Others have commented on President Obama’s decision to punt on the Keystone XL pipeline project. Ordering additional review pushes the decision past the next election and enables the Administration to evade responsibility should the project ultimately fail. As those who study environmental law know, delays of this sort are often enough to derail major projects for goodContinue reading “The Keystone Pipeline Precedent”
Author Archives: admin
Q&A on bees, colony collapse, and adaption
The impact of bee colony collapse on American agriculture
Q&A on the origins of American property law
The evolution of property law in early America
Q&A on markets and endangered species
Q: In 1998, you authored a PERC Policy Series called “Who Will Save the Wild Tiger?” What has changed in the world of tigers? A: A lot has been done. There have been many conservation initiatives, much money spent, and many, many meetings. A wide range of conservation NGOs and even the World Bank establishedContinue reading “Q&A on markets and endangered species”
Can New Mexico turn blue into green?
By Chris Corbin Tomorrow morning, I will board a plane for the 2011 American Water Resources Association Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At this event, I will present my vision for turning blue into green through water marketing to both the conference and the local Business Water Task Force. An example of this vision was highlighted in anContinue reading “Can New Mexico turn blue into green?”
A Prize for Ocean Cleanup
Last month, the X-Prize Foundation announced the winners of the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup Challenge. The challenge was created to spur the development of more effective oil spill cleanup methods. Specifically, the challenge offered $1.4 million in prizes for the development of removing oil from the ocean’s surface. The aim was to double the industry’s best oil recovery rate inContinue reading “A Prize for Ocean Cleanup”
Myths About Population
Global population is believed to top 7 billion. Is this a problem? Does 7 billion people constitute “overpopulation”? Nicholas Eberstadt doesn’t think so. In today’s Washington Post, Eberstadt punctures five “myths” about global population. The myths: The world is overpopulated. Rapid population growth keeps poor countries poor. For all its ethical problems, China’s one-child policy boosts its economy. IfContinue reading “Myths About Population”
Recycle the Intermountain West
Since 1997, more than 40 million acres of forests across the West have been devastated by pine beetle. The beetle is a natural predator, but historic timber management and climatic conditions have given advantage to the species in current times. The end result is tinderbox forests across the Intermountain region. Fire is another natural predator in theContinue reading “Recycle the Intermountain West”
Beyond Politics
I never really understood “political economy” until I read Beyond Politics: Markets, Welfare, and the Failure of Bureaucracy some 15 years ago. The simple but powerful preface includes the following by Randy Simmons and William Mitchell: Politics and economics cannot be separated. Economies do not exist in a vacuum and neither do politics. Political systems shape, sometimes control, andContinue reading “Beyond Politics”
Green loans
Micro finance offering loans to green business start-ups