Environmental Economics

JANUARY 30, 2017

From the "text of executive order on eliminating rules": (b) For fiscal year 2017, which is in progress, the heads of all agencies are directed that the total incremental cost of all new regulations, including repealed regulations, to be finalized this year shall be no greater than zero, unless otherwise required by law or consistent with advice provided in writing by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Director). (c)

2017 163

2017 Regulating Progressive Society 163

Green (Living) Review

JULY 4, 2017

by Michael Smith (Veshengro) On those boxes we can see greenwash in action almost in the extreme. All those containers are marked with the recyclable logo and the imprint “recyclable” and while they are recyclable when they haven't been used the fact is that, once those containers have come into contact with foods, which is the case once they are in our hands, and thus have gotten food residue and/or fat on them, they can no longer be recycled.

2017 159

2017 Food Landfills Plastic Bags 159

Blue Earth

MARCH 5, 2017

This is not really surprising because it matches my theory that electrons win over molecules - in this case heavy atoms, but you catch my drift. Bitcoin offers so many advantages over gold as a currency. It travels the globe in microseconds and can be authenticated without an assay

2017 100

2017 100

Green Furniture Home Design

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

If you’re lucky enough to have an actual dining room in your home that can accommodate a large dining table, you should consider getting one that’s made from reclaimed, recycled or sustainably harvested wood. These kind of tables have a rustic modern charm, and fit well into a number of different decor styles, from a country style home, to a modern, minimalist living space. Take a look at some of the different styles of rustic dining room tables that are available these days!

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Reclaim Reclaiming 2017 Furniture 133

Nature Conservancy - Science

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

Could the loud but small pine squirrel have an outsized impact on how Western U.S. forests look? Wildlife Birds Forests Mammals Natural History Nature Pop Research

2017 87

2017 Forest Impact Wildlife 87

Environmental Economics

DECEMBER 11, 2017

A pet peeve of mine as an economist is giving too much credit to the current quarterback , er.President for [economic] wins and too much blame for [economic] losses.    To give a better picture of what's going on with the economy, here are some graphs of the past decade of select economic data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.      I'll leave it to others to draw conclusions. 1) Median Household Income in the U.S.

2017 159

2017 St. Louis Economic Economical 159

Environmental Economics

JANUARY 11, 2017

From the Borowitz Report: As America’s bridges, roads, and other infrastructure dangerously deteriorate from decades of neglect, there is a mounting sense of urgency that it is time to build a giant wall. Across the U.S., whose rail system is a rickety antique plagued by deadly accidents, Americans are increasingly recognizing that building a wall with Mexico, and possibly another one with Canada, should be the country’s top priority.

2017 158

2017 National Mexico Canada 158

Environmental Economics

NOVEMBER 1, 2017

And then there's this. Citing the risk of conflicts of interest, the EPA administrator instituted  a sweeping change  to the agency’s core system of advisory panels on Tuesday, restricting membership to scientists who don’t receive EPA grants. In practice, the move represents “a major purge of independent scientists,” Terry F. Yosie, chair of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board during the Reagan administration,  told the Washington Post.

2017 148

2017 Ozone Texas Regulating 148

Environmental Economics

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

A cool new paper is the first (?) to use a discrete choice experiment in the AER: Mas, Alexandre, and Amanda Pallais. 2017. "Valuing "Valuing Alternative Work Arrangements." " American Economic Review, 107(12): 3722-59. Abstract: We employ a discrete choice experiment in the employment process for a national call center to estimate the willingness to pay distribution for alternative work arrangements relative to traditional office positions.

2017 146

2017 2016 Economic Economical 146

Environmental Economics

APRIL 7, 2017

Guest Post by David Kaczan, Anna Birkenbach, and Marty Smith. Economists regularly turn to one famous example when making the case for property rights in fisheries: Alaskan halibut. In the early 1990s, the halibut derby was madness. At the approved moment, thousands of boats would race each other out of Alaskan harbors.

2017 146

2017 Fisheries South Carolina North Carolina 146

Environmental Economics

APRIL 3, 2017

I know this isn't environmental, but it's policy related, and I find the health insurance policy debate interesting, and I think market-based policy can go a long way toward solving environmental issues and health care, and just because it's not environmental hasn't stopped us from posting about it before, and it's my blog and I'll blog if I want to.

2017 146

2017 Health Conserve Conservation 146

Green (Living) Review

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

by Michael Smith (Veshengro) The great majority of people, I am sure, firmly believe that the glass bottles and glass jars, of which they so diligently remove the labels and then put out for the kerbside recycling pick-up are going to make new glass bottles and -jars. But this is a myths that needs busting.

2017 159

2017 Glass Recycle Recycling 159

Blue Earth

MARCH 5, 2017

“CRISPR Cures Anemia” - [link

2017 100

2017 100

Environmental Economics

MARCH 22, 2017

See for yourself: [link]. And here is the information on the survey and panel: This panel explores the extent to which economists agree or disagree on major public policy issues. To assess such beliefs we assembled this panel of expert economists. Statistics teaches that a sample of (say) 40 opinions will be adequate to reflect a broader population if the sample is representative of that population.

2017 138

2017 Professions President Economic 138

Nature Conservancy - Science

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Protected forests, like the one at High Mountain Preserve and others yet to be found, give bats that were devastated by white-nose syndrome room to reproduce and recover. From the Field Wildlife Bats Bioacoustics Disease & Parasites Mammals Protected Areas Research Technology

New Jersey 87

New Jersey 2017 Preservation Forest 87

Environmental Economics

AUGUST 15, 2017

Is "environmental benefit denier" a term ( Scott Pruitt Is Carrying Out His E.P.A. Agenda in Secret, Critics Say )? Mr. Pruitt’s efforts to undo a major water protection rule are one example of his moves to quickly and stealthily dismantle regulations.

2017 136

2017 Wetlands Environmental Mississippi 136

Environmental Economics

MARCH 14, 2017

This is a from a chapter in a book edited by Bruno Frey and David Iselin titled Economic Ideas You Should Forget :  Contingent Valuation, Willingness to Pay, and Willingness to Accept. Victor Ginsburgh. Abstract. Contingent

2017 136

2017 Economic Economical Economics 136

Environmental Economics

JANUARY 11, 2017

John has posted a couple of times about replication in economics journal articles. Elsevier, who may be taking the lead in encouraging replication , is putting out a special issue on replication in Energy Economics :  In this special issue, we will particularly welcome two types of papers, without excluding other forms of replication (Clemens 2015). First, we would like to see replication of older but prominent research.

2017 133

2017 Economic Economical Economics 133

Environmental Economics

MAY 12, 2017

Making American Great Again: Two scientists have resigned from an Environmental Protection Agency advisory board to protest agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s removal  of their colleagues. Carlos Martín , a senior research associate at the Urban Institute’s Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, and Peter B. Meyer, president of the E.P.

2017 130

2017 Meyers Industry Pennsylvania 130

Environmental Economics

APRIL 10, 2017

New York just passed free college tuition --equating college education today to high school of the past: "Today, college is what high school was -- it should always be an option even if you can't afford it," Governor Cuomo said in a statement.  

2017 130

2017 New York 130

Environmental Economics

APRIL 1, 2017

The RePEc blog: Many academic departments in economics require from their junior faculty to publish in top 5 journals in order to gain tenure or get promotions. The top departments ask for several such articles, lower ranked ones may ask for only one. However, the space available in those journals is very limited, a couple hundred articles a year.

2017 130

2017 Economic Economical Economics 130

Environmental Economics

JANUARY 18, 2017

I've used this list  a number of times on this blog (most recently here with, I must say, a nice comment on the economics of the industry): Jeffrey Beall, the University of Colorado, Denver, librarian who has since 2008 chronicled “potential, possible, or probable” predatory publishers, has — at least for now — pulled the plug on his influential, and at times controversial, site.

2017 130

2017 Denver Colorado 2008 130

Green (Living) Review

JULY 23, 2017

by Michael Smith (Veshengro) The pathological consumption of the majority, for I do know that not all participate in it, has become so normalized that we scarcely notice it. The way the majority buys things that is, aside from the essentials, with which we are not concerned really when it comes to consumption for we all have to eat, have at least some clothes to wear, need toilet paper and other things.

2017 157

2017 Capitalism Society Upcycle 157

Environmental Economics

JANUARY 11, 2017

This isn't anything new, but I thought it was worth posting. Economists in the National Center for Environmental Economics, where I work may be able to participate in RFAs from other federal agencies. I am lucky to work with some VERY smart people and maybe you could, too.

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Participant Participating 2017 United States 130

Environmental Economics

MAY 8, 2017

2017 126

2017 126

Nature Conservancy - Science

AUGUST 22, 2017

Yes, the bison roams across Europe. And the story of its conservation rescue may be even more dramatic than that of its American counterpart. Wildlife Bison Forests Genetics Grasslands Mammals Restoration

2017 87

2017 Europe Conserve Conservation 87

Environmental Economics

MAY 5, 2017

Here is an obituary : William Jack Baumol was born on February 26, 1922, and died on May 4, 2017. He was an American economist. He served as the professor of economics at New York University, Academic Director of the Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Baumol was a well known prolific author of more than eighty books and several hundred journal articles.

2017 126

2017 2014 New York Economic 126

Environmental Economics

APRIL 6, 2017

2017 126

2017 Economic Economical Economics 126

Environmental Economics

JUNE 19, 2017

From the inbox: I just wanted to give you a heads up that Environmental Economics has been featured in the  Top 100 Economics Blogs of 2017. Congratulations and keep up the awesome work with Environmental Economics!    Thanks!  

2017 125

2017 Economic Economical Economics 125

Environmental Economics

DECEMBER 8, 2017

David Weimer ( Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler, Behavioral Economics, and Benefit-Cost Analysis ): Rational action lies at the heart of neoclassical economics. Sovereign consumers make choices that maximize their utilities. By observing the tradeoffs implicit in actual choices, or eliciting tradeoffs for hypothetical choices, benefit-cost analysts impute willingness to pay for desirable policy impacts and willingness to accept undesirable ones.

2017 122

2017 Economic Economical Economics 122

Environmental Economics

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

From the inbox: We had a glance at your published article Reply to "Comment on: A revealed preference approach to valuing non-market recreational fishing losses from the deepwater horizon oil spill and its corrigendum" We found your article very innovative, insightful & interesting; we really value your outstanding contribution towards Scientific Community. The time and attention you devoted in presenting a realistic and pragmatic article was really appreciated.

2017 122

2017 Fisheries Communities Oil 122

Environmental Economics

OCTOBER 23, 2017

2017 122

2017 122

Environmental Economics

JULY 3, 2017

Interesting read from the Guardian  on how even the cherry-picked data against climate change is no longer against climate change (I know the Guardian is just a liberal rag written by those non-EU Brits with an agenda and unlikely to change any deniers' minds because it is probably FAKE NEWS, but still an interesting read): A new paper  just published in the Journal of Climate is a stunning setback for the darling of cherry-picking for contrarian scientists and elected officials.

2017 122

2017 Climate Change Alabama Climate 122

Green (Living) Review

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

It doesn’t even require nails. f you’ve already constructed Ikea desks and chairs , then it’s time to take your skills to the next level. This week Space10 , Ikea’s lab for futuristic, solutions-oriented designs, released open source plans for The Growroom , a large, multi-tiered spherical garden designed to sustainably grow enough food for an entire neighborhood. Hoping to help spur local growing and sourcing, Space10 made the plans available for free on Thursday.

2017 156

2017 DIY Planning Local 156

Environmental Economics

MAY 31, 2017

Real Time Economics (i.e., WSJ): Now that officials from the U.S. and nearly 200 other countries have reached a deal in Paris  meant to keep global warming at bay, many citizens back home want to know—how much will it cost us? No one knows for sure, but one estimate from an environmental think tank in Washington pegs the cost as a $170 billion hit to U.S. gross domestic product in 2030, or about 0.7% of the total economic output that year. 

2017 122

2017 Automobile Greenhouse gas 2020 122

Environmental Economics

APRIL 24, 2017

In my best Thomas Dolby voice: SCIENCE ! According to a paper published in the journal Science   on Thursday, Americans are willing to pay $17.2 billion to prevent another BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Thanks to a team of scientists who conducted a six-year study into the effects of the 134-million-gallon spill, we now have a more accurate picture of the devastating consequences—and also how desperately we want to reduce our dependency.

2017 122

2017 People Oil Virginia 122

Nature Conservancy - Science

NOVEMBER 13, 2017

A gathering force of fish conservationists is changing the narrative around gar, an ancient fish too long accused of crimes it didn’t commit. Latest Science Fish Nature Pop Weird Nature

2017 87

2017 War Commitment 87