EconTech

More on Carbon Policy Equivalence
Please read Arnold Kling.
My sympathies in economics lie with the so-called “new institutionalists.” I think institutionalists are going to see more clearly than neoclassicals the rather big difference between a carbon tax and a whole new market institution for trade in government-created and government-rationed permits.
But let’s back up a little, [...]

I don’t have much to add to the debate on emissions control policy that seems to have flared up recently. Clearly, both have advantages and disadvantages that the other doesn’t. The major difference seems to be that, under uncertainty on the optimal level of emissions, that cap-and-trade produces potentially excessive costs if the cap is [...]

I chided Becker and Posner for not giving sources for their posts. Here is some data that backs them up in a more serious manner (HT: Gabriel)(Not sure how I found this), a comment below:
Food prices
How should a well-fed American react when some of the world’s poorest citizens in Haiti and Bangladesh riot over the [...]

I’ve talked about my feelings over overfishing and other environmental concerns impacting sea creatures (and their consumption by me) and the prospect of not eating sushi when I’m 50 scares the crap out of me. I was reassured that despite the need for me to decrease my tuna consumption, salmon would still be there. Apparently, [...]

Anyone who has kept their eyes open on the biofuel issue knows that the biofuels as they are currently being produced are an enormous waste of energy and money. This FT article hardly mentions that. Not only that, but I have to assume that “agricultural scientists” are getting some kind of funding from agricultural agencies, [...]

If you’ve been reading me, you know that there is a serious crisis on the horizon (or closer) regarding world grain supplies. PK reviews the trend a bit and points out that your inconvenience at your local mega-mart may very well mean starvation for others. He then reviews the factors of influence:

increased meat consumption in [...]

The downsides of ethanol are obvious to anyone familiar with large-scale farming practices, plus there just won’t be enough. And yet, I STILL keep hearing people proclaiming the wonders of ethanol and other biofuels. Look, I’m all about protecting the environment. But it is going to be harder than burning corn. PK:
Demon ethanol

I’m almost never [...]

I am pretty sure this study is not the first study of its kind. I’ve had this debate with several people over the past year, and after some research, they have all admitted that biofuels are not an eco-friendly solution. Nevertheless, thought I’d record this for easy access in the future:
To make matters worse: Biofuel [...]

For anyone who has thought about climate change, or any other major, long term policy, remotely seriously, the choice of a discount rate becomes a critical value in your model rather quickly. The problem is, of course, that it is a value that can substantially alter the outcomes of an analysis, but the choice of [...]

Would like to see how this informs the size of the tax on carbon/gas needed to bring emissions into line with various desired levels.
Gasoline prices
CBO released a study today on consumers’ responses to the substantial upward trend in gasoline prices that began in 2003.
Many drivers have responded to higher gasoline prices in the way that [...]

This was posted a long time ago. I probably had something to say, but just put it in my drafts section uncommented. It is still worth reading though:
The Bali Puzzle

The Bali negotiations have laid bare the central issue for climate treaty negotiations: who should pay for climate change. There were two major points of [...]

I think the stab at Obama supporters is totally unnecessary and beside the point. Otherwise, Krugman’s Friday column is worth reading, and largely correct. As a pretty steadfast rule, looking for a hero is a waste of time. There are too few of them to be dependably found for the relevant situation:
A lot of Americans, [...]

VoxEU continues to shine as one of the premier places to read up on interesting policy oriented research questions. This time, an analysis of the composition of the decline in pollution in U.S. manufacturing. There are open questions still, e.g. a version of this decomposition for developing countries, and how their exports drive their pollution [...]

Exciting news, right? No, the FT’s article title and lead paragraph is misleading. Clarification comes by the second paragraph, however. When India and China start talking about their future role in climate change policy, call me:
Asian leaders joined the United Nations on Wednesday in calling for developing countries to take greater responsibility for fighting climate [...]

So, this whole thing started out when Sen. Clinton said that a pause on Doha may be needed to re-examine our political considerations given to trade. Despite the fact that the last few regional trade deals have been terribly constructed (can you say CAFTA?), my favorite paper jumped on the relevant part of the interview [...]