Environmental-protection laws are good for the economy because they do what

Laws addressing environmental concerns can have a positive impact on the economy of a state or nation, when new regulations are put in place businesses are forced into creating new sustainable, greener options creating a new sector of business. These new technologies not only grow the economy by creating jobs, they also provide a new product growing the economy into new markets. 

  In the given time frame from 1700 to 1790 the population of England and Wales did not decreased at all, on contrary, the population in England and Wales actually was rising steadily, and by the end of this period there was a fast increase in the population, similar to the ''baby boom'' period few centuries afterwards.