This paper considers Professor Beckerman's view that the depletion of natural resources and the pollution of the environment create no serious threat of social disruption; pose problems which are either self-regulating or easily solved by pricing policies; and require no original thought for the understanding of the politico-economic problems involved. It is argued that Beckerman's views rest on a number of unstated acts of faith regarding the working of the politico-economic system, these being crucial to his conclusions but unsupported by his arguments.
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References
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