Welcome ScottieJ!
well, you sure opened a can-o-worms with that one post, sir! So lets take it in sections, shall we?
...and now I'm trying to figure out how to save that world.
recommendation: save the world by allowing the people within it to save themselves, to do otherwise will not only be a huge and unrewarding endeavor, but will also be counter-productive to its own achievement. So, basically, 'save' yourself first... lead by example... take responsibility... read up on libertarianism... (I have plenty of suggestions both for online and paperback resources - email me if interested)
The utilities problem is a major one, being that it involves one of the most basic necessities of life; water. So we privatize things, market economy... all that jazz. It seems to me however that if there's room to take advantage, then advantage will be taken, eventually.
so, you basically have an overall negative view of human nature, that if given the opportunity, people will steal, kill, defraud, or otherwise harm others to get what they want. If this is your view then NO system of government or privatization will ever work because they are by definition 'institutions of men'. So, I take issue with your premise - I say there are good and bad people, greedy and alturistic - but, overall, people will choose NOT to harm others if there is an alternative.
It seems that when profit is involved, those making the profit will do all they can to increase their profit, at the expense of everyone else.
ok, first we need to fix the 'little' problem that you seem to have regarding what profit is and how businesses earn it. Do not take this as an insult - you are a product of about 18 yrs of public education propaganda (as am I) and have probably never been exposed to much truth. So here it is in a nutshell, the basics of economics and all trade everywhere: a business succeeds or fails, IN THE FREE MARKET, only if it is able to cater to its customers consistently better than its competition. I highlighted the Free Market specifically because when there is government interference then the above statement does not necessarily hold water. Yes, a business will do all it can to increase profit - more exact - it will do all it LEGALLY can, which means it does not get the ability to trample on peoples rights - be they employees or customers. Yes, a restaurant can increase profits by buying substandard meat, but is it really going to succeed by making all of its customers sick? Do you think a restaurant owner values money more than the immorality of intentionally harming his customers? Would you?
So don't I have the right to NOT be taken advantage of? If the major role of government is to "help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud," then how clearly defined is "fraud?"
You have a right to NOT be defrauded or harmed by others. Your statement of 'being taken advantage of' is a bit vague and relative. If you were mislead in thinking you were buying a 6 pack of Budweiser and instead got a 6 pack of Millers, then you were frauded (a form of theft) and you have a right to restitution. If you think that you should be paid $50/hr but all the potential employers are only willing to pay you $8/hr for flippin' burgers, no, you are not being taken advantage of. And, Yes, Fraud is very extensively defined in todays legal system.
It seems that the government should have to regulate utilities in some way; i.e. pollution controls.
Why? We can deal with polluters easily through the court system and other free market avenues. getting the government involved is like inviting the fox into the henhouse - do you know the government is the single biggest polluter in this country? Do you know that the State of New York actually sued the EPA over Acid Rain?
After all, can we agree that it is an inalienable right we have as human beings to breath clean air, drink clean water and eat clean food.
oops - you stepped in it this time - No! we have no right to a perfect world, we have a right not to be harmed by others, but regulating our air, water, food is better left to the people themselves! We all have different values and priorities. Perhaps drinking water with a purity factor of '9' out of 10 is what you yourself would like. maybe I don't mind a little crap thrown in and would be happy with drinking a '6' out of 10 if it costs me less money. So let the water companies compete for our business and try to cater to our whims as best they can - The job of business IS to service its customers as good as they can, period. If we want to make sure that our meat ain't poisoned, then a 'private' meat certification company will come into being and fill that need - to the level that YOU deem, not some government bureaucrat who determines what he thinks everyone should need - he fails miserably and so does all government attempts at broadstroking with regulations - they harm more than protect.
So what regulations should we have?
you can guess my response here, i think:
none.
What about conservation of natural resources for future generations?
what about it? the free market will determine this and many other questions regarding values of all things... don't be afraid, the waters warm - come on in!
Who owns the air we breath?
right now, no one - but that can and will change in the future (distant future). If you happened to live in an underwater environment or on a space habitat then it would be obvious that you would have to pay for that air because it takes effort to produce it. Right now all of the wonderful plants in the world are happily and busily producing and cleaning air for us to breath - without costing us a cent - lucky us, But, it will not always necessarily be the case.
Am I paying for the water or just the service that is providing me with the water?
both
again welcome to the wonderful world of liberty! I look forward to discussing more items with you and hope you decide to join the Project if you haven't already. I suggest you do some good reading at that library of yours... I got suggestions if you care...
michael