Environmental Economics

We can all breathe a sigh of relief

Greg Mankiw:

It is the beginning of a new academic year, and I am pleased to report that my favorite textbooks are still selling well.

via gregmankiw.blogspot.com

Are any economics journals guilty of "citation stacking"?

Ivan Oransky at Retraction Watch:

Earlier this week, in a story by Richard van Noorden, Nature revealed the hidden workings of a scheme referred to as “citation stacking” that has landed a number of journals in trouble. The story begins:

Mauricio Rocha-e-Silva thought that he had spotted an easy way to raise the profiles of Brazilian journals. From 2009, he and several other editors published articles containing hundreds of references to papers in each others’ journals — in order, he says, to elevate the journals’ impact factors.

As Nature reports, Rocha-e-Silva was apparently frustrated that Brazilian government agencies were relying heavily on impact factor to evaluate graduate programs. That meant few scientists were willing to publish in Brazilian journals, which had lower impact factors. Rocha-e-Silva describes some of these frustrations in an impassioned 2009 editorial (in Portuguese).

The citation stacking plan was discovered, however, by Thomson Reuters, which determines impact factors, and fourteen journals — including the one Rocha-e-Silva edited until he was fired following the incident — have been punished with suspensions of their impact factors for a year.

It’s a fascinating story, well worth the read. And van Noorden — whose work on retractions is also worth a read — told us about two retractions for such citation stacking.

I've heard that some economics journals (that will go unnamed unless you want to add them to the comments!) engage in a form of citation stacking as the editor asks for citations to his/her journal before the paper is accepted. 

Another benefit of climate change...

...the potential to uncover cool new tourist attractions.

One of the biggest canyons in the world has been discovered buried beneath more than two miles of ice in Greenland.

I'm posting this to win brownie points with my wife

Towson running back Terrance West ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns and the Tigers won for the first time against an opponent from the bowl subdivision, upsetting Connecticut 33-18 in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

My wife is a Towson alum (and former football dance squad member--or something like that). Some facts about Towson U:

• Located in the northern suburbs of Baltimore, Towson University is best known for being mispronounced (Tow rhymes with Cow, not Toe).
• Like Appalachian State (John's employer) Towson is an NCAA FCS school (formerly Division 1AA).  Apparently it's news when an FCS school beats a FBS school.
• Among Towson's more famous alumni are Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs),Stacy Keibler (WWE wrestler, winner of Dancing with the Stars and ex-girlfriend of George Clooney), and Sean Landeta (longtime NFL punter).

Sand as an exhaustible resource

It looks like they are running out of sand in south Florida:

Offshore sand has always been the first choice to counter beach erosion. It is inexpensive and does not disrupt reefs or marine life. This is why the Army Corps and the state are hoping that Martin and St. Lucie Counties will come around and free up some of their sand, which could then be dredged and shipped farther south.

The only other option at the moment is buying sand from mines in Central Florida and trucking it in, which is what Broward County is doing for a stretch of its beaches. Doing so is more expensive, reserved for low-volume projects, logistically difficult and largely disliked. ...

A third option is buying sand from countries in the Caribbean, possibly the Bahamas. Under United States law, the Army Corps must show that domestic sand is not available for economic or environmental reasons before it can use foreign sand.

Broward County is exploring the cost of recycling glass to fill small gaps in its beaches — it is more costly than offshore sand, but it is not yet clear by how much. Broward would also have to find a nearby facility to process the glass and complete the final phase of its environmental study. Other states have used recycled glass, but mostly for small projects like golf courses.

via www.nytimes.com

I predict that fewer people will be ... this is very tough ... taking their talents to South Beach.

We're #106

James Hamilton:

According to Onanalytica Indexes, it looks like you're reading one of the ten most influential economics blogs.

via www.econbrowser.com

But #1, I think, in the prestigious category: "Environmental Economics." And we're still ahead of this guy:

Quote of the Day: I think Glenn Beck's real first name is Richard, because he's a real D***

“If anyone does anything in this company because of global warming, they’re fired,” [Glenn Beck] said.

via news.yahoo.com

Guess what day it is.

Best. Commercial. Ever. (yes, better than the old Miller Lite Tastes-Great Less-Filling ones)

An economist reviews Dan Brown's 'Inferno'

Warning: Spoiler Alert below the jump.  If you haven't read 'Inferno' yet, don;t read below the jump, I'm going to give away the plot and ending.

I recently finished reading Dan Brown's (author of The Da Vinci Code) newest book 'Inferno.' As a casual reader of the book, I found it entertaining.  Brown does his typical job of keeping the action moving, mixing in some interesting conspiracy theories, making me want to visit some cities I've never been to, and making it seem like being a college professor might be cool (although I have my doubts).  I didn't enjoy it as much as The Da Vinci Code, which I didn't enjoy as much Angels and Demons, but still a good read (and I refuse to accept that The Lost Symbol was written). 

But, as an economist, I found the book to be complete nonsense. 

Why?  Read below the jump (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN).

A Peak Oiler Comes Around?

When I first came to The Oil Drum over seven years ago I was looking for information to explain the steadily rising oil price. It has been some ride. In the vastly complex system that is industrial society it is impossible to make predictions about the future, but here, in any case, is my wag. $100+ oil has opened the door to exploitation of more expensive resources and reserves. Society is adapting to the new reality of higher energy prices. Some are becoming more energy efficient, some have installed renewable energy devices at home, some will forgo an expensive vacation they can no longer afford and some have been squeezed out of the labour market, perhaps forever, and will live out their lives on dwindling State handouts, in poverty.

via www.theoildrum.com

I used to read The Oil Drum regularly because it gave me an easy target to show off my econ-ammo. They I stopped reading it for a while because, well, it was just too easy: peak oil theory is wrong--Hotelling (or an extension thereof) was right. Then today, in a moment of boredom, I decided to go back and read The Oil Drum--and I cam across the above quote.

Sounds an awful lot like an economist wrote that.