Some very smart people are trying to figure out whether, where, and to what extent air pollution is a killer. Most recently, Tyler Cowen wrote in Marginal Revolution about a new study claiming that 10.2 million people die from pollution by fine particulates (particles 2.5 microns or lower) each year. Sixty-two percent of those premature…
Search Results for: pollution
A Laffer Curve for Pollution?
Most of us naturally assume that some pollution is the price we must pay for economic progress. That may be true, but studies show that more pollution is bad for health, IQ, productivity and employment. That means that pollution reduces human capital. There may be a “Laffer Curve” for pollution, just as there is for…
Air Pollution, Sea Rise, and Virginia’s ‘Clean Economy Act’
Air pollution has been declining for years. Here are some charts. NoTricksZone.com || Rapid sea rise on Atlantic coast – in the 18th century. Eurekalert.org || Virginia tries to save the planet with ‘Clean Economy Act.’ Wattsupwiththat.com || Counting tweets: A scientific tool for measuring climate change? Heartland.org ||
Australia’s Great Coral Reef Is Alive and Well. Why Hide That Fact?
(This file has been updated.) Peter Ridd, who examined current data about Australia’s Great Coral Reef, demolishes fears that the reef is sick or dying. He asks why the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is obscuring that fact by failing to aggregate the data. However, perhaps recognizing that Ridd (a controversial figure) was studying…
Are Wood Pellets Carbon-Free? Of Course Not, But They Are Defined That Way and Here’s Why
The European Union is considering removing a rule that—in the effort to meet international carbon-reduction goals—has been defining wood pellets as “carbon-free” fuels. That special elevation of wood pellets has made their production a thriving industry in the United States, which exports substantial amounts of wood pellets to England and other parts of Europe. However,…
I’m Fed Up with “Clean” Energy
From a news release: “On June 9, 2021, Governor [Cooper] issued Executive Order No. 218 highlighting North Carolina’s commitment to offshore wind power as the state transitions to a clean energy economy.” “. . . a clean energy economy”? This is a misnomer. Does anybody remember what dirty energy was? Sooty, full of particulates and sulfur dioxide—it…