Solar Panel Owners, You Have to Top Your Trees

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Michael J. Cose's new book is called Every Day Is Extraordinary and it tells the story of a town in California where two neighbors are at odds over who gets to use their neighbor's solar panels. He argues that people should be able to trade with each other, rather than fight for what they want - even when cost is high. The author says he hopes his work will help public policy makers make better decisions about how best to deal with climate change.

Law professors Michael Heller and James Salzman talk about their book, Mine! with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Heller and Salzman argue that ownership is trickier and more complicated than it looks. While we tend to think of something as either mine or not mine, there's often ambiguity and a continuum about who owns what. Salzman and Heller explore a wide and surprising range of property rights from everyday life. The conversation includes a discussion of the insights of Ronald Coase on the assignment of property rights when rights conflict.