Go
to the internet and find a news article posted within the last month that
discusses a potential positive or negative externality. Summarize key points in
your initial discussion post. Be sure to use the concepts, terminology, and
frameworks that are covered this week. For example, you may want to address
what externality this regulation is attempting to address. Is it a positive or
negative externality? What is the current policy being used? Is there an
alternative policy approach that may work better/worse (taxes or subsidies, for
example), and why? How effective does the current policy appear to be working?
Note that the goal of this discussion is to read,
understand, and discuss recent news using microeconomic terminology. The
article should be from an online newspaper or magazine. Materials posted on
educational websites, such as The Balance, Khan Academy, and so on, are not
considered news articles even if they were recently updated and contain
material related to the discussion topic. Reflection: the students should also
include a paragraph in the initial response in their own words, using
microeconomic terminology, reflecting on what they learned from the assignment
and how they think they could apply what they learned in the workplace or in
everyday life.
CNBC's article
sheds light on the potential cost of climate change to Amazon's business
operations. This is a typical example of a negative externality, which refers
to the effect wherein the actions of individuals or firms lead to negative consequences
not only for others but for the entire society as well as the environment. Palmer's
(2024) study on the impact of climate change on Amazon's business operations
draws attention to the need for stricter regulatory measures to handle negative
externalities, as illustrated by the fact that Amazon already factors in
climate-related risks in its financial statements, the growing scrutiny of the
company's environmental performance, and the current challenges it experiences
in achieving its ambitious climate targets.