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One Step Closer to Superfund Sanity

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”

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”

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”