In economics, the unaccounted for impacts of economic activity are called externalities. These costs (or benefits) do not fall on the parties engaging in the economic activity - at least not directly - but on individuals or groups who have no say in the transaction. Pollution is one kind of externality associated with transactions involving the production and consumption of stuff.

In the U.S. many of the costs of pollution have been internalized, or accounted for, thanks to a series of environmental acts passed in the 1970s - from the National Environmental Policy Act (1969) through the Clean Water Act (1977). These acts ended the vast majority of smokestack emissions, sewer pipe outflows, roadside dumps and even deliberate applications that contaminated the air, water and land with heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and other by-products of 20th century industrial production. As a result, most people in America experience a relatively clean environment, and certainly one that is much cleaner than if we had not passed those landmark laws.

However, internalizing the costs of pollution in this country means that now it is more expensive to produce stuff in the U.S. than in countries that have not internalized these costs. Free trade agreements that do not take this into account mean that it pays the factory owner to ship the production to a country with weaker pollution regulation.

For example, countries of the Pacific Rim - China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others, sold us over $21 billion in electronics during the first half of 2004. Of these countries, only Japan, at $1.5 billion, may have anything close to the level of environmental regulation we have in the United States. Since electronic industrial waste is characterized by large amounts of halogenated solvents and acidic solutions loaded with heavy metals, it is a good bet that surface and ground water sources in those Pacific Rim countries are gradually becoming contaminated with pollutants generated as a by-product of supplying our domestic market with televisions, cell phones and play stations. A similar situation probably applies to clothing, appliances, and paper goods.

The philosophical father of free trade, Adam Smith, considered two legitimate exceptions to free trade. One was where the industry was necessary to the defense of the country, the second was when some tax was imposed on the production of the home country. If the burden of environmental regulation is treated as a tax (and libertarian think tanks will tell you it accounts for 10% of GNP), then it is reasonable to argue for a pollution tariff on stuff from countries that do not pass and enforce equivalent pollution laws.

However, I am not going to hold my breath. Instead I'll point you towards the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment website: http://www.eiolca.net. This website uses data from a 458 x 458 commodity model developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, to estimate the resources used and waste produced from a specific increase in economic activity in a given sector. The table below summarizes data for $100 worth of goods in four sectors. Keep in mind this is U.S. data, so for stuff produced in China, there may be even more waste per $100 than for the same stuff produced in the U.S. As we enter the "Season of Stuff", more sentimentally known as Christmas, remember that the price you pay in the store may not be the only cost your gift giving entails.

$100 worth of goods, clothing, electronics, appliances, greeting cards:
-gallons water used: 500, 250, 700, 300
-gallons gas equivalents used: 8.7, 4.8, 9.4, 3.9
-kg conventional pollution* produced: 1.1, 0.7, 1.3, 0.6
-kg hazardous waste produced: 4.6, 4.4, 5.2, 1.5
-kg CO2 equivalents produced 87.3 49.6 90.5 39.7

(*SO2, CO, NO2, Volatile Organic Compounds, Lead, Particulate Matter <10 microns)

Looking for alternatives? Add value to a gift by looking for a fair trade option, or purchasing from countries with more or less representative governments, or by buying some local product. Or, skip the gift altogether and donate to a person's favorite charity. After all, the original St. Nick didn't go out and buy the 4th century equivalent of a flat screen TV for the home, instead he secretly provided dowries for poor young women.

Bioregional Quiz: Can you name the Missouri state animal, insect, bird, flower, tree and mineral?

Job of the Month: Public Relations Assistant -Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE); New York City, NY. Responsibilities: The assistant will work under the PR Director and will assist with daily monitoring of news, writing and distribution of press materials, updating information on the website, researching for media campaigns, as well as other various tasks. Status: Full-time, permanent. Qualifications: BS or BA in writing, journalism, public relations or related field, one year of office or PR work, excellent writing and verbal communications skills, self-motivated individual, excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, Filemaker Pro), online research skills. Salary: Competitive salary with benefits, commensurate with experience. Application Procedure: Position is open until filled. Send cover letter, resume and writing samples to: Leslie Seff, Operations Director; GRACE; 215 Lexington Ave S 1001; New York, NY 10016-6023 -or-fax to: 212-726-9160 (preferred).

Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks

NOVEMBER NIGHT SKY: Saturday, November 13 at Rock Bridge State Park. Learn to read a star chart, go on a night hike and star-gaze. Reservations required, call 449-7402

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION SEMINAR Tuesday November 16, 10 am - 2 pm Boone Tavern. $15 -includes lunch. What is a conservation development? Can building a "green" development be accomplished at the same cost as a conventional development? Can conservation developments address all of a developer's stormwater problems? Speakers: Mark Meyer, Principle Civil Engineer - Intuition and Logic Inc " Conservation Planning and Design", and Mike Sands, Environmental Team Leader, Prairie Crossing Development Team " Protecting Streams Through Development". Sponsored by: Bonne Femme Watershed Project, Boone County, Boone County Smart Growth Coalition, Central Missouri Development Council, City of Columbia, Columbia Board of Realtors, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Homebuilders Association, Community Stormwater Project and the Hinkson Creek Project. to register, email Terry Frueh tfrueh@boonecountymo.org or visit http://www.cavewatershed.org/

WREATH WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 20. For more information contact Paula at 474-4225. Sponsered by Hawthorn Chapter, Native Plant Society

WHITE TAILED DEER: Saturday, November 20 9 - noon, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - meet at the park office in the upper parking lot. Learn more about this native Missouri species, its habits, habitats and what signs to look for in deer territory.

HOLIDAY PARADE: Sunday November 21, noon - 2 pm, downtown Columbia - Check out the floats!

BUY NOTHING DAY: Friday November 26, all day. The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally a major shopping day. Start a new tradition, go outside. Rake leaves and prune branches and get your yard and house ready for winter. Visit a local park and push your kids on a swing. Pick up trash in your neighborhood. Hike or bike on a trail. Get away from city lights and marvel at the stars. Try to do at least one thing outside on the day after Thanksgiving.

Organization Meetings and Contact Information

AUDUBON SOCIETY:
874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven

BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION:
http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Wednesdays 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING:
875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/

CHOUTEAU GROTTO:
http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop

COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE:
882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.

COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS:
874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW

COMMUNITY STORMWATER PROJECT:
884-8333 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/PublicWorks/StormWater/cswp.html

ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES:
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/

FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.:
815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.

GREENBELT COALITION:
442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.

MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY:
npshawth@hotmail.com 2nd Mondays in Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov at 7:00 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd, Columbia, MO.

MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK:
443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/

PEDNET COALITION:
email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org

RIVER RELIEF:
http://www.riverrelief.org/

ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK:
449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org

SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION:
(573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org

SIERRA CLUB:
443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave

WILD ONES:
499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays. Call for location

Answer to BioRegional Quiz:
Mule, Honey Bee, Bluebird, Hawthorn, Flowering Dogwood and Galena.

Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri. edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.

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