When economists state that actors are rational, all they are is saying is that people act purposefully. Whether you water your plants, or pray to the magic unic

When economists state that actors are rational, all they are is saying is that people act purposefully. Whether you water your plants, or pray to the magic unicorn in your closet for rain, both actions are purposeful, though both may not have the same result. You are correct when you say that individuals are "moving far too slowly" with regards to anthropomorphic climate change, but that's rational since it makes virtually no difference if you, as an individual, change your habits and produce less pollution. Nothing you do will change the outcome. This is similar to voting, where most people don't vote because in the US national election, you have a much greater chance of dying on the way to the voting booth, than affecting the outcome of the election. It's irrational for an individual to vote (unless they're doing so to demonstrate to those around them what their values are). Now, a libertarian might say that economic freedom is not utopic, there are plenty of market failures. However, if one looks at a situation of economic freedom, and decides that the incentives in place are sub-optimal and don't produce favorable results, it's usually suggested that government should step in and regulate somehow. Individuals in government are however, made up of the same rational actors as those in the free market. So while more mainstream economists may end their analysts there, public choice theorists on the other hand demand a more consistent application of economic principles. Namely, they want to know what incentives are in place for individuals in government, and if those incentives will provide better or worse outcomes than a situation of economic freedom. If you're interested, here is a short 10 minute video by Mark Pennington where he introduces this form of analysis i.e. Public Choice Theory. Edit: I might be useful to include the link. :/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAbDrP7whqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAbDrP7whqw