In June of 2012, the world mourned the loss of the giant tortoise, Lonesome George. The 100-year-old tortoise lived in the Galapagos and was believed to be the last of his sub-species. George served as an ambassador for endangered species—especially in Ecuador where many groups are working to restore not only tortoise populations throughout the archipelago but also to improve the status of other rare species.
Author Archives: admin
Remembering James M. Buchanan
James M. Buchanan, the Nobel laureate in economics and father of public choice theory, has passed away at the age of 93. Buchanan’s work formed the foundation for PERC’s early research on environmental issues.
The EPA Is Politicized—So Make It Official
Would the EPA be better run by a bipartisan commission? Reform the agency by politicizing it, says PERC board member Steven Hayward.
Putting the King of Beasts on Life Support
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the African lion as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. But will it actually help the king of beasts?
Q&A with Charles Mann on Pre-Columbian America
As part of PERC’s Lone Mountain Forum, “Reconciling Economics and Ecology,” PERC board member Steven Hayward sat down with author Charles Mann to revisit contemporary understandings of pre-Columbian America. Mann is the acclaimed author of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, as well as the recent articleContinue reading “Q&A with Charles Mann on Pre-Columbian America”
Wolf 832F and the Yellowstone Hunting Ban
Terry Anderson, interviewed by John Batchelor, considers the gray wolves in Yellowstone and the apparent paradox that hunting creates a healthy population of wild species. https://www.perc.org/sites/default/files/media/JBS%20Anderson%20010313.mp3
The Right to Own Property on Reservations
Dubbed the “First Nations Property Ownership Act,” the legislation would allow Canadian bands (tribes as they are known in the United States) to vote on whether to give individual Indians the right to own their land as private property.
Sell Yosemite, Hold a Smithsonian Yard Sale?
Facing the “fiscal cliff,” perhaps the president and Congress should start thinking in terms of the “foreclosure crisis.” All lenders, whether a local home-loan bank or the Chinese government, expect to be repaid either from the borrower’s income or, if that is insufficient, from the sale of assets. Where does that leave the U.S. government?Continue reading “Sell Yosemite, Hold a Smithsonian Yard Sale?”
Thank You From PERC!
With the help of our donors, PERC fellows are able to engage in research, produce books, articles, and studies that provide solutions to some of the toughest environmental problems in a manner that promotes a society of free and responsible individuals. The PERC staff would like to thank you for your investment!
“Green” Wrapping Expensive Environmental Policies
From the World Resources Institutes initiative for Keeping Options Alive to the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, calls for conserving biodiversity are persistent. This goal appears reasonable, at least on its face. Who would argue against a wider variety of plants and animals increasing our chances for a life-saving drug in the future? It has,Continue reading ““Green” Wrapping Expensive Environmental Policies”