Milton Friedman on the free-market case for taxing pollution
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters use it to show that even the best-known free-market economist supported putting a price on pollution.
What it is
A two-minute clip from a 1979 Phil Donahue interview in which Milton Friedman makes the free-market case for taxing pollution. He treats pollution as an externality that can be given a price.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2022 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Cites olalonde · 2022-06 · on “Polluted air cuts global life expectancy by two years”
AFAIK, Mises.org is generally well regarded among libertarians. Libertarians generally argue that externalities should either be illegal or taxed, when there are no other practical solutions. Here's a video of Milton Friedman on the topic: [this video]
Cites throw0101c · 2026-03 · on “No accountability: Bills would ban liability lawsuits for climate change”
Even Mr. Free Market™ himself, Milton Friedman, didn't have a problem with putting a price on pollution as it is a form of externality: * [this video] Greenspan, Volcker, Bernanke, Yellen, etc , also endorsed a price on carbon (which revenue would be refunded to people): * [LINK]
Cites throw0101a · 2026-04 · on “40% of lost calories globally are from beef, needing 33 cal of feed per 1 cal”
> Agreed. The market should decide if beef consumption is viable. Until The Market™, especially in the US, starts dealing with externalities (like climate change), it should not. Something like carbon pricing (per Greenspan and Volcker): * [LINK] * [LINK] Even Mr. Free Market himself, Milton Friedman, thought a price on pollution was a good idea: * [this video]