Environmental sustainability is concerned with whether environmental resources will be protected and maintained for future generations. Issues of environmental sustainability Environmental sustainability is concerned with issues such as: Long-term health of ecosystems. Protecting the long-term productivity and health of resources to meet future economic and social needs, e.g. protecting food supplies, farmland and fishing stocks. …
Readers question: What is the difference between tax and inflation? Tax is a way for the government to raise revenue. It includes charges placed by the government on goods/income. For example, VAT is a tax which means consumers have to pay an additional 20% of the price in the form of tax which goes to …
A minimum price for alcohol means that alcoholic drink cannot be sold below a certain price. It is aimed at preventing the sale of very cheap alcohol by supermarkets. The hope is that a higher price will discourage binge drinking, improve health, and make people pay a price closer to the true social cost of …
An ad valorem tax imposes a tax on a good or asset, depending on its value. The tax is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, in the UK, VAT is charged at 20% on most goods offered for sale. Ad valorem means – according to value. Thus it is a tax which is flexible …
Readers Question: I heard this over the radio one day and was dumbfounded. Can you please explain what the phrase means? Higher tax rates exact real economic costs: Maybe two dollars in deadweight loss to the economy for every extra one dollar collected. I am not asking what your beliefs are (liberal or conservative), I …
Readers Question: Could you please explain how positive externality (external benefit) lead to market failure in property industry? A positive externality occurs when a third party benefits from the production or consumption of a good. In many cases, building the right kind of housing can have benefits to the rest of society. Therefore, the social …
On a recent visit to New York, my friends took me to a popular part of Queens to an Indian restaurant. Because it is a popular area it was very difficult to find a car parking space. We ended up driving round in circles for 15 minutes before a space finally became available. When we …