Economic studies of water and air pollution begun in the 1990s suggest that after some level of income has been reached, greater prosperity leads to a cleaner environment. But what institutional factors underlie the observed tendency for environment quality to turn from worsening to improving?

Bruce Yandle is Alumni Distinguished Professor of Economics, Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, Clemson University and co-editor of Regulation and the Reagan Era.
Energy and the EnvironmentEnvironmental Law and Regulation
Other Independent Review articles by Bruce Yandle
Fall 2022 Gaining Ground: Markets Helping Government
Summer 2020 The Next Fifty Years: Optimistic or Pessimistic?
Spring 2020 Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events
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