Abstract
The Delaware River Basin Commission mounted a massive attack on pollution in their estuary,1 “hailed by many as representing one of the few triumphs of American environmental policy.”2 The effort was (and is) the largest aimed to clean up our rivers. The work involves five states, hundreds of millions of dollars, and extensive attempts at the most modern technical analyses of costs and benefits. In its economic rationale and political procedures this large-scale attack on water pollution is typical of environmental policy-making. It is also a failure. Of course, the river will be cleaned up somewhat, except that, for the most part, the Delaware will remain unswimmable, unboatable, unsightly, and only slightly more fishable, smellable, and potable. That is not much gain for approximately three quarters of a billion dollars, not much, that is, if you value results. But if the cleaning is what you value, if your aim is the ritual of purification, then the whole thing is a rip-roaring success.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Bruce A. Ackerman, Susan Rose-Ackerman, James W. Sawyer, Jr., and Dale W. Henderson, The Uncertain Search for Environmental Quality ( New York: Free Press, 1974 ), p. 3.
The most recent estimate is that removing all pollutants from waterborne wastes would cost $317 billion. A. Kneese and C. Schultze, Pollution, Prices, and Public Policy (1975), p. 78.
Mary Douglas, “Environments at Risk,” [London] Times Literary Supplement October 30, 1970, pp. 1273–1275.
See Martin Landau, “Redundancy, Rationality and the Problem of Duplication and Overlap,” Public Administration Review Vol. 29, No. 4 (July-August 1969), pp. 346–358.
R. Harrod, The Life of John Maynard Keynes (New York: St. Martins Press, 1963, 1972 ), p. 68.
Copyright information
© 1979 Aaron Wildavsky
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wildavsky, A. (1979). Economy and Environment Rationality and Ritual. In: The Art and Craft of Policy Analysis. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04955-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04955-4_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-04957-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-04955-4
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)