Question

Do you agree that any pollution law is unjust because it necessarily violates people's right to liberty and right to property?

Answer 1

I don't agree that pollution law is unjust because it violates people's right to liberty and right to property, as there is a negative externality which arises because of pollution, this negative externality leads to high external and private costs which indirectly leads to high social costs as consumers have to pay more in terms of healthcare and other expenditure when they are exposed to higher levels of pollution.

This ultimately leads to less liberty as people are not able to function their day to day tasks because of health concerns, and no ability to seek gains from property as increase in pollution levels makes the land and water fill redundant.

Thus even if there was no pollution law it might as well have violated other people's right to liberty cause because of higher pollution levels, they would not have been able to go and visit a certain polluted area or been able to drink from a water fill. And other people's right to property could have been violated, for example in the case of a firm releasing pollutants in the lake which belongs to a farmer, this will violate the farmers right to property as there is no pollution law in place.

Thus all in all, infact pollution law increases the scope of right to liberty and property, by making people aware of its repercussions.