Environment vs. Economy Options

[*Kathleen*]

All right, so since I want to see a different topic out there...this one's from February's Lincoln-Douglas topic:

Resolved: A government's obligation to protect the environment ought to take precedence over its obligation to promote economic development.

I'm on the negative side for this, seeing that only by providing a healthy, stable economy can you be able to help the environment. The products of a good economy are what help improve the environment.

Haha don't worry...I have more points...I've researched both sides to this, so bring it on.

[ComradeRed]

I'm still not seeing why the government shouldnt manage the economy...

Ok going into economic theory... in a market of private goods, how do you determine what to produce? You determine that through prices, i.e. supply and demand. Thus, a market "price" is the maximally efficient allocation of production, and thus generates the MOST production and the MOST consumption, and thus the best economy.

When a government interferes in the supply-demand equilibrium, by putting a price cap or a price floor on something, it cause lost production, because you can no longer maximize producer profits and consumer gain.

There are times hwne the government can intervene in the economy and help. This is known as "market failure", the most common case is of an abusive monopoly that does price gouging itself.