Environmentalists, industry hope to find a compromise

Earth Week isn't just about a bunch of hippies who lobby on College Green preaching vegetarianism and recycling. Last Wednesday, the Penn Environmental Group sponsored a business and environmental panel that addressed the role of economics in environmental policy. "We we want to show how there is a happy medium between environmentalists and corporations," explained College senior Kristina Rencie, who organized the panel. "A lot of people think that the two are mutually exclusive." The event, which drew a crowd of about 15 people, featured Wharton Public Policy Professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Legal Studies Professor Eric Orts. Both professors offered their takes on the relationship between economics and environmental policy. "The standard approach for environmental organizations is to project the problems on someone else -- the whole idea that corporations are the bad guys isn't true," Orts said. Emphasizing the role of citizens in promoting change, Orts pointed out that individuals and corporations are dually responsible in addressing environmental issues. He stressed how consumer awareness and smart product regulation are key in solving these problems. Oberholzer-Gee focused more on the economic theories behind the environment. Citing the "big E" as the ecosystem and the "little e" as the world's market economics, he explained the close relationship between these two systems. "In a narrow sphere, private goods should have a temporal limit that corresponds to the consumption cycle," he explained. A discussion between the panelists and the audience tackled numerous environmental concerns, including the United States sports utility vehicle movement, the fuel economy and the long-term effects of global warming. The discourse also provided a forum to confront social change. "What changes the social norms of a culture is when people see the negative effects of their actions and realize that they are doing something to contribute to environmental problems," Oberholzer-Gee said. Some students complained about the low turnout. "The discussion was interesting, although I was frustrated that the event was [attended by] people who are already aware of what's going on," said Wharton senior Aubry Wise. "It was like preaching to the converted." Andrew Pike, a College freshman, had a more positive take on the panel. "I came in with a sense that the free market and the environment were in opposition, but I've since become aware that solutions exists that can take the best of both worlds," he said.

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