In a Twitter feed, Jonathan Wood of PERC untangles the confusion over the Supreme Court’s May 25 decision regarding the definition of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The entire Supreme Court reined in the EPA. A majority (5) did so more boldly than the rest (4). From Wood’s Twitter thread: “So why was…
Supreme Court Unanimously Reins in EPA’s Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’
The Biden administration had a major setback today as the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the EPA’s current definition of “waters of the United States.” The definition had been used to halt construction of a home on property deemed a wetland by the EPA. The case, Sackett vs. EPA, has been going on for 15 years….
Tuesday Links: Yes, New York Is Sinking . . . etc.
- New York City is sinking(1–2 millimeters a year) says a scientific paper. People and buildings are heavy.
- Can environmentalists buy out a mining site near Yellowstone? They need some $3 million more to do it.
- [Update: Make that just $2.45 million.]
- Electric trucks may have a better future than electric cars.
- The “Virtual Power Plant” : We drain your battery first. Then we cut off your heat.
Biden Is Counting on Unproven Technologies to Meet Climate Goals
Thanks to Rachel Frazin of The Hill, we have a good idea of the flimsiness of the EPA’s recent proposed ruling on coal- and gas-fired power plants. She observes that under the ruling, coal-fired power plants must cut their carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent by 2030 if they expect to operate beyond 2039, while…
Are Conservation Leases the Key to Resolving Competing Demands on Public Lands?
This guest post by Shawn Regan is a substantive analysis of the recent proposal by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management to allow leasing of public land for conservation purposes. Regan is vice president of research at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Mont.
Most conservation issues involve balancing competing uses of natural resources. Should a parcel of land be developed for energy production, harvested for timber, grazed by livestock, managed as wildlife habitat, or set aside as open space? In a world of scarce resources, the main question is: How do people best resolve these competing demands?
Inspector General Warns Energy Dept. about “Immense Risks” of Big New Lending Programs
The New York Times recently reported on the Dept. of Energy’s frantic effort to lend $400 billion before the election of 2024. In doing so, the Times article publicized a critical report by the Office of the Inspector General dated November 2022. That report, along with a memo to the energy secretary from Inspector General Teri Donaldson, identified numerous risks that had just been increased by the ballooning plans for loans. These increases (no surprise!) had been authorized by the CHIPS Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the IRA (“Inflation Reduction Act”).