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 ||
ESG Funds Are Investing in Ukraine and Russia?
Yes they are, the Wall Street Journal reported on April 2. And a big ESG investment backfired when the two countries went to war. ESG stands for “environmental, social, and governance” strategies. Funds like BlackRock’s ESG funds, explains writer Matt Wirz, obtain investors by “promising to boost returns while bettering the world by avoiding countries…
A Eulogy to Richard Stroup, Free Market Environmentalist
John Baden, long-time friend and colleague of Richard Stroup, wrote a eulogy to Rick, who died November 18. (For more about John, look here.) “Rick was one of the first professors I met at Montana State University. Generous with his time and counsel, he greatly influenced my career. And it was a treat to teach…
A Half-Century of Disproven Pessimism
Writing on his blog Master Resource, Robert L. Bradley, Jr. points out that “an optimistic view of future climate has a strong basis in settled science (CO2 fertilization, modest primary warming), just as climate pessimistic has a more speculative basis (as in debated feedback effects to elevate the initial warming).” Bradley reviews “the poor track…