We all know by now that drastically reducing carbon dioxide emissions would be good for the planet, but many of us also wonder how strict environmental policies could effect the economy. Is regulation aimed at protecting future generations worth it if people will suffer now because of reduced growth?

Enter Yale Professor Robert Repetto who has put together an interactive website that calculates the costs of climate change (Treehugger.com is featuring an great post about his work today). The site, See For Yourself, is unique because it allows you to input your own assumptions about the economic impact of policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Then you can form your opinion based on the final calculations. Hint: As the site states, “Assumptions matter. Even under worst case assumptions the economy would continue to grow.”