China’s recent pan on plastic bags is a great example of another way in which governments CAN make a difference through being tough on certain products or services. I was in Paris this weekend, the home of Satre and smoky cafes, and yet they seem to have taken to smoking outside without much fuss according to French friends there. I certainly believe in the government taking a laissez-faire approach to many things, but plastic bags, flying without penalty and having access to the ‘wrong lightbulbs’ are all habits that the government can and should help us kick.
Tags: policy, regulation