Guest author Randal O’Toole has a degree in forestry from Oregon State University and has spent several decades studying forest policy. He is the author of six books, including Reforming the Forest Service, and author of The Perfect Firestorm: Bringing Forest Service Wildfire Costs under Control, a Cato Institute Policy Analysis. Every summer, smoke from…
Search Results for: climate change
Cold, Not Heat, Caused the Most Deaths
Did you know that the number of temperature-related deaths went down between 2000 and 2019 despite rises in global temperatures? That finding appeared in a study in The Lancet: Planet Health, part of the prominent Lancet medical journal chain. Cold-related deaths declined while heat-related deaths increased just barely, saving tens of thousands of lives as…
Prosperity Improves the Environment (We Knew That but Many Don’t)
The 2020 Environmental Performance Index shows a close relationship between environmental success and a country’s GDP. This annual index, developed jointly by the Yale Center for Environmental Policy and Law and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University, ranks 180 countries. Writing on HumanProgress.org, Ethan Yang finds that wealth and environmental…
I.E.A.’s Net-Zero Study: ‘Green Advocacy on Behalf of Its Paymasters’?
The recent International Energy Agency “Net Zero by 2050” study has been justly criticized, says Tilak Doshi in Forbes. The study says that the shift to renewables would have huge benefits. Specifically (this is from the I.E.A. introduction) : “It sets out a cost-effective and economically productive pathway, resulting in a clean, dynamic and resilient…
What in the World Is Green Steel?
Most steel production requires fossil fuel, but Mercedes-Benz is promising to use “green” steel in its autos by 2025 according to Environment + Energy Leader. That means it will use steel made with renewable energy sources such as hydrogen, wind, or biomass. Writes Harlin Asad: “While many automakers have announced electric vehicle goals to address climate…
More than a Third of Americans Wouldn’t Pay $1 to Reduce Carbon Dioxide
A poll of 1200 registered voters taken by the Competitive Enterprise Institute found 35 percent unwilling to spend anything for carbon dioxide reduction: “When asked about willingness to spend out-of-pocket to mitigate climate change, 35 percent of respondents said they would not spend a dollar. Fifteen percent said they would spend up to $10 of…