Re:As Groundwater Dwindles, a Food Shock Looms
by stretchwithme on Sunday December 25, 2016 @07:04PM
(#13256136)
I think I get it. The low cost is itself having a destructive effect. People, eventually, can't get the resource that is depleted. I just didn't register that as external, but it is if you consider the depleted future to be external to the wasteful present.
An important point, actually, if I understand correctly. Thanks.
> You can argue that some ongoing tragedy of the commons also has externalities.
sure, two of the preceding opinions [wikipedia, mit], argue that the tragedy of the commons is a specific type of negative externality, rather than the other way around. one [north carolina] gravitates more towards your interpretation.
the fundamental issue remains though: our conception of time and consequence is woefully limited in scope.