Advertising, economic development, and global warming

Advertising is tied to global warming through an endogenous growth model. The model allows for the possibility that the environment can become a source rather than a sink for greenhouse gases. Optimal control analysis of the model shows that a feasible steady state is possible for which the environment remains a sink, and identifies a sufficient condition for such to be the case. Comparative-static analysis shows that, for sufficiently small values of steady-state anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentration, global surface temperature and advertising in steady state are negative functions of parameters that measure the damaging effects of global warming. •Advertising is tied to global warming through an endogenous growth model.•Environment can become a carbon source in the model.•Optimal control analysis shows that a feasible steady state is possible.•Environment can remain a carbon sink in a feasible steady state.•Temperature and advertising may be negative functions of damaging effect parameters.