I'm at the beach house as the SEA conference is winding down last week and realize that I didn't bring a thing to read. One of the 5 late '80s vintage UK economists hands me White Thunder (a native American four corners Navajo reservation whodunnit). I've never read these but I've always loved paperback mysteries. I begin reading at my usual paragraph by -- chase down the 2 year old -- paragraph pace, enjoying the time away from the Environmental Economics blog and, on page 95, it happens:
Ella glanced out the side window, staring at the haze that ran along the river, hating the pollution that the coal-fired power plants brought to the Rez. The newer plants kept their smokestacks clean using the latest technology, but one plant in particular had been built prior to 1970, and wasn't subject to the same EPA standards. It was under a grandfather clause that made it exempt from new requirements. To add insult to injury, much of the power it provided was sold out of state. But the damage it did remained here.
A few comments:
- Without new source review that pre-1970 technology power plant would have modernized by now.
- I like the injection. Much more subtle than a 200 page Carl Hiasson rant against Florida development.
- If you are looking for some non-rant environmental economic (i.e., tradeoffs illustrated) murder mystery try Shooting at Loons (a coastal NC commercial fishing vs coastal development whodunnit). I've always wanted to assign it for class but know that I'd bomb in a chapter by chapter class discussion.
- I'm on page 132. The first commenter to discuss the ending gets treated like a spammer. Banned IP address. Forever.
