Environmental Economics

Couldn't drag me away

Under the Dome:

Apparently the U.S. House can agree on this much: wild horses.

The House on Monday unanimously passed the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, a Farmville Republican, provides for a new public-private management plan for the horses that run wild on the Outer Banks. The plan will not cost any additional taxpayer money.

Under the current plan, the maximum number of horses allowed in the herd is 60. The bill requires a new management plan that allows between 110 and 130 horses — the number scientists say is needed to maintain the herd's genetic viability. It also allows for the periodic introduction of mares from Shackleford Banks — which like the Corolla herd are Colonial Spanish Mustangs.

Colonial Spanish Mustangs — designated as the State horse — date to the arrival of Spanish explorers on the Banks in the 16th century. They currently roam thousands of acres of public and private land on the Currituck County coast.

Here is the link to H.R. 126. Apparently, the U.S. Congress is allowing private foundations to do what they would like on public land. You can make your donation here.

Those horses are cool. When peak oil hits I'm using my last drop of gas to get to Currituck. I'll be the one known as "Conquistador" who rides a Spanish pony named La Reina (Queen) adapting to the realities of historical, linear sea level rise in the Mad Max wasteland of the coastal plain of North Carolina. 

A belated Memorial Day post: Jason Isbell “Dress Blues”

Twangville:

Our Monday Morning Video, Memorial Day edition, arrives courtesy of Jason Isbell. Here’s the emotional story behind the song, written for a high school friend of Isbell’s.

John vs the field

In honor of the Kentucky Derby and one of John's favorite pasttimes (indie bands) here's a quiz to see if you can identify whether each entry in a horse or an indie band.  Post your results in the comment section.  I got 13.

 

Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

Who says economists aren't cool?

An e-mail conversation between the co-authors of this paper (that you should really be downloading) resulted in the exchange of the following pictures of advisor and former student:

Advisor (circa 1986 or so--that's me with the mullet on drums):

Former Student--now assistant professor at Mississippi State--Matt Interis (circa 2004?):

Too far to care

My top 10 albums of 2012

Based on revealed preference as submitted to WNCW's Top 100:

1. Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball
2. BoDeans -- American Made
3. Patterson Hood -- Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
4. Kathleen Edwards -- Voyageur
5. Avett Brothers -- The Carpenter
6. Old Crow Medicine Show -- Carry Me Back
7. Rhett Miller -- The Dreamer
8. The Mastersons -- Birds Fly South
9. Langhorne Slim and the Law -- The Way We Move
10. Tift Merritt -- Traveling Alone

Honorable Mention: Kelly Hogan -- I Like to Keep Myself in Pain; Mic Harrison and the High Score -- Still Wanna Fight 

As you can see (WNCW's Top 100 Contest Weekday Mix - 2012 Survey), I had to write in the top 2 albums, which were clearly my favorites along with #3. I have a feeling that Langhorne Slim should be higher, but I didn't listen to it very much. It more or less got buried in the mess of my car for a significant chunk of 2012. 

One that I missed is Jason Isbell, Live from Alabama (it is in my shopping cart at Amazon). What else did I miss?

 

I got sixteen days

Vote for Beggs:

... Other than that, my summer has been pretty uneventful, but I am gearing up to hopefully give a talk at South by Southwest in Austin next spring. I know it’s early, but the process for considering talk proposals is already underway, part of which involves a public voting system. (Groan.) On that front, it would be awesome if you could vote for my proposal, located here. (Voting is now open through September 4th, in case you were feeling so inclined but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.)

via www.economistsdoitwithmodels.com

The "here" link doesn't help much. I had to wander around and find the signup link and then search for "economics" on this page. 

The least that I can do is CAIR*

Benefit-cost analysis be darned:

The fallout has begun just one day after a federal appeals court scrapped a major EPA rule designed to curb long-distance drifting power plant pollution — and Louisville’s air quality may pay the price.

A Western Kentucky utility told the Kentucky Public Service Commission Wednesday that it intends to abandon pollution controls that would have allowed it comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, also known as the transport rule. 

Henderson-based Big Rivers Electric Cooperative, which owns and operates four generating stations and a 1,266-mile transmission system, could save its customers about $225 million by dropping pollution controls required for the transport rule, said Marty Littrel, cooperative spokesman.

via www.courier-journal.com

Stavins and Schmalensee conclude:

Existing studies providing estimates of the Transport Rule’s benefits and costs consistently find that benefits outweigh costs, on a national basis, often by a wide margin.

*With apologies to Kid Rock.

I went to sleep last night at 11 pm

Even though I was disbelief (Viewers outraged ...):

NBC was pummeled by viewers who took to social media after the network cut away early from the closing ceremonies of the London Games on Sunday to air a new television show, drawing outrage from those who tuned in for the highly anticipated musical spectacle.

The Twitter-sphere exploded, with "#NBCfail" and "#closingceremonies" trending worldwide, after NBC cut out performances by Ray Davies, Kate Bush, The Who and the Muse in favor of a commercial-free airing of "Animal Practice." ...

NBC did air the Who's performance at the closing ceremonies in late night, following "Animal Practice." But that did little calm the fury of viewers ...

And if you think that excerpt is from The Onion, here it is at the WSJ:

But NBC decided to delay [The Who] for an hour so I can watch some show that’s Scrubs in a veterinary hospital.  I actually thought this was a joke. I kept waiting for NBC to say ha-ha. Because who would end two weeks of coverage by slicing off the very end of the ceremony featuring one of the world’s most famous bands?  NBC, apparently.

I DVRed the thing so my kids could watch it at a suitable time (we watched the spice girls this morning before school). Naturally, thinking that NBC could not be so stupid, I stopped the recording at 11 pm. Now they'll never know who The Who is (are?).

I blame Bob Costas (the messenger): 

"We'll be back from Olympic Stadium in about an hour for the London closing party featuring The Who. But stay tuned now for a full episode of 'Animal Practice,' the new NBC comedy presented commercial free."

Update: The video is now posted on NBC's website. Yet, "The Who performs 'Teenage Wasteland' ..."? I'm not sure, since I can't watch the video until I remember my Charter password, but I don't think they performed "Teenage Wasteland." 

Guess my BMI*

Typically, I'm way too cool for these sorts of celebrations, but how often does an economics professor get to record his own album of rock anthem covers?

Source: The Commons, Spring 2012

*It's been awhile since I made my BMI public. Inspired by Tim coming clean with his near obesity, I think it is time for an update. The reader with the closest guess (in the comments) gets a signed reprint of a recent journal article (your choice of what I have available). To better inform your guesses, note that I'm surely sucking in my stomach.