Question

Solutions to complex environmental problems can be very costly. Communities or other affected groups might perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the benefits of the desired solutions outweigh the financial cost. How might the results of a cost-benefit analysis be interpreted differently by a local citizen, a company CEO, and a city manager who monitors city funds while overseeing major improvement projects?

Answer 1

A citizen will be looking for environmental benefit and public health, which will upsurge the quality of life of the community. The citizen may look for the benefits worth the cost. The CEO of the company might be worried about the costs that appear too high to warrant making environmental initiatives cost-efficient for the business.  

A city manager might or need to have the most balanced understanding, desiring to make improvements, which would better the lives of the citizens of the city, but that would keep the city within the municipal budget limits.