Reflections on a Serendipitous Career and Ambitions for Tomorrow

In Building a Green Economy, an April 5, 2010, article published in The New York Times Magazine, Paul Krugman provides a most accessible overview of the arguments for and against proposals for using cap and trade vs. emissions tax strategies in meeting the challenges of climate change. In the process he gives an easily understood introduction to environmental economics and convincing reasons for possibly combining the two strategies. In concluding he considers the relative merits of  “ramp” vs. “big bang” approaches to acting on climate change threats in the light of the uncertainties involved in assessing their benefits and costs. His approach to this latter choice and conclusion that the “big bang” approach should be preferred, particularly caught my attention because of my interest in exploring arguments for adopting “strong sustainability” strategies sooner  rather than later.