11  The total amount of outstanding student debt, $ trillion in 2014, is a reflection of both the high cost and the substantial rise in the number of students borrowing to go to school – some 41.5 million, compared with 22 million in 2004.
As Governor Visco5 recently observed, defining policy action to pursue climate objectives is the primary responsibility of governments. In a democratic polity, it is for elected officers to decide on the ultimate balance of the benefits and costs of any environmental policy.