Mankiw: From The New Yorker.    One disappointing quotation: "We would never propose a carbon tax, and have no intention of proposing one," [White House spokesman Jay] Carney told reporters. via gregmankiw.blogspot.com. MORE >>

One man’s efforts to prevent ecological disaster. It was the close of the day for us birdwatchers at the Hula Valley Bird Festival. One man stood out among the conservatively-dressed birders. The pudgy guy with a Mohawk haircut and earring had his arms covered with colorful tattoos. Not your usual conservation activist. Derne?i Derne?i.  MORE >>

Wouldn't it be great if we were all on the southeast portion of our demand curves? Therefore, creating a market for wildlife is not fair: It especially bothers him — and other hunters — that those with means can buy public licenses through private outlets, paying thousands of dollars to move to the head of the line. via www.nytimes.com.   MORE >>

Studio apartment at Freedom Center, Portland. Photo courtesy of Freedom Center. They may not be for you, but rooming houses and other small, basic dwellings should not be against the law. Some people want them — need them, in fact — and they provide housing affordably, with a tiny ecological footprint, and in walkable neighborhoods. MORE >>

Unfortunately, however, humans don’t always act rationally — and according to a forthcoming paper by economists Okmyung Bin and Craig E. Landry, they also tend to have extremely short memories when it comes to natural disasters. After the particularly ruinous Hurricane Floyd, this price difference became an even-more-extreme 8%. MORE >>