[Garibaldi]

I have been thinking about air regulations lately, and am wondering if they are a necessity? Since air is by nature public property and super-abundant, nobody can really own the atmosphere. Since this is the case, do you believe it would be necessary for the government to intervene on it's behalf?

On the other hand, if the level of air degrades enough, is it not possible for private organizations to make air purification plants?

[Randomizer]

You may consider that poisoning the air an individual breathes is an attack on him and his rights and it is government's responsibility to intervene. Same with other pollution.
I don't think that effective air putification plants are very realistic technologically right now.

[Attenuated Signal]

On the other hand, if the level of air degrades enough, is it not possible for private organizations to make air purification plants?

But why would a private company make are purification plants? It is impossible to profit for them as you can not prevent people using air. Unless of course some enterprising soul creates an efficient air purification then pollutes the air so much bottled air is a nessecity and a viable product.

Otherwise we'd need to rely on the charity of corporations to provide us with clean air and the day this would happen hell would freeze over.

It's a nice idea but Libertarianism still seems to rely far too much on people being good and altruistic.

[smashthestate]

Air must have regulations for anti-pollution. The air is not private property, it is simply not owned, it is not property at all. If the air is polluted to a point where it is causing provable and significant damage to humans or property, then that polluting would be stopped immediately.

[Garibaldi]

But why would a private company make are purification plants?

Companies aren't the only private organizations; it's very possible for enough people to ban together to build an air purification plant, especially if the quality of the air degrades enough.

As for the technology not being possible right now, I'm not sure how impossible it is. We already have air-purification for houses, and any truly horrendous problem with air purity will not exust for a while. However, Smash had a point. As air is unable to be obtained or control as property, it must be regulated to be protected from pollution. In the near future, however, I'd like to see air-purifications plants around every town or city. Not only because it could allow for good quality air, but the idea's just fucking insane.

[Attenuated Signal]

So it seems once again statist practices are needed to legislate against industry to regulate it. Libertarianism is such a lovely idea and when I read about it in sci-fi books it seems so plausible. But whenever you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, big government is always needed at some point.

[Garibaldi]

Where do you recieve that idea? We're against the state declaring objects that could be privitized as public, as well as coercing control over private property. Air is not private property, nor can it be made private property.

None-the-less, there's still the possibilty very little regulation is needed.

[graymouser]

At one point in its history, the Byzantine Empire decided that, in fact, the air belonged to the Emperor. They decided to tax people based on the number of windows facing outward in their homes. So, all the houses in Constantinople were built with the windows facing in around an inner courtyard for a while.

Air is communal; those responsible for polluting the air ought to pay for its cleaning directly. For factories this would mean a levy on amount of pollution produced; for cars, something like a tax directly on gasoline would be necessary.

-Wayne
(Who, coincidentally, drives a little Geo Metro around.)