Pigouvian leaf blowers with Coasian solutions

[James] Fallows supports the notion of a kind of trade-in program, where loud, old leaf blowers are exchanged for the less offensive kind.

Rueter, in fact, facilitated one such scheme. In the heat of his front lawn dispute with his neighbor, he offered a solution.

“If you agree to use them, I will buy you two new leaf blowers,” he told his neighbor. The offer was accepted and the noise level in his front yard was restored to a peaceful level. When it comes to the balancing act of protecting landscaping jobs while reducing noise and emissions, it helps that someone was willing to pay for progress.

The article is interesting throughout, and I thank the excellent Brian Slesinsky for the pointer.