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It is worth noting that fossil fuels have positive externalities in addition to the obvious negative ones.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moral_Case_

• m_mueller 11y ago
  I don't see how this is an externality though. Whatever benefits fossil fuels provide in the form of cheap energy and synthetic building blocks should surely be already factored into its market demand?
• rayiner 11y ago
  An externality is a cost or benefit not borne by the parties to a transaction. Cheap electricity is not a "positive externality" because the benefit inures to, and is fully captured by, the buyer of the electricity.
• Qwertious 11y ago
  'The book received mixed reviews, with Jay Lehr of The Heartland Institute saying, "Written in a conversational style that is easy to read and understand, this book can serve as a layman's guide, refuting the absurd claims that man controls the climate, while explaining why the current abundance of oil and gas due to hydraulic fracturing will leave all efforts to impose wind and solar energy in our rear-view mirrors."' So obviously a book containing some ignorant claims doesn't rule out it containing insightful claims, but rejecting global warming outright is pretty damning - what positive externalities, exactly, does he refer to?