San Francisco banned disposable plastic grocery bags in 2007. It’s not alone. Several dozen communities around the country have adopted similar policies, all in the name of environmental protection. Those thin plastic bags may require far less material than in years past, but some still see them as wasteful. New research, however, shows that banningContinue reading “Are Plastic Grocery Bag Bans Bad for Public Health?”
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Enviropreneur Unlocks Private Capital for Conservation
Enviropreneurs like Logan Yonavjak are connecting private, for-profit incentives to environmental outcomes by creating longer-term financing opportunities for the land conservation community.
Global Environmental Governance
Why is productive environmental governance so hard, and what might be learned from how corporate governance mechanisms address related problems? Dino Falaschetti’s article addresses these questions, both in principle and in application to global fisheries.
Economic Change in Indian Country
PERC sat down with Richard Todd and Susan Woodrow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to discuss community development and the economic future in Indian Country. Click here to learn more about PERC’s research on American Indians.
PERC Enviropreneur Institute
Former fellows talk about their experience in PERC’s Enviropreneur Institute in 2009. PERC’s Enviropreneur Institute is a paid, intense, two-week educational experience in Bozeman, Montana, U.S.A. for environmental entrepreneurs who want to have a better understanding of how business and economic principles can be applied to environmental problems.
Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District
Today the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a potentially important takings case, Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District. In this case, a landowner is challenging the state’s refusal to grant a permit to develop wetlands unless the landowner agreed to various conditions, including the performance of off-site mitigation. When the landowner refused,Continue reading “Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District”
Greener Than Thou: Free Parking for Electric Cars
Remarking on his Toyota Prius, Jack Luu says it is “expensive, underpowered, and not really all that green.” It’s not so green because the vehicle runs only 12 miles before switching to gas. Then why buy? For the cheap parking, of course – at least according to Luu, who can park at LAX for a month’sContinue reading “Greener Than Thou: Free Parking for Electric Cars”
Should Congress end ethanol subsidies?
For more than two decades, special interests have persuaded Congress to mandate Americans buy ethanol whether they want to or not. As a result, 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop is now used for ethanol rather than food. The ethanol mandate means that ordinary Americans pay more for a poorer quality automobile fuel andContinue reading “Should Congress end ethanol subsidies?”
Trade Bans and Wildlife Poaching
On the John Batchelor Show, Terry Anderson discusses how trade bans hurt the very species the regulations try to protect. He continues to describe how a property rights approach, along with liberalizing trade, could improve outcomes for these species. https://www.perc.org/sites/default/files/media/JBS%20Andeson%2020130111_0.mp3
Closing the Coral Commons to Support Reef Restoration in Florida
Despite their ecological and economic importance, Florida’s coral reefs are teetering on the verge of collapse. Scientific studies point to the impact of effluent discharges from municipal storm and wastewater treatment facilities along the coast.