Environmental Economics

"You didn't hear Adam and Eve running around talking about emissions standards or hybrid cars"

In case you've missed it and can handle some fun-poking at our commander-in-chief, check out Will Ferrell: Bush on Global Warming. Here is the review from politicalhumor.about.com:

This hilarious send-up by Bush impersonator Will Ferrell, which aired as part of TBS's comedy special "Earth to America," is another classic in the vein of Ferrell's White House West.

Happy new year!

NC gas tax increase

Brace yourself, North Carolinians, as drivers rush to fill up on Dec 31! And you out-of-staters, buy your gas before hitting the NC portions of I-95, I-40 and I-77. Otherwise you'll be victim of the great gas tax increase of 2006 (Tax hike ...):

North Carolina's gas tax will rise 2.8 cents a gallon on Jan. 1 -- the biggest one-time jump in nearly 20 years ...  . The latest tax increase, to 29.9 cents a gallon, will push North Carolina from having the nation's eighth-highest state gas tax to the sixth.

"Bottom line, we have to pass on everything like this," said Sami Nafisi, who owns Sam's Mart, one of the Charlotte region's largest station chains. "I hate to see that because it hurts everybody."

State Sen. Phil Berger, a Rockingham Republican who proposed a gas-tax rollback and cap in October, said: "This is harmful to our economy because it will take even that much more money from North Carolinians."

A driver using 10 gallons a week would pay an extra $15 a year with the tax increase.

Thwwwwwwpht. That's the sound of the NC economy as each driver cuts back on textiles, furniture, smokes and tourism. Sarc.

Property Rights Dispute Cycle

Wolves used to roam wild in the American west.  Settlers 'Go West' and, well, settle.  To survive, the settlers plant crops and raise livestock.   The livestock are easy pickin's for the wolves, so the wolves flourish. 

Why can't developing countries make money on Kyoto too?

Why are the developing countries opposed to Kyoto? What can't they be like Russia, sell their emissions credits and make some money?

It is one of the paradoxes of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change that companies in Russia and other Eastern European countries, which are among the world's largest producers of greenhouse gases, are poised to earn hundreds of millions of dollars through trading their rights to release carbon dioxide into the air.

The developing country industries are bound to be as "outdated and inefficient" as those in Russia, making upgrades cheaper than the price of pollution credits and participation in Kyoto a money making endeavor. What gives? and/or What am I missing?

Read all about it here: In Russia ... .

How bad was Katrina?

Here's one updated estimate:

Advisen Ltd. on Tuesday estimated worldwide insurance and reinsurance losses related to the three major hurricanes that hit the United States this year would amount to $57.6 billion, making the cumulative catastrophe losses the largest on record.

The cost of stilts

I borrowed this post from Hypothetical Bias (the cromulent economics blog). It illustrates why people will always live in dangerous areas and, when there, won't self protect themselves and ... if you read the whole NYTimes article from awhile ago... how local governments are co-dependent on this behavior.

Safe Harbor

As Congress starts thinking about changings to the Endangered Species Act, here is more evidence of free market environmentalism in Texas (Aware of political ecosystem ...):

The safe harbor programs are widely acknowledged as one of the most successful blends of public and private initiatives to further conservation. They mimic the pollution credit trading programs that cut the amount of acid rain falling on New England.

Update: free market environmentalism and replace with "a recognition of the importance of property rights and economic incentives." Thanks to a comment from Biopolitical.

'yes, rising prices change consumers' behavior'

From Prices and energy use over a Econbrowser:

More evidence that yes, rising prices change consumers' behavior.

The Oil Drum notes that hourly traffic count data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration suggest that the August gas price increases held U.S. highway travel in August 2005 to the same level as in the corresponding month of 2004, while the September price spikes led to a significant drop in car travel ...

And check out the comments. There is an interesting discussion assertion about how conservatives (read Republican politicians) understand demand and supply and liberals (read Democratic politicians) don't. Ugh.

More Great Lakes Promises?

I've been an Ohio resident for just over 5 years now.  I don't have a good grasp on the history of the Great Lakes restoration effort but I do know that there have been a number of incarnations of plans to restore the lakes.  Yesterday's Columbus Dispatch (subscription required) describes a bit of the history and the next plan to emerge from the President's Great Lakes Taskforce:

Happy Christmakwanzukah to all

I'm out for a few days to celebrate Christmas with the family (10 people in my house at once).  Have a great weekend.  I'll be back to posting next week.  If you experience withdrawal symptoms, feel free to use this as an open thread and discuss as you see fit (but keep it nice in the spirit of the season).