by Shawn Regan From NPR’s Planet Money comes this puzzling question: why are U.S. taxpayers subsidizing Brazilian cotton growers? The answer lies in a contentious trade war that pits the U.S. — which pays out between $1.5 and $4 billion a year to U.S. cotton farmers — against the World Trade Organization, who says U.S.Continue reading “Why are U.S. Taxpayers Paying Brazilian Cotton Growers?”
Author Archives: admin
PERC Talks: Two New Lectures
Here are the latest lectures from PERC scholars. 1. Bruce Yandle – “Bootleggers, Baptists, and the Government Habit” [vimeo 16505920] Senior fellow Bruce Yandle discusses government regulation and his Bootleggers and Baptist theory with the Nassau Institute last month. See the larger version here. 2. Terry Anderson – “The Case for Environmental Markets – TANSTAAE²”Continue reading “PERC Talks: Two New Lectures”
Why the Quest for Oil is So Risky
by Shawn Regan Why are we drilling for oil 40 miles offshore and thousands of feet underwater? This AP article claims that the answer is simply the world’s unquenchable demand for oil: The world’s thirst for crude is leading oil exploration companies into ever deeper waters and ventures fraught with environmental and political peril. The days when theContinue reading “Why the Quest for Oil is So Risky”
Contracting for Ecosystem Services
This workshop will consider the potential for contracting for ecosystem services by focusing on the transaction costs of such contracting, other impediments to contracting, and public policies that could promote market transactions. Specific focal areas include: water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, open space, and agricultural pollination services.
Are Catch Shares on the Rise in U.S. Fisheries?
by Shawn Regan Today the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a policy advancing the use of catch share programs in U.S. fishery policy. Catch shares are a form of rights-based fisheries management that allocates a portion of the total allowable catch to individuals, cooperatives, or other entities — an approach PERC has advocatedContinue reading “Are Catch Shares on the Rise in U.S. Fisheries?”
New in PERC Reports: The Accidental Environmentalist
by Holly Fretwell “That is spectacular!” “Who owns this?” “Check out the wide-open space!” These were comments made this summer by participants of the PERC/Liberty Fund cosponsored colloquium on Free Market Environmentalism. The annual program offers 25 undergraduate students the opportunity to explore how property rights and markets can help improve environmental quality. To bringContinue reading “New in PERC Reports: The Accidental Environmentalist”
Will the West’s “Water Woes” lead to more flows?
by Laura Huggins For those of us living in the West, it’s a no-brainer that water is more valuable than gold. But if it’s so valuable then why isn’t it trading in a similar fashion to gold? Short answer: a maze of institutional barriers. PERC and Hoover Institution fellow Gary Libecap gets to the heartContinue reading “Will the West’s “Water Woes” lead to more flows?”
Hunting for Private Property Rights
by Reed Watson The November 2 election is shaping up to be an important gauge of our country’s political direction. And though most of the November 3 headlines will focus on the head count of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the results of a ballot measure in North Dakota might prove a better litmus testContinue reading “Hunting for Private Property Rights”
Designing Payments for Ecosystem Services
The latest PERC Policy Series by James Salzman brings attention to a rapidly developing phenomenon—payments for ecosystem services (PES). Salzman, the Samuel F. Mordecai Professor of Law and the Nicholas Institute Professor of Environmental Policy at Duke University, explains when and where ecosystem services can be provided by voluntary markets rather than government actions. TheContinue reading “Designing Payments for Ecosystem Services”
Rent-A-Sheep for Weed Control
Want an environmentally friendly way to remove weeds and invasive species? Don Watson, a rancher in Loveland, Colorado, has discovered that his sheep are not just good for wool, but also for vegetation management. According to the California Farm Bureau Federation, Watson recently launched his “targeted grazing” service, Wooly Weeders, as a natural alternative toContinue reading “Rent-A-Sheep for Weed Control”