Cleaned By Capitalism

by Don Boudreaux on August 24, 2009

in Cleaned by Capitalism, Complexity & Emergence, Environment, Everyday Life

This is the first of a series of intermittent posts showing photographs of how modern capitalism provides its denizens historically unprecedented levels of cleanliness and healthfulness — how capitalism reduces pollution that matters most to individuals.

This is a photograph taken last month at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.  It’s of the entrance to a men’s restroom.  Note the ingenious (if by now familiar) design: it prevents persons outside of the men’s room from seeing what goes on inside of the men’s room, and yet there are no doors or door knobs that must be touched in order to enter or exit the men’s room.  (Women’s rooms, of course, have the same feature.)  The transmission of bacteria is thereby reduced.  (Also note that the space is generous enough to allow travellers toting large pieces of luggage to enter and exit easily.)

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