Showing archive for: “Energy & Environment”
More on Wal-Mart and Organics
An article from yesterday’s W$J sheds some light on the organic community’s anger over Wal-Mart’s decision to begin selling organic products. A few weeks ago, I accused Wal-Mart’s critics of wanting to keep price-sensitive consumers out of the organic “club.� The article in yesterday’s Journal suggests that that’s part of the story, but that the ... More on Wal-Mart and Organics
Some Thoughts on Tradeable Gasoline Rights
Marty Feldstein has an interesting idea about how to reduce America’s oil consumption, but I’m not quite ready to sign on. In an op-ed in yesterday’s WSJ, Feldstein proposed a “cap and trade� system for gasoline. Under the proposed system, the government would set a limit on the amount of gasoline Americans could purchase annually ... Some Thoughts on Tradeable Gasoline Rights
NYT on Preserving the Purity of the Organic Club
The New York Times is worried about Wal-Mart’s plan to sell organic food. One would think that fans of organic would be happy about this development. It means that organic products will be available more cheaply at Wal-Mart, which is planning to sell organic products for just 10% more than conventionally grown food, and it’s ... NYT on Preserving the Purity of the Organic Club
Want to Boost Domestic Oil Production? Give ANWR to the Greens.
There have been some pretty stupid ideas floating around about how to deal with this purported gasoline crisis we’re experiencing. (See, e.g., here.) Here’s one that might sound crazy at first, but is, I submit, crazy like a fox. I propose that the government split the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve and give the pieces primarily ... Want to Boost Domestic Oil Production? Give ANWR to the Greens.
Dirty Coal’s Rent-Seeking Pays Off
Today’s Heard on the Street column in the W$J reports that utilities are moving away from low-sulfur coal in favor of the dirtier, high-sulfur variety. This might seem odd, given that the Clean Air Act operates on sort of a “ratchet” principle — i.e., when air quality improves, degradation is generally forbidden. One might expect ... Dirty Coal’s Rent-Seeking Pays Off
Sen. Lugar’s New Grip on Reality
In a recent speech at the Brookings Institution, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) bashed what he called “a laissez-faire energy policy that relies on market evolution.” Under such a policy, he says, “life in America is going to be much more difficult in the coming decades.” He insists that “[w]hat is needed is an urgent national ... Sen. Lugar’s New Grip on Reality
The Wisdom of Selling Off Isolated Public Forest Land
An article in the current issue of the Economist contends that “American environmentalists could be forgiven for throwing up their hands and heading north” (to Canada). Why? Because “the Bush administration wants to sell some 300,000 acres of national forest land in 35 states, mostly out west.” I’m afraid the normally sensible Economist (see, e.g., ... The Wisdom of Selling Off Isolated Public Forest Land
