简介:Thispapershowsthatanattachmentofpricesbycourtsorstateagenciestoenvironmentalgoodsiswithoutpropereconomicfoundationandafiction.Avaluationinmonetarytermsofdamagestobiotopesinoilpollutioncasesisarbitraryduetothemissingmarketexchangeprocesses.Itdoesnotmakesensetoattachanexchangeratetonon-exchangeablegoods.Therearenomarketsandpricesforbiodiversityandthereisnomonetisationbycentralbanksforanygoodoutsideofmarkets.Money,neverthelesscreatedbycentralbanksfornon-exchangeablegoodswouldbeusedinexchangesonmarketsandnotleftunused,onlypassivelyreflectinggiven“values”tonon-exchangeablegoods.Byvaluingandmonetizingenvironmentalgoodscentralbankswillproduceatoolargemonetarybasefortheexchangeablegoodsandaffectpricesonmarketsinaninflationaryway.Cashpricesintheformofdamagesforintangiblegoodsarenotmarketprices,butpure“preventionprices”whicharesimilarlyjustifiedlikepenalties,fines,andcompensations.Atareasonableamount,theyareeffective,useful,andrecommendableasanincentivedeviceeveniftheirbasicjustificationisnotbuiltonmarketvaluations.