Gernot Wagner, an economist with the Environmental Defense Fund, argues in this New York Times Op-Ed that our individual efforts to recycle, use less water, or replace plastic bags with cloth sacks are merely token gestures. “The changes necessary are so large and profound that they are beyond the reach of individual action,” he writes. So how do we bring about that change? He advocates building the true cost of resource exploitation and environmental degradation into market calculations. He does not suggest overhauling the market, a stance that will irritate those who would prefer an alternative to capitalism. But he will equally irk those who want market bias to continue favoring the status quo. Or, in other words, Wagner will earn detractors from both the left and the right. His essay is worth a read.