The federal Superfund program was enacted in 1980 to speed the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites and hold polluting companies responsible. It was supposed to be “shovels first, lawyers later.” Instead, lawsuits proliferated and cleanups stalled. Though premised on the “polluter pays” principle, Superfund often caused polluter and non-polluter alike to overpay for minimalContinue reading “One Step Closer to Superfund Sanity”
Author Archives: admin
Bogus Bidder: One Year Later
Edward Abbey is known for his unorthodox approach to protecting the wilderness of the American southwest. His 1975 novel The Monkey Wrench Gang depicted a gang of misfits that employed the use of sabotage – or “monkey wrenching” – to protest the development of dams, roads, and power lines throughout the West. The vigilante group’sContinue reading “Bogus Bidder: One Year Later”
Much Ado about Pigou
By Bruce Yandle Clemson University Economists, policy analysts, and politicians often rattle the bones of brilliant economists long passed when making a case for a favorite policy or legislative action. John Maynard Keynes has again become a popular icon for justifying deficit spending in the face of severe recession. There are other days when JosephContinue reading “Much Ado about Pigou”
Environmental Kuznets Curves, Carbon Emissions, and Public Choice
Environmental Kuznets Curves for carbon emissions raise doubts about the feasibility of reducing global carbon emissions..
Repeated adjustment of delegated powers and the history of eminent domain
The authors explore the history of eminent domain in the United States—a history characterized by periodic public backlash.
National TV Broadcasting and the rise of the regulatory state
The rise of national markets associated with national TV networks led to the expansion of federal social regulation and a simultaneous decline of federal economic regulation.
Grassfed Beef and the Politics of “Local”
“Local,” they say, “never goes out of season.”
Enviropreneurs Expunge Externalities
Wikipedia—externality: an impact on a party that is not directly involved in the transaction. PERC—enviropreneur: a person who has no patience for externalities. For several years, I have been on a campaign to expunge the term “externality” from the vocabulary of economists, policy makers, and environmentalists. My campaign is not motivated by a belief thatContinue reading “Enviropreneurs Expunge Externalities”
In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet
The 100-Mile Diet, inspired by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon who participated in a one-year experiment in local eating, led thousands of individuals to change the way they eat. “Eat local” has become a mainstream mantra of those who claim that increased local food production and consumption have significant economic, environmental, and social benefits.Continue reading “In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet”
Banking on Colorado Water
The consequences could be dire. But they don’t have to be.