Social cost

Social cost is a way of measuring the effect of doing something on society. It's basically a way to measure the cost of an activity - like cutting down a forest - on the people and environment around it. So if cutting down a forest makes it harder for people to get food and air, that's a social cost. If it affects the environment and makes it harder for plants and animals to live, that's a social cost too. Social cost helps people decide whether it's a good idea to do something or not, because it shows how it will affect the people and environment.