none

²¤

In the wake of events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the storming of the Capitol, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s time to start labeling misinformation for what it is: a negative externality to society. The spillover effects from the proliferation of mis- and disinformation have the potential to negatively impact the institution of democracy, civic engagement, and downstream health outcomes. Put simply, to understand the misinformation problem is to understand its complexities, its pitfalls, and its motivations. Taken as a whole, this paper articulates the need for a divergence from conventional economic theory on efficiency to a pro-social, welfare-based approach to internalization efforts. In doing so, this analysis presents a full-scale characterization of misinformation as a negative externality, starting with the reorganization of traditional microeconomic theory, followed by a platform-by-platform evaluation of various internalization strategies and evidence from the literature on the impacts of misinformation, and concluding with a commentary on potential remediation approaches. / Thesis ( BA ) — Boston College, 2022 . / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences . / Discipline: Departmental Honors . / Discipline: Economics .

Thesis advisor: Thomas Wesner / In the wake of events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the storming of the Capitol, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s time to start labeling misinformation for what it is: a negative externality to society. The spillover effects from the proliferation of mis- and disinformation have the potential to negatively impact the institution of democracy, civic engagement, and downstream health outcomes. Put simply, to understand the misinformation problem is to understand its complexities, its pitfalls, and its motivations. Taken as a whole, this paper articulates the need for a divergence from conventional economic theory on efficiency to a pro-social, welfare-based approach to internalization efforts. In doing so, this analysis presents a full-scale characterization of misinformation as a negative externality, starting with the reorganization of traditional microeconomic theory, followed by a platform-by-platform evaluation of various internalization strategies and evidence from the literature on the impacts of misinformation, and concluding with a commentary on potential remediation approaches. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Economics.

This thesis answers the question how big is the negative externality associated with driving under the influence of alcohol in crowns per kilometer driven by the driver with alcohol in blood. The calculation includes the economic consequences of accidents, specifically, loss of production, the cost of health care, administration and social expenditures, included are also the values of lost human lives and values for heavy and light injuries. Calculation of externality is used to determine the fine that internalizes this externality.

Le contexte de crise dans lequel évolue notre monde représente une question fondamentale et incontournable. Les récentes catastrophes dans l’ensemble des continents sont la preuve du bouleversement de nos sociétés et de la biodiversité. Cette crise a plusieurs dimensions : économique, sociale, politique, juridique et environnemental. Nous avons centré notre recherche sur la crise des déchets, crise représentative de l’ensemble de ces facteurs. Ce problème affecte l’ensemble de nos civilisations et ses effets sur le système naturel sont irréversibles. De plus, cette crise nécessite une réponse immédiate et durable car il y va de l'avenir de l’ensemble de la planète. Si tous les pays sont concernés par cette problématique, elle se décline différemment dans une même zone géographique. Elle est à la fois anthropique et naturelle. Elle implique toutes les parties prenantes au niveau local et international. La revue de littérature révèle un manque de données chiffrées au niveau de l'Afrique et l'échec de certains projets non adaptés aux critères locaux. Nous souhaitons prendre pour base théorique la théorie de l'économie circulaire et celle des externalités. Cela permet de mettre en évidence à la fois des externalités positives et négatives, mais aussi de s'inscrire dans une démarche résolument positive. Cette dernière voie consiste à considérer le déchet comme une source de valeur. Cette conception du déchet permet de répondre aux besoins présents et de modifier la vision généralement négative de ce concept. Il s’agit de transformer le problème de déchets en un gisement durable face aux besoins énergétiques croissants, la dégradation des ressources naturelles, la préservation des sols et la modification de nos modes de consommation de masse vers une stratégie zéro déchet ainsi que la valorisation d’une agriculture respectueuse du développement durable. Notre travail de recherche met également en évidence la place incontournable du secteur informel en Afrique, la nécessité de coordonner le travail des acteurs sur le terrain et le développement des emplois verts. Cette démarche positive est possible en associant l’ensemble des stratégies à une communication innovante et l’implication des populations locales aux projets. / The crisis context in which our world is evolving is a fundamental and inescapable question. Recent disasters all over the continents are the proof of this dramatic concern for our world and its biodiversity. It is variable: it is either economic, political, legal and environmental. That is why our work is about waste crisis. This problem affects all our civilizations and its results are irreversible for our natural system. Furthermore, it needs immediate and sustainable responses because it is linked with the future of our planet. All countries are concerned about this problematic. However, it shows different faces even in the same geographical area. This crisis is anthropogenic and natural. It involves all national and international stakeholders. Literature reviews reveal a lack of data in Africa and the failure of projects not unsuited to local contexts. We develop several theories: circular economics, negative and positive externalities and the theory of social and supporting economy. Our work is about the importance of informal sectors in Africa, the coordination of actors in the field and the development of green jobs. This positive way is possible with innovative communication strategies and the involvement of population in local projects.