Pollution & Health
McMahon versus Murphy – A Senate Race With High Stakes Environmentally
The Connecticut Senate race between Linda McMahon (R) and Chris Murphy (D) has major environmental implications. McMahon vigorously espouses the standard Republican positions on environment and energy. But Murphy stands out among Democratic Senate candidates in swing states because of his especially strong commitment on the environment. His House website emphasizes that commitment: Our environmental …
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CONTINUE READINGEnergy and Environment in the Old Dominion
George Allen (R) and Tim Kaine (D) are facing off in the Virginia Senate race. On environment and energy issues, Allen is a clone of Mitt of Romney, Kaine tracks Obama’s energy policies but also emphasizes preservation of open space, including historic as well as natural sites.
CONTINUE READINGThis Blog Post is Full of Crap
As Cara and I have noted previously, many municipalities are seeking to limit or completely ban plastic bags in grocery stores. Good for the environment, right? Well, maybe. How shall I put this? Plastic supermarket bags, while terrible in many ways, are particularly good at the removal of a particular form of non-toxic canine waste that often …
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CONTINUE READINGSupersized Drinks, Social Welfare, and Liberty
Obesity is an environmental issue because the food system (from farm to table) uses a lot of energy and produces significant water pollution. More food equals a bigger environmental footprint. Sweetened soft drinks are a good example: they use corn sweetener, and corn production has a large footprint because so much fertilizer is required. There …
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CONTINUE READINGReasonably Libertarian: Gary Johnson’s Environmental Views
Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson isn’t exactly a household name, but it looks like he’s going to be on the ballot in nearly all states. That made me curious about his environmental positions. I have to admit that Johnson’s views were better than I expected. You can’t really call Johnson an environmentalist, but he looks quite …
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CONTINUE READINGMore Good News About Implementing AB32
Below I report a new announcement posted to the California Air Resources Board Webpage discussing how a small group of academic economists will be playing a new role in designing the AB32 Cap & Trade program. Here is the announcement. My bottom line is that ARB has hired a Dream Team. Forget Lebron James and …
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CONTINUE READINGThe D.C. Circuit’s Activist Ruling on Interstate Pollution
About ten days ago, the D.C. Circuit struck down EPA’s effort to establish a cap-and-trade system for pollutants that cross state lines. Now that I’ve had a chance to read the lengthy opinion in EMR Homer City Generation v. EPA, I’m struck by the aggressiveness of the court’s intervention, which goes well beyond the customary …
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CONTINUE READINGParty Differences on Energy and Environment: A Side-by-Side Comparison
After I posted a description of the Republican platform, a reader suggested that a side-by-side comparison would be helpful when the Democratic Platform came out. Here it is, presented as objectively as I could. Subject Democratic Platform Republican Platform Regulatory reform Give president power to reorganize agencies. Congressional approval required for all major rules. …
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CONTINUE READINGLike a Bridge Over Troubled Water: Crossing the Partisan Divide on Environmental Issues
A national holiday is a good occasion for thinking about national unity. Reading the GOP platform, you might well conclude that there is absolutely zero hope for bipartisanship on environmental issue. The platform angrily accuses the Obama Administration for pursuing environmental regulation at all costs, heedless of huge economic burdens. The platform also leaves no …
CONTINUE READINGThe Fairness of Using the Gas Tax to Support Transit
A lot of people are out driving on this Labor Day weekend, which means buying gas and paying the gas tax that’s included in the price. As it happens, last week, the GOP adopted a platform condemning the use of the highway fund to support transit. The platform seems to reflect conservative fairness concerns, like …
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