Modern Environmental Era," Enterprise & Society, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 348-374, June.
    23. Radoslaw (Radek) Stefanski, 2016. "Into the Mire: A Closer Look at Fossil Fuel Subsides," SPP Research Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 9(10), March.
    24. Jean-Marc Burniaux & Jean Chateau, 2014. "Greenhouse gases mitigation potential and economic efficiency of phasing-out fossil fuel subsidies," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 140, pages 71-88.
    25. Jiang, Zhujun & Lin, Boqiang, 2014. "The perverse fossil fuel subsidies in China—The scale and effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 411-419.
    26. Schwanitz, Valeria Jana & Piontek, Franziska & Bertram, Christoph & Luderer, Gunnar, 2014. "Long-term climate policy implications of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 882-894.
    27. Larsen, Bjorn & Shah, Anwar & DEC, 1992. "World fossil fuel subsidies and global carbon emissions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1002, The World Bank.
    28. Alexander William Salter & Andrew T. Young, 2019. "Polycentric Sovereignty: The Medieval Constitution, Governance Quality, and the Wealth of Nations," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 100(4), pages 1241-1253, June.
    29. Oded Galor, 2011. "Unified Growth Theory," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9477.
    30. Piano, Ennio E. & Salter, Alexander W., 2021. "The fundamental Coase of development: property rights foundations of the effective state," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 37-52, February.
    31. Edward B. Barbier, 2019. "Institutional Constraints and the Forest Transition in Tropical Developing Countries," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 25(1), pages 1-18, February.
    32. Arsenault Morin, Alex & Geloso, Vincent & Kufenko, Vadim, 2015. "Infant mortality and the role of seigneurial tenure in Canada East, 1851," Violette Reihe: Schriftenreihe des Promotionsschwerpunkts "Globalisierung und Beschäftigung" 47/2015, University of Hohenheim, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Evangelisches Studienwerk.
    33. Anthony de Jasay, 1993. "Taxpayers, Suckers and Free Riders," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 5(1), pages 117-125, January.
    34. Pierre Desrochers, 2010. "The environmental responsibility of business is to increase its profits (by creating value within the bounds of private property rights)," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 19(1), pages 161-204, February.
    35. Julian Simon, 1975. "The Welfare Effect of an Additional Child Cannot be Stated Simply and Unequivocally," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 12(1), pages 89-105, February.
    36. repec:cii:cepiei:2014-q4-140-5 is not listed on IDEAS
    37. George J. Stigler, 1951. "The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(3), pages 185-185.
    38. Leach,John, 2004. "A Course in Public Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521828772, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Peter Jacobsen & Louis Rouanet, 2022. "The ultimate resource after 40: A special issue against the grain," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 275-282, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Monasterolo, Irene & Raberto, Marco, 2019. "The impact of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies on the low-carbon transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 355-370.
    2. Matallah, Siham & Boudaoud, Souhila & Matallah, Amal & Ferhaoui, Mustapha, 2023. "The role of fossil fuel subsidies in preventing a jump-start on the transition to renewable energy: Empirical evidence from Algeria," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    3. Jon Sampedro & Iñaki Arto & Mikel González-Eguino, 2017. "Implications of Switching Fossil Fuel Subsidies to Solar: A Case Study for the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Cecile Couharde & Sara Mouhoud, 2020. "Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Income Inequality, And Poverty: Evidence From Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 981-1006, December.
    5. Li, Zhi & Zhao, Qing & Guo, Hong & Huang, Ruting, 2024. "Impact of fossil fuel subsidies on energy-saving technological change in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    6. Roman Mendelevitch, 2018. "Testing supply-side climate policies for the global steam coal market—can they curb coal consumption?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 57-72, September.
    7. Bakeev, M., 2020. "Institutional and cultural research directions in development economics: Assumptions on agent motivation as a source of disagreement," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 139-156.
    8. Pierre Desrochers & Vincent Geloso & Joanna Szurmak, 2021. "Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 2: Critical Analysis," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(2), pages 808-829, March.
    9. Syed Hasan & Odmaa Narantungalag, & Martin Berka, 2022. "The intended and unintended consequences of large electricity subsidies: evidence from Mongolia," Discussion Papers 2202, School of Economics and Finance, Massey University, New Zealand.
    10. Braunfels, Elias, 2016. "Further Unbundling Institutions," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 13/2016, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    11. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rodríguez-Caballero, C. Vladimir, 2022. "War, pandemics, and modern economic growth in Europe," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. de Oliveira, Guilherme & Guerriero, Carmine, 2018. "Extractive states: The case of the Italian unification," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 142-159.
    13. Alexandra M. de Pleijt & Jan Luiten van Zanden, 2016. "Accounting for the “Little Divergence”: What drove economic growth in pre-industrial Europe, 1300–1800?," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 20(4), pages 387-409.
    14. Kufenko, Vadim & Khaustova, Ekaterina & Geloso, Vincent, 2022. "Escape underway: Malthusian pressures in late imperial Moscow," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    15. Harro van Asselt & Kati Kulovesi, 2017. "Seizing the opportunity: tackling fossil fuel subsidies under the UNFCCC," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 357-370, June.
    16. de Pleijt, Alexandra M., 2015. "Human capital and long run economic growth : Evidence from the stock of human capital in England, 1300-1900," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 229, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    17. Johnson, Noel, 2015. "Taxes, National Identity, and Nation Building: Evidence from France," MPRA Paper 63598, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Alireza Ghadertootoonchi & Maryam Fani & Masoume Bararzadeh, 2020. "The effect of energy subsidies on the sustainability of economy, society and environment: A case study of Iran," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2020(2), pages 93-129.
    19. Pies, Ingo, 2013. "Keynes und die Zukunft der Enkel," Discussion Papers 2013-15, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Chair of Economic Ethics.
    20. Terence Kealey, 2022. "The Industrial Revolution as a collective action problem: The House of Commons games patents of monopoly, November 1601," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 418-441, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:revaec:v:35:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11138-022-00581-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.