What Victorian London’s Oyster Crisis Can Teach US About Environmental Regulation

Before defaulting to edicts and bans, we might first ask what is keeping private solutions from emerging.

Billingsgate fish market in London in 1889. Public Domain

Commentary

In the late 19th century, local governments in Britain invested substantial sums in running-water infrastructure. Running water made cities more attractive and also reduced the prevalence of waterborne diseases. The tradeoff was a massive increase in human-waste pollution being thrown into Britain’s rivers and estuaries.