The need for a wider application of the Total Economic Value theories

The social surplus is constantly influenced by positive and negative externalities, though they generally do not influence market prices of goods/services in a direct way. The internalization of negative factors can never be considered complete, as it can only be accomplished by charging the related costs to those who caused them in the market. Since those costs would always represent only a partial compensation for the damage they caused, the internalization will always be incomplete. A possible solution to this issue is applying the Total Economic Value theories in all the assessment activities that could imply a relevant underestimation of non-use values in the formulation of market prices.