American economist Thomas Sowell once said that “there are no solutions, only trade-offs.” That is, dealing with a problem entails making a choice, and doing so entails forgoing the alternatives.
For example, damming a river to protect a town from seasonal flooding means accepting that a reservoir will form on other side of the dam. The reservoir – and all it may entail for its natural surroundings – is deemed preferable to the potential damage that yearly flooding would do to the town.
