Pollution & Health
My New Book: Fundamentals of Environmental Economics is Published
On Amazon, I’ve published a $2 environmental economics book. I priced it low to try to disrupt the environmental economics textbook business and to try to lure people to read it. This book can easier just be read as a “normal book” or can be used as a funky textbook for a class related …
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CONTINUE READINGCelebrity Lobbying as an Impediment to Increasing Center City Density
The NY Post reports that “Top Chef” Padma Lakshmi opposes NYU’s plan to “densify” The Village. I have already reported that Matthew Broderick opposes the plan. Permit me to quote the authoritative NY Post: “The famed cookbook author and onetime Indian supermodel wore a white summer dress as she slipped into one the last …
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CONTINUE READINGThe D.C. Circuit’s Sleeper Decision in CBD v. EPA
Before I even get to the majority opinion in Center for Biological Diversity v. EPA, a quick word about the concurring opinion by Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh may be the most outspoken conservative on a court composed almost entirely of Republican appointees. So what he has to say about climate change is really noteworthy: In …
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CONTINUE READINGWhy Hide the Congressional Research Service’s Reports from the Public?
Q: Is there anything connected with Congress that actually works these days? A: Yes, the Congressional Research Service and the General Accounting Office. A key difference between these adjuncts to Congress, however, relates to public accessibility. The Congressional Research Service can be a really valuable resource, but their reports can be difficult to locate. Unlike …
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CONTINUE READINGEPA and the Social Cost of Carbon: Part II
This is Part II of a two-part series of posts discussing Eric Posner’s critiques of the role of cost-benefit analysis in climate regulation. In Part I of this post series, Rhead described the social cost of carbon concept, discussed the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) recently updated social cost of carbon estimate of $38 …
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CONTINUE READINGEPA and the social cost of carbon
This is Part I of a two-part series of posts discussing Eric Posner’s critiques of the role of cost-benefit analysis in climate regulation. The social cost of carbon (SCC, for policy wonks) represents the cost, in today’s dollars for the harm of emitting a ton of carbon dioxide equivalent gas into the atmosphere. Recently, the …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Long, Slow Path to Improved Air Quality Standards
The regulatory process can be slow and tortuous. Consider the case of air quality standards. Since 1997, EPA has had separate air quality standards for fine particulates, technically called PM2.5. These tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, making them a special public health concern. EPA has revisited the standard twice, in 2006 and …
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CONTINUE READINGNoisy Cities and the 1%
The NY Times has published a great piece about noise pollution dynamics in New York City. Noise is a classic urban externality as it is a byproduct of productive activity such as airplanes landing, flying a helicopter to the Hamptons, or erecting a new building, or a subway arriving, or a motorist honking her horn …
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CONTINUE READINGThe House GOP Takes a Courageous Stand Against Food Safety
It takes guts to oppose food safety. But that’s no problem for the House GOP. According to the NY TImes, today’s House farm bill wasn’t content to eliminate food stamps, it also took aim at food safety: One overlooked provision in the bill came from Representative Dan Benishek, Republican of Michigan, a surgeon, and would …
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CONTINUE READINGBombs Bursting in Air: Environmental Regulation of Fireworks
It seems only fitting as we approach the Fourth of July holiday to turn our attention to the environmental impacts and regulation of fireworks. As it turns out, our age-old patriotic tradition of exploding packages of toxic chemicals in the air is not without its environmental drawbacks. Although much is still unknown about the environmental …
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