Individual and Household Environmental Behavior: What Does Economics Contribute to the Discussion?

摘要

This Article looks at the issue of individuals and their impact on the environment from an economist's perspective. Prof. Mark Cohen reviews the underlying economic theory of individual behavior as it relates to environmental issues and examines two categories of consumer environmental behavior: individual and household behavior in response to government activities, and consumer purchase behavior in response to product marketing and advertising campaigns. He finds that rational, utility-maximizing individuals might find it in their own interest to take actions that protect the environment—even if they do not personally receive the full benefits of that environmental improvement.